Mike's Random Thoughts of the Day.

[Special Ringpop]

Okay, I've decided to start a new thread. Hopefully it'll catch on.

I'm a very introspective person if you don't know me. I'm not saying I judge people before getting to know them, but for someone who is planning on ultimately going into law, and majoring in Psychology and Sociology, there isn't a day that goes by for me where I don't have some kind of opinion or thought on something (usually) random that happened to me over the course of said day.

With that said, I'm going to try to post some of my thoughts I think of every day, or just vent about something that happened to me or something in the media I have an opinion on.

Feel free to chime in your opinions and let me know what you think. I like getting feedback and discussing things with people (even if you don't agree with me).

[bossman]

OK,I'll be the first test subject.....how are you doing?

[RaskyR1]

So what's todays thought?

[lostdaytomorrow]

This is like starting a thread about some new BL18's and not posting pics... Just not the right thing to do.

[Special Ringpop]

Wednesday, January 31st, 2007:

Cell Phones and Etiquette:

Cell phones are a part of daily life. You can't walk anywhere in public without seeing at least one person on their cell phone. But when do you draw the line between an appropriate and inappropriate time to have a phone call?

Today, my beef with cell phones came with timing. I was going to one of my classes on campus today, and the class that has the room before my class wasn't out, so kids were sitting in the very quiet hallway area. There was a girl sitting against the wall having a very loud, very unnecessary conversation, making sure everyone could hear it. I was okay with it for awhile, but eventually she started telling the story of her life to this person, and I became a little irritated. I don't know you and I don't want to hear your life story before I know your name. It's one thing when the locale is busy and noisy, but when its completely quiet, do you have no shame?

The second is considerably worse. Now I admit I'm not fond of public transportation. I'm a germophobe, OCD, and sheltered to boot. I don't do well sitting next to a homeless person who rides the bus all day asking people for money, nor do I do well sitting shoulder to shoulder with people hacking and wheezing, but even though the bus drivers ask you not to do it, a guy decided to have a loud conversation with his frat brother on the phone the entire 20 minutes I was on the bus.

This leads me to my final point regarding this: In Japan, you are not allowed to use a cell phone or a pager on a bus or the shinkansen, according to my Japanese teachers. These manners from East-Asian countries like Japan really make me wonder when in time this "free-for all, do what we want" American mentality came from. Maybe I'll move to Japan, at least then I'll know that I can ride the bus without hearing how much poon this frat boy got.

[firmhonda]

This goes back to something that I've been talking about for a while myself, American's just plain out have too much freedom and exploit that every single chance that we get. Think before freedom of speech was an issue, or paddling a 9 year old that says "**** you" to his teacher.. Times seemed to be quite a bit better. But now everyone screams about how their rights are being violated and it's a free country.
"It's a free country," it's like the biggest marketing campaign in history. The fact that people have bought in to this has completely taken every ounce of respect out of peoples lives. They don't care to show respect to anyone that they don't know, why should they? They have freedom of speech on their side.

To be completely honest I'm pretty scatter-brained right now, so I didn't really put much thought into this post.. I'll do that later - it's a free country right?

[xmx250]

I hate and i mean hate when people are riding with me and are having cell phone conversations. Its one thing to answer the phone and get to the point and say i'll call you back. But if your in my car and talkin up a storm i will drop your ass off. Also i hate when people are text messaging away next to me (equavilant to talking) its like their hiding something from me and would rather not be around me? If you dont want me to hear or know about something private just wait until your not with me................

When i get a call and i'm with someone, anywhere, i tell the person whatsup and if the issue is not immediatly important i tell them i'll call them back. I also only have phone conversations when i'm alone. Its not cause i'm hiding anything i think its just etiquette. I'm not gonna yap away in front of people like the dirtbag girl in Ringpops story.

[Special Ringpop]

That's exactly how I feel. I usually even turn my ringer off when I get on the bus. I'll put it on vibrate to make sure I check when I get off. If its an emergency, I'll answer and tell the person I'll call them back.

I just think it is ridiculously rude that people think it's not bothering others. And granted, it doesn't "hurt me" per se, but it is rude.

I am all about equal rights for everybody. Truly, I am. But when a teacher gets in trouble for scolding a child who tells him or her to "Go **** themselves" (in elementary school, mind you), we have to ask ourselves where our country is headed with an attitude like that. This whole, "I'll do what I want unless it blatantly hurts others" mentality has got to stop.

[Si_Chick]

This is an interesting topic. I definitely agree that having a conversation about your previous night of debauchery while everyone can hear is just totally wrong. I have to admit I am guilty of taking a call when with someone else, such as a friend, usually if I've been playing phone tag with the person on the phone.
Text messaging is also the most annoying thing ever... kids are constantly doing it in class, and I hate short forms that people use to squeeze more words in, they are truly killing the English language!
I actually had a professor send out an e-mail the other day about the e-mails he was receiving from students; essentially he said "in the age of text messaging..." and something to the effect that pleasantries such as "good morning professor" etc are still welcome and expected. I laughed... I can just picture him getting 100 e-mails that are one line long with a question about this week's assignment. Honestly, I see a real big difference in the attitudes of students only a few years younger than me, and I wonder how it all went wrong so quickly. Obviously no one is perfect, but I agree for sure, the attitude of some people today is just horrible.

One thing this made me think of too, is the only other worse thing than listening to some hoe talk about her night, is walking out of a lecture hall into a crowded hallway (two rooms next to each other let out at the same time, so about 200 people) to see some guy literally sucking his girlfriend's face off! Seriously, I think your next thought should be about PDA...
(and best of luck with law school Mike, I am awaiting my acceptance... uh more like rejection)

[Kakashi]

I heart toast.

[xmx250]

I kinda dont like seeing people show strong afffection in public. Basically a tongue kiss is to much in public. I can understand if your in a hidden area and someone will only see you by chance but not in a crowded movie theater/hallway/restaurant.

[reelbigfish241]

I agree about the text messaging in class. I hate it when kids do that, especially when they think they're actually getting away with it...

About the changing language... I text message quite a bit (outside of class of course) but I think I'm the only person who actually uses correct english in their texts.

I also still use correct english in all my e-mails and posts. I really hate the people that use shorthand all the time.

Another think I hate about cell phones are the cyborgs. These are the people that keep their bluetooth headsets in their ear AT ALL TIMES. I think they may think that if they have these headsets in it's ok to be talking on their phone on the bus or train.

[20strong]

Agreed, I can not stand the no hands talkers and they built word reconition into cell phones so that you can type whole sentances.

I have a topic for tomarrow, Global warming and its relation to human kind as a whole.

[reelbigfish241]

Originally Posted by 20strong

Agreed, I can not stand the no hands talkers and they built word reconition into cell phones so that you can type whole sentances.

I have a topic for tomarrow, Global warming and its relation to human kind as a whole.

no topic-jacking!! this is Mike's thread.



just kidding... that is quite the interesting topic

[sbigshot]

Originally Posted by reelbigfish241

I text message quite a bit.

I have never understood what message could be so important that someone would take the time to type it out on a tiny cell phone keypad. Why not just wait until it is convenient to call the person or e-mail them from a computer??

[Special Ringpop]

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

Hello. Goodbye.

It's cold outside. Really freaking cold. I live in an off-campus apartment about 6 blocks from the edge of campus, and, as parking is ridiculously expensive and few on the University of Minnesota campus, I typically take the bus to and from and around campus.

Let's face it. Being a bus driver, aside from sitting in a Recaro seat for 12 hours, probably freaking sucks. You deal with rude people, people who don't bath, people who talk to themselves, and more likely than not, criminals, on a typical shift basis. Because no one likes to sit out in the cold.

Now, before I get too off topic, I am not a morning person. I've been getting into a better pattern of getting up at six every morning. But no matter how crabby I feel, or how much I don't want to get going out in subzero weather at seven in the morning, even if the bus is late. I always say hello to the bus driver, and thank them when I get off. Yes, I'm paying to use the bus, but they're also getting me to my destination.

It absolutely astounds me how very few people say "hello" to each other anymore. Is it so hard to say "hello" or "good morning" to someone? Sure, you don't go about telling strangers "hello", but anyone that you interact with you typically greet somehow. Why should it be any different? I'd say probably six out of ten times, the bus driver doesn't even say hello back to me, or even acknowledge that I said something to them. When I say "thank you" as I exit the bus, I don't often get a response, either. I do occasionally get the bus driver who says "good morning" and "you're welcome" to me, but it's few and far between. It really gets me in a slightly upset mood, and I carry that with me until I put it behind me.

This applies not only to buses, but to life in general. I have found that Americans are some of the most unfriendly people in the world. The French were more polite! Even drive through food places often say "May (Can) I help you?" rather than "Hello, welcome to <insert name>, how may I help you."

So this is just a thought, but say "hello" and "thank you" to someone tomorrow. It may seem insignificant to you, but it may make their day better than it was before. It almost always makes me feel good when someone tells me it.

[reelbigfish241]

I hate when I have to serve rude people. That's the worst.

Maybe the bus driver doesn't say it back because he's so used to no one saying he doesn't even listen anymore. Or is just too shocked that someone actually says those things anymore...


and hellogoodbye is a great band by the way... :)

[sbigshot]

Good Morning!




Beatles Ripoff...

Originally Posted by reelbigfish241

and hellogoodbye is a great band by the way... :)

[CameronJr9]

Morning! And yes, The Beatles influenced more bands than most people realize.

[reelbigfish241]

Originally Posted by CameronJr9

Morning! And yes, The Beatles influenced more bands than most people realize.

very true


but if you listen to them they really don't have any Beatles influence