Warning: Rant Follows

I am more than a little disgusted by people lately. There is an extreme lack of professionalism and/or work eithic in a majority of the people I've encountered lately. Maybe I'm an old man. Maybe my standards are too high, but dammit I want some old fashioned pride in the work people do.

When I mix a show, I don't care if the band is a bullshit local band playing covers badly, a mime dancing to tracks, or my favorite metal band. Every show gets all of me. I put my name on everything I do so everything I do, I do to perfection... ...or as close as I can get to it.

Professionalism should not be limited to technical and higher end jobs. Everything is important and everything costs somebody money. If it is costing somebody money the product or service they have purchased should be of the highest quality. This means when I order food, I expect someone friendly and attentive with the ability to remember my order or a note pad to write it down. When the garbage people take my garbage, I expect not to see random trash strewn about the street and my driveway in their wake. When teachers teach my kids I expect my kids to come home with new knowledge and not bored knowing nothing more than they did yesterday.

There is room for error in my little utoipan world, however. Everyone screws up. The problem arises with a lack of accountability and ownership of mistakes. I don't expect perfection, but I expect at least more than a half ass attempt. If there is a screw up correct it, don't pass the buck around.

We are only as good as what we present and people view the fruits of our labor as a reflection of ourselves so it isn't any wonder why I think that people are all stupid. Just look around.

Baby Update

Six weeks ago, I'd have never thought that the result of doing what husbands and wives do would result in this.


My child already looks like a bean with eyes and hands. Notice the giant head... that is the supergenius already absorbing information preparing for world domination.

34 weeks to go. Then you all will be introduced to this little bean. Hopefully the bean look is temporary and a child will develop.

More Pet Peeves

1. Southern Accents - This is like nails on a chalkboard to me. The speaking person may very well be a brilliant as Steven Hawking, but with the drawl, Im going to assume they probably can't pump my gas without detailed instructions complete with stick-figure illustrations.

2. I'll make a list. The following things are just contributors to the decline of western civilization and the dumbing down of an entire generation (maybe 2).
1. The Blue Collar ComedyTour
2. Reality TV
3. The Food Network

3. Unions. All unions are destroying this country, however the Teacher's Union, the UAW and the Teamsters are the top three most horrible.

4. Mini Vans. Why is it that people who drive mini vans CAN'T FUCKING DRIVE?????!!!!

5. EMO Music. Thank God, I think it has already gone the way of disco.

Ok that's about enough to start a comment conversation about something. Have at it.

Service From a Douchebag

Thank you for calling. All of our agents are busy ignoring other customers. Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line; your call will be ignored in the order it was received.

...holding for 42 minutes now...

All that we're trying to do is switch telephone and internet providers for the shop. Correction... All that we're trying to do is spend money. Is it that hard? When someone calls wanting to contract our services, we jump at the bit. That's income. Income pays the bills and enables us to enjoy the things we enjoy.

I refuse to believe that "all" of their operators are busy assisting other customers. Some of them are fucking around online, some of them are outside smoking, some of them are playing hookey, and the rest are too stupid to handle any questions in an intelligent and speedy manner.

People suck.

*end of rant*

NEWS!!!

Saturday was a monumental day in the E-Rock household. My Mrs. wakes me early in the morning with a stick. The stick has a plus sign and pee on it. She's all excited... "We're increasing our numbers!!"

Since I don't half ass anything, I suggested we go to breakfast and stop at the pharmacy to get another test. We bought a two-pack. Using the scientific method of study with a control, she peed on a stick and I peed on a stick. The results were almost immediate. I am NOT pregnant... ...and she IS!.

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm going to be a dad. I will have my own little evil genius to mold, raise, teach, and shape. The more I think about it, the scarier it gets. It ceases to be "I'm going to be A dad" and becomes "I'm going to be SOMEBODY'S dad."

This ought to be an interesting adventure for me, to say the least! I'm sure there will be numerous posts on this later. Cheers!

A Lesson In Freedom Vol 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Has anyone out there ever heard or read this sentence anywhere? Does it seem familiar? It is the 1st amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.

Most people are familiar with it due to the "freedom of speech" clause where they want to use is as an exuse for lewd and obnoxious behavior and offensive speech. Note that the word "expression" never appears, however lewd and obnoxious behavior and offensive speech are acceptable ramifications for the preservation of freedom.

The good citizens of New York City have had their right to free speech revoked with the passing of a new law. NYC City Council has passed a law banning the "N" word. There is no penalty for speaking the banned word; the city is just trying to get the word out of the every day vernacular of the city's kids.

HOWEVER... It doesn't matter that there are no penalties for breaking this law, this law is unconstitutional. It is a travesty when the people will sacrifice freedom for comfort. The key to the freedoms protected in the 1st amendment is to preserve that freedom for the ones whose speech offends you the most, regardless of your feelings of a word, phrase or idea. Yes, our "rights" are listed, protected and preserved. One has but to Google it and there are a plethora of links to see just what a bunch of old guys wrote down two centuries ago. They did not, however, list the responsibilities that are included with those rights.

Responsibilities like...

Using speech wisely so as not to give the government cause to challenge your rights.

Understanding that someone may voraciously use their rights to support and promote something that you oppose with equal voracity and still fighting to protect their right to do so.

Now take a look at the beginning of this crucial amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." This applies to establishing a set state religion. For example, the official religion of the UK is the Anglican Church. The official religion of the Vatican is Catholicism. The official religion of the United States is ???????

We don't have one. We won't have one. The Christians need to get over that idea. Yes, I'll concede that the founding fathers were all Christians, but those men were smart enough to know that the entire world would be on their way to these shores to be able to practice as they saw fit. Voodoo, Islam, Buddhism, Hindu, Christianity, Judaism, freakish cults, all are protected by this amendment, but you cannot expect the government to endorse any one specifically over the other.

That's enough school for today, kids. Go outside and play nicely.