Redneck Rubberneckers

What is it that turns people into onlookers, bystanders, gawkers, rubberneckers? Amanda and I were outside tonight when we heard fire engines scream by one street over. The passing sirens proved too tempting so we hopped in the car and followed the billowing smoke plume that we spotted as soon as we turned the corner.

Was it simply curiosity or was it nosiness that pulled us into action? I certainly don't delight in someone else's misery(it was a business, by the way, and it sustained a bit of damage), yet without someone's misfortune there would have been no fire to excitedly chase. I'd love to think it's the journalistic instincts in me, but more likely it's just the fact that I wouldn't want "to miss out" or "not know what's going on". Of course, we were hardly alone in our pursuit. There were people flocking from everywhere. People taking pictures, mothers showing their children, and that one guy with the giant antenna on his truck who was probably sitting by his police scanner when he heard the call come over.

I do find it fascinating to watch the firemen do their job. I also always make it a point to drive or park away from the action to eliminate any possibilty of being in the way of any other arriving equipment. Some of my fellow gawkers are not so kind. I would hate to make a situation worse just because I had "to see what's going on".

We hardly ever do it, but when we do chase a fire engine, I always feel a little hinky about watching someone else's property burn.

Watch Out for Flying Pigs

He's not the first to make this suggestion, but Washington Post columnist Dan Froomkin has an interesting proposition for President Bush: Invite your critics, politicians or regular Joes, to debate you on the same stage. Break from the tired, scripted, made-for-tv debates and town hall meetings. I think it would be fantastic to see any politician, not just Bush, throw away the talking points and actually say something real, actually answer a question. Of course, I've seen enough real politics and watched enough West Wing to know this would never happen. Most debates and press conferences are as unscripted as WWF wrestling matches. In our sound-bite society politicians are afraid to say anything off the cuff that hasn't been scripted and examined carefully. I'm tired of politicians hand picking their softball questions. Let's see some real debate.

Where Have I Been?

So, I haven't posted in awhile. I thought about explaining that my job is a soul-sucking vampire that saps all my energy and creativity by the time I get home. I, however, have decided to tell what I've really been up to: I've been building an ark and filling it two by two with all the world's animals. Why? Because HURRICANE SEASON STARTS NEXT WEEK! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! After all, according to many headlines and newscast teases, now is the time to get ready. Don't be unprepared when disaster strikes! I have a feeling the hype-mongering talking heads in tv news will produce more wind and hot air than all of this season's hurricanes combined.

The hype machine is in full effect despite the fact that the "experts" are predicting this season to be milder than last.
Just a sampling of what I've seen:
A bad sign for the 2006 hurricane season: LA NINA IS BACK!

Expert has 'bad news', '06 could repeat '05.

My favorite: How would Palm Beach County cope if both a pandemic and hurricane hit?

Look, I know being prepared is good. I know much of Katrina's disaster was related to people being unprepared and general hurricane apathy. But this is simply one more way the tv news can drive up viewer anxiety. It boils down to this when preparing for a hurricane-Use common sense. Watch the weatherman, keep some batteries and supplies and be ready to evacuate if it heads your way. Of course, I won't have to worry about evacuating. We'll just batten down the hatches and hang out with the animals until it all blows over.

Life's Simple Pleasures, #42

Hearing the melodious notes of the ice cream man's musical truck at the exact moment you are thinking 'I could really go for some ice cream'.

This Week's Reason To Weep For America

Apparently, asking O.J. Simpson to fade quietly from the national conciousness is asking too much. Orenthal has produced a "Candid Camera"-like prank show dvd called "Juiced". Apparently, he punks people Ashton Kutcher-style including, in one sketch, posing as a car salesman selling a white Bronco by promoting its "escapability". Hilarious, no? This guy is unbelievable. What's sadder, however, is that I'm sure this steaming pile of dung will actually sell some copies. Oh, wait. Maybe I'm being too quick to judge; he's probably just going undercover in search of the real killers. Sorry, Juice. Carry on. Click here to read about it and watch a brief clip.

Life's Little Pleasures, #21

Hopping over the boards and hearing the ice crunch under your blades as you dig in and push off, scrambling to join the play.



Is it October yet?

Not-So-Tasty-Cakes

Okay, back to frivolous and ridiculous topics for posts. This post is based on an actual conversation my friends and I had some time ago. It was late, after a hockey game, there was probably beer involved.....

We somehow landed on the topic of urinal cakes. That's right, the pink, deodarizing, cylindrical thingies placed in men's room urinals to make them smell better and provide a target. Someone mentioned that such a product should not be labeled a cake because cakes are edible and delicious. (I submit that a urinal cake is neither.) Cupcake? Fine. Crab cake? Yummy. Birthday cake? Awesome. Urinal cake? Disgusting.

After much discussion (seriously) the only other inedible cake we could come up with was the soapcake and then we decided the urinal cake should be known as a urinal puck. So, I need some info: What else are urinal cakes called? What would be a better name? And for the sake of trivial discussion, are we missing any inedible cakes?

P.S. If the brain power of this group of friends could be harnessed for good instead of silliness we could change the world.

Darfur

Every once in a while a serious issue that bears talking about crosses my radar. Amanda hipped me to some of the websites regarding the atrocities occurring in Darfur. I have little tolerance for most celebrity causes, but I guess I'll give Oprah and George Clooney a little credit for trying to bring attention to what's going on over there. Government associated militias have basically declared war on the citizens leaving thousands dead or homeless. Murder, rape and kidnapping have become the norm. One story told of how the children walk from village to village at night because if they stay in their own village they'll be kidnapped and pressed into fighting. Another recounted how women will leave the village to do chores because they decide that getting raped is the better alternative to their husbands being murdered. Nice trade, huh?

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/ and http://www.savedarfur.com are two sites that give further background and show what some people are trying to do about the problem. Unfortunately, the only real solutions put forth (besides trying to raise "awareness") have been to send postcards to the President and Congress. Sounds like a drop in the bucket, yet I don't know what else we as individuals could do.