Jim Stillman
NevarI really am a Curmudgeon, I guess
July 8th 2007 12:57
I am firmly ensconced in the mid-twentieth century. Apparently graduation from college and law school made my social development cease.
For example, even after reading a number of essays on point, I still do not understand “Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie”. I don’t have a Chevy, do not live near a levee (I do know people named Levy, but that’s probably not the same) and aren’t levees supposed to be “dry”?
I have a cellular telephone with which I can communicate with anyone on the planet who has a telephone; it does not play music, take pictures, access the Internet or give me directions on how to get to a Chinese restaurant. That’s OK; all I really want and expect the thing to do is enable me to call my wife when I go shopping to see what size can of something she expects me to bring home. (I’ll bring the wrong thing, anyway.)
I recently bought an I-Pod for a son-in-law’s birthday. It can store and play 5000 songs. I don’t know 5000 songs and, as far as I can tell, current music has no understandable lyrics (“”Baby, Baby. Oh, oh, oh. Repeated twelve times). (My friend, Bob, would make an exception for “Louis, Louie” but I am not so sure.) The thing has a capacity of a number of GB or gigabytes. I thought a gigabyte was something like a hickey which I do recall from high school days.
As to music, I saw the Tony Bennett special on television a while ago. Glory, I understood all of the words and they even made sense. There is a vast difference between pop music and Cole Porter and the Gershwin brothers. I prefer the latter.
All of this is a preface to my main complaint. I had always taken the position that “middle age” was ten years beyond where I was at the time. I’m not sure of that anymore, either! I think I am on the verge of old age, and I am not happy. At 72, I am not asked for ID when I buy beer, even when I bring this to the attention of the 12 year old at the check-out.
The other day I saw a Hillsborough county Deputy Sheriff who, I swear, was 14 or at least he looked that age. I recently saw a Florida State Trooper, a blond “girl” with belt, weapon and assorted gear that weighed more than she. Another teen! When did police officers get to be so darn young? Are they wearing their fathers’ uniform?
I am getting more and more crotchety.
While I am a libertarian-liberal-progressi ve politically, I am getting exasperated by the need by young people to look bizarre. Piercing, tattoos, purple hair? I know that every generation does things to express themselves and, a bonus, to annoy the older generation, but tattoos and tongue piercing seems a bit extreme.
I know, and am related to, a sweet 21 year old who has tattoos, piercing, strange hair, and then wonders why she cannot find a job. A clue: businesses are owned and hiring decisions made by old fogeys like me and we don’t see anything beautiful about defacing yourself. And your tattoos are going to look really silly when they start to sag in thirty years or so.
I find myself yearning for a simpler time. A friend wrote me that he looked back to a day when, quoting Lewis Grizzard, "coke was something you drank and being gay meant you were happy".
I don't need 200 cable channels, since I only watch a few, and I don't need more news stations, since most of it is repetitive and just pisses me off anyway. There simply isn’t enough “breaking news" to warrant 24/7 coverage by CNN or MSNBC – and don’t get me started by mentioning the Fox News Channel.
I'm tired of having to mute the commercials because they are too loud and scream for my attention regarding something I have no interest in buying anyway.
I’m tired of comedy programs on television that assume by saying or inferring a dirty word, I will find it amusing. In truth, I find it pathetic. Honestly, I have heard all of the nasty words before and do not need them snickered about on television.
I feel so much better now.
I have gotten this stuff off my chest.
This was my first real Orble post so it’s sort of autobiographical. From now on, probably, I will talk about politics, world affairs and other weighty topics. But for now, this is what I am stewing about.
Oh yes, I’ll probably write about the extraordinary children and grandchildren with which I am blessed.
For example, even after reading a number of essays on point, I still do not understand “Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie”. I don’t have a Chevy, do not live near a levee (I do know people named Levy, but that’s probably not the same) and aren’t levees supposed to be “dry”?
I have a cellular telephone with which I can communicate with anyone on the planet who has a telephone; it does not play music, take pictures, access the Internet or give me directions on how to get to a Chinese restaurant. That’s OK; all I really want and expect the thing to do is enable me to call my wife when I go shopping to see what size can of something she expects me to bring home. (I’ll bring the wrong thing, anyway.)
I recently bought an I-Pod for a son-in-law’s birthday. It can store and play 5000 songs. I don’t know 5000 songs and, as far as I can tell, current music has no understandable lyrics (“”Baby, Baby. Oh, oh, oh. Repeated twelve times). (My friend, Bob, would make an exception for “Louis, Louie” but I am not so sure.) The thing has a capacity of a number of GB or gigabytes. I thought a gigabyte was something like a hickey which I do recall from high school days.
As to music, I saw the Tony Bennett special on television a while ago. Glory, I understood all of the words and they even made sense. There is a vast difference between pop music and Cole Porter and the Gershwin brothers. I prefer the latter.
All of this is a preface to my main complaint. I had always taken the position that “middle age” was ten years beyond where I was at the time. I’m not sure of that anymore, either! I think I am on the verge of old age, and I am not happy. At 72, I am not asked for ID when I buy beer, even when I bring this to the attention of the 12 year old at the check-out.
The other day I saw a Hillsborough county Deputy Sheriff who, I swear, was 14 or at least he looked that age. I recently saw a Florida State Trooper, a blond “girl” with belt, weapon and assorted gear that weighed more than she. Another teen! When did police officers get to be so darn young? Are they wearing their fathers’ uniform?
I am getting more and more crotchety.
While I am a libertarian-liberal-progressi ve politically, I am getting exasperated by the need by young people to look bizarre. Piercing, tattoos, purple hair? I know that every generation does things to express themselves and, a bonus, to annoy the older generation, but tattoos and tongue piercing seems a bit extreme.
I know, and am related to, a sweet 21 year old who has tattoos, piercing, strange hair, and then wonders why she cannot find a job. A clue: businesses are owned and hiring decisions made by old fogeys like me and we don’t see anything beautiful about defacing yourself. And your tattoos are going to look really silly when they start to sag in thirty years or so.
I find myself yearning for a simpler time. A friend wrote me that he looked back to a day when, quoting Lewis Grizzard, "coke was something you drank and being gay meant you were happy".
I don't need 200 cable channels, since I only watch a few, and I don't need more news stations, since most of it is repetitive and just pisses me off anyway. There simply isn’t enough “breaking news" to warrant 24/7 coverage by CNN or MSNBC – and don’t get me started by mentioning the Fox News Channel.
I'm tired of having to mute the commercials because they are too loud and scream for my attention regarding something I have no interest in buying anyway.
I’m tired of comedy programs on television that assume by saying or inferring a dirty word, I will find it amusing. In truth, I find it pathetic. Honestly, I have heard all of the nasty words before and do not need them snickered about on television.
I feel so much better now.
I have gotten this stuff off my chest.
This was my first real Orble post so it’s sort of autobiographical. From now on, probably, I will talk about politics, world affairs and other weighty topics. But for now, this is what I am stewing about.
Oh yes, I’ll probably write about the extraordinary children and grandchildren with which I am blessed.
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Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
You are right, levee's are supposed to be dry, as an embankment built to stop a river flooding, one would hope they are dry. Which leads to my own gripe, so many song lyrics using words that I doubt they know the meaning of; they just like the sound of the word and throw it in. Wrong!
Your opinions are noted and one thing i'll say about curmudgeons is; a lot of them have integrity.
Personally, i loathe politics, but I look forward to hearing about your family.
~Lily
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Family is good. Politics are horrible.
Other than your hatred of purple hair, tattoos, and piercings, you seem cool, so... welcome.
Comment by youranter
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
Comment by Anonymous
Love, Jess
Comment by Jim Stillman