pet peeves – star date 1248647X5812b

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I was reminded of a couple more to add to “the list” – one that just recurred this evening and another that happened around the same time as the last post, but was somehow omitted…

[archive] – CLOSE THE DOOR When Using a Public Restroom Stall!!!
Next time it happens, I think I’m just going to clock the guy in the back of the head. The scenario is this – I walk into a bathroom and start going down the line of stalls until I find one that’s open, but when I try to walk in the door that’s clearly open, there’s some dude standing there taking a piss like it’s just another urinal. Now despite a completely separate anger about assholes who don’t have enough control over their penises to not piss all over the seat, I don’t understand why it’s so difficult – there’s a door, close it before you begin! Instead you look over your shoulder and think I’m some kind of jerk for walking in on you peeing.

[Tonight] – The Speed Limit in Our Subdivision Isn’t 14 mph…
We live near the back of our subdivision so it can be a bit of a long drive anyways, but going less than half the posted speed limit sure doesn’t help matters any! Tonight I got stuck behind somebody that was barely idling down the road – I could’ve gotten out and walked home faster than driving behind him. And it irritates me because I know there’s a big family movement to get the speed limit dropped to, oh, 0 mph eventually because there are kids that live in our neighborhood and because many of them have the golf course in their backyards, the kids play in the street instead. Who knows, maybe I’ll have a different perspective when I have kids myself, but in the meantime, I’m sticking with cars in the street, kids in the yard.

Disney Continues to Dominate the Theme Park Industry

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http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2008/03/theme-park-atte.html

I’m very amused by this study that was published last week comparing theme park attendance numbers from 2006 & 2007, basically because it spells out just how big the gap still is between Disney Parks and pretty much every other venture out there. I love how all of the Busch properties combined (two SeaWorlds and two Busch Gardens) still barely match the attendance at the Magic Kingdom alone, and the Animal Kingdom, arguably the redheaded stepchild of the four Disney parks, still doubles attendance of most other parks!

And lastly, my favorite statistic of all (how dorky am I?!) – the four parks that make up Walt Disney World together saw an average of 47 million guests in 2007. All of the other parks in the top 15 (minus Disneyland, that is), combined come to a total of only 46.4 million guests. And that, my friends, is what we call a landslide…

‘Tis a sad day in the worlds of science fiction, space exploration, and oceanography…

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Arthur C. Clarke passed away today
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080319/wl_asia_afp/britainsrilankaclarkepeople

Here’s a pretty cool interview he did a few months ago for his 90th birthday, reflecting about his life, accomplishments, just being old in general, and future hopes for humanity. One of his last questions peaked my interest the most – when asked how he wants to be remembered after all that he’s done, he said that he wanted to be remembered as a writer – “…one who entertained readers and hopefully stretched their imaginations as well.”
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ll_767_1205890746

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I think I can do that.

Who in the Hundred Acre Wood???

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Does anybody have a clue as to who this character appearing with Tigger is?! We noticed the pair while we were over at the Magic Kingdom a couple of weeks ago, but neither of us can think of a single female (human) character from Winnie the Pooh.

My best guess was that Christopher Robin had a little surgery done and is now known as just Robin, but that might be a long shot…

weekend peeves of the pet variety

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[Yesterday] – Pasco County Roads Suck
We got rained on pretty bad yesterday evening, to the point where it was coming down in buckets by the time I left work. The half-hour drive home was fine through Hillsborough county, but I could tell without even looking for the sign the moment I passed into Pasco … my nice, flat road suddenly became more full of holes than swiss cheese, thus leading to large pools of water in the roadway, skidding, and several times when I could’ve sworn I was going in the ditch even at 20mph under the speed limit. I can’t say that I wasn’t happy for that commute to be over…

[Today] – Yield != Stop
Several routes during today’s travels took us through intersections that required merging into existing traffic to turn right – one going into a ramp that merges into I-4 and the other coming off of I-75 onto SR-54 … why in heavens doesn’t anyone actually know how to drive through these things?! The first just started flailing his hands when I started honking because it was clear as day that there was no traffic coming and therefore he was yielding to nothing, and the second I don’t think ever got the clue … and there’s even a freakin’ sign coming off the freeway that says “Keep moving” along with the one that says you’re merging, but your lane isn’t ending. No yield sign, no stop sign, but I guess he sat there anyways just to take in the view…

[Tomorrow] – Daylight Savings Time == Bleech
Not much to say, except that I guarantee that I’m going to forget. I almost wish that they’d do these on Sundays instead of in the middle of the weekend so at least we’d get the excuse to show up late for work…

What kind of people does the TSA hire for this crap?!

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Teen Says TSA Screener Opened Sterile Equipment, Put Life In Danger
http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/15511359/detail.html

A fourteen year-old, with a feeding tube, is now suddenly “suspect” in the eyes of the TSA??? And this one was right next door – over at Orlando International!

How long will the blatant grabbing at straws continue before somebody fixes this joke of a “security” department?

now this is inspiring…

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Two versions – one summarized version from Oprah, and the second being the entire 76-minute presentation that he did at Carnegie Mellon. The guy’s name is Randy Pausch – he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon, he spent some time working with Disney Imagineering, and he’s dying of pancreatic cancer … but you sure wouldn’t know it from the tone in his voice. I’ve only skimmed the full version after watching the Oprah spot, but this guy is the perfect example of the attitude which we all would like to think that we could have if we were dying – so full of happiness and wisdom and appreciation for life. You can just tell that he must’ve been amazing to have classes with – the kind of teacher that actually inspires dreams because he truly believes in them himself. Truly incredible.

Randy Pausch Reprising His “Last Lecture” on Oprah (summary)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8577255250907450469&hl=en

Randy Pausch Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams (full version)

He’s also got a book coming out next month that’s currently on pre-order at Amazon.com – if it’s half as good as his presentations, buying Christmas gifts for everybody this year just got a whole lot easier! Quite the inspiring fellow…

uh oh…

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London Cops Declare War on Photography

London cops declare war on photography

I wonder if they consider taking pictures of random things everywhere to be suspicious??? Looks like a problem for anyone who’s ever MoBlogged, that’s for sure…

Note to Self: Why haven’t I replaced my MoBlog from TextAmerica yet?