The Topic Of The Week 
The Week Of:
14 December, 1998
"When is the latest you have ever finished your Christmas shopping?"
Submitted by: Shawn
...or
anything else you'd like to talk about
A few years ago I finished my shopping on Christmas Eve - 5 pm - Sun Valley Mall.
--Shawn
Uncle bahb,
Latest Christmas shopping? Is there such a thing? I'm still trying to finish up 1992...
--A
December 24th (I'll probably do the same this year).
--Rahb
that's easy, it is the day AFTER Christmas......that's when all the sales really happen, and if you're not doing a gift exchange until actually after the blessed day, why not save some bucks!
late,
--the white guy
Shame on me: the latest has been about a week after Christmas.
--CZ
same time i do my christmas shopping every year...christmas day.
--Anthony
Actually I'd like to address another topic about Christmas shopping that everyone should hear about, if they feel like listening.
The one christmas present that should never be given, the anti-Christ of presents, so to speak, is something of christmas decor...
Why in the HELL would you buy somebody something they can't use for another year, and will be dated by then anyway? Please don't waste your money on Christmas-laden gifts this year..find that special gift that says,"I put a little effort into this...", and have a special holiday season with those you love. peace and tao
--Badmonkey
Previous Topics
7 December
Submitted by: Shawn
"What would you like to see on the net?"
Male lactation featuring Anthony Marchesi.
--Rahb
Pornography, advertising, and Microsoft, not necessarily in that
order...Oh, wait. Never mind.
--Andy
Liz Hurley Naked
--Pipe
Anthony lactating on a nude Liz while working on MS Office creating a spam.
--Rox
30 November
Submitted by: Shawn
"Do professional atheletes make too much money?"
Yes, yes, YES...
They make WAY too much money and I have given up being
a fan of most pro sports because of the obvious greed and infantile keeping up with the Jones'. I can still enjoy college sports, but hate the taint that spreads from the pros when kids who have not finished school are tempted, with thoughts of the vast amounts of money involved in pro sports, to quit school early.
But hey, maybe I'm just jealous?
--Waive
Dear uncle bahb,
It's sad but I have to agree that salaries in professional sports are really getting out of hand. I understand that for most athletes, their professional life expectancy can run as little as 7 years and you need to make the most out of it, but come-on! Some of the numbers you hear are absof*ckinglutely mindboggling. Who pays for this??? Yes, that's right (I'm sorry tiny tim, but we can't afford to take you to see your favorite football team before you die of Ebola, because we've already got a third on the house...). I used to go to a lot more games when I didn't have to fork over a Bill every time, between tickets, parking, food and God-forbid a souvenir. I remember (a while ago..) paying $7 for bleacher seats at Dodger Stadium, little more than double the price of a movie ticket...what happened???
--A
It depends on if "the Lord is with them" or not.
--Rahb
You better believe they do.
I am the biggest of sports fans, but after all these guys are playing a kid's game. They are incredibly talented, but $91 million dollars for 7 years for Piazza. Give me a break.
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever (hard for me to say because I'm a die-hard Bird fan) but he made $35 million last season alone from the Bulls. $35 million to play basketball! Just think how much money he must generate for the Bulls franchise for them to be able to pay him that much plus 11 other players and still be making money. Bring back the '80s.
--Saul
Absolutely yes!!!
It's a real shame our country has starving and homeless
people our there and these people are giving all this money and hell, when the mood strikes, they strike because they want more. Quit begging me for my money and hit these assholes up for some cash--they have plenty of it!!!
--CZ
Yes,
fuck 'em!!!!
--Thunder
I say yes. No one is worth what these guys are being paid.
--Shawn
Are they over-paid?
No.
They are being paid exactly what the market will bear.
If they were being over-paid then the owners either would not continue to pay at that level and thrive, or they would pay with the knowledge that revenues would not match costs, and the owners themselves would soon go out of business.
(For all of you non-corporate whore types who have never heard the phrase "Labor Productivity")
Wages fundamentally are relative to utility. If we do not receive adequate utility from the salaries, then we would not pay them, and they would all fall. Duh.
We also act like the owner's are paying these salaries out of their own pockets. Duh.
We are all paying these salaries. If we feel that they are too high, then why are we continuing to pay them?
You are paying for it in increased consumer costs (higher advetising costs), and more frequent television time outs during game broadcasts (reducing the pace and flow of a game, thus the quality of the product that you have purchased). You also pay for it by having Championship Games scheduled by the networks.
Solution: Don't buy the products, and don't watch the games. If you do, DON'T BITCH!
You also pay for it, as Amado has said, at The Yard. The only way players salaries will decrease is if the market audience refuses to pay them.
Solution: Don't go to the games. If you do, then SHUT UP!
Also, everyone likes to make the comparison between an athlete and a school teacher (this is not a slam on the teachers out there). "Oh, the great wage disparity..." "It's just not fair..." Wake up! If YOU really valued the work of a teacher as much as you value an athlete, then you would be willing to pay the teacher a salary conmensurate with that of the athlete. So what value do YOU place on the future of YOUR children?
Adam Smith is laughing at us all.
--Rox
Darn right they make to much money, especially compared to somebody like me and the rest of us "normal people" bustin' our butts to make a living and all the other "fans" who are supporting them by attending games. I guess in a macro-economic kind of way, they are simply getting what the market will bear, but pleeeeeease, 13 mill a year for Randy Johnson, a pitcher? (sup, what's up with that!) Even in a 120 games or so a season, he only works once or twice a week!
Unfortunately we're the ones who will suffer by having to pay more for this entertainment. As much as I miss it, I'd give a high five to the nba owners for holding onto their guts and not caving to those money-grubbin' Pre-madonnas......Late,
--the white guy
23 November
Submitted by: The Bald Guy
"What are YOU thankful for?"
I guess I am thankful for a few things...
I am thankful that this thanksgiving, someone will be cooking for ME for a change.
I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and beer in the fridge.
I am thankful that I am not so ignorant that I can see things for what they are and react to these accordingly.
I am thankful that no matter how long my friends have known me, they still ask if I'm upset about something (even though they already know).
I am thankful that six days out of every week somebody cares enough to send me an E-mail to make my day just a little bit better, as well as remind me that I'm alive (Thanx Bahb).
--badmonkey
It's so easy to bitch, I dont have a full-time job, a girlfriend (which can be a full-time job), or alot of money. A catch 22, no doubt. But it's also easy to say I got my health, means of transportation and a myriad of friends, whatever the hell any of that means. Life is a bitch, and i suppose that, in and of itself, is what I am most thankful for.
--jdK
I am thankful to still be alive; healthy and that I have friends and family that I am close to and can share my life with.
--Shawn
It always easy to complain about the bad things in your life without looking at the good. I know MANY people who have this attitude. I'm thankful for my life, health, the roof over my head, food in my belly, my job, my family, friends, my two beautiful healthy children, the clothes in my closet, shoes on my feet, all of the things I am able to own (the computer I sit at, etc.) and all of the people I love in my life. Many people have none of these things including basics like food, shelter or clothing or people who care for them. I am thankful to live in this world (as screwed up as it can be) and all of the beautiful things I see every day. I am even thankful for that bald bastard Bahb for keeping me on his mailing list and making me laugh, chuckle, sigh at the bad jokes and think every week with the latest topic. (Even if I
don't always respond) I hope everyone can look at the good in their lives and be as thankful and appreciative as I am every day. Happy
Thanksgiving!
--Kel
Meat.
--Rahb
to be thankful...
A lot of ugly shit has happened to my family and myself these past couple of years. But I'd also have to say that it's all been balanced out by a lot of cool shit that I never expected would happen. I guess life really is like a box of chocolates (yeah I know, so what!) and the only thing you can really be thankful for is that your consciousness still calls this planet home. Hey, I have a job, a beautiful wife, a roof over my head and everyone that loves me is still alive. What the hell more do I need?
--A
For each sunrise. For the stillness in the forest after a rainstorm. For the peace of walking along a beach at dawn. For the sound of children laughing. For my family and friends who give shape and sound to the beauty of this world, and who have always brought out the best in me. Most of all for the Big Guy, who saw fit to send so many wonderful people into my life.
--Rox
I'm thankful for all the fucking idiots that make my work life a living hell. God bless them all(with VD).
--CZ
i'm thankful for a wife that truly loves and supports me, the two best kids in the world who still believe their dad can do it all, good health, and great friends, and a positive outlook on life that hasn't been destroyed to date.....happy t-day, late,
--The White Guy
16 November
Submitted by: Waive
"What Is Your Favorite Relaxation Technique?"
duh.
--Andy
Oral sex.
--Rahb
A little afternoon sun...a little Mozart...a little Steinbeck...a cup of coffee (iced or hot--matters), and all is well.
Then again, the world always looks a lot better with a full bottle of lotion and Anthony's Lisa Boyle collection.
--Rox
Try this... it seems to work.
-do this on a Saturday, and make sure you have no appointments Sunday.
-take three tabs of X, wash them down with a Cosmopolitain (K1, cointreau, fresh lime)
-go to the woods. Once there, ingest ONE magic mushroom cap, wash it down with Captain Morgan.
-make sure you have at least two packs of smokes and about an eighth of buds.
-find a nice tree and meditate on "loving yourself"
-at the end of the day, you will feel like crap. BUT, you can relax all Sunday while you watch Denver rheem the Raiders.
--Eazy E
(Okay all of you Slugs out there, does this guy sound like transfer material or WHAT!!! Fiat Slug--Rox)
Amado's money-back-guarantee relaxation technique (to be performed after mignight - very important!)
1) Consume (2) Bombay on rocks (or substitute other favorite) to be used as spiritual enhancer.
2) Find an outside swimming pool (preferably your own) with a
temperature between 75 to 80 degrees.
3) Turn off all the lights.
4) Take off all your clothes.
5) Submerge the body and manuever to the deep end of the pool.
6) float on your back (If you can't do this you're screwed) so that your ears are just below water level.
7) Close your eyes and try and slow your breathing down to 6 BPM
(breathe deep and slow).
8) Attempt to slow the heart rate down to about 50 BPM (just think and it will happen).
9) Now open your eyes and observe the cosmos (if its cloudy, imagine it).
10) Think nothing and just listen to your heatbeat.
If you follow the instructions correctly you will either fall asleep or be shocked as shit when you see the sun come up over the horizon.
--A
Relaxation is gazing into the star filled sky at night; soaking in a nice, hot bubble bath; taking a walk along the beach; hiking in the mountains; mountain bike riding on a bright, warm day; being lost in a book; sitting by a fireplace staring at the fire; enjoying the company of friends.
--CZ
driving and singing really loud
or having sex and singing really loud...tee hee
--Waive
sleep.....
--the white guy
9 November
Submitted by: IG
It has been said that true and prolonged suffering (physical, mental, emotional) has the ability to cause a lasting positive change in people.
Do you agree/disagree?
Why do you suppose that is/isn't?"
Well, unfortunately, I have to say that the kind of people our society tends to produce is a distracted and satieted/sedated people. So, really this question does not apply to most members of the society in which we live. In fact, I don't believe that very many of these people could even fathom or reflect on it because they have been so inundated with the idea that suffering is bad and should be avoided at all costs....never stopping to reflect on the value of it.
For prolonged suffering to be of value I think depends on the
individual's ability to reflect on those experiences of suffering. As I said, most people lack that ability in our culture (please forgive the sweeping generalization, as it is only a reflection of my various experiences....even in religious life). But, for the minority of peolple who do hold that ability, I think the effect of true and prolonged suffering has quality of doing away with socialized and learned behaviors (sometimes very unhealthy ones) so that, at one point, you have an individual that is stripped down to the core or essence of
their being. Some call that "rock bottom", especially substance
abusers. The concept of "rock bottom" certainly applies in other areas as well: relationships, careers, spirituality, etc... In whatever area that is, I think the reflective individual is the one who can take that experience, be in the midst of it, see everything that is essential and good, and remember that there is nothing else other than love and being a human being to other human beings. Money doesn't matter. Sex doesn't matter. Things don't matter. At least in the long term. Suffering will do that. I'm waiting to see how many jack-ass remarks people make
to this question. That's usually a sign of avoidance of reality that is, again, typical of fully indocrinated and distracted members of our society. Ok, off the soap box now IG. Had too much coffee tonight.
--IG
Hmmm... I don't know. Suppose you're a kid who lives with Mr. Wife Beater and Mrs. Crack Whore. Suppose every day pops beats you so hard that you piss and crap all over yourself. On top of that, when mom dosen't smoke her daily vitamins she curses the day she spent the abortion money on crack.
This prolonged suffering might affect the individual in a number of ways. The indivudual might see the wrongness of beating the crap out of your offspring and the dangers of "the rock", and vow to be a kinder, gentler, drug-free adult.
On the other hand, and i'd bet 10-1 on this, the individual might have some problems later on in people skills. This individual might vent his anger on the nearest person, or start escaping reality with controlled substances.
So, to summarize, we are all stars in the Dope Show, 'nkay?
--Eric
Prolonged suffering is what we humans crave. The very thought of
surviving through, or even dying for, because of some extreme life threatening experience, is what makes us (men) tick. Someone said once that man would die for is true beliefs if challenged accordingly.
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, isn't that the way it goes? The true question should be," If true suffering were to occur, would it be positive for man to become more impervious to that experience the next time around?" Instead of secluding yourself from those emotions, wouldn't it be better to understand? Is the true nature of man to take those experiences less seriously, or consider them less tragic when applied to someone else?
--badmonkey
p.s. Bahb, Tell IG to suck a big fat cunga, and kiss my ass...
(I really have been blessed with the best, most loving, caring and nurturing friends on the planet--Rox)
Perhaps it is my current station in life that makes me
pessimistic about suffering causing positive change. The students I teach have mostly all been subjected to some sort of long term physical and/or mental abuse, and the fact that they are in my school is evidence that so far they have not been positively changed. In my limited experience, I have seen few success stories. More often I see kids placed in prison, selling drugs and sex on the streets, and ever too often I see them in coffins, their abusers standing over them wailing a hypocritical, "Why?" I have seen examples of long term suffering bringing about positive change in people, but they have unfortunately been the exception and not the rule.
--Waive
Prolonged suffering can be both positive and negative. On the positive side, it will make a stronger person. On the negative, prolonged suffering results in stress. This kind of stress is very bad for your physical body which in turn will effect your mental health. The end result of stress in your life will eventually be your downfall by means of illness/disease.
--CZ
I think any honest emotional experience is positive. That is why I can not tolerate a society that refuses to feel anything other than what is spoon fed to them by the mass media.
The notion of genuine emotion is so foriegn to our society that if a true tragedy were to occur, we would have to turn to CNN in order to know how to respond properly.
Any experience that pushes us beyond our comfort zone is by its very nature dynamic. In my mind change is good regardless of any short term qualitative value attached to it.
If the results are positive, then so be it. If negative, then it serves to facillitate further change and growth.
I feel that as our society has evolved we as individuals have learned to avoid situations that place us in positions of possible emotional harm. The status quo is a far safer place in which to reside as it provides the warmth and security of predictability.
The fact that it is also cowardly is lost in the millieu of minvans, satellite dishes and 401(k) plans.
Pain may be a good thing as it proves that we are alive, but to actively search only for painful situations as a means for growth borders on dysfunctional behavior.
Blind hedonism is no less unhealthy, yet the "If it feels good, then do it" crowd can not see the limits inherent with such a slogan. People who have never been pushed will never grow to realize their true potential.
Bay Area radio personality Rene Rotten has said "No risk-ee; No frisky". Sure it's trite and cliche, but still valid. If we are caught up in a "save ass" world, then we give up on what Joy Division labeled as the "Unknown Pleasures".
It is also obvious that the greater the temporal distance from the pain, the more that we can rationalize it as a positive experience. Anything that we do can be a facillitator for change, though myopia often limits our perspective.
--Rox
p.s. If in doubt, read Nietzsche
figures ig would test the brain cells....i would have to agree with the statement in theory, but more emphasis need be placed on the person dealing with the prolonged suffering. i know that through all experiences we have we grow, whether that experience is positive or negative. negative experience stimulates stronger growth, if for no other reason than to positively avoid repeating the experience in the future. the individual must choose to take the first step to end the situation they are in, no matter how dramatic the situation or how emotionally attached they are, and even if they have no idea what they could or should change. when one thinks of all the suffering that we as mankind endure, whether it be a natural disaster or some human contrived power trip, it amazes me we have all lasted this long....late,
--the white guy
I'm
Done Here,
Take Me Back To The Truth.
What
Else Have People Said
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