A couple of nights ago I was watching a new episode of Survivor and I felt the desire to blog about this season and the show in general.
I have been watching Survivor since the very beginning, my brother wanted to watch it and soon we were both hooked. Over the years I've liked to call myself a loyal fan but I have missed three seasons. My brother has never missed an episode. It's also our tradition that after we watch it we call each other and talk about it. Though not the same night.
Over the years I have noticed one fundamental thing about the show, it causes amnesia among the players and makes smart do some pretty dumb things. Bear with me while I will clarify.
Many of the contestants on the show have been watching for years and have wanted to be on the show for just as long, yet make the same mistakes as previous players. They forget that what he or she is doing is the exact same thing that got someone else voted out. Being annoying, an asshole, and riding on someones coat tails comes to mind.
When I say it makes players dumb is that they will make the stupidest mistake ever and it comes to bite them in the ass. Take Erik for example from Fans v. Favorites. He was on the chooping block and it was down to final 4 or 3. He won immunity but the girls whom he had kind of back stabbed said if you want to redeem yourself you'll give immunity to me and we promise you'll be safe. Three guesses as to what happened next. The idiot gives it to one of the girls and is swiftly voted out.
Another instance is some players sacrifice themselves and lose their shot of $1 million because they are proving that their friendship means more. A noble sacrifice as opposed to being looked at as a back stabbing son of a bitch. I just made it 32 days and was only 5 people away from winning but that's okay I still have your friendship.
Making alliances and making friends is part of the game but it's not all of it. There is going to come a time where your alliance has gone as far as it can go especially when you're near the end. The only people to vote out are your friends and if I had to chose between him or me I'm going to chose me. That is why I'm here. To win. Many of the players take it so personally when they get voted out and sometimes I get it but they forget the biggest thing, it is just a game. Had the roles been reversed I think they would have done the exact same thing.
For awhile I was getting pretty bored with the show and that's why I didn't watch a few seasons. It was always the same. One team would always lose and so when it came to the merge the poor tribe would be picked off one by one. A lot of the time the person I really wanted to win was voted out and the person who would win was someone I didn't really care about.But the last couple of seasons have been good and I'm hooked again. Which, at last brings us to this season.
The season started off by bringing two previous players back, Ozzy and Coach. Commercials made it seem like a big deal and the players are all excited to see them. Two legends in their midst. I on the other hand could not remember Ozzy at all. I had to look him up and even then I still didn't remember and those were the seasons I did watch. To me he just isn't that memorable. My memory of Coach isn't that much better. I vaguely recall him but that's about it.
The two former players quickly became the leaders of their tribes. Ozzy on the Savaii tribe and Coach on the Upolu tribe. Those who had the bad luck of not being part of their alliance were quickly voted out. Their leadership is so strong that the others are just blindly following. Much like Boston Rob the previous season.
One thing is different this year for the first time in a very long time the tribes have been evenly matched. Every week immunity kept going back and forth so that when they merged this week they were 6-6. For the most part they were smart on who they voted out, thinking about keeping the people who are going to help win challenges as opposed to voting out the people they don't like. I have seen many tribes vote out their strongest players because they view them as a threat when the merge comes. First off not only is the merge a ways off but you need to survive long enough to get that far. If you keep voting out those who could help you win how do you expect to make it that long?
But while I'm enjoying this season there are some downsides. For starters I can't stand either Coach or Ozzy. Coach because he is way too preachy and Ozzy because he is lazy around camp and thinks he's Gods gift to man. Hate to break it to you man but you're not all that cool. Secondly I hate how just about every player is following those two leads. Did you ever think that what they are doing may not be in your best interest? That when you've outlived your usefulness you're going to be eliminated? The answer to that would be no of course not.
Last week I saw both the biggest and the dumbest move in the history of Survivor. That week Savaii (Ozzy's team) lost the immunity challenge, it seemed pretty clear that they were going to vote out Cochran who was part of the reason why they lost. Cochran is a sweet guy, a bit of a nerd who tries so hard to make an effort but is nearly voted out from week to week.
They tried to pump him up saying that he'll have a shot of redemption island. A new feature to the game that allows a player a second chance to come back into the game. Doing duels with another voted out player. Only when there is a merge do they get to come back. Anyway his tribe kept saying that this will be his chance to redeem himself and that he'll beat Christina (who had one every duel at this point). That going was a noble thing. Cochran thought differently as did I and half the viewers. Exactly why does he need to redeem himself? This guy has given every thing he's got and then some who just had a lousy day during the challenge. It happens. Yes he is a weaker player but not the only one on that tribe.
So you think that's the end of it right? WRONG! Ozzy has this vivid dream that he should go to redemption island, win the duel, then they merge, and then they have the numbers. When he had this dream he decided that he not Cochran should get voted out. And that they should make it look like Cochran was the master mind who blind sided Ozzy. The story would go that Cochran had the hidden immunity idol, played it and the votes cast against him were void, and Cochran's vote against Ozzy is what caused him to be voted out.
But wait there's more! As part of the master plan Ozzy would give Cochran the hidden immunity idol (temporarily of course) and then after the merge Cochran would become a double agent, getting the dirt of the opposing tribe.
There are so many things wrong with this plan I don't even know where to start.
Here's a list of just some of the reasons of how bad this plan is:
1) You don't know for a fact that you are going to merge after this next duel. The game is always changing. What you assume isn't always the case.
2) Christina is a tough player who has won every duel since being voted out. Ozzy's a strong player but again you never know what can happen.
3) Christina was voted out by Coaches tribe, there was no love lost between her and her old tribe. So if she did come back into the game she is more likely to switch sides.
4) I don't know where they learned how to count but if Ozzy comes back the numbers are going to be even. They don't have the numbers unless someone flips.
5) Ozzy took RI far too literally
That being said and done the tribe went along with this crazy plan and miraculously they pulled it off. Ozzy did win the duel and they merged right after.
However, the plan quickly started to unravel. Cochran did in fact give the idol back and started talking to Coach and the rest of the Upolu tribe. Yet that's where the plan ended. Upolu quickly realized that Ozzy's story of his being voted out was total BS and confronted Cochran about it. After some brief hesitation he admitted to the plan saying that he was originally supposed to go to RI.
While the rest of the Savaii tribe is believing that Cochran continuing his role as the double agent like a good little boy the truth is Cochran is having serious doubts.
Coach and Brandon start talking to him about what it's been like on his tribe and who is really close to each other. He admits that Ozzy is the leader; Keith, Whitney, and Jim (when it suits his purpose) are in an alliance with Ozzy; Dawn is kind on the outs; and that he has always felt on the outs on the tribe. That they really don't like him and don't seem to respect him. All of which is completely true. Coach begins to tell him that now is his chance to take control of his game. That if he switches sides they will protect him.
Cochran is unsure not quite ready to betray his tribe but continues to think about it. Before the immunity challenge Cochran talks with Dawn telling her about his earlier conversation. She agrees that Ozzy and the others haven't really treated Cochran with respect and that she's never felt safe in the tribe. Dawn thinks that maybe they should both flip on Savaii.
At the challenge Jeff tells them that there is immunity for one woman and one man. In the end Ozzy and Dawn win. Back at camp Ozzy has yet another masterful plan. First he's going to give Whitney the hidden immunity idol because he thinks they might vote her off. If that fails then they would force a tie and take their chances at drawing rocks. Pretty easy for him to say as he's sitting pretty with an immunity necklace around his neck.
Cochran thinks that this plan is stupid. Not wanting to leave his fate in the drawing of rocks. Not when he has the opportunity to do something.
On a side note unless I'm mistaken they rarely use rocks (and have only used it once) as a tie breaker because it is so unfavorable. Every one thought it was raw deal that Pappy who never received a vote and wasn't even the one they were voting for drew the purple rock and was out of the game. All the tie breakers I have seen since then involved the two players with votes to build a fire and whoever burned threw their rope first was safe. Why they always assume it's rocks I couldn't tell you. But I digress.
Cochran talks with Coach some more and is honest with him saying he's scared of voting against his tribe. Cochran asks the question "if I do this where am I going to sleep?" Coach "right next to me". Brandon points out that if Savaii really hasn't treated him very nice and he's not really part of their alliance then it's not really a betrayal.
Cochran goes and talks with Dawn who has now done a complete 180 and says they should stick with our original tribe, it hasn't been that bad, and she'll be so disappointed in him if he goes threw with it. It's easy for her to say she has immunity. But she keeps her promise to not say anything.
At tribal council Upolu calls out Ozzy about his story on how he got voted out. He freely admits that it was all a lie and that he has still has the hidden immunity idol and whips it out. Then he gives it to Whitney who promptly plays it. Another stupid move. By playing the idol they lost whatever advantage they may have had later in the game. With two people on Savaii with immunity the numbers were still in their "favor." I guess their philosophy was that now there would be three Savaii members safe as opposed to two. Eventually it's time to vote and it's a 6-6 tie. Six for Keith and six for Rick who seems confused as to why him. They vote again and this time it 7-5 for Keith. Bye-Bye Keith.
Cochran at the last minute switches and quickly tells them the truth and that "he'll explain later." Savaii is more than pissed and Jim calls him a coward (repeatedly). Brandon quickly jumps to his defense and tells Jim "don't talk to him like that. That's what you get when you don't treat you teammate with respect." While walking out he tells Cochran to "stick with me" on the way back to camp. Right then I thought Brandon was so sweet.
I personally didn't think Cochran had it in him and I say "good for you!" Cochran did what he thought was best for him as he should if he wants to win. Five people (three with immunity and Keith and Rick don't pick) wouldn't have to draw rocks increasing Cochran's chance of pulling the dreaded purple. Whether or not this pays off is yet to be seen. I'm worried for him, previews for next week show him getting his ass handed to him so he just made four new enemies five if we count Keith who is now at RI.
On the other hand he just made six new friends. But therein lies another problem, Cochran may have made this big move but that doesn't guarantee that he's now apart of the Upolu alliance. It wouldn't be the first time that someone flipped and was then voted out by the same people they just helped. How sincere Coach is with Cochran I'm not sure, I don't remember every thing that happened in the episode. Loyalty is huge for Coach and Cochran just proved his loyalty to him. I say that earns him a few more days.
I hope Cochran goes far and is able to survive Savaii's wrath. My respect for him has seriously gone up and it'll be interesting to see what happens next.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Friday, September 10, 2010
Back to school
Last week I had to make the trip back to school. I came back with mixed feelings, on the one hand I enjoyed being on break and was happy to be home on the other hand I was bored and wanted to do something a little more productive.
My dad was really sweet and decided to drive back to school with me. It's not an easy ride for him. The man is in his mid 50's and has done so many cross country road trips with all of us kids. Plus I have a jetta, a smallish car that a man who is over 6 feet with a car full of crap isn't going to fit all that well.
We left on a Thursday and our goal was to get to my school by Saturday. I would have like to have left on a Wednesday, but my dad didn't want to spend the extra money on a hotel. We had to get there by Saturday because my mother who works in Minnesota was driving over to spend Labor day weekend with us.
The drive, which should have been uneventful was a full fledged adventure. My dad and I decided to drive through Wyoming instead of Colorado because my car doesn't handle hills very well and really struggled the year before going through the mountains. Well we went through the entire state of Wyoming without any cell service. Not having service is not the end of the world, but my mom had called and there was no way of calling her back. I didn't want her to worry about us. The really funny thing is that even when we passed a cell tower and went through the capitol we still didn't have service.
The other part of our journey that sucked was that my dad got food poisoning or something to that effect. We stopped at a place called Little America and got cheeseburgers, turns out the burgers weren't cooked all the way, still pink. Which is funny considering it took them forever to make the damn things. I knew that the food wasn't going to settle well in my stomach, the food was crappy so I knew I would need a bathroom. And boy did I ever. When I woke up the next morning my dad informs me that he isn't feeling well either and has had to go to the bathroom several times already. He took the first shift but not long into it we pulled over to the side of the road. I got really worried, he was really pale and at one point passed out for a second. Eyes were rolling in the back of his head and he didn't respond when I said "dad." I drove after that and he eventually felt better.
Before that on our first day we were in the middle of nowhere when my gas warning came on. I had only had that happen to me twice and each time I was near a town that had a gas station. So I wasn't sure how far my car would make it, I started to panic because each exit we passed said no services. We made it to one and it was a good thing because my car certainly felt that it was about to die. Then on our second night we stopped just outside of Iowa city and all of the hotels in that town were all full. The reason? A football game the next day. We ended up having to drive another 40 miles or so to the next place. We tried one that was closer than that but because I had a guinea pig we would only be allowed a smoking room. My dad has asthma, obviously not a good idea. However, at the hotel we did stay at we ended up in a smoking room anyway. Even though we asked for a non-smoking room. At that point we were too tired to care.
We made it back to school by Saturday and I got to spend a nice time with my parents before they had to leave.
I didn't actually start school till Wednesday as I have no Tuesday classes. Here's a break down of this weeks classes.
The first of the week was evidence. The teacher is to sum up adorable and he's still a judge, which makes it pretty cool. We didn't get through all of the material, so first week in we're already behind. A downside to that class is that this crazy ass bitch who I shall call Samantha is in the class with me. Samantha is the girl I mentioned in my first blog that decided to hate me for no apparent reason. She still "hangs out" with my good friend Lizzy, so I have to hear about her. Samantha and I have virtually no interaction, I like to keep it that way. For awhile I was pretty indifferent to her behavior until she said some nasty things to Lizzy and treated her poorly. After that I thought she was a bitch.
My second class professional responsibility is a class I think I'm going to be really bored in. A class that pretty much tells you the proper conduct of a lawyer. The teacher seems sweet and all but we didn't cover a single thing that was in the weeks reading. Nada, zilch, zip. A pretty amazing occurrence when the class is 3 hours long. The professor started off by taking role. Not the quickest thing when there are roughly 120 students in the class. I wasn't the only one who thought that we didn't cover anything, I was really bored that I started quoting movies in my head. (I watch a lot of movies and am very good at remembering the dialog). Along with nothing being accomplished this prick Alex is in the class with me. I say he's a prick because he treated me like crap last year. He's sitting in my row so I'll have to see him every time.
The last class of the week was civil procedure, that was a class that was most productive. My professor also a guy, looks like a cross between Woody Allen and Ducky from NCIS. I felt like a lot was accomplished in the class. I've been warned how hard the class is and that my teacher kind of sucks. But I actually think he's a good teacher, granted I've only had one class so far so he can turn out bad but I really like his sense of humor. The only thing is that he can talk really fast and I miss what he says. That's it for now..stay tuned
My dad was really sweet and decided to drive back to school with me. It's not an easy ride for him. The man is in his mid 50's and has done so many cross country road trips with all of us kids. Plus I have a jetta, a smallish car that a man who is over 6 feet with a car full of crap isn't going to fit all that well.
We left on a Thursday and our goal was to get to my school by Saturday. I would have like to have left on a Wednesday, but my dad didn't want to spend the extra money on a hotel. We had to get there by Saturday because my mother who works in Minnesota was driving over to spend Labor day weekend with us.
The drive, which should have been uneventful was a full fledged adventure. My dad and I decided to drive through Wyoming instead of Colorado because my car doesn't handle hills very well and really struggled the year before going through the mountains. Well we went through the entire state of Wyoming without any cell service. Not having service is not the end of the world, but my mom had called and there was no way of calling her back. I didn't want her to worry about us. The really funny thing is that even when we passed a cell tower and went through the capitol we still didn't have service.
The other part of our journey that sucked was that my dad got food poisoning or something to that effect. We stopped at a place called Little America and got cheeseburgers, turns out the burgers weren't cooked all the way, still pink. Which is funny considering it took them forever to make the damn things. I knew that the food wasn't going to settle well in my stomach, the food was crappy so I knew I would need a bathroom. And boy did I ever. When I woke up the next morning my dad informs me that he isn't feeling well either and has had to go to the bathroom several times already. He took the first shift but not long into it we pulled over to the side of the road. I got really worried, he was really pale and at one point passed out for a second. Eyes were rolling in the back of his head and he didn't respond when I said "dad." I drove after that and he eventually felt better.
Before that on our first day we were in the middle of nowhere when my gas warning came on. I had only had that happen to me twice and each time I was near a town that had a gas station. So I wasn't sure how far my car would make it, I started to panic because each exit we passed said no services. We made it to one and it was a good thing because my car certainly felt that it was about to die. Then on our second night we stopped just outside of Iowa city and all of the hotels in that town were all full. The reason? A football game the next day. We ended up having to drive another 40 miles or so to the next place. We tried one that was closer than that but because I had a guinea pig we would only be allowed a smoking room. My dad has asthma, obviously not a good idea. However, at the hotel we did stay at we ended up in a smoking room anyway. Even though we asked for a non-smoking room. At that point we were too tired to care.
We made it back to school by Saturday and I got to spend a nice time with my parents before they had to leave.
I didn't actually start school till Wednesday as I have no Tuesday classes. Here's a break down of this weeks classes.
The first of the week was evidence. The teacher is to sum up adorable and he's still a judge, which makes it pretty cool. We didn't get through all of the material, so first week in we're already behind. A downside to that class is that this crazy ass bitch who I shall call Samantha is in the class with me. Samantha is the girl I mentioned in my first blog that decided to hate me for no apparent reason. She still "hangs out" with my good friend Lizzy, so I have to hear about her. Samantha and I have virtually no interaction, I like to keep it that way. For awhile I was pretty indifferent to her behavior until she said some nasty things to Lizzy and treated her poorly. After that I thought she was a bitch.
My second class professional responsibility is a class I think I'm going to be really bored in. A class that pretty much tells you the proper conduct of a lawyer. The teacher seems sweet and all but we didn't cover a single thing that was in the weeks reading. Nada, zilch, zip. A pretty amazing occurrence when the class is 3 hours long. The professor started off by taking role. Not the quickest thing when there are roughly 120 students in the class. I wasn't the only one who thought that we didn't cover anything, I was really bored that I started quoting movies in my head. (I watch a lot of movies and am very good at remembering the dialog). Along with nothing being accomplished this prick Alex is in the class with me. I say he's a prick because he treated me like crap last year. He's sitting in my row so I'll have to see him every time.
The last class of the week was civil procedure, that was a class that was most productive. My professor also a guy, looks like a cross between Woody Allen and Ducky from NCIS. I felt like a lot was accomplished in the class. I've been warned how hard the class is and that my teacher kind of sucks. But I actually think he's a good teacher, granted I've only had one class so far so he can turn out bad but I really like his sense of humor. The only thing is that he can talk really fast and I miss what he says. That's it for now..stay tuned
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Art of Flying Part 3
After finishing my last posting about flying I realized that I forgot to talk about the actual flight.
Being on a plane is uncomfortable, unless you have the actual money to fly business or first class. Having flown to France in coach I highly recommend paying the extra money for that first class ticket. Trust me 12hrs in coach you are just about ready to jump out of your skin.
Yet I digress. Most people today don't check their bags, I know I don't. I don't want to pay the $15-$25 fee to check a bag. A fee that didn't used to be there. The problem with everyone bringing a suitcase on the plane is that these people don't pay attention to the appropriate size. Your bag should be able to fit straight in, without having to turn it around to make it fit. When you do that it takes up more room leaving less space for the next person.
But space isn't the only problem with carry on bags. The other problem is that some people take way to long to get in the over head compartment. I'm guessing there are about 400-600 people on a flight depending in the size of the plane. Now take that into consideration the next time you are trying to get your bag up there, being in your own little world holds up the entire line of people still trying to board the plane.
Back in August flying back to California from my school's orientation I had a lot of trouble getting the my suitcase in the over head bin. I luckily had the aisle seat so I moved out of the aisle holding my suitcase in the seat letting the people behind me go by. When it was clear I had a couple of guys help me fit it in the bin.
My point is just be conscious of where you are and of the rest of the people in the plane. The same goes for getting off the plane. I often end up getting a seat near the back of the plane, once I was in the very last row. As a result of being in the back I have to wait forever for the people in front of me to get grab their stuff and get out. But I honestly I think there is a no real way to get off the plane any faster except just try to get your bags as quickly as possible.
Also if you see a person trying to get his or her bag, get out of the way. The last couple of times I've flown I've had a bunch of people standing in the aisle in my way. I couldn't get my bag down without hitting anyone in the head. As a result I ended up holding people up by the time I could get my bag. Here's a tip if you see someone who is obviously trying to make a move in getting their bag before the line moves, try to get out of the way. Shift slightly or better yet stay in your seat. I know you are anxious to get out but trust me unless you are in the front of the plane you aren't going anywhere.
My other pet peeve is people who take forever to get their bags, why are you taking so long? Unless you have kids or are old and can't move as well as you used to then you have no excuse. Get it and get out.
When flying most of my flights have been pretty uneventful but there is still the occasional horror stories. My friends and my own mom who fly way more then me have twice as many stories. The biggest annoyance it is agreed upon is children! Children I've seen can either be really well behaved or really bad behaved. I once had a kid that would not shut up for the entire flight. It was a late night flight and almost 6hrs and I'll I wanted to do was try and sleep. But the Gods were against me and they burdened me with this child. I understand that a young kid is going to be excited to be flying but parents shut them up, PLEASE!
Another time the parents weren't paying any attention to their two kids who were just going crazy. One child kept running up and down the aisle, if he wasn't doing that then he was fighting with his sister over their video game. Finally my mom told the kids to sit down and shut up, the parents didn't take to kindly to that. But they had it coming. So parents you aren't at home you are on a flight with 400 other people.
The next thing that really pisses me off are people take up all the room possible on the seat. What I mean is that there have been a few times I could barely move without really bumping into the person next to me. I've often had people fall asleep and damn near have their heads on my shoulder. That's why I try to get a window or aisle seat a little more room. I once got stuck in the middle and the guy next to me in the aisle seat was doing paperwork or some sort of work. That didn't upset me, what pissed me off was when he fell asleep he didn't bother to put any of the work away. So here I am stuck in the middle can't move because the guy has is stuff everywhere and he fell asleep right when I had to go to the bathroom. I hate waking people up I always feel guilty. So I didn't, I held it until he finally woke up. 3 hours later.
One final complaint are people who put their seats back. I am almost 5'11'' so you can imagine how uncomfortable it can get. Couple that with someone putting their seats ALL the way back. I just lost about 10 inches of movable room. Not a lot but after 5hrs those few inches are very precious. You hate it when someone does it to you, so why would you do it. I think that if everyone put their seats back there wouldn't be a problem. But alas that will never happen. All I ask is that you remember that you have someone behind you and maybe not lean the chair all the way back.
When flying just think of all the things you hate that other people do on flights and try not to do it yourself.
Being on a plane is uncomfortable, unless you have the actual money to fly business or first class. Having flown to France in coach I highly recommend paying the extra money for that first class ticket. Trust me 12hrs in coach you are just about ready to jump out of your skin.
Yet I digress. Most people today don't check their bags, I know I don't. I don't want to pay the $15-$25 fee to check a bag. A fee that didn't used to be there. The problem with everyone bringing a suitcase on the plane is that these people don't pay attention to the appropriate size. Your bag should be able to fit straight in, without having to turn it around to make it fit. When you do that it takes up more room leaving less space for the next person.
But space isn't the only problem with carry on bags. The other problem is that some people take way to long to get in the over head compartment. I'm guessing there are about 400-600 people on a flight depending in the size of the plane. Now take that into consideration the next time you are trying to get your bag up there, being in your own little world holds up the entire line of people still trying to board the plane.
Back in August flying back to California from my school's orientation I had a lot of trouble getting the my suitcase in the over head bin. I luckily had the aisle seat so I moved out of the aisle holding my suitcase in the seat letting the people behind me go by. When it was clear I had a couple of guys help me fit it in the bin.
My point is just be conscious of where you are and of the rest of the people in the plane. The same goes for getting off the plane. I often end up getting a seat near the back of the plane, once I was in the very last row. As a result of being in the back I have to wait forever for the people in front of me to get grab their stuff and get out. But I honestly I think there is a no real way to get off the plane any faster except just try to get your bags as quickly as possible.
Also if you see a person trying to get his or her bag, get out of the way. The last couple of times I've flown I've had a bunch of people standing in the aisle in my way. I couldn't get my bag down without hitting anyone in the head. As a result I ended up holding people up by the time I could get my bag. Here's a tip if you see someone who is obviously trying to make a move in getting their bag before the line moves, try to get out of the way. Shift slightly or better yet stay in your seat. I know you are anxious to get out but trust me unless you are in the front of the plane you aren't going anywhere.
My other pet peeve is people who take forever to get their bags, why are you taking so long? Unless you have kids or are old and can't move as well as you used to then you have no excuse. Get it and get out.
When flying most of my flights have been pretty uneventful but there is still the occasional horror stories. My friends and my own mom who fly way more then me have twice as many stories. The biggest annoyance it is agreed upon is children! Children I've seen can either be really well behaved or really bad behaved. I once had a kid that would not shut up for the entire flight. It was a late night flight and almost 6hrs and I'll I wanted to do was try and sleep. But the Gods were against me and they burdened me with this child. I understand that a young kid is going to be excited to be flying but parents shut them up, PLEASE!
Another time the parents weren't paying any attention to their two kids who were just going crazy. One child kept running up and down the aisle, if he wasn't doing that then he was fighting with his sister over their video game. Finally my mom told the kids to sit down and shut up, the parents didn't take to kindly to that. But they had it coming. So parents you aren't at home you are on a flight with 400 other people.
The next thing that really pisses me off are people take up all the room possible on the seat. What I mean is that there have been a few times I could barely move without really bumping into the person next to me. I've often had people fall asleep and damn near have their heads on my shoulder. That's why I try to get a window or aisle seat a little more room. I once got stuck in the middle and the guy next to me in the aisle seat was doing paperwork or some sort of work. That didn't upset me, what pissed me off was when he fell asleep he didn't bother to put any of the work away. So here I am stuck in the middle can't move because the guy has is stuff everywhere and he fell asleep right when I had to go to the bathroom. I hate waking people up I always feel guilty. So I didn't, I held it until he finally woke up. 3 hours later.
One final complaint are people who put their seats back. I am almost 5'11'' so you can imagine how uncomfortable it can get. Couple that with someone putting their seats ALL the way back. I just lost about 10 inches of movable room. Not a lot but after 5hrs those few inches are very precious. You hate it when someone does it to you, so why would you do it. I think that if everyone put their seats back there wouldn't be a problem. But alas that will never happen. All I ask is that you remember that you have someone behind you and maybe not lean the chair all the way back.
When flying just think of all the things you hate that other people do on flights and try not to do it yourself.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Art of Flying Part 2
Flying can be a pain in the ass and anyone who has flown would probably agree with me. My last post I talked about buying tickets and connecting flights, this post I'll cover airlines and getting through security without holding everybody up.
I've flown on a good number of airlines over the years, some aren't around anymore. A lot has changed over the years. For instance you used to get a whole a can of soda and not just a small cup, snack used to be free, and there used to be free movies.
I recently flew on U.S Airways and Delta and Southwest. Of the three Southwest was my favorite. I was a little surprised myself, I don't care much for the airline. You can't pick your seats before hand and as someone once described it, it's like they are herding you in like cattle. This time we got to be in the first letter that they called, so I got to be in the front of the plane. What I liked about it this time is that I got more than one drink and lots of snacks.
U.S Airways wasn't bad and the flight was pretty short. Delta on the other hand I really wanted to kick their ass. When I was checking in online to print our boarding passes I was able to do U.S Airways no problem. When I got to Delta the first flight wouldn't let me pick the seats because we were coming on a different airline first. I didn't know what to do so I called my mom at work and she called the airline for me. They weren't going to give us seats until she told them "I do a lot of flying and if I have this problem every time, then I can guaranty I won't fly with you again." That had them changing their tunes real quick. One problem solved.
I get back online to print the boarding passes but it wont let me, again because I was coming on a different airline. I had to talk to them twice to be sure and Delta wouldn't even let me print them at LAX it had to be done at Phoenix. They also told me that I wouldn't have to go through security again. Guess what? I did. Delta was in a completely different terminal that involved stepping out of the airport. My dad and I only had an hour, I was worried that it would take too long. We had to take a shuttle, print the tickets, and go through security. Getting the tickets was easy and luckily security wasn't that bad.
I get that you have certain policies but it's ridiculous that just because you are flying on a different airline first you can't get your boarding pass before you leave your house. What would have happened if my first flight had been late? In all likelihood we would have missed our connecting flight.
There is no airline I love, all of them have problems and until this trip I didn't mind Delta so much. No airline is perfect and there is always going to be some complaint. When I flew United Airlines last summer I kept thinking of that song on youtube by Dave Carroll "United Breaks Guitars".
I mentioned security a minute ago and that is one thing that always slows me down. Holidays are the worst time to fly. Everyone is flying. The added security doesn't help. Can't have shoes on, no belts, and no liquids over 3oz. It wouldn't be so bad if people would actually listen to what you are supposed to do. So here are my guide tips:
1) Always have your ID out and ready to go. Sometimes the lines go fast.
2) Try to get your laptop out and ready before you have to put it on the conveyor belt.
3) Be sure to take of sweater, jacket, or hoody.
4) If you have a backpack it doesn't have to placed in a bin just lay it on the belt like your suitcase.
5) Please get rid of any water bottles before you even get in the airport. I have seen at least one person in every line forget the liquid rule.
6) Put your shoes, belt, sweater, and any other small items in the same bin. Saves room and saves time.
7) Try to avoid being behind families, families with small children that is. The parents are trying to control their kids and get through security at the same time. They slow everyone down.
8) Grab your stuff and MOVE out of the way. You can fix everything somewhere else. The bathroom for instance. I walk a little where there aren't many people and put my stuff together. When you just stand right where your stuff comes out you are blocking everyone else who may have to run to catch their flight.
9) When you pick a line pay attention when it's moving. It's like being in a line for a ride, there is always someone who is in their own little world who just leaves a big gap before they realize the line is moving.
10) If you see that the line is long and is taking forever then PLEASE do your best to move quickly and not hold up the people behind you. Oh! pay close attention to your stuff. I almost lost my wallet, computer, and one lady tried to take my sweater because she thought it was hers.
Hope you enjoyed and can possibly relate to.
I've flown on a good number of airlines over the years, some aren't around anymore. A lot has changed over the years. For instance you used to get a whole a can of soda and not just a small cup, snack used to be free, and there used to be free movies.
I recently flew on U.S Airways and Delta and Southwest. Of the three Southwest was my favorite. I was a little surprised myself, I don't care much for the airline. You can't pick your seats before hand and as someone once described it, it's like they are herding you in like cattle. This time we got to be in the first letter that they called, so I got to be in the front of the plane. What I liked about it this time is that I got more than one drink and lots of snacks.
U.S Airways wasn't bad and the flight was pretty short. Delta on the other hand I really wanted to kick their ass. When I was checking in online to print our boarding passes I was able to do U.S Airways no problem. When I got to Delta the first flight wouldn't let me pick the seats because we were coming on a different airline first. I didn't know what to do so I called my mom at work and she called the airline for me. They weren't going to give us seats until she told them "I do a lot of flying and if I have this problem every time, then I can guaranty I won't fly with you again." That had them changing their tunes real quick. One problem solved.
I get back online to print the boarding passes but it wont let me, again because I was coming on a different airline. I had to talk to them twice to be sure and Delta wouldn't even let me print them at LAX it had to be done at Phoenix. They also told me that I wouldn't have to go through security again. Guess what? I did. Delta was in a completely different terminal that involved stepping out of the airport. My dad and I only had an hour, I was worried that it would take too long. We had to take a shuttle, print the tickets, and go through security. Getting the tickets was easy and luckily security wasn't that bad.
I get that you have certain policies but it's ridiculous that just because you are flying on a different airline first you can't get your boarding pass before you leave your house. What would have happened if my first flight had been late? In all likelihood we would have missed our connecting flight.
There is no airline I love, all of them have problems and until this trip I didn't mind Delta so much. No airline is perfect and there is always going to be some complaint. When I flew United Airlines last summer I kept thinking of that song on youtube by Dave Carroll "United Breaks Guitars".
I mentioned security a minute ago and that is one thing that always slows me down. Holidays are the worst time to fly. Everyone is flying. The added security doesn't help. Can't have shoes on, no belts, and no liquids over 3oz. It wouldn't be so bad if people would actually listen to what you are supposed to do. So here are my guide tips:
1) Always have your ID out and ready to go. Sometimes the lines go fast.
2) Try to get your laptop out and ready before you have to put it on the conveyor belt.
3) Be sure to take of sweater, jacket, or hoody.
4) If you have a backpack it doesn't have to placed in a bin just lay it on the belt like your suitcase.
5) Please get rid of any water bottles before you even get in the airport. I have seen at least one person in every line forget the liquid rule.
6) Put your shoes, belt, sweater, and any other small items in the same bin. Saves room and saves time.
7) Try to avoid being behind families, families with small children that is. The parents are trying to control their kids and get through security at the same time. They slow everyone down.
8) Grab your stuff and MOVE out of the way. You can fix everything somewhere else. The bathroom for instance. I walk a little where there aren't many people and put my stuff together. When you just stand right where your stuff comes out you are blocking everyone else who may have to run to catch their flight.
9) When you pick a line pay attention when it's moving. It's like being in a line for a ride, there is always someone who is in their own little world who just leaves a big gap before they realize the line is moving.
10) If you see that the line is long and is taking forever then PLEASE do your best to move quickly and not hold up the people behind you. Oh! pay close attention to your stuff. I almost lost my wallet, computer, and one lady tried to take my sweater because she thought it was hers.
Hope you enjoyed and can possibly relate to.
The Art of Flying Part 1
A couple of weeks ago I flew to Pennsylvania for my sister's graduation (she got her masters) and it was adventure just getting there.
My mother was in charge of buying the tickets and in traditional fashion she waited till pretty much the last minute to get them. Now I have done a lot of flying over the years and as such I've gotten kind of good at finding a decent ticket. I've discovered two things, 1) if you try to buy to early the price is going to be high and 2) of course is that too late it will be expensive. There is about a two week window where the price is going to be reasonable and if you are lucky you'll get a non stop flight.
Which brings me to the next part of flying. If you want a non stop flight you can pretty much forget it, chances are you're going to have to have a connecting flight. Most people (myself included) go the traditional route of getting connecting flights because it's cheaper, but not always easier. If a non stop flight is not that much more than a connecting flight then put the crowbar to your wallet and pay the extra, especially if you really need to get where you are going on time.
For this particular flight I had not one but two connecting flights on two different airlines. My mom was, up till recently unemployed and it was around the graduation that there was a good possibility that she would get one. Turns out she did. The bad part was the fact that she had to go to Minnesota. So while she was looking for a flight she discovered that my dad and I could end up on the same flight as hers leaving from Minneapolis to Philadelphia. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that? Having one connecting flights is stressful enough but two? Well I just smiled and said sure, it would after all make it easier on my sister to pick us all up at the same time.
Connections are tricky because you are constantly worried that your going to miss the flight if your first plane is late. I have missed them and I've known lots of people who have missed them. My best tip is this, if you have a connection then try to give yourself enough time to make it. That way if your plane is late there's still some wiggle room.
For this trip I had about an hour between each flight and mercifully each of my flights was on time and so I made each one. Of course no one wants to sit in a airport for several hours waiting for the next flight. It's boring, uncomfortable, your tired, and all you want to do is get there already.
Finding flights are hard and more likely than not you're going to pick the flight that is the cheapest one, and that's okay, why spend a fortune when you don't have to. All I suggest is that when looking for a flight shop around. Expedia and others like it aren't always the best option, there have been a couple times that I have gotten a better deal through the airline. Also if you can help it get a non stop flight. If you can't just pay attention to the times in between each flight.
My mother was in charge of buying the tickets and in traditional fashion she waited till pretty much the last minute to get them. Now I have done a lot of flying over the years and as such I've gotten kind of good at finding a decent ticket. I've discovered two things, 1) if you try to buy to early the price is going to be high and 2) of course is that too late it will be expensive. There is about a two week window where the price is going to be reasonable and if you are lucky you'll get a non stop flight.
Which brings me to the next part of flying. If you want a non stop flight you can pretty much forget it, chances are you're going to have to have a connecting flight. Most people (myself included) go the traditional route of getting connecting flights because it's cheaper, but not always easier. If a non stop flight is not that much more than a connecting flight then put the crowbar to your wallet and pay the extra, especially if you really need to get where you are going on time.
For this particular flight I had not one but two connecting flights on two different airlines. My mom was, up till recently unemployed and it was around the graduation that there was a good possibility that she would get one. Turns out she did. The bad part was the fact that she had to go to Minnesota. So while she was looking for a flight she discovered that my dad and I could end up on the same flight as hers leaving from Minneapolis to Philadelphia. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that? Having one connecting flights is stressful enough but two? Well I just smiled and said sure, it would after all make it easier on my sister to pick us all up at the same time.
Connections are tricky because you are constantly worried that your going to miss the flight if your first plane is late. I have missed them and I've known lots of people who have missed them. My best tip is this, if you have a connection then try to give yourself enough time to make it. That way if your plane is late there's still some wiggle room.
For this trip I had about an hour between each flight and mercifully each of my flights was on time and so I made each one. Of course no one wants to sit in a airport for several hours waiting for the next flight. It's boring, uncomfortable, your tired, and all you want to do is get there already.
Finding flights are hard and more likely than not you're going to pick the flight that is the cheapest one, and that's okay, why spend a fortune when you don't have to. All I suggest is that when looking for a flight shop around. Expedia and others like it aren't always the best option, there have been a couple times that I have gotten a better deal through the airline. Also if you can help it get a non stop flight. If you can't just pay attention to the times in between each flight.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The annoying household T.V critics
I am one of those people who watch a lot of T.V, far more then a person should. From an early age the T.V was my babysitter and mostly watched to relieve the boredom of summer. At one point or another there's a show that I watch everyday of the week.
There are quite a few shows that I hate or simply don't care for, yet I try to keep my mouth shut when I'm around people who do like them. Although it doesn't always happen the best thing I can do is leave the room if something I don't like is on. Or if I'm a guest just grin and bear it, that's how I ended up watching several hours of South Park. My point is that I hate people who criticize what I watch so I try not to do it.
My father is one of those people who has at least one negative thing to say about all of the shows that I and my mom watch. This coming from a man who's favorite show is the Amazing Race. I can't watch anything without him adding his two cents. Even shows that he claims he likes he'll have something to say.
For instance, I would watch the reruns of Charmed and Gilmore Girls and my dad would watch with me. With Gilmore Girls he would say that the daughter was a better actress then the mother and with Charmed he would say that the acting just never got to the level it could, i.e. the acting never got better. His favorite pet peeve his when shows have narration, in his eyes they are pointless and serve no purpose. I think that's true to an extent. His other problem is the music played in an episode, that to him is also pointless. I admit that a lot of the times the music selected can be truly awful but I also know that half the time it's used as filler.
My mom and I really like the show NCIS and my mom likes Criminal Minds. I had never seen Criminal Minds before and it's not all that bad . Anyway these shows are reruned all the time and with nothing else on we watch a lot of the shows episodes. Well my dad HATES them and every time it's on without fail he'll say something. Sometimes he just groans.
I get that with just about any show there are going to be a few things wrong and down right unbelievable, it is one of the reasons why I don't watch CSI, to may inaccuracies. But that's T.V, everything is dramatized, it is fiction after all. If it was completely , 100 % right then I'm guessing most people aren't going to tune in. We want to take a break from life and just enjoy are favorite show. Yet how can I do that if every 5 seconds I have someone nit picking the show.
Even when the show isn't on my father will have something to say and after awhile it gets really annoying not to mention frustrating. I'm sometimes to the point where I want to take the remote and bash his head in. Of course I would never do that and I just bite my tongue. It's just the way he is and there's nothing I can do about it.
So for all those out there who are like my dad, please shut up! We like what we like and it takes the fun out of watching it if we have someone in the background complaining and pointing out everything that is wrong. If you don't like it when we do it to you then don't do it to us.
There are quite a few shows that I hate or simply don't care for, yet I try to keep my mouth shut when I'm around people who do like them. Although it doesn't always happen the best thing I can do is leave the room if something I don't like is on. Or if I'm a guest just grin and bear it, that's how I ended up watching several hours of South Park. My point is that I hate people who criticize what I watch so I try not to do it.
My father is one of those people who has at least one negative thing to say about all of the shows that I and my mom watch. This coming from a man who's favorite show is the Amazing Race. I can't watch anything without him adding his two cents. Even shows that he claims he likes he'll have something to say.
For instance, I would watch the reruns of Charmed and Gilmore Girls and my dad would watch with me. With Gilmore Girls he would say that the daughter was a better actress then the mother and with Charmed he would say that the acting just never got to the level it could, i.e. the acting never got better. His favorite pet peeve his when shows have narration, in his eyes they are pointless and serve no purpose. I think that's true to an extent. His other problem is the music played in an episode, that to him is also pointless. I admit that a lot of the times the music selected can be truly awful but I also know that half the time it's used as filler.
My mom and I really like the show NCIS and my mom likes Criminal Minds. I had never seen Criminal Minds before and it's not all that bad . Anyway these shows are reruned all the time and with nothing else on we watch a lot of the shows episodes. Well my dad HATES them and every time it's on without fail he'll say something. Sometimes he just groans.
I get that with just about any show there are going to be a few things wrong and down right unbelievable, it is one of the reasons why I don't watch CSI, to may inaccuracies. But that's T.V, everything is dramatized, it is fiction after all. If it was completely , 100 % right then I'm guessing most people aren't going to tune in. We want to take a break from life and just enjoy are favorite show. Yet how can I do that if every 5 seconds I have someone nit picking the show.
Even when the show isn't on my father will have something to say and after awhile it gets really annoying not to mention frustrating. I'm sometimes to the point where I want to take the remote and bash his head in. Of course I would never do that and I just bite my tongue. It's just the way he is and there's nothing I can do about it.
So for all those out there who are like my dad, please shut up! We like what we like and it takes the fun out of watching it if we have someone in the background complaining and pointing out everything that is wrong. If you don't like it when we do it to you then don't do it to us.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Old School
Growing up I didn't go to your average school. Instead I spent my entire life going to a french american school. All my classes were in french, except U.S history and of course english. The classes were incredibly small and yes this was a private school. I was friends with not just the people in my class but people in grades below and above me, as well as the teachers. One teacher even to this day I consider one of my closest friends.
While I may have gotten a good education in the end it was no sweet picnic. I had bad teachers and I had some really awful students in my class. One girl I was public enemy number one simply because I didn't bow down to her.
I had a chance this past week to visit with my friend the teacher who gave me the latest gossip on the school. I am one of those people who love gossip, but I never spread rumors about people, and never pry into friends business, I just like hearing it.
Anyway since I left the school about five years ago the school has gone straight down the tubes. Now if you're not a student there then it's almost hard to explain just what is wrong with the place. But I'll do my best to explain.
The problem is and always has been is that there has never been anybody there who knows just how to run a school. They have some semblance but no real game plan. The founder of the school who was beloved by just about everyone passed away when I was in the ninth grade and things haven't been the same since. I think she ran the school fairly well, she may not have been perfect but a lot of the stuff that goes on today would never happen if she were still alive.
Since the school has been around the people who run have never fully decided just what kind of school it should be. Meaning first it's a french school only, then it's a bilingual school, then they tried to make it more american, and now it's back to being a french school.
Another great thing that they do is that they hire people for positions that they have no prior experience. Back when I was there the vice principal was someone that everyone hated and never seemed to do her job, she would focus on things that weren't important. It turns out that she used to be the assistant librarian. Now how does someone go from librarian to V.P?
My favorite was this one guy where to this day I have no idea exactly what his job actually was. His only goal in life I think was to coach and play soccer. In that area he was good. I'll give you an example of his stupidity.
I was on the yearbook and my father was the editor, my job was liaison between my dad and the school. Students and faculty began to hate the sight of me, however, I digress. My dad was not only the editor he was also the photographer, because the other staff couldn't be bothered to do it.
The man whom I am talking about who shall be called Bart decided to help by taking pictures of our sports games. I don't know if we asked him or he volunteered. Well Bart would take the pictures he just wouldn't give them to us. I swear to God when I asked him for them he said "you want them now?" or "you need them?" Yeah I need them! They are not going to magically go from your memory card to my computer! Of course I never said that. And if he did get around to taking the pictures and sending them to us, the students would never be identified. We once had a picture of the soccer team but no names, so I gave is back to him along with some other pictures and told him to say who the students are. He gave back the picture a few days later and there were still no names, labeling it the "soccer team." Well duh! I wasn't born yesterday. When I took it back to him yet again he responded with "oh you wanted the names!"
The latest development in this long history of stupidity, is of one guy who is a geography teacher but for the most part is stuck working in the office. He went to the principal aka the Witch and asked if he could be an english teacher when a position opens up. The man actually has a degree in english and so is qualified for the job. Well instead of making him an english teacher the Witch decides to make him a history teacher. The Witch's philosophy is since he taught geography he can teach history it is almost the same thing. The problem is that he has never taught history and has no background in it. Needless to say he's not doing too good right now.
The Witch, my friends have come to realize is a sociopath, I at first thought she was bipolar. She finally managed to get her PH.D, in what I can't remember it only took her 2o years to do. Since she's gotten this PH.D she suddenly thinks she knows everything and uses it to justify her decisions. She's not only the principal but her mother was the founder.
Since graduating many of my friends who were still there but have since graduated themselves all told me how much they hated the school and that it just seems to be getting worse. The latest is that the Witch seems to be forcing out all the teachers that have been there for years. She fired the art teacher who has been there for 10 years, she's trying to get rid of the biology teacher who has been there since I've been alive. Basically all the decent people. My take is that she's doing it so she can build a new regime. An empire in her image. Too bad she hasn't gotten the memo that most students hate it there and a large number of them transfer or that most teachers she hires never stay longer than 3 years.
I could go on but I think you get the gist of what goes on. For me it's really sad, a school that used to be good is now just a pale image of what is used to be. I don't think things will ever change it's only going to get worse.
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