Friday, April 20, 2018

Stupid people driving

I hate stupid drivers.

There was one today that fits the mold of so many. They don't know how to act at an intersection, stopped for a red light.

Left the Walmart Store today, because of course I did. And, at the light that's at the main entrance, I was behind Stupid Driver. He, like me, was making a left turn out of the Walmart Store parking lot, and heading back into town. Well, downtown, as the Walmart Store is technically in town.

Anyway, he did the thing that you've seen Stupid Driver do before. He pulled up beyond the large wide white stop line. You know the line that tells you where to stop at an intersection? Yeah, that one. He pulled up past it.

And kept inching forward, hoping to change the light.

Here's the thing. You and I both know that the sensor that detects if a vehicle is at the intersection is before you get to the line. The lines cut into the pavement for the sensors are easy to see. But did Stupid Driver stop on the sensors? No. As I said, he pulled up past the sensors, past the white line, and kept inching out.

Now, as a Libertarian, I'm all for leaving people alone. But, as a non-stupid person, I find such activity worthy of being hit repeatedly with a stick. A big stick. With a knot in it. Maybe a nail in it, too.

So, what did I actually do? I pulled up to the white line over the sensor.

I didn't do that so he would be stuck missing the left turn light. No, I did it so I wouldn't be stuck by missing the left turn light.

Of course, by doing that, I not only allowed the left turn light to show for me, it also showed for Stupid Driver. Now, he is reinforced that he can continue to drive stupid and things will go well for him.

Maybe he's not really stupid. Maybe he just never learned what those grooves in the asphalt before the stop line are. And maybe he never learned what a stop line is. Maybe he isn't stupid, just uninformed.

Well, he looked about my age, meaning he's had over 40 years to learn these things. He gets no slack.

He's the Peter Principle in action. He's past his ability to do a job (driving) properly, but others are keeping things going.

So, maybe instead of calling his Stupid Driver, I should call him "Peter." Although "Dick" did come to mind.

Monday, April 2, 2018

800 movies

I now own 800 movies.

Actually, I think I own more than that, but I've converted everything I've got to digital and my digital library is now at 800 movies.

Now, to be fair, there are things counted as movies that aren't really movies. At least, I don't think of them as movies. Disney short films, such as those featuring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, and such are included in this. Buster Keaton shorts are included in this. All of he Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes (up to the new series, which I own but haven't ripped the DVDs yet) are in this also, as are some of their shorts. There are 39 short films in all, plus a few short film compilation collections. But I'm counting all of them. The compilations are a single entry, but the stand-alone shorts (not in a compilation) are each an entry. And the total is 800.

Is that a lot? I think it's a lot. It seems like a lot.

It's nice, though, being able to pick up the remote and pick any one of 800 films to watch.

Some, though, I won't watch. The Beast of Yucca Flats isn't a good movie, and I doubt I'll watch it. I'm not talking about the MST3K version, which I have, but the actual Coleman Francis "classic."

I doubt I'll watch How Green Was My Valley again. I didn't like it when I watched it the first time, so I doubt I'll watch it again.

Zontar: The Things From Venus? Doubt I'll watch that again.

Blazing Saddles? 2001: A Space Odyssey? Yep, I'll watch those again. Although that 25 minute segment at the end where the astronaut is traveling inside the monolith is boring. (It's actually only 9:21, but seems longer.)

Anyway, there are movies I'll never watch again, and there are movies I'll watch over and over. The bottom line is, I can watch them, any time I want. I can put any of them (but not all at one time) on my iPad and take them with me, if I so wish.

What was movie number 800? Training Day. I finally ripped the DVD out last week.

What will be number 801? Well, I've been meaning to get Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Yes, that'll be the next one.

Hold on a minute, will you?

* * *

Okay, I'm back. I now have 801 movies. I need to go watch that new Star Wars movie some time. Maybe this weekend.