Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Don't be offended, just drive...
This sort of goes along with the "not driving the speed limit" post I made a while ago, but it's a little different. It doesn't happend too often, but I've noticed that some people seem to get really offended or something when you pass them. I normally only pass when someone is doing 10 or more mph under the speed limit. Since I'm usually not in a big hurry I just ignore the typical 5 under slow pokes. But something that seems to happen when I've passed people that drive slow is they speed up to the speed limit (or over) when you pull out and get next to them. Or after you've passed them they speed up and get right up on your ass. What the fuck is that about? You weren't in a big hurry obviously since your going 10+mph under the speed limit, then all of a sudden you think I'm some prick 'cause I go around you, get fucking bent. I could understand getting annoyed if someone passes you when your already going at or above the speed limit, but to me, if your not going the speed limit you lose any right to be upset when I pull out and pass you. I got places to go, I don't have time to play your stupid fucking games like you own the road and make it's speed limits, get over yourself and step on the fucking gas or shut up.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Car "packages" suck
After hearing about the end of Pontiac today (no big loss, since Pontiac was mainly just rebadged overpriced Chevys and Saturns) I decided to make an automotive themed post. This is one thing that has bothered me for a while, and since I just bought a new car (a 2009 Toyota Yaris, if you give a shit), it's something I just got to experience first hand.
I guess the thing that really pisses me off about "packages" is they usually have one, or a couple, of options that you really want, then a bunch of other crap you don't care about (or don't really want at all). Like say you want, cruise control, normally you could spend say $150 and get it, but for some cars cruise is part of a "package" (with some bullshit name like "sport", "touring", etc.). Of course this package is $1500, since it comes with alloy wheels and a 6-disc CD changer and heated power mirrors, or some shit. But it's the only way your gonna get cruise from the factory, so you either bite the bullet and spend 10 times more for cruise (and get a bunch of extras you may or may not care about), or you do without cruise. For me personally the Yaris hatchback with a manual transmission doesn't come with a tachometer unless you buy the "S" package (basically a yaris with every option, and a different body kit). Which starts at around $14K (base price is 12K) so in essence you have to pay $2,000 to get a factory installed tach (on a manual transmission car!).
I know the only reason car companies have stepped away from a "checklist" style of ordering (as in you start with the base model and pick the individual options you want, and nothing you don't), is because they know that some options would almost never get sold unless they basically force you into getting them.
I guess the thing that really pisses me off about "packages" is they usually have one, or a couple, of options that you really want, then a bunch of other crap you don't care about (or don't really want at all). Like say you want, cruise control, normally you could spend say $150 and get it, but for some cars cruise is part of a "package" (with some bullshit name like "sport", "touring", etc.). Of course this package is $1500, since it comes with alloy wheels and a 6-disc CD changer and heated power mirrors, or some shit. But it's the only way your gonna get cruise from the factory, so you either bite the bullet and spend 10 times more for cruise (and get a bunch of extras you may or may not care about), or you do without cruise. For me personally the Yaris hatchback with a manual transmission doesn't come with a tachometer unless you buy the "S" package (basically a yaris with every option, and a different body kit). Which starts at around $14K (base price is 12K) so in essence you have to pay $2,000 to get a factory installed tach (on a manual transmission car!).
I know the only reason car companies have stepped away from a "checklist" style of ordering (as in you start with the base model and pick the individual options you want, and nothing you don't), is because they know that some options would almost never get sold unless they basically force you into getting them.
Friday, April 24, 2009
More Bullshit
A few new topics of discussion have been running around in my brain lately, which I feel are worthy of discussion. Well discussion in the sense that I write them down in a cynical asshole-ish fashion and you read them, and then promptly forget whatever I said once American Idol comes on.
Gay "marriage": I realize this has been a hot topic on and off for years now, but with Vermont becoming one of the newest states to legalize gay marriage, it's made a small resurgence. I don't care one way or the other, for one I'm not gay so it doesn't effect me personally and for two I'm not married (nor have any short term plans to be). But I find the anti-gay marriage aguments to be beyond ridiculous for the most part. I was watching CNN (I believe) the other day and there was a discussion about gay marriage (1 pro 1 anti and 1 guy playing moderator). I listened for a little while, and I must say the anti gay marriage argument (presented by some woman who was obviously part of the national anti-assfucking brigade) was laughable at best. Basically her entire focus was not moral, religious, natural, but word definition. Yep, that's right the definition of marriage, SERIOUSLY you got a problem with dudes nailing either other in the cornhole becoming a legal couple and your biggest concern is "ZOMG marriage won't mean the same thing to future generations". Wow where do I start... how 'bout go die in a traffic accident you stupid cunt. IF your main concern is what to CALL gay marriage then here's a fucking idea, make a new word. Call up webster and the leader of a couple gay rights groups have them meet you over dinner and you can say "ok look guys, I don't care if you get legally joined as a couple so that you can get insurance benefits, and things, but you can't call it marriage so think of a new word". I'm sure after they laugh to themselves (if they're nice) they'll be glad to calm your worried little head and think of something they can call themselves so that you can sleep better at night knowing you saved the future generations from the confusion of why we use the same word for a man and a woman getting together as we do for a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, or a shemale and a block of swiss cheese.
Illegal aliens: There's lots of ways to go with this, but I wanna focus on just one, the old "their stealing our jobs" speach you hear from every lower middle class redneck out there who's pissed that his "awesome" $10/hour job was given to some mexican dude. Look alright, are there jobs that are given to illegal aliens, yes, but honestly are they really good jobs? I don't see juan or jose running major corporations, I don't see them driving around in ferrari's and smoking pre-embargo cuban cigars they lit up with a $100 bill. I see them working in cornfields picking the weeds, or cleaning the bathrooms at McDonald's and driving around in a rusted out '87 Accord. If you wanna talk about who's really taking the good jobs, ask the assholes exec. that works at some IT buisness and shit-canned his whole staff of programers that work for $30/hour, and sent their jobs to China where someone will work 2 times faster (in 10 times shittier conditions) for the low low price of $2/day. Or the owner of a manufacturing plant who decides that having to pay you $15/hour and having to keep all those safety devices on the machines working correctly is just too much trouble. So he cuts 80% of the jobs in the US plant and outsources to a Taiwan based sweat shop, that doesn't pay shit, and doesn't care if some 16 year old kid working to help his family gets his arm cut off in a machine. These are the real people you should be pissed off at, not the guy picking cabbage. The jack-offs making 6 (7? 8?) figure salaries who one day decide your $30/hour position and your fancy degree from MIT (the one that put you $45K in student loan debt) are costing his company to much money. And instead of taking a cut out of his income, or settling for less than 400% profit, he's going to "take the company in a new direction". Then your gonna be out on your ass competing with the "job stealing mexican's" for that position scrubbing the shitters at Mickey D's.
Gay "marriage": I realize this has been a hot topic on and off for years now, but with Vermont becoming one of the newest states to legalize gay marriage, it's made a small resurgence. I don't care one way or the other, for one I'm not gay so it doesn't effect me personally and for two I'm not married (nor have any short term plans to be). But I find the anti-gay marriage aguments to be beyond ridiculous for the most part. I was watching CNN (I believe) the other day and there was a discussion about gay marriage (1 pro 1 anti and 1 guy playing moderator). I listened for a little while, and I must say the anti gay marriage argument (presented by some woman who was obviously part of the national anti-assfucking brigade) was laughable at best. Basically her entire focus was not moral, religious, natural, but word definition. Yep, that's right the definition of marriage, SERIOUSLY you got a problem with dudes nailing either other in the cornhole becoming a legal couple and your biggest concern is "ZOMG marriage won't mean the same thing to future generations". Wow where do I start... how 'bout go die in a traffic accident you stupid cunt. IF your main concern is what to CALL gay marriage then here's a fucking idea, make a new word. Call up webster and the leader of a couple gay rights groups have them meet you over dinner and you can say "ok look guys, I don't care if you get legally joined as a couple so that you can get insurance benefits, and things, but you can't call it marriage so think of a new word". I'm sure after they laugh to themselves (if they're nice) they'll be glad to calm your worried little head and think of something they can call themselves so that you can sleep better at night knowing you saved the future generations from the confusion of why we use the same word for a man and a woman getting together as we do for a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, or a shemale and a block of swiss cheese.
Illegal aliens: There's lots of ways to go with this, but I wanna focus on just one, the old "their stealing our jobs" speach you hear from every lower middle class redneck out there who's pissed that his "awesome" $10/hour job was given to some mexican dude. Look alright, are there jobs that are given to illegal aliens, yes, but honestly are they really good jobs? I don't see juan or jose running major corporations, I don't see them driving around in ferrari's and smoking pre-embargo cuban cigars they lit up with a $100 bill. I see them working in cornfields picking the weeds, or cleaning the bathrooms at McDonald's and driving around in a rusted out '87 Accord. If you wanna talk about who's really taking the good jobs, ask the assholes exec. that works at some IT buisness and shit-canned his whole staff of programers that work for $30/hour, and sent their jobs to China where someone will work 2 times faster (in 10 times shittier conditions) for the low low price of $2/day. Or the owner of a manufacturing plant who decides that having to pay you $15/hour and having to keep all those safety devices on the machines working correctly is just too much trouble. So he cuts 80% of the jobs in the US plant and outsources to a Taiwan based sweat shop, that doesn't pay shit, and doesn't care if some 16 year old kid working to help his family gets his arm cut off in a machine. These are the real people you should be pissed off at, not the guy picking cabbage. The jack-offs making 6 (7? 8?) figure salaries who one day decide your $30/hour position and your fancy degree from MIT (the one that put you $45K in student loan debt) are costing his company to much money. And instead of taking a cut out of his income, or settling for less than 400% profit, he's going to "take the company in a new direction". Then your gonna be out on your ass competing with the "job stealing mexican's" for that position scrubbing the shitters at Mickey D's.
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