Random Ideas, Comments & Thoughts, Sometimes Political, Sometimes Adult… Hope you don't choke.
After being a lazy slug yesterday and sleeping a large portion of the day, Feeling MUCH better.
So, today it’s off to a photographic show and other FUN running around.
Just found out that the new phone can post blog entires directly to this blog… VERY COOL!
The automatic word choices the phone makes… may leave something to be desired.
All in all life is going pretty nicely.
Now If I can just find a job….
My furlough has been extended by another 30 days. Not really sure I like that but it’s a process.
As the day has progressed I’ve been feeling poorly.
Wondering if I’m coming down with something. Sinuses are blocked and I’ve developed a slight cough, so it’s nap time.
Everyone have a great weekend!
Was out and about today and noticed some things about the society.
I couldn’t help feeling like the Zombie Apocalypse has happened.
Oh nobody was walking around moaning “Brains”… But virtually all of the people were walking around engaged in their cell conversations, texts, or on the internet, They were completely oblivious to the people physically around them.
It was weird…
As readers may recall, I found myself in this mindless state a couple of months ago. I walked around South Coast Plaza chatting like a moron with one of my best friends, completely oblivious to how rude I was being to other shoppers. So I’m not throwing stones here, Just observing the phenomena.
Our technology is an interesting thing. We create the technology in an effort to improve our connectedness and while we’re connected to our friends, FaceBook, and the internet… We’re alone in a crowd, shopping, or at a restaurant. I’ve watched people on dates interrupt their conversations to read the latest text message or friends posting on FaceBook.
I don’t know what the world would look like today if the cell net went down and stayed down.
I remember sitting in a bar after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 watching business people killing the batteries in their “BRICK” cellphones trying to figure out why they couldn’t make calls. What confused them was that the cell net was up but only 911 calls were being routed through the network.
Today, I suspect that if the cell net were to go down people would loose their minds, I know that I’d be a little cranky!
We also create technology to make our lives easier. (There’s a whole other train of thought regarding this… I’ll save it for another time) Yet in fact it’s easier now to hand a clerk cash.
Debit and credit cards used to be easier to use. Here’s an example. Think about using a credit card at a gas station.
In the old days, you’d swipe the card, fill your tank, get the receipt and you were on your way. Pretty much all of the machines worked the same way, it was simple, fast, and convenient.
Now you swipe your card and get the third degree. The pump wants to know “Do you want a car wash?”, “Do you want a receipt?”, “Debit or Credit?”, “Enter your PIN or Enter your billing zip code” Sheeesh And of course all this while “PUMP-TOP TV” is blaring at you something inane about the latest celebrity faux-pas.
We’re surrounded by walls of technology or technological distractions. It’s as though we’re trying to insulate ourselves from interacting with each other in person. Yet we’ll spend hours following the posts of our “friends”, playing Angry Birds, or FarmVille. It’s psychotic!
If we spent half the time actually interacting with each other locally rather than fooling ourselves into thinking that we actually have 779 “Friends” we’d probably be a lot happier and a lot less fearful.
So I suggest you turn off the phone, oh sure keep it with you, power it up if you need it, but turn it off.
Then spend a day in THIS reality. Notice the people around you, listen the the banter at a Starbucks. Interact with each other, you might find this reality preferable…
Took a trip by the Botanical Gardens at UC Riverside.
We Figured I could play with the camera a bit .
Here are some of the shots.
Just me messing around with the Macro lens.
I really like the lens but I’m still getting used to how it behaves.
I can say that I’d like a couple of other “N” lenses their quality is very impressive.
Especially if a wreck like me can use them.
Hope you enjoy….
But I Understand.
These guys are from the Teamsters Local 495. These men work at the local BMW parts warehouse in Ontario.
The fact that the parts warehouse is 10 miles from the dealership is one of the reasons that I didn’t believe the service people when They said the problem with my A/C was a schrader valve.
I could have driven to the warehouse and picked up the necessary part myself.
Apparently BMW North America has decided to turn all these folks into unemployed folks. I’m not too sure of all the facts but it seems that BMW N.A. is outsourcing these jobs in the name of higher profits.
The website for these folks is located HERE. If you’re curious go take a look. One of the things that I
did learn is that Since these people are protesting every Saturday they’re in an interesting position to observe BMW reliability.
On of the guys mentioned that they see a lot of 7 series BMWs coming in on flatbeds. I’ve heard of problems with the 7 Series and personally know one person that sold her 7 at a loss to buy a Hyundai.
Her 7 had failed many more times than she could count, leaving her stranded at the side of the road.
She said it was usually on a freeway near any Airport… she’d be buzzing along at 70 or 80 then it was like someone clicked the off switch. The car would simply die and couldn’t be restarted. She got tired of seeing the dealerships, and even more tired of tow truck drivers.
She’s been much happier with her Hyundai. It works and in the 3 years she’s owned it she’s done nothing but have the oil changed.
I’ve noticed when I take my car in every other Monday that there’s always a lot of 335s, 535s, & 135s in the service drive.
The protesters were noticing the same sorts of things and they weren’t surprised when I suggested that BMW was hiding something. They felt that BMW wasn’t being as forthright about the motivations for outsourcing the parts business as they should have been either.
They did say that BMW North America and BMW Germany didn’t behave the same towards their workers. Perhaps it’s a Situation of American greed vs German labor laws. I’m not in a position to comment.
They did get a kick out of my describing my car as a “Pussy” car. (Every time I want to ride it… it’s got a headache.)
They wished me good luck and I wished them the same.
I’m blown away that companies are doing this kind of thing but many of the corporate honchos need to keep getting their bonus checks so they can keep their mistresses in fancy condos and quiet.