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Sunday, January 30, 2011

People Behaving Badly


Is extremely bad behavior a result of upbringing, celebrity status or something else entirely like genetics?  I believe it is important for people to take personal responsibility for their choices and the way they act, but what if some people can’t help but act out in socially unacceptable ways?  What if their genetic coding makes them predisposed to behaving poorly?  What do you think makes a person bad and another person good, especially when both of them have virtually the same upbringing?
It used to be that the golden rule was, “children should be seen and not heard.” Parents ruled with an iron hand and children grew up respecting their parents and elders. As a kid growing up, I highly respected my parents and did what they said. I’m not sure why, but I almost had this sense of how to behave.  In other words, when peers were taking pills, I really did “just say no.”  I was actually afraid that I would die if I took Quaaludes or Valium, and my parents would be left behind, heartbroken.  Although I did not always agree with my parents’ strictness, I wanted to do things that made them proud, so most of the time I complied with what they told me to do.  Some other kids that I knew did not seem to care. To me, their parents seemed quite kind and very similar to my parents in the way they treated their kids, but their kids were unruly and disrespectful despite of that.  It was almost like they were looking for trouble.  Today kids and adults alike are much different.  People seem to let it all hang out a lot more, do whatever they feel like doing regardless of the consequences and are consumed with instant gratification.   Ultimately though, bad behavior cannot always be blamed on upbringing because it is up to all of us to take personal responsibility for how we conduct ourselves.
Celebrities like Charlie Sheen, Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan have made themselves examples to the world of how to behave badly.  In fact they have started an even bigger downward spiral of our country’s morals because their bad behavior is over publicized and apparently it is human nature to enjoy watching famous people act like idiots.  These particular celebrities seem to flaunt their pubic intoxication, cheating and nudity with no shame or remorse at all. It used to be that celebrities were respected and had some discretion.  Everyone has problems and makes mistakes, but the celebrities of years past hid their issues behind closed doors in their homes.  They had an air of class and people looked up to them.  Actors like July Andrews, Patty Duke Austin, Melissa Gilbert, Ron Howard, Henry Winkler and Michael Landon seemed so wholesome back then.  I’m sure they all had their problems, but kept them private.  In comparison, many of today’s stars make poor, impulsive decisions without thinking of the consequences, and a few are paying the ultimate price for it too.  For instance, Charlie Sheen has been hospitalized three times in the past few months for severe stomach pains, the most recent hospitalization being last week http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1656841/charlie-sheens-hospitalization-resulted-from-hernia.jhtml His drug use and alcohol abuse are probably responsible for his stomach ailments and also losing some of his teeth http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1351933/Charlie-Sheen-loses-teeth-drug-use.html His brother Emilio Estevez does not seem to be plagued with the same problems.  How is it that two brothers brought up in the same home behave so differently? Is it because Emilio is the oldest brother?
The above two paragraphs talk about people who are fully aware of their conduct, but what about those who have some kind of mental or neurological issue?  These people sometimes have a hard time controlling outbursts, impulsive or violent behavior, and other socially unacceptable behaviors. There are so many types of mental affliction and the world is becoming more and more populated, causing a pandemonium type effect all over the world. The most recent thing to hit the news is the man who shot that congresswoman and other people who were next to her http://www.english.rfi.fr/americas/20110110-man-charged-shooting-us-congresswoman His name is Jared Loughner and apparently there had been multiple signs leading up to the shooting indicating that he could exhibit violent behavior.  However, in the United States, very little can be done to keep the mentally ill in facilities unless they have committed crimes.  How do we tell who can help their bad behavior and who cannot?  Wouldn’t it make sense to have preventative measures in place for people like this, rather than shunning them and letting them get out of control?  A majority of homeless people and criminals have some kind of mental illness, but rather than helping these people, society has thrown them away with no hope for a normal life.  Is this fair?
Today’s world has become more and more lackadaisical about social norms.  Things that would have never been tolerated years ago, like kids talking back to their parents, celebrities making complete fools of themselves in public and violent outbursts, are now commonplace.  At the end of the day, does it really matter why people behave badly? Whether it’s because of genetics, being someone famous or being afflicted with some mental disorder, bad behavior need not be merely tolerated.  It is important for people to speak up, rather than standing idly by with their mouths agape.  Yes, it is each person’s responsibility for the choices he or she makes, but it is also society’s responsibility as a whole to ensure that bad behavior does not prevail.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Wal-Martians

I rarely stepped foot into a Super Wal-Mart until I met my husband four years ago. The main reason why is because my father worked for and retired from Publix after 35 years. He had always told me how bad it would be for our family’s bank account if I shopped at a competitor's store, so I refrained. Another reason is because many people who shop there seem quite odd, in fact, nightmarishly scary.

When Marty and I started dating, he talked me into walking into the local Super Wal-Mart and, being a single mother, I could not even come close to ever beating their prices at any competing grocery store. Whenever we’d walk through, I’d say to Marty, “I have to start taking pictures. I could get rich posting pictures of these people.” Several years ago, I even came up with a name for people who shop there. I call them “Wal-Martians,” and yes, I now consider myself a "Wal-Martian" too, but hopefully not as scary as most who shop there.

Well, someone must have heard me as I would shop and talk about taking photos of weird people at Wal-Mart, because there is now just such a website: http://www.google.com/images?client=gmail&rls=gm&q=weird+people+at+walmart&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=URc-TfTJFsKtgQfoxrzUCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CEMQsAQwAw&biw=1280&bih=647 The next time I have an idea, I need to act on it. Check out the many pictures of exposed skin of all different shapes and sizes and big hair… lots of big hair. The positive side of all this madness is that it provides hours of entertainment on a rainy day.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Odd Eyewitness


     My cousin Denise sent this article to me that tells about a gas station robbery that happened in Kansas City back in September, 2010: http://www.kmbc.com/r/24836888/detail.html There was an odd lady witness who got her 15 minutes of fame, describing what happened and how she felt while the store was being held up at gunpoint.  The KMBC news reporter who covered the story couldn’t have chosen a better eyewitness to interview, as the lady named Diana was so hyped up after the robbery, her antics while describing the robbery were hilarious: http://www.kmbc.com/video/24837823/detail.htm She apparently had gone into the store to get a cup of coffee when "two hooded men came in with guns to rob the place."  
     There were a few positives in this story, one being that the store clerk pulled out his own gun and shot at the robbers, "saving his customer’s lives," and two being that the bizarre witness made it to YouTube when a group named, “The Gregory Brothers” made a song out of her eyewitness account.  You will get a kick out of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjYSERaXEGI Apparently "earnings from this video go to Diana and The Gregory Brothers," so it has become a money maker for Diana too; lucky lady. This story shows how adrenaline works in different people, and how it can cause odd behaviors in people to become even more pronounced. Have you ever been a witness to a robbery? Have you ever had to defend yourself in such a situation?   If so, please share your comments.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Paying Tuition With Odd Jobs


How would you like to have the job of an “odor judger” or perhaps a "dog food taster?”  There are actually people out there who smell weird things and eat dog food for a living.  These are two bizarre jobs in particular that most people probably would not entertain doing for a living, but apparently they pay a decent salary. To me, the people who take these jobs have to be at least a little bit weird to do what they do, but the positive side is that, if these people did not do these jobs, then there would be a lot of unpleasantness and embarrassment for the consumer due to trial and error.  I, for one, would rather have all the kinks worked out a head of time before I buy the product.
            The main reason for an “odor judger” is to make sure that a product that claims to kill odors, really works.  http://www.employment.com/oddjobs/oddjoboftheweek.odor.tester.html Personally, if I buy an antiperspirant, I want it to work, mostly because of the embarrassing consequences if it didn’t.  People buy things like odor eaters, deodorant and mouthwash specifically to prevent them from offending others.  In fact some people are obsessive about keeping odors away and will buy just about anything that claims to work. Consequently, product manufacturers will pay the big bucks for someone to test the product, and also to have someone smell a person who has tested the product.  Would you want to do this for an occupation?
            The dog food taster is another bizarre job.  Check this guy out: http://www.neatorama.com/2008/03/04/the-pet-food-taste-tester/ What do you think it would be like to date or be married to a person who does this for a living?  People probably wonder why a dog food manufacturer would hire a person instead of just giving it to a dog to see if he gobbles it up.  The reason is that dogs will eat just about anything, but some dog food has ingredients that would be highly offensive to humans.  Therefore, the doggy owners would not continue to buy a product they find to be disgusting or messy.  This is when the dog food taster comes into play.  Apparently these tasters are professionals with palates for this stuff, and they will determine, before the product hits the market what will be fit for, not only doggy consumption, but human tastes as well.
            According to most websites, the average salary for a dog food taster is $40,000 U.S. dollars so if this job appeals to you, get your taste buds ready!  An odor judger gets paid anywhere from $19,000 on the low end to about $52,000 on the high end.  Another benefit to performing these tasks is that it could pay some college tuition.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Piece De Renaissance


     Every year my family makes their way to the Renaissance Festival in Deerfield Beach http://www.ren-fest.com/deerfield-home.asp where we all get our fill of people watching.  Although many would find the people who attend this event quite odd, without them the Renaissance Festival would not hold the magic that is, as the French put it, "Piece de la Resistance" or, as I like to say, "Piece de la Renaissance."  When you walk into this festival, it is not only like walking back in time, but also like entering a completely different world.  It is literally a fantasy world with fairies, pirates, elves, jesters, knights and gremlins.  When I go, I take my camera and click away, taking what I think are the most unique and strange costumes, and capturing the best talent.  By far the mud show wins the weird award in that they get absolutely filthy.  There are actually people who try to sit as close to the stage as possible just so they can get sprayed with mud, my daughter being one of them.  The Renaissance Festival is an event for the entire family and I highly recommend it for a day of fun and strange phenomenon.

Embracing Our Strange


     Everyone is odd in his or her own unique way.   This blog is to help people embrace being different and also accept others’ oddities.  Some people think they are perfect, but no one is.  This world is interesting because there are so many people with strange quirks, ticks, fetishes (this blog won’t go there), ideas, compulsions, phobias, and the list goes on an on.  Although I don’t do this a lot, because I tend to get a bit claustrophobic in large crowds, my favorite thing in the entire world is to go somewhere with a lot of people, preferably with enough room around me that I don’t have to touch anyone, and just sit down to people watch.  I married someone who also likes to do that.  I can tell you some stories and show you some pictures that would make you wonder if sanity even exists.  This blog will become a testimony to how wonderful being odd truly is.  No one is exempt from being strange, and if you think you are the only one who does something weird or different, this blog will prove you wrong. 
     This is a link to a blog written by an unknown author on the onewomanarmy’s blog: http://www.everypoet.net/poetry/blogs/onewomanarmy/social_oddities .  This poem elegantly portrays someone whose social oddities have prevented this person from developing friendships.  I remember when I was growing up how the strange kids were all shunned and teased.  I also remember taking part in the teasing and am now ashamed of myself for taking part in such a cowardly, mean act.  I am friends with some of those same people I teased, and what a forgiving bunch they are.  I find them to be some of the most fascinating, kind and loving people I know.  I challenge anyone who reads this to take the first step and get to know someone who may be a little odd.  Your friendship could make all the difference to them, and it could even make a difference in your life too.