With that in mind, I wanted to open this up to others who may want to contribute their own rants and share some of how they feel about the world. If this is you, please drop me a line via comment or email and lets talk about your contributions.

~ranter

Too big for Lincoln University?

Hey fatty; yes you, the one with more lard in your ass than a micro-bus, you’re going to have to work just a little harder to get your college degree from Lincoln University in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania because good grades are no longer good enough. That’s right, this “Historically Black University that combines the best Elements of a liberal arts and sciences” is leading the charge in the battle against obesity by requiring all students with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, which generally defines obesity, to take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Don’t complete the class? Don’t graduate.

As students who entered Lincoln in 2006 approach their graduation, the controversy regarding this requirement is reaching new heights, with the best quotes seemingly coming from Tiana Lawson, 21, who doesn’t understand why the fitness requirement would be only for those that are fit today – “why would they want some people to be more healthy than others?” In case you didn’t guess, Lawson has also recently learned that she will be required to take the fitness class as her BMI exceeds the threshold.

“I didn’t come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range,” Lawson wrote. “I came here to get an education which, as a three-time honor student, is something I have been doing quite well, despite the fact that I have a slightly high Body Mass Index.”

The University’s response is about as you would expect with James DeBoy, the chairman of the school’s Department of Health and Physical Education saying that the requirement is just like courses to help with communications or math. Unfortunately, DeBoy is leaving out the fact that needing help in math is a technical issue and someone’s weight is a personal one, but hey, that’s a different rant all together. LeBoy goes on to say:

“We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals.”

It’s likely that it’s only a matter of time before the ACLU gets involved, because this certainly seems like Lincoln University is taking an intrusive role in trying to control how their students live their life.  Where do you sit on this debate?  Would you graduate?

Ranter

Everyone feels like they deserve something from someone else even when it was their own stupid fault.  Remember many years ago the person that sued McDonalds because her coffee was “Hot?”  They got coffee at the drive through and placed it between their legs (I guess they didn’t have cup holders back in the stone age.)  Short story is, the coffee spilled and they sued.

Yeah.  We all thought it was a joke, and silly, but that person ended up getting a lot of money for it.   And to be fair, the facts of the case showed she received THIRD DEGREE burns from the fucking coffee!

Well case in point.  I go regularly to a neighborhood coffee shop.  It’s a nice little mom and pop store doing pretty well even though there is a Starbucks right across 32nd.  Great atmosphere… Local indie bands on the weekends.  Free WiFi.  Actually, the owners are a couple of 30 somethings just out of college.  Good for them!  Owning their own business.  Anyways, a few months ago, a young up-and -coming professional, you know the type.  Wearing dockers and a short sleeved shirt planning what they will be doing with all the money they make as the next Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Bernie Madoff, while they are probably still living with their parents.

Anyways, this guy comes in chatting away on his Blue-tooth phone (so he looks like the Borg with that ear piece but acts like that crazy guy you see in Times Square talking to “the invisible people”) while pressing like a mad monkey on his iPhone-type device, with his laptop tucked under his arm and a messenger bag across his back.   He walks up to the counter and rudely orders a cup of coffee while not even bothering to stop or pause his conversation on his BT phone.  He takes his cup pays the cashier, and goes to fill it from the coffee jugs.  He doesn’t stop talking, nor does he try to put down his laptop under his arm and has his phone/pda in the same hand as the cup.  You can see whats coming, can’t you?    Well, to make a long story short(er) as he is filling his cup, his phone slips.  He reaches to get it and his laptop slips.  This all starts a comical chain reaction that ends up with him dropping his phone and laptop.  The laptop screen breaks off and slides across the floor.  The coffee ends up all over his pants and in the melee he ends up knocking over the table holding all of the coffee jugs.  He’s screaming at the store staff while they are desperately trying to mitigate the total disaster this guy has brought into their store.    He winds up leaving after hurling several choice words at anyone and everyone.  He even yelled at this customer that tried to help him saying that they “better not have damaged his phone” which she was handing back to him.  What a twat.

Well, what brought this back today?  Why am I ranting about it?

This morning I stop in to get my coffee and bagel and lo and behold I see signs posted in several locations around the store saying ” WARNING.  Our coffee is served HOT. Take appropriate steps to protect yourself.”  and on the table with the coffee jugs was a step by step instruction sheet detailing how to fill your cup and it included “if you are holding something in your hands other than the coffee cup, put it down.  Do not attempt to fill your coffee cup while holding a laptop or similar under your arm.”

So I ask the owner whats the deal with the signs and he tells me that he was served a few days ago with papers from that pin head and he is being sued for “pain and suffering” and “emotional distress.”  Additionally, he wants a new laptop AND phone which he says the coffee shop was negligent in protecting.  WTF!  I mean seriously, WHAT THE FUCK?!?

Well, the owners are not caving and has hired a lawyer and is defending himself.  I have an appointment to talk with the lawyer too as a witness to the “incident.”  That little pants stain isn’t going to get a thing and if the lawyer is correct, will even lose out due to a counter suit for the “damage” and “loss of business” from that jag-off creating a mess by knocking the table over.

PEOPLE!  Wake up!   Grow a pair will you?   Take responsibility for what you do!  Some of you, well, most of you just make me sick. (especially the “jerks” on the subway in the morning that neglect to put on deoderant.)

Mleh.

UPDATE:  This must be a fucking epidemic.   I just saw this on the “internets” this morning.   Come on people! It might help if you actually work and not try to get something for nothing by blaming someone else for you being such a prick/twat.

Ranter

The Big Three Are Looking for $25 Billion Plus to Help Weather a Longer Than Expected Recession

I talked yesterday about my feelings surrounding the auto-bailout for Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, and the more I read about what Congress is doing and the debates that are flying around the more frustrated I get.  Now CNN is reporting that Congress wants the automakers to show how they plan on spending their bailout dollars before they’re willing to offer any.  Generally speaking this isn’t a bad idea, but what I find most frustrating is that they haven’t publicly asked the same from companies like AIG or banks taking money from the already approved $700 billion bailout.  Doesn’t it seem logical that any company coming to Uncle Sam for a loan/bailout would be held to the same standards?

At the same time they’re asking for $25 billion in taxpayer money – these auto company CEOs are idiots.  They all came from the same state in their own private luxury jets.  The average American will never see first class, let alone the inside of a private luxury jet, and while continuing to pay their taxes will probably end up eating Mac-and-Cheese to get through this depression recession and these beggars can’t even share a ride or fly commercial.  That’s saying two things – they are neither green nor frugal, and that should be disconcerting to everyone.  These companies need to get both quickly and those changes need to start at the top.

I’ve voiced my opinions about what needs to be done for the economy, and now I would like to talk about what needs to be done for the auto-industry to succeed.  My experience is limited, my economic knowledge is nill, but I am a consumer and do understand that there are obvious changes that should be visisble to anyone with half an interest in fixing these problems.

• Become Competitive With Toyota and Honda. The Big 3 have lost their edge.  Americans have lost their faith in these companies and it’s not going to get better for them overnight.  With few exceptions, the American auto industry has lost its vision, quality, and competitiveness in today’s market.  Their cars are dated, of lower quality, and often priced higher than the foreign competitors.  Until they realize that the competition isn’t amongst each other they will never reach a level of success that can sustain the industry.
• Reduce Costs and Long-Term Obligations. A huge problem with the Big Three right now is simple – the Unions.  They’ve done an outstanding job of increasing the costs of their members through collective bargaining, but in times like this they’re a roadblock to solving the big problems that face all three manufacturers.  In order to survive these companies are going to have to reduce their medical expenses, reduce their pension costs, and reduce their labor costs.  If the Union isn’t going to work with them to make these changes it’s going to be a nearly impossible battle for these companies.
• Reduce Their Corporate Perks and Salaries. Being the president of Ford can be a very, very rewarding job.  But the payroll numbers are only half the story, and looking back to the Lee Iacoca days of Chrysler it’s obvious that the private lunchrooms, limousines in waiting and private air travel are going to have to be cut.  The extravagant car shows, announcements and excessive advertising will have to be dropped, too.  Salaries for all levels will have to be adjusted to help these companies survived and the people at the top will need to accept that for a while it’s going to be very, very lean.
• Improve the Car Buying Experience. If you asked most Americans if they would prefer to buy a new car or go to the dentist and I would be willing to bet that a very high percentage would prefer to visit the dentist to have their teeth pulled without Novocaine.  Buying a car has become that bad of an experience – especially for domestic brands.  GM did a good thing with Saturn – their one-price structure – and it worked very well.  Why they wouldn’t bring that out company-wide, I still don’t understand.  Using Scion as an example – everything is spelled out for you.  From the cost of each service to the cost of every accessory.  You don’t need to negotiate and you don’t need to worry about being taken advantage of.  This model works and it works well – generally the consumer will appreciate being treated like an adult and the margins for the dealers, while not huge, will not vary, which means that they can consistently budget for their business.

These are obviously a non-auto-executives ideas.  I don’t know anything about the car business, but I do know what it takes to succeed in business and these guys aren’t doing it.  They need help and they need to take their thousands of employees and become lean and mean to become competitive again.  For now, I am simply saying loan them the money and give them a chance to deal with lean times.  If they then fail, at least it’s not for lack of trying.

Ranter

At the same time, the Storm does bring new competition to Apple from a company that has long held the business standard for email/phones.  For some there is also the anti-establishment that comes with owning something other than the iPhone.  Yet, it seems RIM has missed the most successful and likely profitable piece of the iPhone and that is the App Store.  Apple is able to get their now massive development community writing software for their device that they make money for helping to sell.  Virtually 100% profit on top of what they’re already driving from handset, music, and video sales.

Only time will tell if the Storm can take away any Apple marketshare, but at this point it would seem that RIM has come out with a very nice also-ran that may capture some of the touchscreen business by virtue of its legacy success with email.

Ranter

Ranter