The return of the ridiculous!
Thanks to those of you that have pushed me to come back. I'm really rusty so I cannot promise this will be any good. Marc was nice enough to offer some suggestions of celebrity folly to inspire me to write. That was nice, but I don't find inspiration in celebrities being ridiculous. If I did, I'd be on this thing every minute of the day. I find inspiration in every day people being ridiculous. And for some reason, I haven't encountered nearly enough idiots being ridiculous to put together a blog.
The lack-of-ridiculous record was shattered last week thanks to a few ridiculous people who are now the topic of my first blog in over a month.
1. Lisa Labes of Chicago Public Radio.
I woke up a little early on Election day so that I could get to the polls before work. As I was getting ready, the incompetent morning hostess Lisa Labes said that the polls opened at 7:00. I was baffled. I was sure they opened at 6:00 because I always vote before work, and 7:00 is not before work. I figured she must be mistaken and that she'd correct herself before it was time for me to leave. But she just kept saying it, and I assumed it was I who was mistaken. Then, at 6:20, when I was half way to work, the bitch comes on and says she was wrong; the polls opened at 6:00. It totally ruined my day, and I sent an email to Chicago Public Radio to tell them so. I pulled the whole, "I'm a member of this station and I expect more of my public radio station..." bit. Sure I voted after school, but it really messed up my day and night. I didn't even get to show off my "I voted!" sticker to my students.
2. People in my age group.
I'm just about the only person I know in my age group who voted. My roommate didn't vote. My former roommate didn't vote, and I'd be willing to bet his current roommate didn't vote. My best friend didn't vote, and several other people I know who are my age did not vote. It's disgusting. I don't care how busy you are; you can make time to vote. I don't care if you know nothing about the election; you should still vote. For example, I know only one judge on the list of judges we are asked to reject or retain. He is the father of one of my elementary school rivals, so I always vote to boot his ass off the bench. But other than that, I am completely ignorant of what's going on with our judges. So I take the Chicago Tribune's election day endorsements into the booth with me, and I take their recommendations on judges or any other race about which I am uncertain. If you know nothing about two candidates, pick one based on the party you tend to agree with. Or God forbid, listen to the damn news once in a while and learn something about what's going on in the world. Thousands of soldiers have died trying to bring Democracy to the people of Iraq, not to mention the millions more who died before them to protect ours. Maybe more than 40% of us we could show a little appreciation of that and take advantage of the one we have going here? Just a thought.
3. Skull cap guy at the gym.
The primary reason I go to the gym, of course, is to stay in shape. But a VERY close second is the opportunity to people watch. There are some very ridiculous people walking around the gyms of Chicago, and mine is no exception. My favorite people to watch are the trainers and staff of the gym. They are all "hot" in that gym rat kind of way, which is to say that, once they step outside the protective walls of the gym, they immediately become cheesy, fake and annoying. The guy that annoys me the most these days is the one who wears his winter skull cap indoors. I've seen guys like this in other places, and it's bad enough. But something about wearing a hat designed to protect your ears from the cold in a hot and steamy place like a gym is extra ridiculous. His ridiculous-ness doesn't stop at the skull cap though. Yesterday he had on a very tight long sleeved shirt that had a gun air brushed on the shoulder... I presume to be ironic about the "huge guns" sausaged underneath, nearly tearing the seams of the flimsy shirt. But the skull cap is killing me. The first time I saw him with it on I thought for sure he'd just come in from the outside and would be taking it off momentarily. Nope. The entire time I was there, he wore it, and he'd had it on every day I've seen him since then.
Well, that's all I can come up with right now. I have another idea for a post brewing in my head, so I'll be back soon.
The lack-of-ridiculous record was shattered last week thanks to a few ridiculous people who are now the topic of my first blog in over a month.
1. Lisa Labes of Chicago Public Radio.
I woke up a little early on Election day so that I could get to the polls before work. As I was getting ready, the incompetent morning hostess Lisa Labes said that the polls opened at 7:00. I was baffled. I was sure they opened at 6:00 because I always vote before work, and 7:00 is not before work. I figured she must be mistaken and that she'd correct herself before it was time for me to leave. But she just kept saying it, and I assumed it was I who was mistaken. Then, at 6:20, when I was half way to work, the bitch comes on and says she was wrong; the polls opened at 6:00. It totally ruined my day, and I sent an email to Chicago Public Radio to tell them so. I pulled the whole, "I'm a member of this station and I expect more of my public radio station..." bit. Sure I voted after school, but it really messed up my day and night. I didn't even get to show off my "I voted!" sticker to my students.
2. People in my age group.
I'm just about the only person I know in my age group who voted. My roommate didn't vote. My former roommate didn't vote, and I'd be willing to bet his current roommate didn't vote. My best friend didn't vote, and several other people I know who are my age did not vote. It's disgusting. I don't care how busy you are; you can make time to vote. I don't care if you know nothing about the election; you should still vote. For example, I know only one judge on the list of judges we are asked to reject or retain. He is the father of one of my elementary school rivals, so I always vote to boot his ass off the bench. But other than that, I am completely ignorant of what's going on with our judges. So I take the Chicago Tribune's election day endorsements into the booth with me, and I take their recommendations on judges or any other race about which I am uncertain. If you know nothing about two candidates, pick one based on the party you tend to agree with. Or God forbid, listen to the damn news once in a while and learn something about what's going on in the world. Thousands of soldiers have died trying to bring Democracy to the people of Iraq, not to mention the millions more who died before them to protect ours. Maybe more than 40% of us we could show a little appreciation of that and take advantage of the one we have going here? Just a thought.
3. Skull cap guy at the gym.
The primary reason I go to the gym, of course, is to stay in shape. But a VERY close second is the opportunity to people watch. There are some very ridiculous people walking around the gyms of Chicago, and mine is no exception. My favorite people to watch are the trainers and staff of the gym. They are all "hot" in that gym rat kind of way, which is to say that, once they step outside the protective walls of the gym, they immediately become cheesy, fake and annoying. The guy that annoys me the most these days is the one who wears his winter skull cap indoors. I've seen guys like this in other places, and it's bad enough. But something about wearing a hat designed to protect your ears from the cold in a hot and steamy place like a gym is extra ridiculous. His ridiculous-ness doesn't stop at the skull cap though. Yesterday he had on a very tight long sleeved shirt that had a gun air brushed on the shoulder... I presume to be ironic about the "huge guns" sausaged underneath, nearly tearing the seams of the flimsy shirt. But the skull cap is killing me. The first time I saw him with it on I thought for sure he'd just come in from the outside and would be taking it off momentarily. Nope. The entire time I was there, he wore it, and he'd had it on every day I've seen him since then.
Well, that's all I can come up with right now. I have another idea for a post brewing in my head, so I'll be back soon.
posted by Sue Ellen Mischke at 6:39 AM
15 Comments:
About damn time.
I voted, but our incredibly ridiculous Representative (Foxx) was still reelected.
The gym-hat guy is hysterical. Arer you on any sort of speaking level with him? If not, can you work on getting close to him?Because I have a whole slew of Christmas gift ideas.
Yeah! Your're back!
I don't get the not voting thing. I don't get to vote in Sweden as I'm not a citizen and it makes me so damn jealous of those who do get to vote.
Welcome back! I spent a good two hours Monday night figuring out who I wanted to vote for.
E, I wouldn't speak to a person who wore a skull cap indoors.
Lux, yes I'm back. I'm glad you all came back to read!
ND, I'm glad to hear you voted, especially since you're such a young'n.
How could we not come back to read?!? :P
Thanks for the blog, glad your back!
You're back, wooooooo...
Maybe hat man has leukemia?
I'm still an arsehole but at least you're not telling me now. Welcome back babe.
About the voting thing. Only 45% of the voting population voted at the last elections over here. Of those about 24% voted Labour. We are, therefore, governed by a minority government that does as it damn well pleases.
Problem is who do you vote for if there isn't anybody even remotely representing your views? 55% of us are currently disenfranchised by our democratic system and it's getting worse. This is a major worry. Or at least it should be.
Adam, you're welcome! Glad I'm back too.
Will, good point, but I've seen him without the hat, and there is a big head of hair under there.
4D, I understand how you feel. I struggled with our gubernatorial race. I had a lot of issues with both candidates. I was able to find one or two issues that I agreed with there were important to me (assault weapons for example) and voted for that candidate.
I vote. I think we oughtta. A maths teacher way back when I was about 15 (in 1985) overheard me and some friends talking about how voting is a waste of time. Y'know what kids are like. Anyway, this guy blew a fuse and went on about how, since he was Polish, he knew the importance of exercising your freedom to vote. Changed my perspective there and then.
*, that's the first time I've ever heard of a math(s) teacher giving a life-changing lesson in civics. I bet he/she would be thrilled to hear that. Maybe I better start spouting off voting rhetoric in my classes.
Hey! Welcome back. Although I didn't realize you were gone as I disappeared as well. So, welcome me back too. :) May we both stick around.
I was gonna do the bracketed s thing for you, but I figured, "'Math' is so alien to me, and this is Sue Ellen Mischke here; I gotsto keep it reeeeal".
Yeah, he was a cool guy. Used to come drinking in the pub I worked in a few years later.
"Thousands of soldiers have died trying to bring Democracy to the people of Iraq"
Highly debatable...
Mondo, well sure I suppose that is highly debatable. But what isn't? Frankly, I think that the good men and women who are in Iraq do believe (or at least at one time believed) that they are risking their lives for Democracy, rather than for the many less idealistic reasons that our president might actually have.
To paraphase Eminem... It's the return of the ridiculous... she didn't just say what I think she did, did she? ;)
PS - Do Beanies count as Skullcaps? 'Cause I wear Beanies now and again.
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