I Like Some Things

I really do like and appreciate some things, although I suspect that might be difficult to accept if you’ve read some of my previous posts. I think it’s in our nature to bitch about any and everything, and so not liking people or inanimate objects or ideas comes naturally to us.

I think that every person on this planet has at some point looked at a stranger and decided that we don’t like them. That person may not have even spoken or in fact done anything to us, but we’ve decided they are worthless pieces of shit for some reason we can’t explain.

The good news is you generally don’t have to explain because everyone understands the phenomena and has exhibited the behaviour themselves. In fact, once you’ve expressed your dislike for this person you don’t know, the odds are that the person you’ve communicated this to will not only accept your instinctive dislike, but will pile on and dislike them too.

It’s easy to dislike but a little more challenging to like. Except on facebook where the likes have created another social media phenomena that’s just fucking weird. If a facebooker doesn’t accumulate a cavalcade of likes then apparently the lack of likes amounts to a dislike.

Anyway, I said I was going to talk about some things that I like.

I like steak Dianne. You take strip loin steaks and pound them flat with a wine bottle. Then you sprinkle them with pepper and roll them up. Then you pierce them a few times with a fork and leave them for a bit. Next, you heat a mixture of half and half butter and olive oil in a pan. While the butter is melting you take a serving plate and heat it in the microwave or oven. Then you unfurl each steak one at a time into the hot oil butter mixture. One minute on each side and then remove to the heated tray. When all the steaks are seared you return them to the pan and add brandy and flambé the fuckers. After the fire dies out you remove the steaks to the platter and add a can of consommé to the pan and heat it to boiling until it’s reduced to about half. Then you add a few chopped green onions and a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to the mix. Then you return the steaks and simmer them for a couple of minutes.

It’s good. I like it and you can have it with rice or any kind of potato. The sauce is good and versatile.

I like music and alcohol. I like them even more when they’re a combo because they seem to compliment one another. You’ve got to get the ratio’s right though. Too much alcohol tends to block a discerning ear and the next thing you know you’re appreciating how deep Barry Manilow’s message can be.

I like watching shitty things happen to stupid adults. I debated whether I’d admit this particular like but I decided that it’s true and there’s no sense in pretending otherwise. I’m not talking about Johnny Knoxville stupid where the idiocy is done with awareness of just how fucking stupid the actions are. I’m not a fan of planned stupidity like a White House press conference. the gong show, WWF, or Jackass the movies. I can’t decide if that type of stupidity can claim the title of entertainment when it’s actually a celebration of how easily idiots can be entertained with idiocy.

Nope, I’m talking about instant karma from bad ideas happening to people who genuinely didn’t expect the retribution from the universe. That is some funny shit. Examples abound and I don’t think I need to provide specifics.

I like gravy. My wife is an expert and the blood sauce she conjures up is astonishingly savory. I can’t imagine eating chicken or roasted pork or beef without a gravy option to go with whatever type of potato we’re having. I also like the blood sauce term I just came up with. Screw you P.E.T.A.

I like literacy and the ability to communicate effectively either orally or in writing. So many people seem to lack this ability and it causes me to wonder what their world must be like when they’re unable to string together a series of words that exhibit some coherence. I’m guessing it’s frustrating to have a mittful of opinions that you’re unable to communicate efficiently.

I like having above average acceleration available in my vehicles. My zooming around days are mostly behind me but I still like the knowledge that whatever I’m driving has all kinds of untapped potential. Potential that makes passing an afterthought and outrunning a tornado a probability.

I like lighting options. If you’re reading then you need the right amount of light. If you’re chillin with a movie then you require decent but subdued background lighting. If you’re growing weed or indoor herbs you need L.E.D. lighting. The amount of light or sparsity of light can enhance or create a mood and you need to get it right. Options for illumination abound and there’s no reason to have shitty lighting in any room in your home.

I like sarcasm. It seems to me that intelligence and sarcasm go hand in hand. People who are good at being sarcastically funny can say things that cause others to think about the absurdities of their own condition, or of this life in general. Sarcasm requires thought and some general knowledge and is one of the highest forms of humor in my opinion.

I like sneakers or running shoes. I’m old enough to remember when three striped Adidas and canvas Converse were your only choices. Now I walk into a sporting wear store and the options are amazing. It makes me want to buy dozens of pairs. Some of the shoes look like you could wear them with a space suit. Some of them weigh next to nothing. Some of them look like the gel insert should launch you to the rim. and they all look fast and comfortable.

I like people who can admit they were wrong without having a personal crisis over their admission. So much damage is done in this world because of the inability to shrug off an error in judgment and replace that error with an amended thought. It’s not that fucking difficult and it’s amazing that the ability is so rare.

Yes, there are things in this world that I like. They’re generally not as much fun to talk about as the things I don’t like though. I guess that the instinct to criticize is more efficient in eliciting a response and we like to stick with our strong suits.

So, accordingly I’ve decided that my next post is going to speak to the trend in the Western world to celebrate stupidity. I think this celebration of idiots and idiocy is a dire warning that the empire of North America and Europe is beginning to crumble.

By the way, I’ve been getting quite a few site visits from people from the United States. I only know a couple of Americans who would read my blog and I\m curious. If possible can you post a comment and let me know where you’re from?