I generally try to be fair, but not always. Sometimes I just want to go off on an unhinged rant and say the most outlandish things. It’s great fun. The difference with me, though? I might be semi-serious while speechifying but realize I’m almost certainly semi-full of shit too. So, it’s always leavened with humor. I’m self-aware enough to realize that I don’t know what I’m talking about a good percentage of the time. It’s not just some asshole in a white undershirt spewing venom in a kitchen. I try to keep my bitching light.
Hey, I was born in the 1990's and know who Johnny Carson is! To be fair though, I have had to explain to countless people that the "Here's Johnny!" line from The Shining is a reference to the Johnny Carson Show and wasn't written specifically for the movie. My dad and grandfather were well aware and explained it to me, but most people my age don't know.
Also, who the hell acts heroic about not having a 401K? Maybe it is because I work in the financial services industry, but almost everyone I know that is a functioning, working adult has one. Maybe random contrarians don't have one, but considering that companies often offer matching contributions, it seems short sighted to not have one. But I agree that people act heroic about the most asinine things- I know someone that acts proud because they aren't a homeowner, and they make disparaging comments about me being a homeowner like "well, at least my landlord can pay to fix that" or "I don't have to pay property taxes." Sure, except you're paying for all of that via your overpriced rent, while I get to at least keep my equity. You lose some, you win some, and then you lose some more.
Based on a prior recommendation of yours, I got "Norwood" on my Kindle a few months ago. After reading this surly post, I decided it was time to crack into it, and I LOVE IT. I didn't know anything about it going into it, so I enjoyed figuring out the time period based on context (cars mentioned, etc), and my god what a good book. Short, simple, drily funny, and all the characters are just QUITE believable for the time period. Has a bit of a "Hud" feel to it, overall. I'm about three-quarters done with it, super quick read. Thanks for the recommendation.
Re your point about being a "normal" adult - nah. I'm still basically 12 at heart, and I still enjoy many of the things I liked as a kid, and have just built onto them with similar interests. Who wants to be a proper adult making conversation about golf and what-not? I'd rather die. :-)
Hey, I was born in the 1990's and know who Johnny Carson is! To be fair though, I have had to explain to countless people that the "Here's Johnny!" line from The Shining is a reference to the Johnny Carson Show and wasn't written specifically for the movie. My dad and grandfather were well aware and explained it to me, but most people my age don't know.
Also, who the hell acts heroic about not having a 401K? Maybe it is because I work in the financial services industry, but almost everyone I know that is a functioning, working adult has one. Maybe random contrarians don't have one, but considering that companies often offer matching contributions, it seems short sighted to not have one. But I agree that people act heroic about the most asinine things- I know someone that acts proud because they aren't a homeowner, and they make disparaging comments about me being a homeowner like "well, at least my landlord can pay to fix that" or "I don't have to pay property taxes." Sure, except you're paying for all of that via your overpriced rent, while I get to at least keep my equity. You lose some, you win some, and then you lose some more.
Based on a prior recommendation of yours, I got "Norwood" on my Kindle a few months ago. After reading this surly post, I decided it was time to crack into it, and I LOVE IT. I didn't know anything about it going into it, so I enjoyed figuring out the time period based on context (cars mentioned, etc), and my god what a good book. Short, simple, drily funny, and all the characters are just QUITE believable for the time period. Has a bit of a "Hud" feel to it, overall. I'm about three-quarters done with it, super quick read. Thanks for the recommendation.
Re your point about being a "normal" adult - nah. I'm still basically 12 at heart, and I still enjoy many of the things I liked as a kid, and have just built onto them with similar interests. Who wants to be a proper adult making conversation about golf and what-not? I'd rather die. :-)