The general decline in standards today

[Zombie_61]

That's what you end up with in a two-party system. Sure, you'll see third-party candidates on the ballot, and one of them might appeal to you, but deep in the back of your head you hear that little voice saying "he's just a spoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiler. Don't throw your vote awayyyyyyyyyyyy!"

I have voted third-party before. Not that it did any good, but I knew that going in. And once again it wasn't for someone I actually believed in, but for the least offensive clown in that particular circus.

So you choose between Comic Sans Bold or Comic Sans Light, and walk away from the polls muttering "yahhh, they're all the same anyway."

That has been the result in my opinion--the same manure in a different bag. And seeing as the Electoral College can negate my vote anyway, I'm giving serious consideration to not even bothering with future elections. I've never really believed a single vote (i.e., my vote) makes a difference anyway, so why waste my time, especially when these elitist fat-cat politicians couldn't care less about what my interests are?

...Perhaps this is a lesson that some men need to be taught: if you like a woman and want to strike up a friendship, start having sex with her, date her, etc. the way to start that relationship is NOT TO scream "smile baby!," "work it baby!," or "you're pretty baby!" from across the street. Cross the street, introduce yourself, etc. Don't yell "compliments" about her body (even her pretty face) in an attempt to make her blush just to look like you own the street in front of your friends.

I can tell you, no woman in her right mind is going to go home with a man who yells at her out on the street...

In this part of California where "walking" for most people is defined as taking the least amount of steps possible between their car and whichever facility happens to be their destination, the trend among these slobs is to honk their car horn as they drive past and maybe follow that up with a whistle or some form of shouted idiotic comment, and I've never understood that mentality. What, do they think these women are going to break into a sprint and try to catch up to them because they (the guys) were so suave and smooth??? :twitch::der:

 

[dh66]

I had a plumber call me "little lady" the other day. I am six inches taller than he is.

Aside from a really corny John Wayne impression, I usually reserve that term of address for the daughters of friends who are under the age of four. I'd say that there's at least one plumber in the state of Maine who needs to learn more than "hot on the left, cold on the right, and s*** flows down."

As a plumber, I certainly know my fair share of fellow tradesmen who are somewhat less than clued in, but I'd have to say overall most I know are fairly egalitarian minded folks.
Male or female, black or white (or brown or whatever), rich or poor, homo or hetero, democrat or republican......as a plumber I've seen the end result of 'em all, and it's all the same. Anyone who thinks theirs is any different or any better than anyone else's is just a deluded fool.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I believe that ego also plays a part in the whole thing because everybody wants to be on what they perceive to be the "winning team," even if that particular team had lost, whether it's the Tweedle-dumb or Tweedle-dumber Party. A mentality that ensures that any third party will never grow and mature into a significant political force.

Very much so -- that's also a big factor in the political-party-as-sports-team thing. You can root for the Red Sox, but you aren't actually one of them, and your participation is at that level of remove from the actual victory if they win. But if you cover your car with stickers advertising your membership in the Rhinoceros Party, you're *one of* the winning team if the Rhinoceri win the election. And that qualifies you to talk trash on those pathetic losers in the Hippopotamus Party.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have voted third-party before. Not that it did any good, but I knew that going in. And once again it wasn't for someone I actually believed in, but for the least offensive clown in that particular circus.

That has been the result in my opinion--the same manure in a different bag. And seeing as the Electoral College can negate my vote anyway, I'm giving serious consideration to not even bothering with future elections. I've never really believed a single vote (i.e., my vote) makes a difference anyway, so why waste my time, especially when these elitist fat-cat politicians couldn't care less about what my interests are?

That's my biggest beef with the Electoral College. That and the fact that I live in a four-vote state, which fairly screams "it doesn't matter if you vote or not."

 

[dh66]

I have voted third-party before. Not that it did any good, but I knew that going in. And once again it wasn't for someone I actually believed in, but for the least offensive clown in that particular circus.

That has been the result in my opinion--the same manure in a different bag. And seeing as the Electoral College can negate my vote anyway, I'm giving serious consideration to not even bothering with future elections. I've never really believed a single vote (i.e., my vote) makes a difference anyway, so why waste my time, especially when these elitist fat-cat politicians couldn't care less about what my interests are?

In this part of California where "walking" for most people is defined as taking the least amount of steps possible between their car and whichever facility happens to be their destination, the trend among these slobs is to honk their car horn as they drive past and maybe follow that up with a whistle or some form of shouted idiotic comment, and I've never understood that mentality. What, do they think these women are going to break into a sprint and try to catch up to them because they (the guys) were so suave and smooth??? :twitch::der:

Third party or not, whether it did any good or not, at least you voted, and THAT gives you the right to complain. There's little worse than listening to someone grumble about politics, be it on a local or federal level, then finding out they didn't even bother to vote. If you've made NO effort to improve a situation, you've really no business bellyaching about it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

As a plumber, I certainly know my fair share of fellow tradesmen who are somewhat less than clued in, but I'd have to say overall most I know are fairly egalitarian minded folks.
Male or female, black or white (or brown or whatever), rich or poor, homo or hetero, democrat or republican......as a plumber I've seen the end result of 'em all, and it's all the same. Anyone who thinks theirs is any different or any better than anyone else's is just a deluded fool.

Normally I get along with blue-collar types far better than I get along with fat cats in the white collars, and have generally found them to be a pretty egalitarian lot. This one guy seemed to suffer more from Napoleon Syndrome than anything else.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

That's my biggest beef with the Electoral College. That and the fact that I live in a four-vote state, which fairly screams "it doesn't matter if you vote or not."

Or if you live in a very large One Party state.

 

[dh66]

This one guy seemed to suffer more from Napoleon Syndrome than anything else.

Bless him......that's a rough one to deal with sometimes.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Normally I get along with blue-collar types far better than I get along with fat cats in the white collars, and have generally found them to be a pretty egalitarian lot.

I've worked construction, and I've worked in large law firms. No question as who I'd rather go out and have lunch with (as a general rule: the book is filled with exceptions), bearing in mind that the most obnoxious thing you can do with me in a restaurant is to stiff the waitress/ waiter on tips. I've yet to dine with a journeyman (or even apprentice) in the trades who is into depriving hard working wait staff of a decent tip, but I've seen lawyers- and judges- pull that shot. A lot of entitlement out there among those born on third base who always seem to be trying to break their arms patting themselves on the back over how well they can hit a triple, if you catch my drift.

I usually will employ any excuse in the book to avoid dining with such an individual a second time. That's the kind of bad conduct that reflects on others you associate with, and I pride myself on not being a cheap S.O.B. when it comes to gratuities.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Third party or not, whether it did any good or not, at least you voted, and THAT gives you the right to complain. There's little worse than listening to someone grumble about politics, be it on a local or federal level, then finding out they didn't even bother to vote. If you've made NO effort to improve a situation, you've really no business bellyaching about it.

That's what keeps me going to the polls, that and the need to vote for state and local offices, which are far more influential in my daily life than national elections anyway. While the party nonsense controls the state races, all local offices are non-partisan, and you can actually get some decent discussion of issues without the usual pander-to-the-base garbage.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've worked construction, and I've worked in large law firms. No question as who I'd rather go out and have lunch with (as a general rule: the book is filled with exceptions), bearing in mind that the most obnoxious thing you can do with me in a restaurant is to stiff the waitress/ waiter on tips. I've yet to dine with a journeyman (or even apprentice) in the trades who is into depriving hard working wait staff of a decent tip, but I've seen lawyers- and judges- pull that shot. A lot of entitlement out there among those born on third base who always seem to be trying to break their arms patting themselves on the back over how well they can hit a triple, if you catch my drift.

I usually will employ any excuse in the book to avoid dining with such an individual a second time. That's the kind of bad conduct that reflects on others you associate with, and I pride myself on not being a cheap S.O.B. when it comes to gratuities.

Indeed. I tip *very* generously, because I've walked in their shoes.

 

[sheeplady]

In this part of California where "walking" for most people is defined as taking the least amount of steps possible between their car and whichever facility happens to be their destination, the trend among these slobs is to honk their car horn as they drive past and maybe follow that up with a whistle or some form of shouted idiotic comment, and I've never understood that mentality. What, do they think these women are going to break into a sprint and try to catch up to them because they (the guys) were so suave and smooth??? :twitch::der:

I think it has to do more with intimidation, power, and prestige more than anything else. These "men" are trying to look all suave in front of their friends, so they act like idiots. I doubt very little of it has to do with picking up women, more with showing who's the guy with all the guts, that they can make a woman squirm, they can verbally dominate her. The honking/screaming happens here too.

"Look at how manly I am, I can honk and scream something vulgar at a bystander on the street."

It can be down right terrifying to have a group of men (be it in a car that drives by or in a group on the street) that cat call you when it is late at night or you're in an unfamiliar place or you're alone (or with a girlfriend or two).

One time I was out for a walk with my daughter in a stroller during the late day (not dark, but getting towards dusk) on one of the side streets in a nearby neighborhood. I had a car pull up beside me, roll down the windows, and the car started to follow me while they told me I was too hot to have a baby, I must be the nanny, etc. (That's edited for this place.) I was absolutely terrified they were going to try and grab me or my daughter. They only sped away when a male runner came up beside us and I shouted him down like I knew him. I was absolutely terrified that if I tried to run, they'd door me effectively because I had the stroller. I was desperately looking for houses where I knew someone would be home and trying to plot the best path to the local store so at least if they did try anything, there was a chance someone would witness it or it would be on camera.

That is what you're thinking about when a "man" starts catcalling you. Not "oh he thinks I'm attractive," but "maybe this is one of those guys that murders women."

 

[Dennis Young]

No, they want a response. If they wanted to be friends with me, date me, sleep with me, etc. they would put a little more effort in than yelling at me in public in front of their friends.

Yeah, that’s not good.

 

[ChiTownScion]

To try to steer this to another area in which standards have declined: presumed familiarity.

Borrowing from Lizzie a bit and focusing on those Boys From Marketing: where does this "all your favorite ________" and "your friends at ________" bilge come from? These advertisers don't even know my name, let alone what my (I'm not talking demographics, but my personal) preferences as to anything. I resent the presumption of familiarity from total strangers.

Could be why I'd never do well in a small town in the South or elsewhere were a total stranger ask me where I attend church: I don't enjoy telling someone whom I've never met to bugger off, but that sort of conduct really leaves few options.

 

[ChiTownScion]

Bringing Up Father // Maggie and Jiggs took on a life of its own with my grandparents and their siblings. Upwardly mobile Lace Curtain Irish putting on airs were all around them......... not that they'd ever do that sort of thing, of course....

 

[LizzieMaine]

To try to steer this to another area in which standards have declined: presumed familiarity.

Borrowing from Lizzie a bit and focusing on those Boys From Marketing: where does this "all your favorite ________" and "your friends at ________" bilge come from? These advertisers don't even know my name, let alone what my (I'm not talking demographics, but my personal) preferences as to anything. I resent the presumption of familiarity from total strangers.

Could be why I'd never do well in a small town in the South or elsewhere were a total stranger ask me where I attend church: I don't enjoy telling someone whom I've never met to bugger off, but that sort of conduct really leaves few options.

There was some of that in the Era, especially in radio. If you listen to a lot of prewar soap operas, as I have, you'll develop an abiding dislike for certain announcers, who deliver their commercials with an oily insincere chumminess that makes you want to shove the mike down their gullets. James Fleming and Ralph Edwards, who pushed Proctor and Gamble products on many different soaps during the late thirties, are the towering offenders, and the agency drones who wrote their copy were pitching it straight to their delivery style. The resulting "hey ladies" drivel alienated a great many women during the Era -- whenever a radio magazine or a research organization analyzed womens' attitudes about broadcasting they came back with a finding that the commercials in daytime radio were pretty much universally loathed.

Some advertisers and announcers got the message, but as long as the majority of agency copywriters were men, the problem of driveling ad copy directed at women remained an issue. It's yet another example of men assuming they understand what women want to hear without actually deigning to pay attention to women are actually telling them.

No one in the North will ever, ever ask you where or if you go to church unless you're already discussing the topic of religion, and then only if the question becomes relevant to the conversation. It's one of the biggest cultural differences between the North and the South, and it doesn't necessarily mean Northerners are irreligious. It just means we don't think it's any of our business where or how somebody else chooses to express their faith.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Could be why I'd never do well in a small town in the South or elsewhere were a total stranger ask me where I attend church: I don't enjoy telling someone whom I've never met to bugger off, but that sort of conduct really leaves few options.

Hmmm...I never thought of telling someone "Bugger off, you're too friendly" as raising the standards of behavior, but everyone's mileage varies.

 

[Dennis Young]

I think it has to do more with intimidation, power, and prestige more than anything else. These "men" are trying to look all suave in front of their friends, so they act like idiots. I doubt very little of it has to do with picking up women, more with showing who's the guy with all the guts, that they can make a woman squirm, they can verbally dominate her. The honking/screaming happens here too.

"Look at how manly I am, I can honk and scream something vulgar at a bystander on the street."

Something that happened to me when I was younger.

A buddy and I pull up to a stop on a four lane. We pulled up to a car with a couple of women (girls really) in it. We’re sitting there, sitting there, sitting there, then my buddy honks the horn really loud. Of course they looked over and I’m the first person they see. I felt like hiding under the floorboards lol.
But people should understand that’s not what I was talking about in my earlier post about ‘being a man’. That’s…not being a man. That is being immature. J

 

[LizzieMaine]

Hmmm...I never thought of telling someone "Bugger off, you're too friendly" as raising the standards of behavior, but everyone's mileage varies.

I don't think I'd say "bugger off" in such a situation. But I'd have to bite my tongue really hard to avoid looking the inquisitor dead in the eye and saying "I was born a snake handler and I'll die a snake handler. Are you saved? I've got one right here in my bag..."

 

[jamespowers]

Or if you live in a very large One Party state.

Agreed. :doh: