Please Take the Phone Away From Your Ear

noreply@blogger.com (P. Bartley) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:16:00 +0000

You know what I love?

Bluetooth technology.

Honestly it is great. Both of my computers have it and so does my phone. My phone’s contacts and calendar even sync to my computer automatically through Bluetooth. AWESOME!

You know what else I love?

My Bluetooth headset.

That thing is mint. I can walk around my whole apartment and be on the phone. It is comfortable too. I don’t mind going on a conference call or anything. It fits great in my ear and it sounds great. That was always my biggest problem with previous Bluetooth headsets. They were always too quiet and painful. So I finally spent some good money and bought a nice piece. All in all, I’m very happy with my purchase.

You know what I hate?

Your Bluetooth headset.

Take the damn phone off your ear when you are not on a call. There is no need for you to walk around the city with that thing clipped to your ear. It’s not an accessory, it doesn’t go with your outfit, and it DOESN’T match your shoes. Take it off! I bought a really nice one and when I wear it around I know look like a tool. That why I won’t buy a Bluetooth unless it has a lanyard for it. I've noticed that you can find these with a lot of headsets. It usually snaps right into the slot for the charger and then you can wear it around your neck. Mine also came with a case so I can stick it in my backpack or my pocket and not worry about my nice piece of technology getting all broke. These are both awesome because people can tell that I’m ON the phone because the Bluetooth is in my ear. Subsequently, people can tell when I'm NOT on the phone because my Bluetooth ISN’T hanging off my head.

Does everyone follow so far? Ok, good!

Stop wearing your Bluetooth all day. You look like a goober… A GOOBER!

There are some occasions to keep your headset clipped to your ears. I will give a free pass here to those people who wear them in their cars. I understand talking on the phone while driving and not wanting to fumble around with looking for it whenever the phone rings. It’s ok, its your car, you can do whatever you would like. I do goofy things in the car too, I personally like to listen to Z100 in the car. (I KNOW!) It’s your car, it’s your sanctuary. If you want to look like goofball then be my guest. If I see you on the road I may make comments; BUT it will be to myself, a passenger, or possibly the person I’m talking to on my Bluetooth headset.

The people who will never, EVER, get a pass are those fools that insist on wearing their headsets in the subway, especially those in Manhattan. In an outer borough you’re just annoying for talking too loudly on my train. However, in Manhattan, we all know you aren’t making a call! Honestly, you probably aren’t going to make a call as soon as you get out of the train either. If you are, then why don’t you walk or take a bus. If you are seriously THAT important, then maybe you shouldn’t spend so much time underground. The phones don’t work underground here yet, we all know it, and IT DOESN’T MATCH YOU OUTFIT! (see above) You are not making a fashion statement, you are making the statement that you like to look like a goober! (again, see above)

You are not a doctor, you do not need a beeper.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take this call.

A-Rod and the Juice

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:32:00 +0000

Alex Rodriguez may well be on his way to going down as the greatest ballplayer of all time. He makes a rather difficult game look quite easy. Children the world over consider him a hero and a role model. He communicates to the press. He works hard.

But he tested positive for using anabolic steroids in 2003, and then he admitted to it in an interview.

My question is this: Who Cares?

Seriously. It is almost undeniable that steroids saved baseball. Sure, some of you might be saying that steroids are everything that's wrong with baseball, but let's take a look at the evidence. The 1994 strike more or less killed the love of the game for all but the most hardy baseball fans. Gone were the recreational baseball fan. The strike drove them away.

When baseball returned a year later, the fairweather fans stayed away. Opening games saw the few fans that actually went to the games booing and throwing debris onto the fields in response the what the working American saw as violent greed displayed by players and owners. Baseball suffered from low ratings and angry fans.

All of that changed in 1998 when two jacked up men slugged it out in an effort to break the greatest single season record in baseball: Roger Maris's 62 home runs. That's right, Sammy Sosa, a formerly scrawny outfielder with moderate power and Mark McGwire, a guy with arms the size of tree trunks, battled it out in an amazing season long race to 62. Now, if you think that those guys were NOT on some kind of performance enhancing drugs, then I don't even know how to respond to you.

The homerun race brought fans back to baseball in droves. It regained its status as America's Pasttime, and little kids again wanted to make it to the bigs. All thanks to steroids.

So A-Rod, arguably the best player ever, definitely the highest paid player ever, used steroids. Honestly, if you were paid $250,000,000 to play a game, wouldn't you do all that you possibly could to enhance your perfomance? I certainly would. Yeah, they're not good for you and no, you're not setting a good example for kids, but you're not paid to live until you're 90 or teach little kids how to act, you're paid to play the game to the best of your ability, win games, and earn money for the owners. Hell, A-Rod was one of only 100+ players that were named in the most recent steroids report.

Steroids, whether you like it or not, are a part of the game. It's a game that men are paid millions of dollars to play, all for the enjoyment of fans. The fans want the players to play the best that they can, and steroids help that. Yeah, this is a slippery slope because kids will want to use steroids to make it big, but I'm looking past that at the moment.

I accept the use of steroids in baseball. I do not care that A-Rod used and I won't care until I believe owners, players, and the MLB care.

Life's Faux Pauls

Please Take the Phone Away From Your Ear

A-Rod and the Juice