Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Sometimes Change Doesn't Do You Good

For all my conflictedness, I am pretty open to change.  I, in fact embrace some change with a zest that is both shocking to the imagination and the pocketbook.  As I mentioned in a recent post, I have a tendency to shop on days that I am stuck at home and decided our house needed yet one more ultra thin TV.  I totally embrace the idea, that with modern technology you can carry your TV from room to room (if you ever were so inclined) thanks to wireless cable boxes.




So I got rid of the last of these:


And got another one of these:

One could say that there was a day that most homes had one TV with just a few channels and we got by.
True, but then technology came along and taunted us with cable hookups in every room and 500 channels available.  Of course, 500 channels didn't give us nearly enough to choose from so we had to add  "ON DEMAND".  Doesn't that sound like you have POWER.  I demand you to bring me a movie that I feel like watching..RIGHT NOW!!!

Soooo.....back to my original thought. Change can be embraced...yes, I love my techy phone, I like texting you whenever I have something to say and I luuuuvvvvvv the Internet. Oh yeah! OXOXOXOXO

But every once in a while a change comes my way that just pisses me off.  A change that (in my humble opinion) is not a well thought out change.

Thought Number One:  Not All Changes are for the Good


Last week a new ordinance came to our area that I think is a huge misstep.  But, frankly, I don't think the local ordinance-makers particularly care what I think. Do they care that while giving rights to some they are making others feel vulnerable?




As most of you know...I live in Olathe, KS.  That is a suburb of Kansas City, KS. and the next door neighbor to Overland Park, Kansas.  My home is located  fairly close to the Overland Park city border. You might even say it is within shooting distance. Why does any of this matter, you ask?

Here is a little excerpt from an article from the Kansas City Star.


The Overland Park City Council on Monday approved an ordinance allowing legal gun owners to openly carry their weapons in public — provided the gun is in a holster with the safety engaged and in their immediate control at all times.

The new law follows a Kansas attorney general opinion that cities may not completely prohibit open carry of a loaded firearm while on public property. 


The new law allows open carry in places such as sidewalks, parks and buildings that don’t have signs prohibiting firearms.
Councilman Paul Lyons was the only one to vote against open carry.


“Overland Park is one of the safest cities in the nation, so there is no reason for someone to be openly carrying around a gun for protection,” Lyons said. “The only reason someone would want to show off a gun is to intimidate people, and that’s not the image we want our city to project.”




Now you might ask me why I am being Ms. Crabby Pants about this.  I am the same person that said,  that while I don't presently own a gun, I am not against Castle Laws.  I am not against gun ownership.   I am for gun rights within the realm of being used by a trained individual that follows all the guidelines. 

This is the part I am not OK with.  I am not OK with being in the line at the Walmart with any yahoo that wants to carry his Glock around. I am going to feel insecure.  How do I know you aren't a time-bomb just waiting to get in a "pissing match "because the checkout chick is rude to you.
Yes, I am still wearing my Crabby Pants!


Thought Number Two:  Don't Be Making Changes Unless You Think About It and Work Out the Possible Repercussions.

It isn't just about the fact "anyone can carry their gun and thereby scaring the shit out of me" that has my Ms. Crabby Pants persona coming forward.   Over and over again we  hear about changes that have sparked controversy or problems. Is there a week that goes by that something isn't being apologized for or recalled. Drugs that are supposed to help but end up hurting. Products were were told would improve our lives but give us problems.

Just this week the Apple people are telling us that  the  new mapping system on the IPhone 5 doesn't work and perhaps you should go back to using Google Maps.  OOPSIE, who was the Apple genius that didn't discover that until after a few million people stood in line "upgrading".

So just a heads up from Ms. Crabby Pants...I am totally game to buy all manner of  neat innovative stuff and I will even follow the new rules that come down the pike every other day but let's not be making changes just for the sake of making changes.  Either make it better or smarter or leave it the hell alone.




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30 comments:

Liggybee said...

Haha! I still have two TVs in the house that isn't a flat screen! We had thought about "updating" them before but we think we'll wait till they no longer work. In the meantime, we've got one nice big flat screen in the living room where we watch our movies on home movie nights so no biggie!

#1- I have to agree with you on the gun toting stuff...we really don't need to have just anyone running around carrying guns.

#2-I don't have an iPhone and while I think they do have a lot of cool features other phones don't have, I don't really run with the i-Crowd. Hehehe...

Have a great week! Click!

Cheryl P. said...

I have steadily been replacing the TVs with this latest one being a freebie from our stash of American Express points. Love those.
I think this is just asking for trouble to have guns readily at hand in an urban environment. I can't believe there isn't more of a public outcry.
I didn't upgrade to the new IPhone 5 as I like all the bugs to be worked out. I am OK to buy other brands of phones but this is what I am used to.
Have a great week.

Chubby Chatterbox said...

If I owned a gun I'd shoot the ridiculously heavy TV taking up space in my garage.

Cheryl P. said...

Maybe I should send Ms. Crabby Pants to Portland. She has a gun and is just in the mood to shoot something.

oldereyes said...

Hi, Cheryl -
Well, as far as gun toting civilians go, I'm with you. Haven't we had enough tragedy without allowing people to tote? And I'm sure you know as an Anything But Apple guy I can't help but chuckle a little aout Apple Maps. But the honest truth is, if there's an upside to Apple's tightfisted management of Apps, it's that it's spoiled you with the quality of what you get. Over here in the Android Wild West, substandard Apps are over the place.
I didn't know you drew your characters. Very cool
Bud

Cheryl P. said...

Yes, I knew that you would get a bit of humor out of Apples latest screw up. Actually, I should do another post about my resistance to change as far as learning a new cell phone. It truly isn't that I am loyal to the brand, Apple. I would take a Samsung Galaxy if someone gave me one but I would hate to have to learn all the ins and outs of it. I am very used to all my Itunes and the steps required to sync all my info between my Ipad, Ipod, and IPhone into the ICloud. All of that is making you ill isn't it?

Yes, the characters of me and my alter egos I draw but I am not an artist so I take liberties like the little gun is clip art that I plop onto Crabby Pants. The witch and cartoon track suited me I usually don't embellish with clipart. But you notice I can't draw hands...they always look ridiculous (even by my crappy standards) so hands are always hidden. Most of my graphics are a combo of clip art, photos, my drawings all put into Publisher.

babs (beetle) said...

Forgive me if I'm wrong (being English 'n' all) but isn't that a backwards change? Didn't gun toting American's rule the wild west? Or is that just in the movies?

Here, in the UK, guns have always been a rarity, though they are being used by the new wave of villains now.

Cheryl P. said...

I absolutely believe that is a step backwards. As of late, we seem to be bending over backwards in appease those that scream about "their right to bear arms". I would think it is my right to not get shot but then that isn't specifically addressed in the Constitution.

babs (beetle) said...

I saw, posted on Facebook, that guns don't make a man a killer. That may be true in many cases, but guns do make it easier to kill, if only in a fit of rage.

Linda R. said...

I think that's the point. Gun laws do not keep guns out of the hands of the bad guys.

Linda R. said...

We still have one of those old style TVs. We got rid of one and replaced it with a nice flat screen for our living room, too. So nice.

Linda R. said...

I've just got to say that I am a supporter of the 2nd amendment. It is our right to bear arms - responsibly!

Trina said...

Open carry is legal here in the state of Delaware ( well except in our stat's capital city, Dover) and usually the only one's open carrying are the ones who also conceal carry. It's the guys who have a clue who venture out with thier gun show, not hiding something they shouldn't have.

My favorite story is of an older neighbor of mine. He was out shooting squirrels with his revolver while he was working at his farm and he needed to go to town. He had spent all day with his revolver on his side (secured and safety on of course) and he forgot it was still there when he went into the bank. This made plenty of people nervous and one of the tellers who knew him pointed it out. He said something to the sort of "Oh Shucks, I was squirrel hunting" but it didn't really ease the unknowing minds.

I see both sides of the coin on this one. But I prefer to see the gun than to wonder what they are hiding.

Clicks!
--Trina

babs (beetle) said...

You're right, but I'm thinking more of things like road rage or bar brawls. A gun could be used in anger, or under the influence of alcohol if you carried one. Just my two penneth.

Linda R. said...

We are allowed both open carry and concealed carry here, with certain restrictions, of course. Responsibility and safety are paramount.

meleahrebeccah said...

As a serious Television Enthusiast, I am super jealous. All we have are the old box TV's in this house!

"I love my techy phone, I like texting you whenever I have something to say and I luuuuvvvvvv the Internet" - DITTO!

"I am not OK with being in the line at the Walmart with any yahoo that wants to carry his Glock around." -- I am NOT okay with that either. That scares me.

And I am pretending Apple didn't make that mistake!

Kathleen Barca said...

I totally agree with you. I do not like seeing someone with a gun running around anywhere, it is just too scary! Love you post!

Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby

Cheryl P. said...

babs, I think you and I see it in the same light. I think our society has gotten very volatile and there is a lot of rage these days. I am not so much against all guns but more about not making them to "handy".

Cheryl P. said...

I know it comes across that I am talking out of both sides of my mouth but I, too, am fine with the right to bear arms. I think my problem is having it too easy for everyday people out doing their normal day to day business being intimidated by visible holstered guns. I never had a problem with the concealed weapons laws. It still comes down to where one person's rights interlope onto another person's rights. There may be no clear answer. It's not like porn..if I don't like it I can choose not to watch it but if I am at the bank, it may scare the crap out of me standing next to the guy with the gun. Sure, I can leave but depending on what the gun guy is doing there, maybe not.

Cheryl P. said...

I think different regions of the country have varying attitudes on guns. If I lived near our farm, I probably would be more inclined to relax about this ordinance. In more rural areas where there are hunters and such there seems to be a healthy respect for guns. Living in a large urban area of nearly 3 million people with some areas being quite dangerous already, I feel like this might be like pouring gasoline onto a fire. Time will tell, I guess.

Cheryl P. said...

There is a part of me that feels semi-ashamed at both the number of TVs we have and the fact that I keep upgrading. Because my husband travels all the time he accrues lots of American Express reward points that are great for getting LED TVs with. My witchy cartoon telling me that I am nuts was a dig at me...it is time to stop ordering new TVs.

I am with you. I don't want to SEE a gun. I find it frightening. If people want to own guns,it's their business but why does it have to be at the expense of people like me and you being intimidated?

I didn't think too much of the fact that the map app flopped. New models of everything has bugs. Some of the Android users that were quick to point the finger aren't owning up to the fact that every brand of Android phone has had issues as well. I am still loving my Iphone.

Cheryl P. said...

Thank you AngelBaby, That me, too. I don't want to SEE the guns. Too scary.

Thanks!

meleahrebeccah said...

I still love ALL things Apple, including my iPhone!

And hey, you earned those reward points to use however you want.
So, don't be ashamed! Embrace your LED TV obsession!

And no to ever seeing guns. PERIOD!

Jo-Anne said...

Ok I am all for people being able to own guns but I would not like to see some scary looking guy wearing a gun standing behind me in the checkout line............or even worse a little old lady wearing a gun because we all know little old ladies are trigger happy and are likely to shot you for running into them with your trolley because they thing they are old enough to own the world and do whatever the hell they feel like just like teenagers..............lol

I can remember the days when we had only one tv in the house and we all had to watch the same show or go to our room and read a book and now we have tv's in every room and on our phones.............

GenePoolDiva said...

If only common sense was on demand. Crabby pants, I like it.

Cheryl P. said...

I couldn't of explained the gun situation better. That is exactly right. I don't want them in line with me. That is very funny about the likelihood of some little old lady losing it and shooting someone. Come to think of it I hate people running into me with "as you put it" their trolley.

Yes, I actually loved the time that we had one TV and had our kids sitting with us. Those days are long gone. Even with just the two of us we have TVs in almost every room as you stated. It is easy to get hooked on some of the newer technologies. I am so spoiled with DVRs taping my shows and being able to stop or back up a show as I watch it.

Cheryl P. said...

Wouldn't that be something...to demand common sense. The way things are going, I probably will be having Ms. Crabby Pants back from time to time.

Jayne said...

What a dumb ass law in that those packing heat around in public are dumb asses. Best to leave any attempt at gun regulation alone since we'll never beat back the NRA and just start outlawing dumb asses. I feel like you do. I don't want to walk into town and see guns everywhere. You have every right to be crabby about it!

Cheryl P. said...

Gosh, Jayne, it's so good to see you. I have been just bad at keeping up these days.

Absolutely on the mark, about attempting gun regulation. I am OK with people owning guns but I am not a fan at having to have them to close to me. Just like I am OK if people choose to smoke. (their business) but don't force me to breath it as I start sneezing like a fool.

Jayne said...

Perfect analogy. And I've been bad at keeping up, too. Something happens to me this time of year. Every year. Go figure. :)