Jeff's Stuff

Well folks, as the title suggests, today I have some random silliness.

The Church Van
The other day, I was out with the family, when we came upon the van pictured below. Now, I have always suspected that religion was a dangerous thing. Still, I never thought that they would actually admit it. I certainly didn't think they would include a warning sign like this one.

I always suspected that religion was a dangerous thing. Now I guess I have proof.

Now, I realize that the warning was not meant as a caution against religion. Still, I fail to see what the warning is for. I mean, are church bus drivers as a group, more reckless than other drivers? Are church bus riders more likely to throw projectiles at the other cars? Are church vans somehow likely to spontaneously explode?

The answer to this is obviously "no", "no" and "I hope not". Still, I wonder about such things. Why the warning? Do the owners/occupants of the van feel that because they are in a church vehicle that they are somehow entitled to more consideration on the road? Do they feel that I should be a more careful driver because of who they are?

Well that seems just as silly as the first three ideas. It reminds me a lot of the obnoxious "baby on board" signs that used to grace every SUV and minivan on the road. It seems to me that, since the van is occupied by "believers", they should need less protection from me since they are clearly obtaining it through divine intervention. If God is looking out for them, I can spend more time looking out for the other cars. Now, if the car said something like, "Atheist on Board" I might cut the guy a little more slack. After all, nobody is looking out for him.

The 101.89% Solution

My son and I went into the woods the other day for a short hike. I strongly recommend this to other parents as it is much healthier than sitting around eating chips and playing video games (like way too many children today do). Anyway, after about 10 minutes, I realized that some insect repellent would've been a really good idea. Unfortunately, it was a really good idea that I didn't have until 10 minutes into the trip.

Continued...

I was recently walking through a Bloomingdale's store when I saw an interesting sign posted near the entrance. It read:

Bloomingdale's
is changing our store hours
to better serve you.

We may be opening later
or closing earlier.

Please see a sales associate
for details.

Just the other day I was thinking, "this store is open way too late. I really wish it closed earlier". Now, is it just me or is there no possible way that this "serves me better"? Serving me better would be being open earlier or staying open later. To me, it seems like they're doing me a disservice by cutting their hours.

I realize that retailers are hurting because of the poor economy. Still, is it necessary to tell people they're doing them a favor by decreasing their store hours? Does anybody feel all warm and fuzzy, because they're going that extra mile for the customer?

I know it has been a long time since I've posted here. I'll try to update this more frequently going forward. In the mean time, keep warm.

I saw this and my jaw dropped! A couple in Richland County, South Carolina were expelled from school for "sexual misconduct". The reason for this YEAR LONG EXPULSION from school... They were kissing on the school bus.

Someone save us all from this egregious display! How can we have our kids doing something as vulgar as kissing on a school bus! This must be stopped at once. They clearly should be drawn and quartered. While we are at it, we might consider boiling them in oil and then maybe putting them each in prison for 20 or 30 years just for good measure.

What is the school district thinking? Oh, wait... I know. THEY AREN'T THINKING. Of course, when asked for comments from the media, they do what schools always do when they are pressed to rationalize their blunders... They cite privacy laws and say that they cannot comment. Clearly the students are talking, so the schools should be free to explain their actions. I'm sure that would be very amusing indeed.

What's next? Suspension for holding hands? Perhaps a detention for steeling a glance. Passing love notes? Hmmm that probably warrants the death penalty in Richland County. What a progressive place South Carolina must be!

In another example of how government likes to waste time and money, New Jersey is in the process of passing a resolution to officially apologize for its role in slavery.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a racist. I do not believe that any person is better than any other person by virtue of their race. I do not think slavery should be accepted or condoned by any person or government. I think it is important to study this period of our history so that practices of this nature are not allowed to happen again.

But would somebody please tell me why I should apologize for something I had nothing to do with? Why should my state apologize? I've never owned a slave? I've never benefited from slave labor. I've never been a slave. So why should an apology be made?

The thing that angers me about this is the fact that our government is wasting its time and resources in discussing it. Why is it an issue? No former slaves are still alive. No children of former slaves are still alive. Likewise, no slave owners are still alive and neither are their children. So who is apologizing? To whom?

Continued...

How does this sound to you? I'll buy something that I can afford to pay for. When I can't make the payments... I'll get you to pay for it. Doesn't that sound like an excellent idea? Well, some people in government think so. Also, many Americans think so too.

We've all heard about the "credit crisis" and "sub prime mortgages". Well, lenders and the government want to ease the burden on people trapped in adjustable-rate mortgages. Confused? Let me explain.

You see, when real estate was booming, everyone wanted to buy a new home. The trouble is, many of them couldn't afford to. Many of them had poor credit. These people were forced to purchase "sub prime mortgages". To make the payments more affordable (a lower monthly payment) they were offered adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs).

Continued...