Place Your Bets and then Set the Shot Clock

I have been thinking too much lately about the interactions of people lately. How people deal with each other. What does it all mean?

The problem now it is become more about the rhetoric than the substance. It used to be that political arguments would flare up from time to time. Today, with the 24 hour news cycle the arguing is relentless. It just keeps grinding away at you. It is all politics as usual. I wish there could be time when politics would be useful. I mean at least useful to masses. I do not know why we would want to surrender all aspects of our life to be dictated by a political class. This class includes both sides. They are both the same when it comes down to it. They just are pandering to small group that throws them a shit load of money. At this point, maybe all elections should be run by E-Bay. And all debates will be on the Game Show Network. Just remember you get what paid for. But you cannot fix stupid. WARNING: Buyer Beware!

I also hate that all sides are yelling about who is and is not “politically correct”. Politics has become an exercise about blaming it all on the other side. And not accepting you may have had a role in things not going so good. Enough already. Talk like a real person. Using “your group speak” is just so shallow. Stop the rhetoric and get to your message. This is why debates need to have a shot clock.

Albert Einstein said, “The answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’ depending on the interpretation”. The same idea applies to people too. There have been reports how Goldman Sachs played all sides of the financial markets. The dilemma of our lives (and it always has been) is that the action of others does have some type of impact on our lives. We are always “betting” on the outcome of the efforts of others. I listen to people bitching about the results of a sports game. They mention all of these stats about all these various details of an athlete’s skills. It is all stats. What is the difference between the stats on the back of a baseball card and mutual fund outlook report? We are all looking at pages of numbers about anything. And we are praying we picked the right one. Experts are just better guessers. In other words, they have a bit more luck than the next guy. The line between skill and luck is a “razor’s edge”. And we argue that “edge” in lawsuits complaining about the outcome.

Mark Twain said, “The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane.” But to add to it so are their actions. This idea is what is behind everyone screaming that there needs to be more laws and regulations to control the actions of others. We have been passing laws since the “dawn of time”. And what has history taught us. People as a whole are pretty much “rude and crude” to one another. I want someone to find a time when people were “civil” towards one another anywhere on this planet for any long amounts of time. Courteous behavior is at most a brief momentary action. You hold the door for one person and slam it on the next. The technological and scientific knowledge base for the human race has increased tremendously in the last 100 years. But the emotional intelligence has pretty much stayed on the same flat line it has always been on.

Watch the Example.

For the most part. Men find it funny. Women are grossed out by it. This is how we are wired. And no ruling can change it. The Song will always remain the same.

It just is not easy dealing with other people. (Especially during commutes to work. Everyone else is driving like they are hardwired morons.) I have a chance to think about what is going through a person’s mind. You are probably going to job to that you may not necessarily enjoy. However, your economical survival depends on it. Surviving life is not the same as living life. Your job whether you like it or not does provide a sense of your identity. Your paycheck does more to define you at times. It does not always “affirm” you as a person. If your hopes and dreams were relevant at the moment then you would be collecting a paycheck on them. It is what is hanging on your wall (awards,degrees,etc.) is what people take notice of. It is easier, to take a quick look on a wall and learn about a person. Take the time to inquiry about the experiences that have shaped a person’s life. (There is a major difference between what a person knows and what a person does.) It is riskier to engage a person directly, especially without proper background checks and personal protection. This is part of the reason why Facebook is popular.

In the end, life is just a “crap shot” when it comes to dealing with people. So be prepared. Carry toilet paper.

It can be a bit weird dealing with people.

Make a woman laugh. And the next thing you are getting the promise of an employment opportunity. Maybe the notion of a “free market economy” is really a more effective model. But I still have the feeling Allen Funt is going to back from beyond the grave to say, “Surprise! You’re on Candid Camera.” Or an appearance on Jackass.

What does it mean?

I need to clean up my resume. I need to use better adjectives. You may call it “lying”. I call it be “colorful”. Like a box of crayons.

It might not be the Season. But the following idea is related to that Season.

In the end, it is all about managing the great divide between expectations and results. This is the real lesson that comes from gifts found under the Christmas tree. Sadly, the packaging and wrapping can be very deceptive. For those you who do not like what I just said and believe the Christmas is about “Peace”. There is no way the powers that be on Madison Ave. or the television networks are going to let that happen anytime soon. Since I have already caused trouble then let me continue on. The Three Kings were the first example of a welfare system at work. And everyone from there on out thought their kid was special.

I must be channeling the spirit of Groucho Marx who stated, “I hardly know where to begin. I hardly know when to stop, either; just give me a few drinks and see for yourself.”

	Pink Floyd – Brain Damage – Eclipse .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine