Saturday, May 22, 2004
Dreams, both dirty and clean
Voyeurism is a big thing online, so here's a little peep into the warped domain of my subconscious. ;-)
I had the "back in high school" dream last night, and I saw again that my interpretation of how not having/understanding my schedule in the dream ties in with stressful events in my life that feel out of my control; the length of time since "classes had started" was the length of time since we made reservations for our upcoming trip, and the amount of time I was told in the dream that I had to finally get to my classes and see if I could catch up, or decide to drop them, is the same as the amount of time until the trip. I also saw, more clearly than before, that the theme of "not having gotten my grades" is a reference to an ongoing event or phase in my life that I haven't seen the outcome of yet; in the dream, I set a record by believing that I hadn't gotten my grades for THREE YEARS, and I just mentioned to a friend a couple of days ago that I'd hit the 3-year anniversary of a MAJOR event in my life, one whose repercussions are still being felt; this is NOT a coincidence.
If you have a recurring dream, it's always worthwhile to try to connect the main elements of the dream to what's going on in your life; your brain gives you those dreams over and over for a reason, after all, and once you learn the reason you learn something about yourself.
As for the "dirty" stuff; yes, I actually had a sexual dream last night, and no, my husband was NOT in it. I find that my sex dreams get more graphic as I get older, which is presumably a hormonal thing; while most people's sex dreams tend to be big on the feelings and not very detailed, MINE would put a porn movie to shame... or is it that most people just don't remember the details, and I'm just more obsessive, lol?
The lucky guy who "co-starred" with me is someone famous, and when that happens, while it CAN be a simple matter of your subconscious giving you a hottie as a sexual subject, it's often symbolic; qualities that you associate with that person, or a character you associate them with (in the case of an actor) have special meaning to you. This particular guy is VERY cute, as in "grab your heart and fall to the floor when you see him," so the "access to a hottie" thing was clearly going on, but there's more to it; he's much younger, which I think is probably the standard "wish to recapture lost youth" thing that so many people foolishly pursue in real life, and, more interestingly, I associate him with certain nurturing and caretaking qualities that are rare in a man, and I probably want those things as much as his little butt and hairy chest.
Well, ALMOST.
I had the "back in high school" dream last night, and I saw again that my interpretation of how not having/understanding my schedule in the dream ties in with stressful events in my life that feel out of my control; the length of time since "classes had started" was the length of time since we made reservations for our upcoming trip, and the amount of time I was told in the dream that I had to finally get to my classes and see if I could catch up, or decide to drop them, is the same as the amount of time until the trip. I also saw, more clearly than before, that the theme of "not having gotten my grades" is a reference to an ongoing event or phase in my life that I haven't seen the outcome of yet; in the dream, I set a record by believing that I hadn't gotten my grades for THREE YEARS, and I just mentioned to a friend a couple of days ago that I'd hit the 3-year anniversary of a MAJOR event in my life, one whose repercussions are still being felt; this is NOT a coincidence.
If you have a recurring dream, it's always worthwhile to try to connect the main elements of the dream to what's going on in your life; your brain gives you those dreams over and over for a reason, after all, and once you learn the reason you learn something about yourself.
As for the "dirty" stuff; yes, I actually had a sexual dream last night, and no, my husband was NOT in it. I find that my sex dreams get more graphic as I get older, which is presumably a hormonal thing; while most people's sex dreams tend to be big on the feelings and not very detailed, MINE would put a porn movie to shame... or is it that most people just don't remember the details, and I'm just more obsessive, lol?
The lucky guy who "co-starred" with me is someone famous, and when that happens, while it CAN be a simple matter of your subconscious giving you a hottie as a sexual subject, it's often symbolic; qualities that you associate with that person, or a character you associate them with (in the case of an actor) have special meaning to you. This particular guy is VERY cute, as in "grab your heart and fall to the floor when you see him," so the "access to a hottie" thing was clearly going on, but there's more to it; he's much younger, which I think is probably the standard "wish to recapture lost youth" thing that so many people foolishly pursue in real life, and, more interestingly, I associate him with certain nurturing and caretaking qualities that are rare in a man, and I probably want those things as much as his little butt and hairy chest.
Well, ALMOST.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
How many of us have experienced "the unknown"? VOTE IN THE POLL (upper right corner)!!
Do you know one single person who has NEVER seen or heard a ghost, NEVER predicted the future, waking or dreaming, NEVER been freaked out by eye-popping incidents of synchronicity that defy any possibility of "coincidence," NEVER experienced anything that can't be explained by science? *I* don't. No one I've asked about this does, either. Even people who are staunch believers in there being NOTHING beyond what science can perceive, like my husband, HAVE seen examples of "the unknown" in action; they just insist that there "must be" some sort of explanation for each event that will somehow magically make it fit into the laws of physics, even though no amount of searching ever turns one up (and they call US illogical, lol).
So, we've pretty much ALL experienced this sort of thing; why do you suppose that is? What do you think it MEANS? Is it possible that things that nearly every human being has experienced are a mass delusion... or is this a not-too-subtle hint that these things are REAL?
Vote in the poll, and let's see what YOU think. :-)
So, we've pretty much ALL experienced this sort of thing; why do you suppose that is? What do you think it MEANS? Is it possible that things that nearly every human being has experienced are a mass delusion... or is this a not-too-subtle hint that these things are REAL?
Vote in the poll, and let's see what YOU think. :-)
Results of the partner equality poll
Here they are:
Partner equality poll
Should both halves of a couple be "equal" in things like intelligence and success?
I'm a woman, and I prefer for me to be smarter, more successful, etc, than the man. 6.5% (9 votes)
I'm a woman, and I prefer to have the same level of intelligence, success, etc, as the man. 41% (57 votes)
I'm a woman, and I prefer the man to be more intelligent, successful, etc, than me. 5.8% (8 votes)
I'm a man, and I prefer for me to be smarter, more successful, etc, than the woman. 5% (7 votes)
I'm a man, and I prefer to have the same level of intelligence, success, etc, as the woman. 34.5% (48 votes)
I'm a man, and I prefer the woman to be more intelligent, successful, etc, than me. 7.2% (10 votes)
total votes: 139
Interesting, isn't it, that slightly more women AND men want WOMEN to be smarter and more successful? Who'd have thought THAT?!!
You should still be able to vote in the poll here:
http://www.blogpoll.com/poll/view_Poll.php?type=java&poll_id=3825
and view the results here:
http://www.blogpoll.com/poll/view_Results.php?poll_id=3825
Thanks to all who participated!! :-)
Partner equality poll
Should both halves of a couple be "equal" in things like intelligence and success?
I'm a woman, and I prefer for me to be smarter, more successful, etc, than the man. 6.5% (9 votes)
I'm a woman, and I prefer to have the same level of intelligence, success, etc, as the man. 41% (57 votes)
I'm a woman, and I prefer the man to be more intelligent, successful, etc, than me. 5.8% (8 votes)
I'm a man, and I prefer for me to be smarter, more successful, etc, than the woman. 5% (7 votes)
I'm a man, and I prefer to have the same level of intelligence, success, etc, as the woman. 34.5% (48 votes)
I'm a man, and I prefer the woman to be more intelligent, successful, etc, than me. 7.2% (10 votes)
total votes: 139
Interesting, isn't it, that slightly more women AND men want WOMEN to be smarter and more successful? Who'd have thought THAT?!!
You should still be able to vote in the poll here:
http://www.blogpoll.com/poll/view_Poll.php?type=java&poll_id=3825
and view the results here:
http://www.blogpoll.com/poll/view_Results.php?poll_id=3825
Thanks to all who participated!! :-)
Youth is wasted on the young
The older I get, the more I realize that that old saying is TRUE. Everyone I know who's young enough to have an unlined face, a body on which nothing is dimpling, drooping or dropping, skin and muscle tone that are at their max with no work, and nothing that is chronically sore or can easily become sore with a little exertion, is so busy with their angst and uncertainty and wanting it all rightnowrightaway with no idea how to get it, so caught up with making emotionally-charged relationship and life decisions that will haunt them forever, that they don't appreciate what they've got.
If you're young, take a moment to be glad that you can: pig out and not gain weight... not exercise and still look sleek and firm... lay down and fall right asleep, and STAY asleep... never think about your gums, your fiber intake, or the potential failure of any part of your body during normal activities... stay up all night and not feel it... wear the latest fashions without looking ridiculous... eat ice cream for dinner while sitting on the couch and watching a cartoon marathon without feeling remotely silly... become best friends with someone in an hour... fall in love and think about how wonderful they are, rather than whether they're long-term-relationship and parent-of-your-children material...
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't exchange the life I've made with my husband, and the "wisdom" and understanding I've gained, for ANYTHING, and overall it's FAR better to be "older" than to be a teen or twentysomething, but it sure would be nice for my back to never ache, and to not have to battle a slowing metabolism, and to not have to buy moisturizers by the gallon.
If there were one thing I could alter about my younger years, it wouldn't be to change the "bad things" that happened, and thus lose the strength I gained and the lessons I learned, it wouldn't be to change ANY significant actions, as that could cause me to not have gotten the life I've been blessed with, it would be to be aware, and appreciative, of all the benefits that go along with youth... and that the BAD parts of being young DO go away over time, so there's no need to fret over them.
Nowadays, I try to be grateful for things like my still-perfect vision and hearing, being able to walk all day at the zoo without needing breaks, having dark roots instead of GRAY roots, and all the other things that won't always be this way; who knows, maybe sending out that sort of positive energy about those things will help me hang onto them longer-it can't hurt to try.
If you're young, take a moment to be glad that you can: pig out and not gain weight... not exercise and still look sleek and firm... lay down and fall right asleep, and STAY asleep... never think about your gums, your fiber intake, or the potential failure of any part of your body during normal activities... stay up all night and not feel it... wear the latest fashions without looking ridiculous... eat ice cream for dinner while sitting on the couch and watching a cartoon marathon without feeling remotely silly... become best friends with someone in an hour... fall in love and think about how wonderful they are, rather than whether they're long-term-relationship and parent-of-your-children material...
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't exchange the life I've made with my husband, and the "wisdom" and understanding I've gained, for ANYTHING, and overall it's FAR better to be "older" than to be a teen or twentysomething, but it sure would be nice for my back to never ache, and to not have to battle a slowing metabolism, and to not have to buy moisturizers by the gallon.
If there were one thing I could alter about my younger years, it wouldn't be to change the "bad things" that happened, and thus lose the strength I gained and the lessons I learned, it wouldn't be to change ANY significant actions, as that could cause me to not have gotten the life I've been blessed with, it would be to be aware, and appreciative, of all the benefits that go along with youth... and that the BAD parts of being young DO go away over time, so there's no need to fret over them.
Nowadays, I try to be grateful for things like my still-perfect vision and hearing, being able to walk all day at the zoo without needing breaks, having dark roots instead of GRAY roots, and all the other things that won't always be this way; who knows, maybe sending out that sort of positive energy about those things will help me hang onto them longer-it can't hurt to try.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Just when you think people can't get any stupider
You've probably received a slew of emails asking you to "boycott gas," and/or seen postings about it on every forum you visit; the upshot of them is that we're supposed to be able to make the gas companies take some ridiculously huge loss by not buying gas on this ONE day, thereby somehow making them lower prices.
Say WHAT?!!
Gas isn't some frivolous thing that we just buy on a whim, it's a NECESSITY that we need to get to work and the other places we go as part of our lives, and we'll need it just as much today as any other day. If people don't fill up their tanks today, that just means that they filled them up yesterday, or will fill them up tomorrow-the same amount of gas will be used, and the profits to the gas companies will remain the same for the week, either way.
Might not people eliminate a few errands, or some such thing, and thus lower their gas usage for today? Sure... but those errands will just need to be done on another day, and the gas will get used then.
What if people restructure their driving, so as to lower their gas usage overall for as long as the prices are high? People have already been doing that, for as long as gas prices have been going up, as the gas companies KNEW they would-they took that into account when they decided to raise prices, and they knew that the total revenue would STILL be higher, even with lower usage... because the cold hard truth is that we CAN'T lower our gas usage by much, as nearly all of it is for necessary trips, and no matter how much they raise the prices, we STILL have to get to work, take our kids to school, buy food, run errands, and occasionally see our loved ones... and the gas companies know it.
It's nice to THINK that we can "make" gas companies lower prices, but the reality is that we CAN'T. While a boycott CAN work if it's of a store, since there are other stores, or of a restaurant, as there are other restaurants, there is NO substitute for gas to make our cars run, so we can NEVER boycott gas companies successfully. We need to quit getting caught up in these ridiculous schemes that a 2nd grader could see won't work, and do the only thing that DOES sometimes work; call and write our elected officials, and tell them that our votes will go to those who work to lower gas prices.
Say WHAT?!!
Gas isn't some frivolous thing that we just buy on a whim, it's a NECESSITY that we need to get to work and the other places we go as part of our lives, and we'll need it just as much today as any other day. If people don't fill up their tanks today, that just means that they filled them up yesterday, or will fill them up tomorrow-the same amount of gas will be used, and the profits to the gas companies will remain the same for the week, either way.
Might not people eliminate a few errands, or some such thing, and thus lower their gas usage for today? Sure... but those errands will just need to be done on another day, and the gas will get used then.
What if people restructure their driving, so as to lower their gas usage overall for as long as the prices are high? People have already been doing that, for as long as gas prices have been going up, as the gas companies KNEW they would-they took that into account when they decided to raise prices, and they knew that the total revenue would STILL be higher, even with lower usage... because the cold hard truth is that we CAN'T lower our gas usage by much, as nearly all of it is for necessary trips, and no matter how much they raise the prices, we STILL have to get to work, take our kids to school, buy food, run errands, and occasionally see our loved ones... and the gas companies know it.
It's nice to THINK that we can "make" gas companies lower prices, but the reality is that we CAN'T. While a boycott CAN work if it's of a store, since there are other stores, or of a restaurant, as there are other restaurants, there is NO substitute for gas to make our cars run, so we can NEVER boycott gas companies successfully. We need to quit getting caught up in these ridiculous schemes that a 2nd grader could see won't work, and do the only thing that DOES sometimes work; call and write our elected officials, and tell them that our votes will go to those who work to lower gas prices.
Here, at last, is some commentary on the war
War is hell.
You've heard that saying before, right? Everyone has, right? It's clear what it means, right? So why is everyone acting as if every death, every injury, every bit of bad behavior from emotionally-wrecked military types, and every bit of destruction were some shocking, unexpected thing that needs to be screamed and wept over endlessly?
The entire PURPOSE of war is for people to do their best to hurt and kill others, and destroy their stuff... that's what a war IS. So why is it that we treat every report of perfectly normal and expected goings-on as if it were happening in a quiet suburban neighborhood instead of in a WAR ZONE?
In every war that has ever been, people on BOTH sides have treated prisoners in ways that don't look good when looked at by polite society; when tensions run high, every minute of every day, day after day, week after week, and finally month after month, it messes with people's heads, and if they get power over some of the enemy, who they've been trained to see as evil, who they've been trained to see as less than human, who they've been trained to KILL, who they've been trained to understand are out to kill THEM, who HAVE killed people they knew, what exactly do you EXPECT them to do? Throw tea parties for them? Of course not; they're going to abuse them in some way, at least some of the time. We need to stop being naive and accept that that's the way things are in wartime. No, that doesn't make it right, that doesn't make it ok, that doesn't mean we shouldn't take steps to prevent it and to punish those responsible, but it DOES mean that we have to take these actions IN CONTEXT, and not act as if we have no idea WHY these things happened.
The other part of our current hysteria is that we are saturated with in-depth info on the war, and we're becoming virtually OBSESSED with knowing everything. As a nation, we need to STOP slavering after every possible gory detail about the war. We need to STOP the morbid interest in every drop of blood that is shed. And we need to heed the wakeup call provided by the stampede of people rushing to watch the nauseating footage of a man getting his head cut off an inch at a time and realize that we're getting SICK about this whole mess... why would anyone WANT to see something like that? What sort of ghouls are we becoming?
What sort of nation are we going to be when our brave military men and women come back here? Are we going to be grateful to them for having fought while we remained here safe, or are we going to leap at them and demand that they recount every bit of human suffering that they encountered? Are we going to welcome them home, or pester them for photos of corpses and rubble?
War is HELL; it is NOT a debutante ball, nor is it a Hollywood extravaganza. We should be neither shocked by its realities nor entertained by them. Whether you're for the war or against it, for Bush or against him, the war EXISTS, and nothing that you know or say will change that, so instead of treating it like the ultimate reality show, how about we all just hope with every bit of strength we have that it ends SOON, so that our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and friends can come home, hopefully leaving behind them a stable situation that will need no further involvement by us?
You've heard that saying before, right? Everyone has, right? It's clear what it means, right? So why is everyone acting as if every death, every injury, every bit of bad behavior from emotionally-wrecked military types, and every bit of destruction were some shocking, unexpected thing that needs to be screamed and wept over endlessly?
The entire PURPOSE of war is for people to do their best to hurt and kill others, and destroy their stuff... that's what a war IS. So why is it that we treat every report of perfectly normal and expected goings-on as if it were happening in a quiet suburban neighborhood instead of in a WAR ZONE?
In every war that has ever been, people on BOTH sides have treated prisoners in ways that don't look good when looked at by polite society; when tensions run high, every minute of every day, day after day, week after week, and finally month after month, it messes with people's heads, and if they get power over some of the enemy, who they've been trained to see as evil, who they've been trained to see as less than human, who they've been trained to KILL, who they've been trained to understand are out to kill THEM, who HAVE killed people they knew, what exactly do you EXPECT them to do? Throw tea parties for them? Of course not; they're going to abuse them in some way, at least some of the time. We need to stop being naive and accept that that's the way things are in wartime. No, that doesn't make it right, that doesn't make it ok, that doesn't mean we shouldn't take steps to prevent it and to punish those responsible, but it DOES mean that we have to take these actions IN CONTEXT, and not act as if we have no idea WHY these things happened.
The other part of our current hysteria is that we are saturated with in-depth info on the war, and we're becoming virtually OBSESSED with knowing everything. As a nation, we need to STOP slavering after every possible gory detail about the war. We need to STOP the morbid interest in every drop of blood that is shed. And we need to heed the wakeup call provided by the stampede of people rushing to watch the nauseating footage of a man getting his head cut off an inch at a time and realize that we're getting SICK about this whole mess... why would anyone WANT to see something like that? What sort of ghouls are we becoming?
What sort of nation are we going to be when our brave military men and women come back here? Are we going to be grateful to them for having fought while we remained here safe, or are we going to leap at them and demand that they recount every bit of human suffering that they encountered? Are we going to welcome them home, or pester them for photos of corpses and rubble?
War is HELL; it is NOT a debutante ball, nor is it a Hollywood extravaganza. We should be neither shocked by its realities nor entertained by them. Whether you're for the war or against it, for Bush or against him, the war EXISTS, and nothing that you know or say will change that, so instead of treating it like the ultimate reality show, how about we all just hope with every bit of strength we have that it ends SOON, so that our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and friends can come home, hopefully leaving behind them a stable situation that will need no further involvement by us?
Monday, May 17, 2004
Yum yum YUM!!
I've discovered one of the tastiest snacks in the world, and it's something that's not only unusual (which is cool) but ecologically friendly too (which is VERY cool); they're called Paisanitos Plantain Chips, and we got them at Whole Foods (other health food stores might have them, too).
If you don't know what a plantain is, that's not surprising; the dictionary defines them as "starchy banana-like fruit; eaten (always cooked) as a staple vegetable throughout the tropics," with the subtext being that they aren't commonly eaten anywhere else except by people with ancestors from that part of the world (like me)... and that's too bad, as they're very nutritious as well as tasty (especially in the fried form called tostones).
I wish I could describe the flavor of these chips, but it's like trying to tell someone who's never even seen a potato what a potato chip tastes like; just trust me that they're crunchier and with a better flavor than any potato chip ever made (and yes, I DO love potato chips).
If you prefer to eat "natural" foods, these fit the bill; all they contain is: sustainable fresh plantains, palm oil, and salt. "Sustainable" is the bit that'll make the ecologically-minded among you happy, since it means that they "use environmentally-friendly production practices"; yes, that's a direct quote from the package, and it's a good thing to see, especially given where these chips are produced-Ecuador (the chips are exported by Valdesa, which appears to be an Ecuadorian company, NOT an American company taking advantage of cheap labor in Ecuador). Like any developing country, they need some sort of dependable way for their people to generate income, and producing products that Americans will consume means that they can get $ from us in a way that doesn't destroy their dignity and their pride in their heritage.
It's not often that you can support sustainable farming in a disadvantaged country by eating a tasty snack; if you're going to eat junk food, why not try something that you have SOME reason to feel good about?
See if you have a Whole Foods, which is FULL of unusual snacks (like BLUE potato chips, made from actual, Peruvian BLUE Potatoes), here:
http://www.wholefoods.com/stores/index.html
Happy munching!! :-)
If you don't know what a plantain is, that's not surprising; the dictionary defines them as "starchy banana-like fruit; eaten (always cooked) as a staple vegetable throughout the tropics," with the subtext being that they aren't commonly eaten anywhere else except by people with ancestors from that part of the world (like me)... and that's too bad, as they're very nutritious as well as tasty (especially in the fried form called tostones).
I wish I could describe the flavor of these chips, but it's like trying to tell someone who's never even seen a potato what a potato chip tastes like; just trust me that they're crunchier and with a better flavor than any potato chip ever made (and yes, I DO love potato chips).
If you prefer to eat "natural" foods, these fit the bill; all they contain is: sustainable fresh plantains, palm oil, and salt. "Sustainable" is the bit that'll make the ecologically-minded among you happy, since it means that they "use environmentally-friendly production practices"; yes, that's a direct quote from the package, and it's a good thing to see, especially given where these chips are produced-Ecuador (the chips are exported by Valdesa, which appears to be an Ecuadorian company, NOT an American company taking advantage of cheap labor in Ecuador). Like any developing country, they need some sort of dependable way for their people to generate income, and producing products that Americans will consume means that they can get $ from us in a way that doesn't destroy their dignity and their pride in their heritage.
It's not often that you can support sustainable farming in a disadvantaged country by eating a tasty snack; if you're going to eat junk food, why not try something that you have SOME reason to feel good about?
See if you have a Whole Foods, which is FULL of unusual snacks (like BLUE potato chips, made from actual, Peruvian BLUE Potatoes), here:
http://www.wholefoods.com/stores/index.html
Happy munching!! :-)
Sunday, May 16, 2004
The myth of car alarms
Car alarms are supposed to prevent your car from being stolen; the idea is that, if the alarm goes off, concerned citizens will come rushing over to see what's going on, and sprint to their phones to call the police.
Have you EVER seen that happen?
When a car alarm goes off, everyone within hearing distance groans in disgust and starts grumbling about how the owner better march their butt out there pretty quick and shut the stupid thing off. This deters crime HOW?
Some people want an alarm to alert THEM if someone tries to steal their car; the reality is that all the alarm alerts them to is that cats like to jump on their hood, or that some kid lost control of a ball, or any of the 10 billion innocuous events that cause car alarms to go off. This can get REALLY annoying for the neighbors if the owner is ever away from home without that car, because then the alarm just has to shriek on and on and ON... even the ones that have a time limit for how long they run can sound like they're going forever when it's the middle of the night-trust me.
Why would you think you needed an alarm on a car that's in your garage or carport anyway; do you think that anyone is desperate enough to steal it that they're going to break into your garage, or walk openly and visibly into your carport, start the car and drive away, as if you can't HEAR your car starting up?
And what's the point of putting on the alarm when you go to work, or the mall, or anywhere with a parking lot... it's not like you'll HEAR it if it goes off, or like anyone else will care. Heck, even if you DID hear it, do you usually run out to the parking lot every time a car alarm goes off? Does ANYBODY?
Some people want an alarm so that if they can't park their car close enough to where they live, or where they're visiting or sleeping for the night, they'll feel sure that if someone tried to drive off with their worthless tin can on wheels that no one wants anyways, the alarm will alert them; the problem with that one is that, as we're ALL used to ignoring distant car alarms, one's own alarm can blast endlessly before it occurs to us to check our own vehicle.
This happened in MY neighborhood just last night-no surprise there, right, lol? I first heard the alarm at about 1:30AM; it went on for several minutes, enough time to wake everyone in a 3 block radius, before it finally shut off. This sort of thing happens frequently in urban areas, so I didn't give it much thought... until it went off again about an hour later, and again took forever before it stopped. About half an hour later, it happened again. Then, at 5AM, it happened again... and, 5 minutes later, again... and, 5 minutes later, AGAIN. At this point, my husband, who had gone outside to write down the license plate # so that we could report it to security the next day, saw a woman walking down the street towards the noisemaker. It wasn't until she made a mortified reply to the comments he was making about the situation that he realized that this was the OWNER, at long, LONG last, who had apparently been staying at a house far enough away that it took the alarm going off 3 times in a row before she finally woke up and realized what had happened-I guess her hosts were too embarrassed to DRIVE her down the street to shut the alarm off a little faster. She apologized profusely to my husband, who filled her in on what her car had been up to while she, and ONLY she, had been sleeping undisturbed, and in front of him, and a neighbor who had also come out, and however many of us were watching from our windows, she drove the vehicle away-she must have been afraid of having it vandalized if she left it there.
Too bad the stupid bitch hadn't thought to park the car in whatever spot nearer to where she was staying that she belatedly moved it to BEFORE she went to bed, huh?
Folks, here's a reality check; in virtually every situation you can imagine, the traditional car alarm, that goes off if someone touches the car, or breathes on the car, or comes within 20 frigging feet of the car, is a waste of your $ and a major pain in the butt to everyone around you. The more modern alarms, that go off if your windows get broken in, or similar extreme action that undeniably IS evidence of vandalism or attempted theft occurs, are fine; they get you a discount on your auto insurance, and are unlikely to ever be a bother to people. Other than that, just accept that no one cares enough about your car to steal it, and if they DID, an alarm wouldn't stop them, or cause anyone, including YOU, to come rushing to the scene to prevent them. Lock your doors, roll up your windows, don't leave any valuables or tempting packages visible, and donate the $ you saved by NOT getting an alarm to the nearest homeless shelter.
Have you EVER seen that happen?
When a car alarm goes off, everyone within hearing distance groans in disgust and starts grumbling about how the owner better march their butt out there pretty quick and shut the stupid thing off. This deters crime HOW?
Some people want an alarm to alert THEM if someone tries to steal their car; the reality is that all the alarm alerts them to is that cats like to jump on their hood, or that some kid lost control of a ball, or any of the 10 billion innocuous events that cause car alarms to go off. This can get REALLY annoying for the neighbors if the owner is ever away from home without that car, because then the alarm just has to shriek on and on and ON... even the ones that have a time limit for how long they run can sound like they're going forever when it's the middle of the night-trust me.
Why would you think you needed an alarm on a car that's in your garage or carport anyway; do you think that anyone is desperate enough to steal it that they're going to break into your garage, or walk openly and visibly into your carport, start the car and drive away, as if you can't HEAR your car starting up?
And what's the point of putting on the alarm when you go to work, or the mall, or anywhere with a parking lot... it's not like you'll HEAR it if it goes off, or like anyone else will care. Heck, even if you DID hear it, do you usually run out to the parking lot every time a car alarm goes off? Does ANYBODY?
Some people want an alarm so that if they can't park their car close enough to where they live, or where they're visiting or sleeping for the night, they'll feel sure that if someone tried to drive off with their worthless tin can on wheels that no one wants anyways, the alarm will alert them; the problem with that one is that, as we're ALL used to ignoring distant car alarms, one's own alarm can blast endlessly before it occurs to us to check our own vehicle.
This happened in MY neighborhood just last night-no surprise there, right, lol? I first heard the alarm at about 1:30AM; it went on for several minutes, enough time to wake everyone in a 3 block radius, before it finally shut off. This sort of thing happens frequently in urban areas, so I didn't give it much thought... until it went off again about an hour later, and again took forever before it stopped. About half an hour later, it happened again. Then, at 5AM, it happened again... and, 5 minutes later, again... and, 5 minutes later, AGAIN. At this point, my husband, who had gone outside to write down the license plate # so that we could report it to security the next day, saw a woman walking down the street towards the noisemaker. It wasn't until she made a mortified reply to the comments he was making about the situation that he realized that this was the OWNER, at long, LONG last, who had apparently been staying at a house far enough away that it took the alarm going off 3 times in a row before she finally woke up and realized what had happened-I guess her hosts were too embarrassed to DRIVE her down the street to shut the alarm off a little faster. She apologized profusely to my husband, who filled her in on what her car had been up to while she, and ONLY she, had been sleeping undisturbed, and in front of him, and a neighbor who had also come out, and however many of us were watching from our windows, she drove the vehicle away-she must have been afraid of having it vandalized if she left it there.
Too bad the stupid bitch hadn't thought to park the car in whatever spot nearer to where she was staying that she belatedly moved it to BEFORE she went to bed, huh?
Folks, here's a reality check; in virtually every situation you can imagine, the traditional car alarm, that goes off if someone touches the car, or breathes on the car, or comes within 20 frigging feet of the car, is a waste of your $ and a major pain in the butt to everyone around you. The more modern alarms, that go off if your windows get broken in, or similar extreme action that undeniably IS evidence of vandalism or attempted theft occurs, are fine; they get you a discount on your auto insurance, and are unlikely to ever be a bother to people. Other than that, just accept that no one cares enough about your car to steal it, and if they DID, an alarm wouldn't stop them, or cause anyone, including YOU, to come rushing to the scene to prevent them. Lock your doors, roll up your windows, don't leave any valuables or tempting packages visible, and donate the $ you saved by NOT getting an alarm to the nearest homeless shelter.
