Scotts 2 Cents

February 4, 2010

How Soft Have We Gotten In America

Filed under: Random Stuff — Scott @

HIGH SCHOOL 1959 vs. 2009

Scenario  1:
Joe  goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school  parking lot with his shotgun in his truck’s gun rack.
1959  - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Joe’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Joe.
2009  - School  goes into lock down, FBI called, Joe hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers..



Scenario  2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1959  - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2009  - Police called and SWAT team arrives — they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.



Scenario  3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1959  - Jeffrey sent to the Principal’s office and given a good paddling by the  Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again..
2009  - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario  4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1959  - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2009  - Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse.. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.  Billy’s mom has an affair with the psychologist.



Scenario  5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1959 - Mark  shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking  dock.
2009 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons..


Scenario  6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1959 - Pedro  goes to summer school, passes English and goes to  college.
2009 - Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro’sEnglish teacher.  English is then banned from  core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak  English.

Scenario  7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1959  - Ants die.
2009 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents  – and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny’s dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario  8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort  him.
1959  - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing…
2009  - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.  Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

July 16, 2009

Schlitterbahn Opens

Filed under: Random Stuff — Tags: — Scott @

We were at Schlitterbahn Kansas on opening day! A quiet opening with not all of the phase I rides open yet but still a fun few hours with an exceptionally small crowd. The potential is absolutely there for a great water park but not just yet….as expected for the first few weeks until the final touches are on the remaining phase I attractions. In a few years it will be amazing once it’s 100% done at full strength. Here’s a video (that we are in if you look closely) from Fox 4 News in KC!

 

June 20, 2009

Stone Canyon Golf Course – Kansas City, MO – Independence, MO

All Spring the Kansas City area was bombarded by commercials on TV, radio and print for Stone Canyon Golf Course in Independence, MO designed by Greg “The Shark” Norman. And all these promotions included promoting a $50 preview rate in 2009 before the club went private in 2010! Well, today (6-20-09) Stone Canyon sent out an e-mail saying that as of July 1st that preview was going away Fri-Sun (when anybody can actually take advantage of it)! Pretty crappy of them. First of all, your in Independence – get over yourself. But even if you’re the greatest golf course ever changing this preview rate you promoted heavily for weeks and weeks before you opened on May 15th is crap. I don’t ever remember hearing this was 6 week preview rate….of course I didn’t hear that – that would be pretty weak. Wait…..that’s exactly what it turned out to be. Not a great first impression by the course, pretty crappy quite frankly.

I speculate that they’ve realized there is NO WAY they’ll have enough interest for the course to actually go private in 2010 so they’ll try to increase revenue now as a public course. The thought of this being a private course was a flawed theory all along. It’s Independence, MO – there isn’t the population base with the income levels to support a private golf club. At least I wouldn’t think so. So I don’t expect the course to actually go private next year. But still, promoting a $50 rate all Spring then taking it away after 6 weeks really sucks and could be an indication that this course has horrible ownership/management so I’d be very wary of joining this private course.

I haven’t played it yet – I had absolutely planned to but I’m not sure I will. If for no other reason on principle.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about both the change in the preview rate and if you’ve played the course what you thought.

April 9, 2009

A talking post?

Filed under: Random Stuff — Scott @

This post is really a test post, I am testing NaturallySpeaking from Dragon Software it is dictation software that may or may not be working. I am watching the words delayed by about anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds as I speak them, but the accuracy seems to be pretty good.
I will talk a little bit about the Royal who won again today to go to 2-1 on the season and it had three excellent, outstanding even, starting pitching performances. Gil Meche on opening day perhaps the best of the three – the one not get the win as Kyle Farnsworth was a disaster and gave up the game-winning home run. Zach Greinke very impressive, got to the bullpen and went with Jose Cruz to Soria and today in the rubber match of the series Kyle Davies picked up right where he left of in the regular season so outstanding pitching winning 2, dropping 1. But they left way too many runners on base and its little scary. Still, 2-1 and coming back for the home opener and maybe Sydney Ponson can prove me wrong and beat the Yankees.
So thank you for letting me do one post here while I talk into my microphone instead of typing.

December 4, 2008

Did You Know?

Filed under: Random Stuff — Tags: , — Scott @

This is a pretty cool video. About 5 minutes long. It may elicit many emotions from different people: Fear, joy, amazement, dropped jaw, anger but it will absolutely make you think.

CLICK BELOW FOR THE VIDEO

Technology

September 16, 2008

Good or Evil?

Filed under: People, Random Stuff — Scott @

When I started this blog I really had no idea what it would be or what it would turn in to.  I’m still not sure I know.

So far I’ve avoided politics, but…Obama….seriously people….really? 
Okay, that’s enough controversy.  Luckily, nobody really reads this stuff.

So my question today is not so simple and not exactly new, ground breaking thinking but I wonder….

Are people naturally (or instinctively) good and they have to try to be (or learn to be) evil?  Or are we all evil trying to be good?
Perhaps evil is the wrong word, maybe that gives too much negative conotation.  Good or Bad?  Does that make it easier?

Personally I think, with some exceptions of mental instabilities some people may be born with as part of their DNA, we all choose who we are and how we act.  We choose to help others or not.  We choose to return extra change we might be given by a cashier.  We can speed or go the speed limit, we can tailgate or not, we can let people in during traffic or not.  See why good vs bad is maybe better than good vs evil?  I don’t think being a rude driver makes you evil, but might make you a bad person if it’s a regular behavior – maybe you’re just a jackass. 

We all also choose to rob people, or mug people or commit murder.  Now maybe evil is a better word.  But I still think you make choices.  Certainly we all have different circumstances and some people have an easier chance to make what most would consider the better choice than do others but you’re still making choices. 

That’s my 2 cents….I welcome your comments.

July 28, 2008

Old Friends

Filed under: People, Random Stuff — Scott @

When I first started this blog it was mainly to learn about how WordPress worked and how blogs worked.  My intent was to ramble on about things that I wanted to vent about.  Like idiot drivers, horrible customer service, the stunningly inaccurate weather forecasts in Kansas City, how bad our local sports teams are and why, etc…  I had planned to drop a few of the e-mails we all get and secretly love reading in here just for some content.  Turns out that’s about all I’ve really done so far.  When I’m driving, or lying awake and a rant pops into my head it sounds good and very blog worthy but by the time I get around to actually putting it down in “print” it either doesn’t sound so good or more commonly I’m just not that fired up about it anymore.  But today, something a bit different.  A reflection about old friends and why we lose touch and why it’s so nice when we hear from them.  Deep Thoughts with Jack Handy it’s not but perhaps if anybody ever reads this they won’t at least be left thinking they’ve just wasted 6 minutes of their life that they can never get back.

During the year (it’s 2008 by the way, since things on the Internet never seem to die) I’ve gotten in touch with 3 old friends.  I believe all 3 reached out to me first, which maybe says something about me (though I’m not sure what), of course I could be remembering wrong since it really doesn’t matter.  One was my girlfriend of nearly 4 years starting senior year in high school and into college.  I had been back in touch with her once before about 10 years ago, but only briefly and that had been after about 6 years since we graduated college.  Another was my childhood best friend.  Somewhat ironically aforementioned girlfriend may have been the beginning of the end of that friendship that didn’t quite survive all the way through high school.  He too I had been back in touch with previously, very briefly a rather long time ago and again we had lost touch.  Now we’ve been out for drinks a few times and saw a movie that was replayed at theaters one night only for it’s 25th Anniversary – we both recall seeing it together 25 years earlier.  Stop crying, I know it’s touching….  Lastly, I got an e-mail from an old friend from college, again connected to said old girlfriend – she was her college roommate for at least 2 years , maybe 3….???  Anyway, her and I became good friends for a few years as well.  And keeping with the theme were back in touch very briefly many years ago but again lost touch for a long time.

So it’s interesting.  All 3 I had been back in touch with several years later, but several years ago and obviously we didn’t stay in touch then and yet we get back in touch now, again.  Will it stick this time?  Maybe.  Maybe we’re all more secure and stable in our lives where jealousy, or old feelings (good or bad) are no longer a factor.  Certainly it’s easier now with e-mail (which did exist last time we said hi, we aren’t that old) and new social websites (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.. which didn’t exist last time around) but it still takes time to stay in touch.  So will it stick this time?  In at least one case I can already say no.  My ex-girlfriend and I said hi, exchanged a few e-mails and caught up with our lives.  As much as you can cover 10 years in a few e-mails.  It was very nice, good to know that someone who meant so much to you, even so long ago is doing well and is mostly happy.  But that’s been it.

It probably makes a really big difference on who they were in your past whether or not you stay in touch or just stop with the quick catch up.  When it comes to my childhood friend I think we’re discovering we do have some things in common besides just very fond memories of our childhood and its possible we’ll stay in touch and even see each other once in a while.  And that’s likely the most important thing – something in common now.  That’s why we’re friends with people now isn’t it?  Common interests.  Someone to talk sports with, share political points of view (even if you don’t agree), etc….  That’s a more sound basis for a friendship then anything that happened 25 years ago, even if it was somebody you spent more time with than anybody else during your childhood.

Last but not least, my most recent lost friend who got back in touch by her own admission 18 months after she came across e-mail addresses for some old friends from college.  We were good friends in college, spent a lot of time together.  Not always by choice I guess and I don’t mean to speak for her but I think we “got” each other.  Similar sense of humor and the benefit of no sexual tension – I don’t think either of us were trying to sleep with each other.  Again, can’t speak for her but think I’m real safe here  ;)
It was great to hear from her and who knows if we’ll do more than forward stupid (but often very funny) e-mails now and again.  Only time will tell but if nothing else it was nice to hear from an old friend who seems to be doing well and is pretty happy.  That’s all you can ask for.  Happiness.

So why do we lose touch in the first place?
I think the real reason is that we live boring lives.  What are we going to keep up with…hey I mowed the grass today and you should have seen what the cat threw up yesterday!
It really goes back to who they were in your past and how/why the relationship ended.  For an ex-girlfriend it probably ended bad.  To quote the movie Cocktail “everything ends badly; otherwise it wouldn’t end”.  And if one person thinks it didn’t you can be pretty sure the other person does.  For a childhood friend, people change.  Especially when after their girlfriend breaks up with them a few months later is dating you.  People find themselves and learn a lot about themselves in high school and college and sometimes what they find is that what you want to be or have become may not be the same thing as your buddy from 6th grade.  I suppose we’re always finding ourselves and always changing but in 6th grade it means something different than it does as a senior in high school or freshman in college or as a 30-something guy married with kids.

I think for me, it’s that most people suck so when you find ones that don’t, or at least didn’t you should keep in touch.

Maybe it’s just nice to know that someone remembers you.

June 25, 2008

Ball Girl Makes the Grab!

Filed under: Random Stuff — Scott @

I’m pretty sure this is fake but it’s still entertaining.  Enjoy!

Amazing Ball Girl Video

UPDATE – As I suspected, this is in fact fake. It apparently is a Gatorade marketing ploy.

June 18, 2008

Express Ticket to Hell

A lot of people do a lot of bad things.  And if you believe in Karma maybe it’s OK because what goes around comes around.

Perhaps you believe in hell, perhaps you don’t but I think we’ll all agree, if there is a hell this is a great way to ensure your spot.

Chase turns sour for lemonade stand robber

Police arrest suspect after girl chased him into a nearby home

updated 11:36 a.m. CT, Tues., June. 17, 2008

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Call it a lemonade standoff.

A young girl whose lemonade stand was robbed of $17.50 chased the suspect into a nearby home and called police, who spent nearly an hour trying to coax the man into surrendering.

“The guy came up and was, like, ‘Give me your money,’” said Dominique Morefield, who was running the lemonade stand with a group of friends. “I was shocked. It was just my immediate reaction to chase after him.”

 Read complete story

June 17, 2008

Rainbow Tornado

Filed under: Random Stuff — Scott @

All I can say is WOW!

This was taken in June 2005 in Kansas.

Tornado Rainbow

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress