Who's Living in a Fantasy World?

With the recent Hobbit movie in theaters, I've been hearing a lot of geek chatter lately. I enjoy Fantasy and Science Fiction movies so I would classify myself in the Nerd / Geek category at times although I don't own any hobbit feet or Vulcan ears, and have not named any of my kids Legolas.

I think the stereotypical guys in their 30's living in their parents basement who are consumed with Fantasy role playing games get a bad rap. I know it's easy to label those who show up for movies looking like this and say they are living in a fantasy world.

But...before you go pointing fingers and accusing people like this of not being in touch with reality, I'd like to point out that there is a worse offender who has been getting off the hook for years.

I think it is actually more likely that a wizard would appear to you to send you on a quest with a magical sword and several companions to defeat a dark lord than it is that Fabio is going to show up at some housewife's doorstep with a rose in his mouth.

So who is the worse offender of living in a fantasy world, your middle earth enthusiasts or the regular Harlequin romance reader? Just a thought.

Winter Expectations

We recently got our first real snow storm of the year and it is interesting to see the different reactions people have to the weather.

My friends who ski and enjoy spending time outside this time of year are very excited. These winter enthusiasts see the upcoming months as opportunities for recreation, holiday fun, and time with friends and family. Their optimistic attitudes resemble the beautiful winter scene to the left.

I have heard others express fear of driving on icy roads or having their heating bills shoot through the roof. Some view the winter as being symbolic of earth's death. They associate it with cold temperatures, decreased sunlight, increased financial strain, dirty snow, and depression.

I try to be a glass half full guy, but I have to admit I can easily relate to those in the second group. If I could get away for a month up to a warm cabin and sit around watching videos and drinking hot chocolate with my family without any financial concerns, then I would be much more excited about winter.

Rather than be a party-pooper, I am going to try to have a good attitude over the next several months knowing that we will eventually have warmer weather, more sunlight, green grass and leaves again instead of the great desolation which is now upon us. Happy Winter. Let the count down for Spring begin!

What Happened?

I am in shock. I just realized I have not written a blog post since July! What happened? I used to have so many topics and ideas I was excited about.  It feels like it was just yesterday that I enjoyed regular blogging but I have been under such stress over the past year that I have become neglectful.

My creative juices have been dried up for some time now and I really struggle with coming up with fun topics since ideas don't flow like they used to. I used to make fun of people with blogs who did not post at least once a week but I have slowly turned into the person I used to mock.

If you take a peak to the right column you can see in the archive how much I blogged in the past. Last year really slowed down and 2013 has been nothing short of pathetic. I originally blamed the decreased activity and interest on competitive social media but I new deep down inside I was the reason....or was I. Who left who? Did I abandon my blog or did my blog forsake me?

I'm not saying my blog bears all of the responsibility, but if it didn't exist none of this would have happened in the first place. I've checked in on it regularly for years but it never reciprocates. I'm not even looking for a 50/50 commitment. I'd be happy if I could just get 10% back from Chaka's World, but some people and entities are just take, take, take. Maybe I should rename it "The Black Hole" since it just sucks the life and light out of me. Why did I ever start a blog? Did I really think it was possible for one man to stay on top of this? What started out as a cute peeping chick has since turned into a malignant monstrosity of pain and anguish.

Kids, just do yourselves a favor and stay in school and don't ever blog. Just say no when Blogger or WordPress makes that first offer. It may start out fun and exciting but over time it just doesn't satisfy you and then one day you wake up naked in a dumpster asking yourself "what happened?"

Damn You Chaka's World!  Damn You!

Over-Reacting News Commenters

Sometimes when I watch or read the news it makes me crazy when I see what is happening in the world but it is even more frustrating when I read the comments posted by all the arm chair quarterbacks who have to weigh in with their two cents one each news article. That's the nice thing about having a blog. I could never get away with posting a comment this long on a news website.

Last week in the news someone found a two year old wandering outside alone and the police could not locate his parents for several hours. Many of the commenters were chiming in about how mad they were and how the parents should be in jail and that some people should not be able to have children, etc. I think little toddlers wandering around alone is a dangerous thing, but before we call for a public lynching of the parents it would be wise to find out exactly what happened.

It turns out that the toddler snuck outside after the mother left that morning and the others in the house who usually watch him thought the mother had taken him with her. Luckily they were safely reunited and it ended up being just an embarrassing misunderstanding. People were quick to criticize and condemn the mother before they even knew what happened.

I also can't believe how many people are so quick to react to news by demanding new rules and laws anytime something bad happens. Last week a boy scout was run over and killed at a local camp while he was collecting garbage with the camp staff. After reading the article I noticed some people commented that the scouts should implement rules that require having adults on each side of a pickup that carries the garbage and walk alongside it like the secret service would in a parade route. That may be a safer option but requiring two adults to accompany the truck driver and those collecting the trash seemed a little reactionary to me.

I think the accident was tragic and it is very sad, but it was an accident and accidents will unfortunately continue to happen no matter how careful we are or how many rules we make.

When I hear about parents leaving kids alone in cars in the summer with the windows rolled up or leaving a baby unattended in a car while they go to a movie, I think they should have the book thrown at them, but I'm tired of seeing people react with extreme criticism towards people who have occasional mishaps, accidents, or misunderstandings.

Accidents happen. I have several friends who have shared stories with me how their parents had accidentally left a sibling behind somewhere when they were on vacation or traveling and didn't realize it until half an hour later. This does not make their parents bad. It makes them human.

If we used today's criteria to judge our parents or people who lived hundreds of years ago, they would probably be deemed as unfit neglectful parents since they allowed their kids to do all kinds of dangerous things. I'm sure any pioneer who let their children cross the plains with them would have them taken away by D.C.F.S. with today's standards. I am not suggesting we go back to times of children working in mines and running around in the streets like in Oliver, but from what I can tell from that movie, kids were not only tougher back then, they were also better singers and dancers than kids today.

I am always telling my kids to be careful, settle down, or be quiet. I sometimes feel like I am putting a wet blanket on their fun. Some might consider me a protective parent, yet even I think the seat belt / bike helmet / hand sanitizer / playground removal police seem to be getting more powerful and popular every day. Past generations would probably laugh at how we have become such a wimpy society.

I'm starting to ramble but I guess my point is that mistakes, accidents, and bad things will always happen in life. I think it is wise to have safety procedures and implement safety guidelines, but let's try to deal with them intelligently and not freak out and have a knee jerk reaction of trying to insulate everyone from life anytime something bad happens.

Photoshop Favorites

Since I don't have anything of substance to write today, I thought I'd at least share some of my favorite photoshop pictures that I've found on the Internet.

Creating Controversy

I have always tried hard to not make waves on this blog, but today I'd like to speak my mind. I'm not going to share my opinion on gay marriage, abortion, religion, or politics, but rather some other topics that I am equally passionate about. I may step on some toes and offend readers but I don't care, I've got to express how I really feel about the following topics.

Cool Ranch Doritos- I love Doritos...unless they come in a blue package. Cool ranch is an abomination. Taco Bell spraying the magic cool ranch dust on their tacos does nothing for me. It's either nacho cheese or nothing for me. While I'm on the topic or ranch, let me just say that ranch dressing is way over-rated. I think it's fine on salad, or for dipping vegetables, but I see teens dipping bread, pizza, and all manner of food into ranch dressing. Take it easy people.

Skateboarding- I know this will sound very judgemental, but I have always considered skateboarding to be a loitering sport and I don't just say that because I suck at it. When I see kids hanging out with skateboards they give off some bad vibes to me and I think it is just a matter of time until jumping over steps escalates to vandalizing stuff.

Bartering- I can't stand haggling in order to buy a product. If I have to go to a foreign country I don't worry about the language or my security nearly as much as I worry about having to barter and negotiate purchases. Some people love to bargain with a vendor and talk down the purchase price. I feel it is a meaningless victory and a waste of time. Let's not play games.

Seafood- I am not ashamed to admit I am scared of large bodies of water and don't care to eat anything that comes out of them either. I don't get what the big deal is about lobster, crab, and fish. Stuff like mussels, squid, and oysters take it up a notch and just make seafood that much more disgusting.

Golf- I should probably not criticize golf until I try it, but it just seems so boring, expensive, and time consuming. Golf is to America what fox hunting is to England. I know it takes concentration and is a mental game but I'd be more apt to watch it if the "athletes" actually worked up a sweat during the event. Even ping pong players move around more than golfers.

Health Food Stores- I was going to buy my wife a $25 gift card at a health food store until I realized they didn't have any merchandise under $25. I appreciate people making healthier food choices, but I sometimes question if some of the organic, gluten free, etc. products are just an excuse to charge double. I wonder how many products in a health food store are not really that healthy and are just riding on the coat tails or the reputation the health food store has.

YouTube comment trolls- I can't stand the comments cocky punks leave while watching videos. Any athletic event I see always has people bragging in the comments section about how they are so much faster or better than the athlete being featured. Guess what kid on the 10th grade track team? Nobody cares how fast your time is for the 100 meter sprint so don't brag about your accomplishments. If you want to tell people how great you are then post your own video!

Ripped Muscle Shirts- When I go to the gym I occasionally see guys wearing a sorry excuse for a shirt. I understand it's the gym so I don't have a problem if a guy wants to wear a tank top or a tight muscle shirt, or even a wife beater to show off their muscles, but when they wear the tank top with spaghetti straps that is ripped down both sides and completely open it drives me nuts. Just take your shirt off dude.

Black Licorice- How do some people like this? I have dear friends and loved ones and I have seen them put black licorice in their mouths. Why? What can I do to help them? I've heard some people claim it is a healthy treat. It may be healthy but it is not a treat.

If you were planning on skateboarding in your ripped tank top today and then later enjoying an all you can eat shrimp buffet before you settle down with a bag of black licorice, I'm afraid I have probably offended you. The nice thing about decreased readership is that there are far fewer of you to offend now.

Thrift Stores- Making Me Feel guilty

Yesterday my daughter asked me to take her to Deseret Industries which is a local humanitarian thrift store. She was looking for some clothes and prides herself on getting good deals. I have never liked thrift stores. I always get depressed when I'm in one and that in turn makes me feel guilty as if I think I am better than people at those stores. That is not the case.

It's not like I shop at Beverly Hills and am into brand names. I would never buy Ray-Ban sunglasses. I get mine at the dollar store. I am fine with generic food and clothes and am probably 15 years behind the times when it comes to style so why do I have such an aversion to thrift stores?

I regularly give donations to this store. I think it provides good employment opportunities and helps many people in the community, but I just get so depressed if I ever go inside. While I was waiting for my daughter I decided to browse around and that just made matters worse.

I came across this treadmill in the lawn and garden section. It was on sale for $15. At first I thought it was made for a doll because it weighed about 10 pounds and I'm pretty sure if I stepped on it my feet would break through the wooden rollers. It came with a speedometer gauge and what looks like a countdown kitchen timer mounted to it. I feel bad for the person that bought this originally and tried using it. It was not really a treadmill, but rather a symbolic representation of one.

I decided to head back where my daughter was, and on my way I came across the the picture below. What on earth is this? It's a bunch of rusty wires and cables coming out of a metal box. Who would buy this? Seeing garbage on display just makes me depressed. If I were on an island with no supplies like Tom Hanks in Castaway then I might possibly find some use for this, BUT I'M NOT!

If you have something you no longer use then my hat is off to you for donating it, but don't donate garbage. I am all about re-using and re-cycling, but when I see garbage that belongs in the dump on shelves it just smothers my soul. What makes matters worse is when I see people so excited to buy that which I consider to be junk. Some of the shoppers I saw were collecting things like old decorations, a clock that was missing a hand, and old VHS tapes. My experience there made your average yard sale look like a Sotheby's Auction.

I am probably going to go to Hell for coming across as condescending and too proud to shop at thrift stores, but I can't lie about how severely depressed I get when I am exposed to the merchandise in them. I know of many wealthy people who shop at thrift stores and I understand you can get 5 times as many clothes there than you could at Target or some other retail store for the same price. Many of the items that are donated are in great condition and work well, but it's just all the junk I see that brings me down. Maybe I just happen to see the worst of things whenever I've been there. At any rate, I plan to keep on donating to thrift stores but I can not afford to have my mood messed up by going inside.