...It's An Adventure

AITOOW is a little sick of cooks, mechanics, pencil pushers and all those soldiers on their first tour of duty getting praise for their commitment in Iraq? Most of you were there just because you couldn't go any further academically or couldn't get hired elsewhere. Let's save our praise for "real" soldiers - combat soldiers (they really should have special uniforms).And those who actually saw some. Not that they expect it because they know what they did is what they are expected to do.

Don't Shoot The Messenger

AITOOW thinks that people who sanctimoniously tell you "There But For The Grace Of God Go I" are all but incriminating themselves? What is their shame? And once again how does this sentiment jibe with free will? If God intercedes, there can't be absolute free will. And this statement (the but for part) seems to posit that only the grace of God can keep bad things from happening to you. Your actions are superfluous. Such as not calling out a loser/sinner. So you have no control over your exhortations any way and others shouldn't reprimand you for them. But, they can't help doing so for the same reasons (maybe God wants you to know their shame and that's why he makes them say it), so the fault for teasing people that God disadvantaged lies with God. He must want you to tease them and the people who use the phrase. Now I get it.

The First Fifth

AITOOW wonders what was the first secret secretive people had to keep?

Mary Mar(r)y Quite Contrary

AITOOW wonders how many family fortunes were made by gay guys or girls marrying the rich guy or girl their parents wanted them to because they really didn't give a shit (because they weren't into any of the opposite sex anyway)?

Metric For Sale

AITOOW wonders why an increase in gross retail sales figures is such an important metric to people? It doesn't really tell you what individuals are doing with their money. It is just a measure of prices times people. It should be growing. Population is growing. As such it is an easy hurdle to master. It's worthless to all but the most shameless grand standers for economic health. It can only go down if prices drop disproportionately or people stop spending as much per capita. Right now that figure doesn't tell us which it is. If sales are down because of a price drop then we can see the retailers themselves may have miscalculated/panicked and are to blame for the decline. This is not a cause for concern. If it isn't price depreciation then (when we deduct the increase in sales due to population increases) it is frugality/the economy and we might be concerned. They need to compare year over year prices as well. Gross sales is a stupid/lazy metric. It can be skewed to the upside by population growth given a false impression of economic growth and it can be skewed to the downside by price deflation.

Unintended Consequences

AITOOW thinks it is ironic that bringing home the troops to pander to Democratic voters (and ensure they vote in November) will result in more votes for the Republicans? Most soldiers vote Republican. There has always been trouble making sure their votes were included. Now they are back in the country and can go to the polls.

Do You Fear Me Now?

AITOOW wonders if cellular phones decrease the severity of car crashes? Everyone seems to feel they have the capacity to distract drivers. Which means more accidents, I'll stipulate. But, are those accidents less injurious than the accidents some of these people would cause if not "distracted" and driving like their usual selves (maniacally)? Every idiot I see on the phone seems to be doing 30 MPH. They probably will cause an accident at some point because of that phone. But, is it more often than not a fender bender? It's like the driving drunk versus stoned argument. I'm not against a ban. But, it is not because of the accidents. I hate the idiots going only 30 MPH and want them to die in a firey accident and that can't happen if they are distracted.