Being Polite Isn't Flirting

How sad is it these days that when you're nice to someone they can get suspicious of you? Does everyone who does something for you want something in return other than a "thank you"?

Pretty much. That's the society that we've created in the United States. A bunch of selfish and entitled people who can't see past their own feelings. And as you can see, I'm disgusted by it.

I'm was walking in downtown Jackson recently and it was raining. The building that I was leaving had a cover over the front steps and I was about to walk across the street to a garage. However, the rain seemed to pour down rain even harder once I reached the bottom step.  I could barely see 15 feet in front of myself.

Luckily, I had my large umbrella with me and I opened it up and got ready to cross the street. A lady came out of the building without an umbrella and made her way down the steps to make a run for the garage through the rain. I asked her, "Would you like to use my umbrella? I'm rocking a bald head, so the rain won't bother me. I can just get it from you on the other side."

She turned up her lip as if she was offended by my gesture and said, "Why would you do that for me?"

Ignoring her negative demeanor, I replied sarcastically in question, "So that you don't get wet? You don't want to mess up your clothes, do you?"

She sat idly for a second as she appeared to be pondering the pros and cons. All while she looked at me as if I was playing some sort of con game on her. Before she could respond, I simply turned around and walked across the street with my umbrella. She may have said something to me as I walked off, but the rain was hitting my umbrella so hard that I couldn't make out if she did or not.

Look, I'm all for being cautious, but not to the point of paralysis. I asked her if she needed my umbrella not to get into a windowless van. She was so hesitant in her thinking that she probably thought that I was going to hit on her for allowing her to use my umbrella to cross the street. I didn't ask for her to get under my umbrella with me and walk together. I didn't ask for her name or number. I was simply trying to do what I thought was the right thing.

I'll give her the benefit of the doubt by saying that maybe she's had a ton of bad guys disrespect her to the point of skepticism.  I can halfway understand that and if that's the case then it's just a sad way to have to live a life.  A lot of people do want something for something.  Quid pro quo.  Not many do something for the sake of being generous of chivalrous.

Evidently that's so rare these days that people expect it to come with a cost. Unfortunately, it's her loss because when I drove by her on my way out of the garage she was soaked.

I Just Saw A Spider

Here in the Deep South, the warm weather tends to bring out the creepy-crawlies.  Today, I saw my first snake and spider of the new Spring.  Luckily, the snake was dead and not in my neighborhood.  However, the spider ran right across the floor in front of me while I was checking e-mails.  Unfortunately for me, he was way too quick for me to murder him before he reached the safety of my entertainment center.

"I'll definitely see you before you see me!"

Now, I'm normally not afraid of either as long as I see them before they see me.  However, the element of surprise that comes from an unseen snake or spider can have your adrenaline rushing for hours!  Snakes are very good at camouflaging themselves.  I'm pretty sure that there have been plenty of times in my life where I've stepped right by a snake without knowing it.  Because of this fact, I tend to stay away from certain areas where it's hard to see them.

Spiders, on the other hand, are a bit more different to deal with at times.  They can hide almost anywhere and can get into your home a lot more easier than snakes can (or so I hope).  They are also so stealth in nature that it's almost impossible to see one until its basically right on you.

What makes it even more of a challenge this year to spot them will be the fact that I have new carpet in my home.  What was easy to spot a spider on beige carpet is now next to impossible on dark gray carpet.  In fact, I never would have seen the one I saw today had he not decided to panic and make a run for it.  He was already in the middle of the floor and I hadn't noticed before he did a Usain Bolt impersonation.

So, I guess it's that time of the year for me to wage war against the bad guys.  Dag.  Is that a wasp nest being built above my front door?  (Sigh)  I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have nightmares after this post.

What animal / insect is a nuisance in your part of the world?

Snakes are masters at hiding.

Screech! Bang!

Ignore my cell phone holder on the right. :)

Screech! Bang! Those are the two sounds that I hear whenever the rain is coming down hard and I'm on Interstate 55 traveling.

I'm not sure how things are in your state, but here in Mississippi, rain has no effect on most drivers. Even if the roads can be slick and the rain can get heavy, it's not uncommon to see someone driving 75 mph past you on I-55.

You'll see someone pass you, as if they're riding with velcro tires on a carpet, only to see them five miles down the road facing the opposite direction in the ditch or in the median.

Why do people drive so freakin' fast in the rain?  I don't get it.  Water is wet.  Wet is slippery.  Slippery is dangerous.  What is there not to get?

Back in April, I'm driving during a downpour and although the speed limit in the area I was traveling is 60 mph, but I was driving around 50 mph.  The reason I went slower is because that seemed to be a nice, controlled speed in which I felt comfortable that I could handle my vehicle if something were to go wrong.

People were passing me doing 65, 70 or as much as 75 mph!  I thought that people would slow down when approaching a dangerous part of I-55 called "Waterworks Curve."  This particular curve has probably caused more accidents than any other place in the Jackson Metro area.

Well, I was wrong to think that as you can see in the video below...

They're just zooming past me and into the first part of the curve like the weather is dry. The Waterworks Curve has 4 curves in it like two S's attached from top to bottom yet people act as if they're driving on the Autobahn in a Lamborghini.  I just shook my head and continued to watch for spinning cars.  I knew that it was bound to happen.

About five years ago, a former co-worker of mine had a car accident during a storm.  She was driving down I-55 and hit a puddle of water.  The next thing she remembered was waking up to a paramedic's flashlight in her eyes.  Luckily, she wasn't hurt badly.  However, when she returned to work a few days later, I was speaking to her in the break room.  "Q," she started, "I'm suing Goodyear."

"Goodyear Tires?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied.  "They sold me all-weather tires and I still hydroplaned and wrecked the other day."

I started laughing until I realized that she was dead-serious.  "You can't sue Goodyear for driving too fast!" I exclaimed.  "That's like suing Chevrolet for their airbag not protecting you after driving over a cliff.  You have to maintain a certain level of responsibility no matter the safety claims."

The stunned look on her face spoke volumes.  She either never thought about it or just didn't have someone to teach her that all-weather tires are to assist you in controlling your vehicle, not prevent you from crashing it.

SMH  

Is that the problem with all of these people that I see flying past me on the street?  Did no one take time to explain things the way that my parents did?  I can recall my father telling me (way before driving age) that when I got old enough to drive that I should ignore the speed limit in bad weather and drive safely.  I'd like to honestly think that had he not instructed me, that I would have figured it out for myself since I'm "Mr. Common Sense" and all.  But, living in today's society where people let others do the thinking for them, it is even more important that parents explain how driving is a privledge and not a right.  They can also explain how a car can hydroplane in two inches of water, too.

After visiting downtown, The Mrs. and I started to make our way back home and guess what we see?

Do you think that most people don't understand how to drive according to conditions?

Hurricane Isaac & Friends

Morgan Miller of WJTV News

Here we go again. It almost seems like clockwork: Labor Day, hurricanes and gas price increases. I guess that we should be used to it by now. Hurricanes with a name that starts with "I" that appear around Labor Day will usually bring the ruckus! Isabel, Ivan, Ike, Igor, Irene and now Isaac.

Now, although Isaac appears to be more of a flooding type of storm rather than a blow-your-roof-off type of storm, it's still to be respected. I've been watching The Weather Channel for most of the weekend and sometimes, I think that they do people a disservice.

Every hurricane isn't Katrina. When Katrina hit back in '05, I remember watching TWC to get details on its approach. Like usual, TWC hyped this storm like it was Armageddon. They hyped all storms like it was Armageddon. So, like a lot of people, I got numb to it. That was until I was driving home from work in 60 mph winds and dodging trees.  This time it really was Armageddon, but it was too late for those who didn't believe it to leave.

I think that news groups that deliver the weather need to be honest about what is approaching. I realize that it brings in ratings when people are glued to their TV and think that they're going to die. And I know that Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart and grocery chains will continue to endorse you since people run to those stores when there's red on the weather radar. But, we're talking about people's lives here. People can't pack up and run every time they talking heads discussing a band of rain on the Gulf. That's why people wait until the last minute to leave because they don't believe the hype. They feel as if they have to see it for themselves before they "get out of Dodge."

Now, the upside to 24/7 hurricane coverage is the opportunity to see local meteorologist, Morgan Miller, do her thing. Bad weather is always easier to digest with a little eye candy on the screen. So, when Vivian Brown (Mississippian) or Stephanie Abrams get on the air, then they'll get my attention a lot quicker than Al Roker would.

What's happened to Al anyway? He used to be a jolly, old guy, but since he's lost weight, he's turned into kind of a perv. He's just weird now. I can't put my finger on it, but I wouldn't leave my god daughter around him.

Flashback: Vivian Brown of The Weather Channel

We'll see what will happen with Hurricane Isaac. Jackson is just a little over 150 miles from the Gulf Coast, so bad weather is still pretty rugged by the time it reaches inland to us. Hopefully, Isaac will fizzle out once he reaches landfall and I won't have to deal with tornado watches for most of the week.

As for the gas prices... Oil companies love hurricanes. Every time we have a hurricane, an oil company CEO gets an erection. I can almost guarantee that. Because any mention of shutting down a refinery means price spikes here in the states. Why do they honesty expect me to believe that if one plant shuts down or catches on fire, the nation has to pay an extra dime per gallon? Crooks.

I still haven't forgiven them for how they jacked up prices during Katrina. The nation goes through the worst weather-related event of all-time and ExxonMobil pocketed almost $10 billion dollars in profits in a quarter while everyone suffered.  I'm sitting in line, at 3 AM, waiting on over-priced gas while they're laughing all of the way to the bank.

Don't get me started on them.  Now, I'm getting stressed.  I wonder if Morgan Miller is on? (grabs remote)

Stephanie Abrams of The Weather Channel

Do you take your meteorologist seriously when a storm approaches?

Hurricanes Bring The Ruckus

"Q, you have to try some of this cake!"

So, I've been watching The Weather Channel for a week now and it's fascinating. Not just because of Stephanie Abrams, but because I am learning tons of facts about hurricanes. I thought I'd seen enough broadcasts to know all there is to know about these storms, but it appears that I learn something new each season. I'm also seeing interesting people on TV as well. Hurricane Irene is coming to town with clenched fists and she's bringing the ruckus.

My question is: what makes a person stay during a hurricane?

Hurricanes are fun!

Now, when Hurricane Katrina hit six years ago, despite the fact that I'm located 175 miles from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, I had to endure 100 mph wind gusts and torrential rains. 175 miles away and Katrina still ran me from my home! I can't imagine what the people who didn't evacuate that area had to endure, but I spent Labor Day weekend in Dallas while my power was out.

So, when I hear some nut being interviewed on The Weather Channel saying that he's going to "ride the storm out" only five miles from the beach, I scratch my head. Do they not watch TV? Do they not see the seriousness involved in their decision when the police department asks you to sign a waiver and list your next of kin? They can't come get you if something goes wrong because they're going to a shelter. I'm watching interviews with surfers who are talking about how cool the nine foot waves are instead of packing up and heading as far west as their wallets can take them. There have already been fatalities, including a person killed when a tree fell on their truck.

There's no such thing as "just a hurricane!" Category 1 or not, it's still a hurricane! Besides, a Category 1 storm can have winds between 74-95 mph on top of being capable of spawning multiple tornadoes and surges that causes extreme flooding. I know that The Weather Channel loves to sensationalize things and make every storm, "a storm we've never seen before," but at some point you have to rely on your own common sense and make a judgement.

They see me rollin'...  They hatin'....

So, do like these people above and get the heck out of town! Irene isn't playing! And when she's done bringing the pain to your property, the oil companies will bring the pain to the gas pumps! Believe that!

Coming to a gas station near you on Labor Day Weekend '11

Ice, Ice, Baby

Ice, ice, baby. It's cold. Sure, you people up north are probably saying, "what does a guy from Mississippi know about the cold?"

Well, anything under 50 degrees is cold to a southerner. At least to this one, it is. My thing is: why do I feel like the only person in Jackson bothered by cold weather? My southern peers appear to be cool with it, no pun intended.

I'm at the grocery store this morning, because that's what people in the south do when there is a threat of ice/snow. We go to the grocery store and stock up on can goods and bottled water as if there's a pending nuclear fallout.



Anyway, while I'm there, I see a couple of young ladies who are shopping in pajamas. One of them was even wearing flip-flops. Now, keep in mind that it's 29 degrees here today with a "real feel" of 21. I'm thinking to myself, "there's no way they're warm in freakin' pajamas!"

They were obviously cold since they were constantly rubbing their hands over their arms trying to keep warm. They must have a reliable car because if they had to change a tire or walk some where, the police would find two idiotcicles on the side of the road.

Later, I'm at the gas station and filling up my car. Was I low on gas? No, but filling up your gas tank is something southerners do when there is a threat of freezing weather. It's as if we think all gas pumps will freeze and no one will be able to get gas or something. You northerners stop laughing.

So, I'm there getting gas and who gets out at the gas pump in front of me? Another girl wearing pajamas and Uggs.

You're kidding me, right? Is that why half of the people who come to work at your job are coughing and hacking all of the time? Because you don't take care of yourself and dress for the weather?

Pajamas aren't considered winter wear people.