The debate for a Casino in Kenosha is back on and blazing away. I've heard the commercial and listened to both sides, and very well both sides have got some mudslinging to do. I've chosen to grab one point from the pro side, and a couple from the con side and shed a little light on them. So the record is straight, I am in support of the Kenosha Casino, and they why will be touched on in one of my points
"Just vote yes for the Kenosha Casino, Governor Walker": Well, see, the thing is, if it was that simple, we would have done this 9 years ago when it passed the general election the first time. The problem that we are having is that the State of Wisconsin has a contract with the Potowatomi Tribe that only they can build a casino in the southeast region of Wisconsin, and they don't want to build another one so close to their Milwaukee location. The Menomonie tribe is the tribe that wants to build the Kenosha Casino. Now, I know that between the income and the jobs and the taxes, a Kenosha Casino will move Wisconsin forward, but it will be a gigantic step backwards from our balanced budget if we get sued by the Potowatomis
"The project has a history of corruption. One key developer even had ties to the mob": News flash, anyone who has lived in Kenosha for more than a year already knew that. Anyone who's lived in Racine for more than two years already knew that. Anyone who's lived in Lake County for more than two years already knew that. Kenosha has a very strong mob presence and everyone knows that. It's also not a big secret that the family that was tied with that project also has its fingers in Potowatomi, so just relax.
"The Kenosha Casino will take over 3000 jobs away from Milwaukee. How is that moving Wisconsin forward??": This one really pissed me off when I heard it, so forgive my rant. What all of you Milwaukee people need to understand, which you don't understand, is that Wisconsin is more than Milwaukee. The Metro of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Mequon, and Racine and it's surrounding smaller communities makes up less than 10% of the real estate that is the State of Wisconsin, and even all of those cities combined, even being the largest metro in the state, are just over a third of the state's population. There is much more to Wisconsin than that. Now, I understand that some of your business from the south is going to go away. But you still have the rest of the Milwaukee Metro to serve, and tourism from the North and West. 3000 jobs are not just going to go away, and the people who live south that work for Potowatomi will most likely try to get into Kenosha, freeing up jobs for other Milwaukee Citizens. I also understand that many people from Lake County and Cook County will probably try and get jobs there, and that's not the downside that you think. Having worked out of state, I know that your income taxes are still paid to the state you work in. Yes, your income goes out of state, and frivolous spending will go back to these counties, but also keep in mind that gas is cheaper up here, so any Illinois Citizen working in Kenosha will gladly fill up here before going back across the state line, and that is more taxation in Wisconsin's pocket. Our tax rate on groceries is also lower, so they will also gladly stop at Woodman's (on the way back to Illinois from the proposed site) and get an armload of groceries at 5.5% tax or no tax, depending on the item. The final key here is Milwaukee Traffic. Many outside visitors from Burlington, Walworth, Lake Geneva, and more importantly, Illinois, don't like driving in Milwaukee. The lower traffic and more remote location will be more than enough invitation to make an impulse trip to the casino to burn 50 bucks than planning a trip to National Ave to try and get into Potowatomi.
One small idea I had when I started thinking about this was rather than the Menomonies violating contract, why not have the Potowatomi tribe build a small extension on the proposed site. While I like the glamorous casino with stages, waterparks, and restaurants that the Menomonie tribe has proposed, a small extension, like Ho-Chunk has outside of Stoughton, would be a welcome compromise and would still utilize all the benefits I noted in my last point. Some food for thought. This is an idea that will truly bring Wisconsin forward
Monday, October 7, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Rules on Dating 6: Terrible Questions To Ask On a First Date
In all of life's high pressure situations, very few carry the same pressure as a first date. As well as setting the tone for the way a relationship can go, but the conduct that each person carries on the first date also determines whether or not you will be called again, seen again, or just another joke passed around the bar. Now, every person in the world is very very different, so you do have to be dynamic as you date. But there are just some topics that a person who is attempting a relationship should avoid on the first date or even the first few dates. I am also talking about "true" first dates. The dynamic is very different if you and a long term friend are shifting paradigms from friendship to relationship. A lot of the questions I'll be laying out are fair game in that situation.
What I have compiled here is a short list of questions I've actually been asked on a first date or the first few dates that I found wildly inappropriate, along with a few questions that some female friends have brought forward to my attention that they disliked answering as well.
QUESTIONS WOMEN SHOULDN'T ASK MEN
"Why are you single??" - On a first date, or even on the first few, a person should never talk about his or her ex or exes, and yet this question is basically saying to a person "Tell me how your last relationship ended, please". Now, dependent on tone, a person on the outside could see this question as a sign of admiration. However, on a true first date or even the first two or three, the asking party would barely know enough about the other to admire more than physical appearance. Perhaps a level of arrogance, an odd hobby, or emotional or physical abuse was the cause. Now, as a couple is approaching relationship and the personalities are meshing, this question comes with a great level of admiration, but right in the beginning, it can bring you information that can easily drive both parties away from each other. For both men and women, using this question can be great, but wait a while before you ask it.
"What are you looking for??" - Oh my God, I can't tell you how much I hate this question on a first date. I can agree with anyone that there is a time and a place for this question, and it will need to be asked eventually, but it has no place on a first date. Even worse, in my experience, is that when it does come out, it's almost ALWAYS one of the first questions that a girl asks. When I hear this question on an early date this is what I hear: "Now, you barely know me, but are we gonna hook up, or commit??" When I date, it could honestly go either way, but I don't know that early. I'm not gonna commit to a person I have no connection with, can't stand to be around, or intends to emotionally abuse me. On the other hand, I'm not gonna go in looking to score, and miss out on the opportunity to have an intellectual connection with an amazing woman. I'm just out to go with the flow and see what happens.
"What kind of girl are you looking for??" or "What kind of girl do you normally go out with??" - This is fairly self explanatory. This is a terrible question, because the girls I normally go out with keep breaking up with me. That's why I'm dating.
"Can you describe the worst date you've ever been on??" - This isn't a horrific question, but I don't feel it's first date material. This can be a great conversation piece, or even an explanation to trauma, but I feel as though it's more geared to a more comfortable paradigm. I think this question would be great on the cusp of a new relationship. You can get a laugh, or find comfort in your new lover, but explaining it to a stranger makes me uncomfortable, and I can't imagine a girl being comfortable hearing about an ex, especially when she's just getting to know the guy
"How many women have you slept with??" - This is not a first date question. This is not a second date question. This is not a first anniversary question. This is not a golden anniversary question. This is not a question that should EVER be asked. I can't imagine a situation where the answer to this question will EVER strengthen a relationship. To be honest, I don't think the answer is anybody's business as long as the number stops going up while the two are together. There is only one situation where this is relevant and reasonable to know...and that is when the number is 0.
QUESTIONS THAT MEN SHOULD NEVER ASK WOMEN
Thank you to Jessica, Susan, Cami, Ashley, and Lauren for providing me with insight on this. I'm skipping over the questions that I have already covered on the men's side, and you would be surprised at how many came up. But there are a few others that seem to be unique to women.
"What's your favorite position??" - It's a date, you're not paying her. There is a chance that you'll have sex at the end of the night if you make a good connection, but you're not going to get it, or a second date, if you go into it expecting that. I'll admit, I'm the last man alive worthy of preaching no sex on the first date, but every time I've done it, it's been a total surprise to me. Leave the mystery out there, and stick to learning about her mind.
"How much do you weigh??" - I don't think I really need to explain to any man why this is a bad question to ask a woman on a first date, or at any other time
"Do you still have feelings for an Ex??" - This is like the question about what you're looking for. It seems that by asking this question, you're looking to figure out where the paradigm will lead before getting to know a person. If you are concerned about this, it seems that you are not comfortable in your own ability to make a a first impression and a relationship, and also that you want to know if your partner is free and clear to pursue a relationship as well. Once again, this is a good question and important information for down the line, but it's definitely not first date material. Exes should just stay out of a first date, period
"How much money do you make??" - First off, if you have any knowledge of the world, you should be able to estimate this by a person's career or job. But more importantly, it's irrelevant on a true first date. Since this is a men to women subject, I'll say it right out. Be a gentleman, pick up the check, open the door, buy the drinks, and get to know your date.
"Do you want children??" - I've beaten this horse to death...This is a down the road question for obvious reasons. The big question is, do you want to make a child and have it raised by someone who is crazy. You should know your partner before you ever consider this
"Are your boobs real??" - Honestly, this goes back to the way I started the women's side. Don't delve into the sexuality openly, and you'll be surprised at how well it goes for you. On another note, if you have to ask a girl if her boobs are real, I don't honestly believe that you've ever seen a fake pair. They're generally pretty obvious, and in the age group of the people who submitted questions for this, easily identified by a girl with an excessive cup size built on a frame that can clearly not handle it.
The summation of this list of questions really boils down to "Take your time". Most of the information here will eventually come in time, if you get lucky enough to start a relationship with the person you're dating, and if you don't get it, you didn't really need it because the relationship isn't going anywhere. So go in with a good mind, and you'll see just how far it can get you.
What I have compiled here is a short list of questions I've actually been asked on a first date or the first few dates that I found wildly inappropriate, along with a few questions that some female friends have brought forward to my attention that they disliked answering as well.
QUESTIONS WOMEN SHOULDN'T ASK MEN
"Why are you single??" - On a first date, or even on the first few, a person should never talk about his or her ex or exes, and yet this question is basically saying to a person "Tell me how your last relationship ended, please". Now, dependent on tone, a person on the outside could see this question as a sign of admiration. However, on a true first date or even the first two or three, the asking party would barely know enough about the other to admire more than physical appearance. Perhaps a level of arrogance, an odd hobby, or emotional or physical abuse was the cause. Now, as a couple is approaching relationship and the personalities are meshing, this question comes with a great level of admiration, but right in the beginning, it can bring you information that can easily drive both parties away from each other. For both men and women, using this question can be great, but wait a while before you ask it.
"What are you looking for??" - Oh my God, I can't tell you how much I hate this question on a first date. I can agree with anyone that there is a time and a place for this question, and it will need to be asked eventually, but it has no place on a first date. Even worse, in my experience, is that when it does come out, it's almost ALWAYS one of the first questions that a girl asks. When I hear this question on an early date this is what I hear: "Now, you barely know me, but are we gonna hook up, or commit??" When I date, it could honestly go either way, but I don't know that early. I'm not gonna commit to a person I have no connection with, can't stand to be around, or intends to emotionally abuse me. On the other hand, I'm not gonna go in looking to score, and miss out on the opportunity to have an intellectual connection with an amazing woman. I'm just out to go with the flow and see what happens.
"What kind of girl are you looking for??" or "What kind of girl do you normally go out with??" - This is fairly self explanatory. This is a terrible question, because the girls I normally go out with keep breaking up with me. That's why I'm dating.
"Can you describe the worst date you've ever been on??" - This isn't a horrific question, but I don't feel it's first date material. This can be a great conversation piece, or even an explanation to trauma, but I feel as though it's more geared to a more comfortable paradigm. I think this question would be great on the cusp of a new relationship. You can get a laugh, or find comfort in your new lover, but explaining it to a stranger makes me uncomfortable, and I can't imagine a girl being comfortable hearing about an ex, especially when she's just getting to know the guy
"How many women have you slept with??" - This is not a first date question. This is not a second date question. This is not a first anniversary question. This is not a golden anniversary question. This is not a question that should EVER be asked. I can't imagine a situation where the answer to this question will EVER strengthen a relationship. To be honest, I don't think the answer is anybody's business as long as the number stops going up while the two are together. There is only one situation where this is relevant and reasonable to know...and that is when the number is 0.
QUESTIONS THAT MEN SHOULD NEVER ASK WOMEN
Thank you to Jessica, Susan, Cami, Ashley, and Lauren for providing me with insight on this. I'm skipping over the questions that I have already covered on the men's side, and you would be surprised at how many came up. But there are a few others that seem to be unique to women.
"What's your favorite position??" - It's a date, you're not paying her. There is a chance that you'll have sex at the end of the night if you make a good connection, but you're not going to get it, or a second date, if you go into it expecting that. I'll admit, I'm the last man alive worthy of preaching no sex on the first date, but every time I've done it, it's been a total surprise to me. Leave the mystery out there, and stick to learning about her mind.
"How much do you weigh??" - I don't think I really need to explain to any man why this is a bad question to ask a woman on a first date, or at any other time
"Do you still have feelings for an Ex??" - This is like the question about what you're looking for. It seems that by asking this question, you're looking to figure out where the paradigm will lead before getting to know a person. If you are concerned about this, it seems that you are not comfortable in your own ability to make a a first impression and a relationship, and also that you want to know if your partner is free and clear to pursue a relationship as well. Once again, this is a good question and important information for down the line, but it's definitely not first date material. Exes should just stay out of a first date, period
"How much money do you make??" - First off, if you have any knowledge of the world, you should be able to estimate this by a person's career or job. But more importantly, it's irrelevant on a true first date. Since this is a men to women subject, I'll say it right out. Be a gentleman, pick up the check, open the door, buy the drinks, and get to know your date.
"Do you want children??" - I've beaten this horse to death...This is a down the road question for obvious reasons. The big question is, do you want to make a child and have it raised by someone who is crazy. You should know your partner before you ever consider this
"Are your boobs real??" - Honestly, this goes back to the way I started the women's side. Don't delve into the sexuality openly, and you'll be surprised at how well it goes for you. On another note, if you have to ask a girl if her boobs are real, I don't honestly believe that you've ever seen a fake pair. They're generally pretty obvious, and in the age group of the people who submitted questions for this, easily identified by a girl with an excessive cup size built on a frame that can clearly not handle it.
The summation of this list of questions really boils down to "Take your time". Most of the information here will eventually come in time, if you get lucky enough to start a relationship with the person you're dating, and if you don't get it, you didn't really need it because the relationship isn't going anywhere. So go in with a good mind, and you'll see just how far it can get you.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The Pickup Truck Wars
My blog was intended to be a lighthearted look at dating and society, and something for me to have fun with, but it very quickly turned into a very serious criticism on modern society. After writing about being yourself, and sharing my chilling vision about where political rivalry could lead us in the worst case scenario, and adding to my musings on being yourself, I thought that it was time to try to do something fun again. I've been wanting to write this for a while, but a couple of articles took precedence. My disclaimer is that I'm not out to offend anyone by writing this, but I hope that we get a few laughs because we all know someone who fits each one of these description, especially those of us who work around automobiles. When I first wrote this in my head, I was gonna use the word "Asshole" and because of that I am glad it took me so long to get around to it. I toned it down to "jerk" because I don't want anyone to take it too seriously. I'll even be poking fun at myself a little, because I'm just as guilty of being one of these "stereotypes" as any other gearhead who likes pickup trucks. So read on and enjoy, and laugh a little bit as you realize that you, too, know someone like these classifications...and it might even be YOU.
Chevy Guy - Chevy guy very often doesn't do any modifications to his truck, but either secretly or openly longs for a big lift kit or a higher performance engine. Many times Chevy guy has multiple trucks and a few cars for fuel economy, because generally he's a really sensible guy. They usually have a purpose (daily driver, wood hauler, plow truck, long distance truck) and are only used for their intended purposes. Chevy guy can see the strengths of Ford trucks and will own and drive them if he can get a deal, but in general dislikes them. However, he has a strong distaste for Dodge trucks, seeing them as an overpriced status symbol, but cites transmission issues as his reasoning. Chevy guy's daily driver is generally a 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup with a Duramax, and he will tell you at length how much better the combination of his Duramax and Allison is than anything you'll ever own. As I mentioned, he often has several other trucks..most of them older, most of them he got for under 3 grand. He's generally a salt of the earth guy, working either retail or factory, and generally loves to work.
Chevy Jerk - To Chevy Jerk, there is no make other than Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac. Hummer is passable to him, as they have GM engines, but he will adamantly deny the involvement of Isuzu, Toyota, and Saab in spite of the fact that EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD knows that all three of those makes are GM interests and Toyota and GM have been sleeping in the same bed since the late 70's. You also can't quite convince him that the Duramax is built by Isuzu in spite of the fact that the Engine ID tag says Isuzu right on it. To Chevy Jerk, your Fox Body Mustang with a supercharged 351 Windsor is no match for his 1998 Chevy Silverado that's bone stock because his truck has a 350. And when you do win by a large amount, it doesn't matter anyway because you have a Ford. If Chevy Jerk is your mechanic, and you bring your Cummins powered Dodge to him complaining of low power, he'll tell you that the problem is that it doesn't say 6.6 Liter Duramax before you can say another word. The problem with this is that Chevy Jerk is generally a career auto mechanic. Chevy Jerk usually has a half ton or 3/4 ton truck that's heavily modified in one way or another, whether creature comfort, engine, or a huge lift kit. His truck got this way because as soon as he gets every paycheck, he takes out the bare minimum that he will need to live, and turns around and pours every cent he has left over into his truck.
Ford Guy - Ford guy has a lot of similarities to Chevy Guy. He's generally a laborer, and loves to work. He also is not opposed to buying a Chevrolet if he can get a deal on it. The thing about Ford guy is that he generally has only one truck. He might have other cars, but just one truck. Because he only has the one truck, though, he tends to overload it and overwork it as much as he can. The frame rails on the back of Ford Guy's truck often spend as much time on the axle stops as they do off of them. Ford guy understand the need for the complexities of the new modular engines, and even the Ecoboost engine, but he still longs for the days of pushrods, big blocks, and an inline 6 engine that the truck body generally fell right apart around, while there is still plenty of engine life left. Ford Guy was curious about the new diesel engines as they came out, including the new 6.7 Ford diesel. He understands the weaknesses of the 6.0 and 6.4, and he didn't tout them until he knew what they would do long term. He will, however, still do anything to get his hands on a 7.3. Typically, Ford Guy drives a late 90's or early 2000's F150 or F250.
Ford Jerk - Ford Jerk usually comes along when Ford Guy comes into a whole pile of money, but he also has some of his own standalone quirks. Ford Jerk is like Chevy Guy in the fact that he generally owns several trucks, and they are mostly purpose driven. But you also have to take into consideration that he has multiple older trucks because his brand new F250 Diesel 4x4 will never be loaded, off-roaded, or see a flake of snow. Depending on the individual Ford Jerk, he will either tune the absolute Hell out of every single truck he gets his hands on, or, more commonly, will tell everyone who will listen how pointless any sort of modification is and how perfectly the Ford Motor Company does absolutely everything. Ford Jerk is usually in management of some sort. He owns Chevrolets, but they are generally never driven on road, or anywhere that someone will see him driving them.
Dodge Guy - To put it bluntly, Dodge Guy is Forum Guy. Dodge Guy has a million reasons why his truck is better than yours, and he read all of them on the internet. The internet told him that some naturally aspirated V6 Rams can do better on fuel economy than Ford's Ecoboost and Chevrolet's 5.3, so he assumes that it means that his Hemi does also. Dodge guy generally has a very professional job, and his truck is often almost stock, with the exception of an exhaust, and is more like a luxury car status symbol. Dodge guy loves hunting and sports that will take him off road, but as soon as his truck is back in the driveway, it's washed and perfectly waxed. Dodge guy usually has the newest Ram 1500 that his budget will allow him
Dodge Jerk - When it comes to Dodge Jerk, I have one person in mind. Dodge Jerk has a Cummins, and he's been pouring every penny he has into it since he bought it. Dodge Jerk believes that the only way to make a statement is to pour as much black smoke as he can everywhere he can. The guy I'm thinking of went as far as to put his dual tail pipes right around his hitch pointed down and straight back so that he can brake check and pepper every car that gets behind him with smoke. Between his oversized injectors and his Banks Power Pack, it's a wonder he isn't melting a set of pistons every month. Dodge Jerk wants to be a performance mechanic, and when people try to tell him that they know more than he does, and prove it, he runs off and sulks, usually leaving a trail of black smoke behind him, so you can just imagine what happened when he went to diesel school.
And that's what we have for the first round of Pickup truck wars. There is a completely different set of subcultures that I can go into on a later article. But for now, as you have read these, your mind is formulating who it is that you know who fits these characteristics. I bet each and every person who reads this will be able to think of people who fit at least two of these categories, and some may even be scratching their heads thinking, "Oh crap, that's me". Please do note, these six categories do not encompass ALL pickup truck owners. These are just traits that I've seen that are noteworthy, and generally have a group of people associated with them. Chevy Guy isn't all Chevy guys, he's just THAT Chevy guy, and so on down the line. In a few months, when I revisit this topic, we'll look at racers, off road guys, lowriders, and posh truck guys.
Chevy Guy - Chevy guy very often doesn't do any modifications to his truck, but either secretly or openly longs for a big lift kit or a higher performance engine. Many times Chevy guy has multiple trucks and a few cars for fuel economy, because generally he's a really sensible guy. They usually have a purpose (daily driver, wood hauler, plow truck, long distance truck) and are only used for their intended purposes. Chevy guy can see the strengths of Ford trucks and will own and drive them if he can get a deal, but in general dislikes them. However, he has a strong distaste for Dodge trucks, seeing them as an overpriced status symbol, but cites transmission issues as his reasoning. Chevy guy's daily driver is generally a 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup with a Duramax, and he will tell you at length how much better the combination of his Duramax and Allison is than anything you'll ever own. As I mentioned, he often has several other trucks..most of them older, most of them he got for under 3 grand. He's generally a salt of the earth guy, working either retail or factory, and generally loves to work.
Chevy Jerk - To Chevy Jerk, there is no make other than Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, Buick, Oldsmobile and Cadillac. Hummer is passable to him, as they have GM engines, but he will adamantly deny the involvement of Isuzu, Toyota, and Saab in spite of the fact that EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD knows that all three of those makes are GM interests and Toyota and GM have been sleeping in the same bed since the late 70's. You also can't quite convince him that the Duramax is built by Isuzu in spite of the fact that the Engine ID tag says Isuzu right on it. To Chevy Jerk, your Fox Body Mustang with a supercharged 351 Windsor is no match for his 1998 Chevy Silverado that's bone stock because his truck has a 350. And when you do win by a large amount, it doesn't matter anyway because you have a Ford. If Chevy Jerk is your mechanic, and you bring your Cummins powered Dodge to him complaining of low power, he'll tell you that the problem is that it doesn't say 6.6 Liter Duramax before you can say another word. The problem with this is that Chevy Jerk is generally a career auto mechanic. Chevy Jerk usually has a half ton or 3/4 ton truck that's heavily modified in one way or another, whether creature comfort, engine, or a huge lift kit. His truck got this way because as soon as he gets every paycheck, he takes out the bare minimum that he will need to live, and turns around and pours every cent he has left over into his truck.
Ford Guy - Ford guy has a lot of similarities to Chevy Guy. He's generally a laborer, and loves to work. He also is not opposed to buying a Chevrolet if he can get a deal on it. The thing about Ford guy is that he generally has only one truck. He might have other cars, but just one truck. Because he only has the one truck, though, he tends to overload it and overwork it as much as he can. The frame rails on the back of Ford Guy's truck often spend as much time on the axle stops as they do off of them. Ford guy understand the need for the complexities of the new modular engines, and even the Ecoboost engine, but he still longs for the days of pushrods, big blocks, and an inline 6 engine that the truck body generally fell right apart around, while there is still plenty of engine life left. Ford Guy was curious about the new diesel engines as they came out, including the new 6.7 Ford diesel. He understands the weaknesses of the 6.0 and 6.4, and he didn't tout them until he knew what they would do long term. He will, however, still do anything to get his hands on a 7.3. Typically, Ford Guy drives a late 90's or early 2000's F150 or F250.
Ford Jerk - Ford Jerk usually comes along when Ford Guy comes into a whole pile of money, but he also has some of his own standalone quirks. Ford Jerk is like Chevy Guy in the fact that he generally owns several trucks, and they are mostly purpose driven. But you also have to take into consideration that he has multiple older trucks because his brand new F250 Diesel 4x4 will never be loaded, off-roaded, or see a flake of snow. Depending on the individual Ford Jerk, he will either tune the absolute Hell out of every single truck he gets his hands on, or, more commonly, will tell everyone who will listen how pointless any sort of modification is and how perfectly the Ford Motor Company does absolutely everything. Ford Jerk is usually in management of some sort. He owns Chevrolets, but they are generally never driven on road, or anywhere that someone will see him driving them.
Dodge Guy - To put it bluntly, Dodge Guy is Forum Guy. Dodge Guy has a million reasons why his truck is better than yours, and he read all of them on the internet. The internet told him that some naturally aspirated V6 Rams can do better on fuel economy than Ford's Ecoboost and Chevrolet's 5.3, so he assumes that it means that his Hemi does also. Dodge guy generally has a very professional job, and his truck is often almost stock, with the exception of an exhaust, and is more like a luxury car status symbol. Dodge guy loves hunting and sports that will take him off road, but as soon as his truck is back in the driveway, it's washed and perfectly waxed. Dodge guy usually has the newest Ram 1500 that his budget will allow him
Dodge Jerk - When it comes to Dodge Jerk, I have one person in mind. Dodge Jerk has a Cummins, and he's been pouring every penny he has into it since he bought it. Dodge Jerk believes that the only way to make a statement is to pour as much black smoke as he can everywhere he can. The guy I'm thinking of went as far as to put his dual tail pipes right around his hitch pointed down and straight back so that he can brake check and pepper every car that gets behind him with smoke. Between his oversized injectors and his Banks Power Pack, it's a wonder he isn't melting a set of pistons every month. Dodge Jerk wants to be a performance mechanic, and when people try to tell him that they know more than he does, and prove it, he runs off and sulks, usually leaving a trail of black smoke behind him, so you can just imagine what happened when he went to diesel school.
And that's what we have for the first round of Pickup truck wars. There is a completely different set of subcultures that I can go into on a later article. But for now, as you have read these, your mind is formulating who it is that you know who fits these characteristics. I bet each and every person who reads this will be able to think of people who fit at least two of these categories, and some may even be scratching their heads thinking, "Oh crap, that's me". Please do note, these six categories do not encompass ALL pickup truck owners. These are just traits that I've seen that are noteworthy, and generally have a group of people associated with them. Chevy Guy isn't all Chevy guys, he's just THAT Chevy guy, and so on down the line. In a few months, when I revisit this topic, we'll look at racers, off road guys, lowriders, and posh truck guys.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
The Urquelle Effect: An addendum
Over the course of the last couple days, I started thinking about a few things, particularly revolving around the points I made in the article that was entitled "The Urkel Effect". With the observations of my own life and in the lives of others, I felt compelled to write a short little article about the opposing side of the coin.
In the 1994 film "The Mask", Ben Stein plays a minor role as a psychologist named Dr. Neuman. His primary role in the movie is discussing a book entitled "The Masks We Wear", discussing the way that we hide behind certain roles that are expected of us. It was this short piece of dialog that inspired this addendum. This is not a new concept, as it's been discussed at length in both the psychological world as well as pop culture. Whether it be Metallica's hit song "Sad But True" or the Miller-Boyett character that lent his name to this article, Stefan Urquelle; most all of us have felt the need to hide behind another persona based on what is expected of us demographically, or simply what is "cool". Now, not all of us have the intelligence or resources to genetically change ourselves as our friend Steve Urkel did. But, more often than not, we find ourselves hiding our true loves and interests to be more pleasing to our general public.
Now, why do we hide our inner Urkel and bring out Stefan?? Sociologically and instinctively, it's very easy to see that social acceptance leads to being a desirable mate. An advanced academic may hide his intelligence to avoid being a nerd. A young man who loves fashion and cooking or a young woman who loves to work on cars or build houses may force themselves in a line with their respective genders to avoid slurs of homosexuality, and the list goes on. Those who aren't afraid to be themselves are very often ostricized at a very young age, and this leads to an inner fear of their own interests.
The final point that I have to this will bring the article back to the points I made before, and truly make this an addendum. Those who remember Family Matters will remember that Stefan always turned back into Steve within a couple of episodes. It's the same in real life. The things that you love and hold dear, and your true self will always find a way to come out from behind the mask that you have put on. The important thing is to make sure you embrace it earlier than later. There is very little worse than coming to grips with the things that you love, then suddenly realizing that you're 28, and you've been living your life for everyone around you for your entire life, and you don't recognize the real person that you've been hiding for all those years. Trust me, it's very hard to start learning about the things you have been passionate about and have enjoyed for your entire life when a quarter of it is already gone.
The Urquelle Effect will always wind up being temporary, but the Urkel Effect is for life. Some food for thought
In the 1994 film "The Mask", Ben Stein plays a minor role as a psychologist named Dr. Neuman. His primary role in the movie is discussing a book entitled "The Masks We Wear", discussing the way that we hide behind certain roles that are expected of us. It was this short piece of dialog that inspired this addendum. This is not a new concept, as it's been discussed at length in both the psychological world as well as pop culture. Whether it be Metallica's hit song "Sad But True" or the Miller-Boyett character that lent his name to this article, Stefan Urquelle; most all of us have felt the need to hide behind another persona based on what is expected of us demographically, or simply what is "cool". Now, not all of us have the intelligence or resources to genetically change ourselves as our friend Steve Urkel did. But, more often than not, we find ourselves hiding our true loves and interests to be more pleasing to our general public.
Now, why do we hide our inner Urkel and bring out Stefan?? Sociologically and instinctively, it's very easy to see that social acceptance leads to being a desirable mate. An advanced academic may hide his intelligence to avoid being a nerd. A young man who loves fashion and cooking or a young woman who loves to work on cars or build houses may force themselves in a line with their respective genders to avoid slurs of homosexuality, and the list goes on. Those who aren't afraid to be themselves are very often ostricized at a very young age, and this leads to an inner fear of their own interests.
The final point that I have to this will bring the article back to the points I made before, and truly make this an addendum. Those who remember Family Matters will remember that Stefan always turned back into Steve within a couple of episodes. It's the same in real life. The things that you love and hold dear, and your true self will always find a way to come out from behind the mask that you have put on. The important thing is to make sure you embrace it earlier than later. There is very little worse than coming to grips with the things that you love, then suddenly realizing that you're 28, and you've been living your life for everyone around you for your entire life, and you don't recognize the real person that you've been hiding for all those years. Trust me, it's very hard to start learning about the things you have been passionate about and have enjoyed for your entire life when a quarter of it is already gone.
The Urquelle Effect will always wind up being temporary, but the Urkel Effect is for life. Some food for thought
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Predictions For the Second Civil War
In the name of all that is holy, please let the words to come be a warning to the fragile state of our political society, not a prophecy of things to come.
A short while ago at work, the ignorant people that I work with had landed on the topic (yet again) of race. Toward the end, as our break was ending, a 60 year old technician named Lee spoke up and said "There is another Civil War coming. This time it's gonna be between the blacks and the damned Mexicans though." as the day wore on, his words spoke to me continually, and I began to really think about a topic I have been theorizing upon on and off since 2008. As I thought more about this topic, I began to realize that Lee may be partially right. If we don't start watching our actions and hatred, a second civil war may be on the horizon, but it most likely won't have anything to do with race.
There has been a growing trend going on in our country for quite some time. I first really noticed it surrounding the 2008 election, but now that I have looked back further, the trend really started right around 2001. Republicans and Democrats are leveling out in numbers....and they are polarizing in beliefs. This last time around, physical fights were breaking out near polling places and people were denying friends and family members over the way they were going to vote. Social media doesn't help at all, sending out memes propaganda furthering the hatred between both sides. It's seriously harder and harder to be moderate when everyone around you is in a game of he said she said. I've warned about this effect numerous times in real life and a couple times in my blog here. The only way we are going to get anything done is by willingly conceding to the other side every once in a while. But how can we ever do that when people like Rush Limbaugh and Lenny Palmer keep throwing their slander to the other side and breeding ignorant hatred in the masses. This is going to be the spark that lights the fuse that blows this country apart.
Now I can't really discuss this without pointing out a small side theory I have formulated. Now, this borders on conspiracy paranoia, and I don't know if any of this is true. What I do know is that I have seen evidence to support this. Anyone who has seen the prequal trilogy to Star Wars knows a good amount of what is gonna be here. In the prequal trilogy, One man (although it was unknown until close to Episode III that it was the same man) spent most of the three movies reporting to both sides of the conflict that was going on around the galaxy, feeding both sides information and misinformation about the state of the other to breed hatred against the two. It seemed that the Jedi, the separatists, and the senators were constantly catching another faction in a betrayal conveniently, finally concluding in the mass extermination of the Jedi for treason against the Galactic Senate. Now....other than the lie to Anakin about being weak and dying, Chancellor Palpatine never actually did lie to anyone in the the government or the army, or the leaders of the outer rim colonies. Everything he said to incite the bitterness was the truth. He simply revealed just enough of the truth to draw emotion, and hid most of it. With talk radio extremists on both sides and especially through social media, I see a lot of this happening in our time and locale now. Does anyone else thing it's a coincidence that each side's official facebook fanpage is entitled "Being...." (Being Conservative and Being Liberal)?? Now, the difference I see right now is that Chancellor Palpatine was the Head of State for the main governing body, while I don't feel like it can be Obama that is pulling the strings in this escapade, nor do I believe that it is Bush or Romney. I want to make that abundantly clear, because I don't want this writing to reach the masses, and consequently incite a witch-hunt against an innocent man. I should hope that in the honor of due process, if this effect should be discovered and investigated, that it is done discreetly and fairly, before we are actually looking down events that came to me as I played out the situation in my head over and over again.
Now, as tensions rise and each side continually accuses the other of trying to wreck the economy and the world for the people of the other side, the distance between liberal and conservative will grow wider. Families will be torn apart at the seams and most opposing friends will grow to hate each other. I don't know who will strike first, but I can see how it will happen. Through word of mouth and people networking among themselves, one side will come up with a "safe word" and a marker of sorts. This may be a coin or token that all members of that side carry, or it may be a tattoo of sorts. Whatever it is, it will be quickly and discreetly distributed among followers of whichever side organizes, and will initially be recognized by only members of that faction. It's intended purpose will be to appear as a simple fad or fashion statement, but it will act as a safe marker for the first strike. This first strike will be one of the bloodiest battles on US soil in history, but it will soon be overshadowed by the ones to come. The reason it will be so bloody is because, unlike the first time, there are no geographical barriers or borders. Republicans and Democrats live among each other in cities and towns across the country, so the uprising will be sudden and bloody. As the uprising happens across the nation, cities scattered among the country will be captured and declared as territory for either side. This will be the beginning. The next series of bloody battles will be about migration. There will be an ebb and flow as cities attack each other and band together. Eventually each side will take cities and band together and start to gather into two places. There are a few ways this could go, but I do believe that the classic Mason Dixon line will strategically be used. It's already well known, and DC is in such a place that it can still be used as the capitol for whichever side happens to be in power when all this goes down. However the population is distributed, once the people have gathered with their respective allies, the side which isn't in power at the time (like if this happened tomorrow, the Republicans, since Obama is a Democratic leader) will secede from the Union. And for the moment, there will be peace.
Now, to take the traditional roles of the voters in each side into consideration, this peace will soon break. The big business and a lot of the foreign relations will go with the Republicans, along with a lot of the ideals of capitalism, while a lot of the manpower, including the knowledge of public services, and manufacturing will stay with the Democrats. There will still be both types of people on either side, but the majority of both classes that I listed will stay with their traditional backers. So, as the Republican States of America choke out the number of people that their opposition can sell their products to, as well as other strategic ways of economic damage, the Democratic States of America will choke out the manufactured goods that go to the other side in an attempt to starve them out. Either way, this will lead to the second outbreak.
Now, as both sides antagonize each other, stress will rise, and eventually this will lead to the first attack. Again, I don't know who will strike first, or where. But either a bank or a factory will become the target of desire and will launch the spark that ignites this great country. While the Republicans will have the advantages of education for strategies, and a greater love for guns, therefore presumably better armed, and the financial advantages which will help them in foreign policies, the DSA will almost equally cancel out the advantages. While, according the popular vote from this past election, the Democrats outnumber the Republicans by less than 1% among voting Americans, the type of people who will migrate to either side will be very different. The stereotypical social elite of the Republican side will take up arms to defend their beliefs, but they will be hesitant to go to the front line, where as the working class of the DSA will use their union experience to band together and rise up against their opposition, gladly taking the front line as long as all their friends are with them. Also, while the RSA will retain their guns with pride, this being one of their strongest beliefs right now, the factories of the Democratic states, staffed with these same eager union workers, will tirelessly pump out more and more ammunition faster than the Republicans could ever.
While there is no way of seeing who starts this conflict, there is less information on who ends it. The lack of major advantage will lead to stalemate, and I see it ending in three ways. Firstly, we end it the same way we did the first time. One side will develop a mild advantage, but both Generals will sign a treaty and end the war before it can be used. We are all Americans after all...we can bury the hatchet. Secondly, the horrifying. One side resorts to a weapon of mass destruction and commits genocide on people who used to be his friends and neighbors. This is highly unlikely, but a scary thought either way.
Lastly, in our weakness, another country comes in during our weakness, and invades or allies with one side, and in the chaos, attempts an overthrow of the United States. Either they succeed, and we become a territory of another nation (highly unlikely), or the attack causes us to put aside our differences, but we revert to military rule, and carry it to a monarchist rule (I don't want to say imperial, but same idea), and the ruler who brings us to peace is cheered and allowed to hold rule for life. While I realize this is an idea stemming from the Star Wars observation I made earlier, it is an eerie thought either way, and fully within the span of human nature.
The main point I want to make with this article is that however this ends, the middle is stained with American blood painting horrific images of families and friends killing each other. None of this has to happen, and I want to raise awareness, and help people look through the propaganda. Let's reach across the aisle and help each other, instead of hating. Citizens, remember that you are all American before you are Republican and Democrat. Politicians, remember that it is your job to help the people you represent, not your party's agenda, so do a little listening and let's all work together to make this a better place for us all to live together. Let's rebuild this great nation and bring ourselves back to the fortunes and freedoms we all shared in the 80s and 90s. We'll rebuild it together, and enjoy it together
A short while ago at work, the ignorant people that I work with had landed on the topic (yet again) of race. Toward the end, as our break was ending, a 60 year old technician named Lee spoke up and said "There is another Civil War coming. This time it's gonna be between the blacks and the damned Mexicans though." as the day wore on, his words spoke to me continually, and I began to really think about a topic I have been theorizing upon on and off since 2008. As I thought more about this topic, I began to realize that Lee may be partially right. If we don't start watching our actions and hatred, a second civil war may be on the horizon, but it most likely won't have anything to do with race.
There has been a growing trend going on in our country for quite some time. I first really noticed it surrounding the 2008 election, but now that I have looked back further, the trend really started right around 2001. Republicans and Democrats are leveling out in numbers....and they are polarizing in beliefs. This last time around, physical fights were breaking out near polling places and people were denying friends and family members over the way they were going to vote. Social media doesn't help at all, sending out memes propaganda furthering the hatred between both sides. It's seriously harder and harder to be moderate when everyone around you is in a game of he said she said. I've warned about this effect numerous times in real life and a couple times in my blog here. The only way we are going to get anything done is by willingly conceding to the other side every once in a while. But how can we ever do that when people like Rush Limbaugh and Lenny Palmer keep throwing their slander to the other side and breeding ignorant hatred in the masses. This is going to be the spark that lights the fuse that blows this country apart.
Now I can't really discuss this without pointing out a small side theory I have formulated. Now, this borders on conspiracy paranoia, and I don't know if any of this is true. What I do know is that I have seen evidence to support this. Anyone who has seen the prequal trilogy to Star Wars knows a good amount of what is gonna be here. In the prequal trilogy, One man (although it was unknown until close to Episode III that it was the same man) spent most of the three movies reporting to both sides of the conflict that was going on around the galaxy, feeding both sides information and misinformation about the state of the other to breed hatred against the two. It seemed that the Jedi, the separatists, and the senators were constantly catching another faction in a betrayal conveniently, finally concluding in the mass extermination of the Jedi for treason against the Galactic Senate. Now....other than the lie to Anakin about being weak and dying, Chancellor Palpatine never actually did lie to anyone in the the government or the army, or the leaders of the outer rim colonies. Everything he said to incite the bitterness was the truth. He simply revealed just enough of the truth to draw emotion, and hid most of it. With talk radio extremists on both sides and especially through social media, I see a lot of this happening in our time and locale now. Does anyone else thing it's a coincidence that each side's official facebook fanpage is entitled "Being...." (Being Conservative and Being Liberal)?? Now, the difference I see right now is that Chancellor Palpatine was the Head of State for the main governing body, while I don't feel like it can be Obama that is pulling the strings in this escapade, nor do I believe that it is Bush or Romney. I want to make that abundantly clear, because I don't want this writing to reach the masses, and consequently incite a witch-hunt against an innocent man. I should hope that in the honor of due process, if this effect should be discovered and investigated, that it is done discreetly and fairly, before we are actually looking down events that came to me as I played out the situation in my head over and over again.
Now, as tensions rise and each side continually accuses the other of trying to wreck the economy and the world for the people of the other side, the distance between liberal and conservative will grow wider. Families will be torn apart at the seams and most opposing friends will grow to hate each other. I don't know who will strike first, but I can see how it will happen. Through word of mouth and people networking among themselves, one side will come up with a "safe word" and a marker of sorts. This may be a coin or token that all members of that side carry, or it may be a tattoo of sorts. Whatever it is, it will be quickly and discreetly distributed among followers of whichever side organizes, and will initially be recognized by only members of that faction. It's intended purpose will be to appear as a simple fad or fashion statement, but it will act as a safe marker for the first strike. This first strike will be one of the bloodiest battles on US soil in history, but it will soon be overshadowed by the ones to come. The reason it will be so bloody is because, unlike the first time, there are no geographical barriers or borders. Republicans and Democrats live among each other in cities and towns across the country, so the uprising will be sudden and bloody. As the uprising happens across the nation, cities scattered among the country will be captured and declared as territory for either side. This will be the beginning. The next series of bloody battles will be about migration. There will be an ebb and flow as cities attack each other and band together. Eventually each side will take cities and band together and start to gather into two places. There are a few ways this could go, but I do believe that the classic Mason Dixon line will strategically be used. It's already well known, and DC is in such a place that it can still be used as the capitol for whichever side happens to be in power when all this goes down. However the population is distributed, once the people have gathered with their respective allies, the side which isn't in power at the time (like if this happened tomorrow, the Republicans, since Obama is a Democratic leader) will secede from the Union. And for the moment, there will be peace.
Now, to take the traditional roles of the voters in each side into consideration, this peace will soon break. The big business and a lot of the foreign relations will go with the Republicans, along with a lot of the ideals of capitalism, while a lot of the manpower, including the knowledge of public services, and manufacturing will stay with the Democrats. There will still be both types of people on either side, but the majority of both classes that I listed will stay with their traditional backers. So, as the Republican States of America choke out the number of people that their opposition can sell their products to, as well as other strategic ways of economic damage, the Democratic States of America will choke out the manufactured goods that go to the other side in an attempt to starve them out. Either way, this will lead to the second outbreak.
Now, as both sides antagonize each other, stress will rise, and eventually this will lead to the first attack. Again, I don't know who will strike first, or where. But either a bank or a factory will become the target of desire and will launch the spark that ignites this great country. While the Republicans will have the advantages of education for strategies, and a greater love for guns, therefore presumably better armed, and the financial advantages which will help them in foreign policies, the DSA will almost equally cancel out the advantages. While, according the popular vote from this past election, the Democrats outnumber the Republicans by less than 1% among voting Americans, the type of people who will migrate to either side will be very different. The stereotypical social elite of the Republican side will take up arms to defend their beliefs, but they will be hesitant to go to the front line, where as the working class of the DSA will use their union experience to band together and rise up against their opposition, gladly taking the front line as long as all their friends are with them. Also, while the RSA will retain their guns with pride, this being one of their strongest beliefs right now, the factories of the Democratic states, staffed with these same eager union workers, will tirelessly pump out more and more ammunition faster than the Republicans could ever.
While there is no way of seeing who starts this conflict, there is less information on who ends it. The lack of major advantage will lead to stalemate, and I see it ending in three ways. Firstly, we end it the same way we did the first time. One side will develop a mild advantage, but both Generals will sign a treaty and end the war before it can be used. We are all Americans after all...we can bury the hatchet. Secondly, the horrifying. One side resorts to a weapon of mass destruction and commits genocide on people who used to be his friends and neighbors. This is highly unlikely, but a scary thought either way.
Lastly, in our weakness, another country comes in during our weakness, and invades or allies with one side, and in the chaos, attempts an overthrow of the United States. Either they succeed, and we become a territory of another nation (highly unlikely), or the attack causes us to put aside our differences, but we revert to military rule, and carry it to a monarchist rule (I don't want to say imperial, but same idea), and the ruler who brings us to peace is cheered and allowed to hold rule for life. While I realize this is an idea stemming from the Star Wars observation I made earlier, it is an eerie thought either way, and fully within the span of human nature.
The main point I want to make with this article is that however this ends, the middle is stained with American blood painting horrific images of families and friends killing each other. None of this has to happen, and I want to raise awareness, and help people look through the propaganda. Let's reach across the aisle and help each other, instead of hating. Citizens, remember that you are all American before you are Republican and Democrat. Politicians, remember that it is your job to help the people you represent, not your party's agenda, so do a little listening and let's all work together to make this a better place for us all to live together. Let's rebuild this great nation and bring ourselves back to the fortunes and freedoms we all shared in the 80s and 90s. We'll rebuild it together, and enjoy it together
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The Urkel Effect
To Jaleel White, for your inspiration to the world
To everyone who is not afraid to be him or herself, no matter what social pressures arise
To Lauren, who takes this and runs screaming with it
In 1987, Miller-Boyett Productions introduced JoMarie Payton as Harriet Winslow as a recurring guest on their ABC show "Perfect Strangers". At the time, no one could know the effect on society that this would have throughout the 90's. In '88, Reginald VelJohnson was introduced as her husband, Carl, on the same show, and in 1989, the couple, along with their children, got their own show, "Family Matters". Halfway into the first season of this show, Steven Quincy Urkel was introduced, originally to be just a recurring guest, and society was forever changed.
Now, this brief little history lesson seems very off par with the usual sociological themes of my blog, but I see a lot of the influence or Urkel in our society even today. Steve Urkel was a person who was never afraid to be himself. From his big glasses, his tight pants held up by suspenders, plaid shirts, saddle shoes, love for cheese, and all things polka; he always did what made himself feel good and fulfilled. He was, in fact, far apart from the average black teenager in inner-city Chicago. Urkel was a brilliant engineer from a very young age. In high school, he invented time travel, created an atomic bomb, and, in a nod to the nutty professor, unlocked the human genome in order to reset himself as "cool", even though all the people around him urged him to go back to his normal self.
Now, the point behind this whole television history lesson is to follow. The most important thing about Steve Urkel was that he was written originally to be a one time guest, and when he was written again, he was just supposed to be a recurring guest. However, anyone who remembers the show can tell you, the majority of the series centered around around Urkel. I see this as entirely societal for some of the things that made Urkel who he was. The reason he became so popular among viewers is that he was always himself. Eddie Winslow and Laura Winslow constantly struggled with their personal identities and how they contrasted with social and racial expectations with their environments. But Steve, no matter how many people he annoyed, just did what made him happy constantly. This pulled a level of respect from the viewing audiences that kept him coming back for season after season. He was a role model to everyone, not to be like him, but to live their own lives to the fullest extent. Sadly, very few people have the courage to do this, so people kept going back every Friday to watch Urkel be comfortable in his own skin.
All of us have social pressures surrounding our lives. Our families, friends and environments influence us daily to make certain decisions, even if we don't enjoy them. However, there are certain people who won't succumb to the pressure. These are the people who try everything when it comes in front of them, and who are often the most happy. They listen to what they want, do what they want when they want, and when they are told that they may be dressed inappropriately, they question when they are ever appropriate. With all this, they are also often the most popular because, for the same reasons as Urkel, people look to their independence and admire them for it. Think of the famous examples. One that comes right to mind is the very very black Darius Rucker, turning his back on R&B for the country music he loves, and how popular he is for it. Sheryl Crow and Aaron Lewis both also did the same thing to a bigger reception than their original genres. Even Bob Ritchie (Kid Rock) and Matthew Shafer (Uncle Kracker) threw away their angry tracks and came to a calmer sound with more succes, and to bring us back to fictional popular characters, who is more popular than Sheldon Cooper, touting his superiority in spite of his quirks??
So the life lesson that we can take away from this is to always look past the pressures and just do what makes us happy. It's always more attractive to be happy in your own skin than copying any cosmo magazine will ever be. So embrace what you love and be yourself. After all, you have to love you before someone else can.
To everyone who is not afraid to be him or herself, no matter what social pressures arise
To Lauren, who takes this and runs screaming with it
In 1987, Miller-Boyett Productions introduced JoMarie Payton as Harriet Winslow as a recurring guest on their ABC show "Perfect Strangers". At the time, no one could know the effect on society that this would have throughout the 90's. In '88, Reginald VelJohnson was introduced as her husband, Carl, on the same show, and in 1989, the couple, along with their children, got their own show, "Family Matters". Halfway into the first season of this show, Steven Quincy Urkel was introduced, originally to be just a recurring guest, and society was forever changed.
Now, this brief little history lesson seems very off par with the usual sociological themes of my blog, but I see a lot of the influence or Urkel in our society even today. Steve Urkel was a person who was never afraid to be himself. From his big glasses, his tight pants held up by suspenders, plaid shirts, saddle shoes, love for cheese, and all things polka; he always did what made himself feel good and fulfilled. He was, in fact, far apart from the average black teenager in inner-city Chicago. Urkel was a brilliant engineer from a very young age. In high school, he invented time travel, created an atomic bomb, and, in a nod to the nutty professor, unlocked the human genome in order to reset himself as "cool", even though all the people around him urged him to go back to his normal self.
Now, the point behind this whole television history lesson is to follow. The most important thing about Steve Urkel was that he was written originally to be a one time guest, and when he was written again, he was just supposed to be a recurring guest. However, anyone who remembers the show can tell you, the majority of the series centered around around Urkel. I see this as entirely societal for some of the things that made Urkel who he was. The reason he became so popular among viewers is that he was always himself. Eddie Winslow and Laura Winslow constantly struggled with their personal identities and how they contrasted with social and racial expectations with their environments. But Steve, no matter how many people he annoyed, just did what made him happy constantly. This pulled a level of respect from the viewing audiences that kept him coming back for season after season. He was a role model to everyone, not to be like him, but to live their own lives to the fullest extent. Sadly, very few people have the courage to do this, so people kept going back every Friday to watch Urkel be comfortable in his own skin.
All of us have social pressures surrounding our lives. Our families, friends and environments influence us daily to make certain decisions, even if we don't enjoy them. However, there are certain people who won't succumb to the pressure. These are the people who try everything when it comes in front of them, and who are often the most happy. They listen to what they want, do what they want when they want, and when they are told that they may be dressed inappropriately, they question when they are ever appropriate. With all this, they are also often the most popular because, for the same reasons as Urkel, people look to their independence and admire them for it. Think of the famous examples. One that comes right to mind is the very very black Darius Rucker, turning his back on R&B for the country music he loves, and how popular he is for it. Sheryl Crow and Aaron Lewis both also did the same thing to a bigger reception than their original genres. Even Bob Ritchie (Kid Rock) and Matthew Shafer (Uncle Kracker) threw away their angry tracks and came to a calmer sound with more succes, and to bring us back to fictional popular characters, who is more popular than Sheldon Cooper, touting his superiority in spite of his quirks??
So the life lesson that we can take away from this is to always look past the pressures and just do what makes us happy. It's always more attractive to be happy in your own skin than copying any cosmo magazine will ever be. So embrace what you love and be yourself. After all, you have to love you before someone else can.
Friday, June 14, 2013
A letter to General Motors
Dear General Motors
There was a time once where you had the entire automotive market cornered, and now Ford and the imports seem to be kicking your ass like no other. I don't understand what happened. I do believe a lot of it could be marketing. I remember the 90's. You were the coolest guy in town if your Chevrolet had a "Z" in the submodel. Now it's all these cheesy sedans, and sometimes you see an SS, but it really doesn't mean anything much different if you have one of these. I feel like if you re-vamp the Z cars to fit with modern times, modern cars, and modern motors, GM sales will take off like none other again. I theorize this because there are a lot of us who are still clamoring to get the great 90's cars that you had, especially the Z models. I came up with suggestions for all of the Z numbers from the 90's, and I really believe they would sell. Some of these are actually in production, but I would make them differently.
Z24-The Cavalier was one of the most popular entry level compact cars of all time, and there is no doubt as to why. They go forever, even with mechanical damage. GM needs to start building a bulletproof compact like this again. Design another Cavalier, stick the Ecotec in the baseline, and go back to your roots on the Z24. Make sure that it's big enough that you can wedge a V6 in there if someone wants to spend the money on the Z model. On a car that size, you don't need to do much else other than shove a 6 cylinder in it...and people WILL buy it. If you make manual transmissions standard, people will buy quickly, too. Standard on both models would be greatly appreciated, as well as coupe and sedan options.
Z26-I had this idea a long time ago. This would have been great on all the generations of the car in question. The mighty N-body, the most popular Pontiac that there was, the Grand Am. It's a shame Pontiac went to the wayside, because just bringing the nameplate "Grand Am" back would throw your sales back through the roof. But her Chevrolet sister, the Malibu was less exciting than a Corsica. As far back as the first generation Malibu, because I think the body lines were right to do it even back then, you should have engineered a coupe version. You could do your classic GM trick and market the coupe under a completely different name than the sedan. I honestly believe that for all generations of Malibu, if you changed the tail-lights a little, made it a two door, stuffed an L67 supercharged 3800 into it, gave it a manual option, and stuck a tag on the back that said "Beretta Z26" on it (since that was also an N-body), people would have come in masses to buy them. And there is no law that you could have done a baseline, and an LS version, too. One with an ecotec, and one with a smaller V6, like the Malibu was. Berettas were cool cars, and Corsicas were lame, even though they were pretty much the same car, and there is no reason you couldn't have repeated that success through the next generations of N-body.
Z28-This was the number that started it all, and I can't believe with a new generation of Camaro, we don't already have this. Give it a Beefy V8, but not as high powered as the ZL1....and just stick a Z28 tag on it....just that tag will sell it alone. Read all the Camaro magazines and the Forums, and give the people what they want
Z34-Take a luxurious car and make it faster...and more luxurious. Where did this go???? A few years ago, the Monte Carlo, along with every other 2 door W-body car, went away. Now, I know that there are rumors that it is coming back on the rear drive W platform in concurrence with the Caprice civilian version, but I don't entirely like this idea. I really think that the Monte Carlo should stay front drive with the Impala. Go ahead with keeping the SS versions as V8's...the 327 is a great motor. But for the Z34....you should do one of two ideas...or you know...both. Either put a big supercharger on it, and make it a smaller sister to the LS9....or.....make it All wheel drive. Maybe if you do that, and give the option to the Impala....the police will take you seriously as a competitor to the new Ford Interceptor.
Z66-There's one we don't see much here in the north. The two wheel drive "off-road" model to the Silverado, Avalanche, and Tahoe. Here's the idea, scrap the Off road part of it and start over. Take that same supercharged 327 I suggested for the Monte Carlo, make it rear drive again, Stick a six speed behind it, make the interior as nice as you can, and viola!! The new Chevy Z66. That one was easy
Z71-The famous off-road package, and the majority of Chevy 4x4s sold. Bring this option back, and maybe offer a higher output version of the engine in it. No need to go crazy on the the engine like in the Z66, the Z71 is offered to be an off roader. And offer it with a manual, because that was an option I never saw.
ZR1-Good job...you did this one right
ZR2-There's no reason you can't implement a lift kit and 3/4 ton axles in a Colorado. I'd maybe see about going back to the 4.3 V6, though, over the 5 cylinder if you do.
These are just suggestions, but I really hope you look into them. Market and design the way you used to, and the new car buyers will run, and for years to come, those of us who love used cars will be pining for them as well
J. Edgar Davis
There was a time once where you had the entire automotive market cornered, and now Ford and the imports seem to be kicking your ass like no other. I don't understand what happened. I do believe a lot of it could be marketing. I remember the 90's. You were the coolest guy in town if your Chevrolet had a "Z" in the submodel. Now it's all these cheesy sedans, and sometimes you see an SS, but it really doesn't mean anything much different if you have one of these. I feel like if you re-vamp the Z cars to fit with modern times, modern cars, and modern motors, GM sales will take off like none other again. I theorize this because there are a lot of us who are still clamoring to get the great 90's cars that you had, especially the Z models. I came up with suggestions for all of the Z numbers from the 90's, and I really believe they would sell. Some of these are actually in production, but I would make them differently.
Z24-The Cavalier was one of the most popular entry level compact cars of all time, and there is no doubt as to why. They go forever, even with mechanical damage. GM needs to start building a bulletproof compact like this again. Design another Cavalier, stick the Ecotec in the baseline, and go back to your roots on the Z24. Make sure that it's big enough that you can wedge a V6 in there if someone wants to spend the money on the Z model. On a car that size, you don't need to do much else other than shove a 6 cylinder in it...and people WILL buy it. If you make manual transmissions standard, people will buy quickly, too. Standard on both models would be greatly appreciated, as well as coupe and sedan options.
Z26-I had this idea a long time ago. This would have been great on all the generations of the car in question. The mighty N-body, the most popular Pontiac that there was, the Grand Am. It's a shame Pontiac went to the wayside, because just bringing the nameplate "Grand Am" back would throw your sales back through the roof. But her Chevrolet sister, the Malibu was less exciting than a Corsica. As far back as the first generation Malibu, because I think the body lines were right to do it even back then, you should have engineered a coupe version. You could do your classic GM trick and market the coupe under a completely different name than the sedan. I honestly believe that for all generations of Malibu, if you changed the tail-lights a little, made it a two door, stuffed an L67 supercharged 3800 into it, gave it a manual option, and stuck a tag on the back that said "Beretta Z26" on it (since that was also an N-body), people would have come in masses to buy them. And there is no law that you could have done a baseline, and an LS version, too. One with an ecotec, and one with a smaller V6, like the Malibu was. Berettas were cool cars, and Corsicas were lame, even though they were pretty much the same car, and there is no reason you couldn't have repeated that success through the next generations of N-body.
Z28-This was the number that started it all, and I can't believe with a new generation of Camaro, we don't already have this. Give it a Beefy V8, but not as high powered as the ZL1....and just stick a Z28 tag on it....just that tag will sell it alone. Read all the Camaro magazines and the Forums, and give the people what they want
Z34-Take a luxurious car and make it faster...and more luxurious. Where did this go???? A few years ago, the Monte Carlo, along with every other 2 door W-body car, went away. Now, I know that there are rumors that it is coming back on the rear drive W platform in concurrence with the Caprice civilian version, but I don't entirely like this idea. I really think that the Monte Carlo should stay front drive with the Impala. Go ahead with keeping the SS versions as V8's...the 327 is a great motor. But for the Z34....you should do one of two ideas...or you know...both. Either put a big supercharger on it, and make it a smaller sister to the LS9....or.....make it All wheel drive. Maybe if you do that, and give the option to the Impala....the police will take you seriously as a competitor to the new Ford Interceptor.
Z66-There's one we don't see much here in the north. The two wheel drive "off-road" model to the Silverado, Avalanche, and Tahoe. Here's the idea, scrap the Off road part of it and start over. Take that same supercharged 327 I suggested for the Monte Carlo, make it rear drive again, Stick a six speed behind it, make the interior as nice as you can, and viola!! The new Chevy Z66. That one was easy
Z71-The famous off-road package, and the majority of Chevy 4x4s sold. Bring this option back, and maybe offer a higher output version of the engine in it. No need to go crazy on the the engine like in the Z66, the Z71 is offered to be an off roader. And offer it with a manual, because that was an option I never saw.
ZR1-Good job...you did this one right
ZR2-There's no reason you can't implement a lift kit and 3/4 ton axles in a Colorado. I'd maybe see about going back to the 4.3 V6, though, over the 5 cylinder if you do.
These are just suggestions, but I really hope you look into them. Market and design the way you used to, and the new car buyers will run, and for years to come, those of us who love used cars will be pining for them as well
J. Edgar Davis
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