Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Worst First Date Question

"So, how come you're still single?"

That's it. That is the worst first date question. I have no idea why someone asks this question, especially since the answer is so obvious and already known.

"I just haven't met the right person."

Why is this such a bad question? It breaks the momentum of the date. It shows skepticism. It waves a red flag that you're looking to get very serious, very quickly. It also puts your date on the spot. Mostly, it turns the date into a job interview. Know anyone who likes going on a job interview? Why, then, would you want to turn your date into one?

"Why do you want to leave your current job?" (That's the job interview equivilant question.)

"Because I love it and they overpay me."

If someone asks you this question on a date, kill it.

"I haven't been able to find anyone who could keep up with me in bed."

Deal with that.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Gunman Tries To Leave Video Epitaph - Don’t Let Him

I also posted this here on BNN (Blogger News Network):

http://www.bloggernews.net/16135

It's more in-depth thought from my post last night.

This has been a horrible week, soaked in death and blood and pain that will never go away. It is a week that will never be understood. The media has been relentlessly raising safety concerns since the tragic shooting spree on Virginia Tech’s campus. Yesterday, NBC released a video which Cho Seung-Hui (the gunman) mailed to them between his brutal attacks.

Like many have, and many others will, I watched the video; at least part of it. I’m not really sure why I watched. I know I want to find some small rationale for the deadly rampage, no matter how twisted; but, I know I never will. There can be no rationale, even twisted, for such carnage. So in the end, I guess I was just curious.

As I indicated, I only watched part of the video. A chilling thought occurred to me halfway through the tape and I lost all desire to watch it or even acknowledge its existence. Cho Seung-Hui wanted me to watch that video. He wanted the whole world to watch it. Seung-Hui was not dumb; very mentally disturbed, but not dumb. He got into a very good school. He apparently took a number of creative classes. Seung-Hui didn’t send the video to the school’s president. He didn’t send it to the student body president. He sent it to one of the largest news organizations in the world. He knew everyone would see it. Is that all he wanted? Could that be the explanation for this thoughtless act of violence? Seung-Hui slaughtered a bunch of random people in an effort to go from his self-perceived insignificance (we are only insignificant in our own minds) to notorious infamy? As twisted as it is, it appears as though that may very well be the reason. And NBC played right into his hands by releasing the video.

What alarms me, in regard to the safety issue the media has been questioning all week, is with the release of such a video, what is to stop other such mentally ill, troubled introverts from noticing and beginning to think along similar lines? Nothing. I think all media, no matter how big or small, if they are really concerned for safety, will stop showing this video. They will take it off the Internet. They will release statements saying that if such a video is ever sent to them in the future, no one will ever know. It will go unnoticed, their voice unheard. Again, Seung-Hui sent the video specifically to NBC, making me further ponder his intent. As much I am a fan of the show, I do not want to see an episode of “Law & Order” a month from now, in which a college student shoots a bunch of peers locked in a campus building. I don’t want to see a mini-series or movie of the week about Seung-Hui. Don’t turn him into some twisted version of a martyr for fellow disturbed peers. Instead, show videos of those massacred. Show them in their daily, happy lives, as they were before that day occurred. Give them all the attention. If Seung-Hui thought all the attention would go to those he killed; those he randomly, categorically hated, he may very well not have taken this route to have his name known.

Again, he sent the video to NBC. He sent it to NBC. If you haven’t watched it yet, I implore you not to; trust me, you won’t find any sense in it, because there is none to be found. The only thing I know today that I didn’t know on Monday was the name Cho Seung-Hui. And that’s what he wanted. Well, I for one, will soon forget the name; never the act, but the name. I will not forget those he killed or their families, but already his name is slipping from my mind. He has failed, at least with one person.

Peace.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Video

Should NBC have released the video of the Virginia Tech slayer? Should they have even acknowledged they received such a thing? I know we all want to see it and try to understand, find some reason for this horrific event. Isn't that just what he wanted, though? Isn't the media playing into his hands? In other words, is releasing the video possibly encouraging the next quiet, disturbed individual to possibly follow in his footsteps? He's getting exactly what he wanted and that message is going out to everyone. That seriously concerns me.

Future Looking Bright

Several years ago I worked a job for several months where they apparently invested part of my salary into an IRS. After I left and they took various fees and reductions out of the account, I have been left with 4 cents in the account. I'm very excited about this and four times a year they send me an account summary. Here's the breakdown:

Of the 4 cents:

7% is invested in Stable Value/Money Market
7% is invested in Fixed Income
33% is Balanced
20% is invested in Large Cap Stock
13% is invested in Mid Cap Stock
13% is invested in Small Cap Stock
7 % is invested in Global Stock

As you can see, my future looks bright. It's very important not to invest all your 4 cents in one place. Spread your assets around.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Just A Thought

Anyone else find it ironic that the military is a bunch of people with lots of heart and honor being led by a bunch of decision-makers with none?

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

New Girlfriend?

Here's some ideas on what to do on her birthday in Chicago (easily transferable to other places).

http://gapersblock.com/detour/your_new_girlfriends_birthday_date/

Friday, April 6, 2007

The Truth About Global Warming

My latest column is up here, feel free to check it out, of course (no, don't look at it):

http://www.godisawoman.net/lunchcolumnapr07.pdf

I have realized the real reason behind global warming. There is less and less ice in Canada and Europe. Eventually, there will not be any. In twenty-five years, the U.S.A. will have a good shot of winning International hockey titles, since kids in Canada and Europe will not have ice to play hockey on for more than half the year, as they do now. It's all a scheme by the NHL.