The Great Cereal Conspiracy

.....[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.07.06.....I like Raisin Bran and Honey Nut Cheerios. Not together , of course, but with a little soy milk, a bowl or two is a meal for me. (I have lactose issues, so soy milk works). When I was a kid I loved Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries. Actually, probably any cereal with sugar on it was OK. And that common denominator of sugar makes them all actually taste the same. The way they looked made you think they were different. It was a psychology game that cereal manufacturers and experts played on unsuspecting kids: All the cereal was the same. Just looked different. It aided the kids imagination. That's why parents let us eat it. It was a conspiracy of sorts. We couldn't eat lots of candy, but they let us the cereal for breakfast. So we imagined we were eating strawberry crunchberries, or chocolate count choculas and they really didn't taste any different. But the imagination flourished. The ultimate test was the cookie cereals. It was supposed to taste like chocolate chip cookies. It proved successful. Kids from all across the country bought the cereals thinking they were eating something that tasted like chocolate chip cookies when the only thing different from the rest of the cereal was that it said it was "choclate chip" on the box. But there was a counter movement to this conspiracy. And that came from those that made the toy surprise inside. Kids would also buy the cereal just for the toy. After digging the toy out of the box, the cereal would be forgotten. And there was really no way to imagine the toy as being anything but cheap worthless junk that was funner to dig for in the box than it was to actually have it. I used to get the cereal that had the record on the back. You could cut the little cardboard record off the back of the box and listen to the Monkees or the Sugar Bears, though when 45 rpm record were only abut 39 cents, it would have probably been cheaper to buy the actual record. And it would have lasted longer than the record on the box which might play through once, but usually skipped at least once or just got stuck. Any way after left the hole in the back of the box and then put the box back in the cupboard, I hoped no one would notice, but they did. And, as they say, so much for my imagination.

So now you know the truth about cereal. And you though this web site was not educational.

West Virgina: From Tragedy to Insanity

.......[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.06.06.....The death of the miners in West Virginia was tragic. The chain of events that unfolded when it happened....the miscommunications, etc was also tragic. The tragedy has not ended though. Now comes the finger pointing and the blame. Lawyers will be circling like sharks smelling blood. Someone will be sued. Someone will pay. Why? Because as I have said many times before accidents do not happen in America anymore. Someone has to be at fault. Someone has to be blamed. Someone has to be held accountable (and its usually someone with money), and legislative committees have to be formed because congress has nothing better to do with their time. The tragedy is over....now the insanity begins.

Toying with The Past

"Antique with Antique"

.......[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.05.06.....As a collector I go into a lot of antique malls. Sometimes it's like a trip down memory lane which I guess makes me an antique in some respects (I just can't find myself in the price guide). One thing I have noticed is difference in toys from then and now. For example, we had toy pistols with caps (a step up from a finger and a heartfelt "bang" bang"), and it was often fun getting shot and dying in William-Shatner-dramatics style while falling off an imaginary horse. Today's kids have all this in 3-D graphics. With kid-style arrogance, a kid can destroy gangs of people and see all the blood, guts and gore. Of course, they can be arrogant because they don't fire back. (Not like back in the day when a quick draw finger was pitted against a dead eye shot finger). Toy consumer groups would probably frown on the games firing back. But it might get their focus off things like if you wedge Elmo improperly between two railroad beams that you might have back issues. (or self esteem problems because you are 6 and a railroad beam is heavy).

The Tonka tractor had to been hand pushed and manually operated. Kids today have remotes and batteries. However, my Tonka could crush a new one with little effort...or at least maybe one big push and a jump. And the remote toys end with the battery charge. Mine could go til I was exhausted or had to go in for a nap (in the middle of the day, when it was still light out, when I wasn't tire, what was that all about?).

Similarities? The boxes and packing bubbles are still fun to play with at any age.

America: Land of the Beautiful

...America
the land of the pretty, needs to getover itself...

.......[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.04.06.....
Americans are strange in some respects. We don't believe we should judge a book by its cover, but we do it all the time. We worship Hollywood, applaud the pretty, the unblemished, and often give them a pedestal to sit on, when it's the one who is not in that category that needs the place to sit. Never has this been so clear as when Dick Clark hosted the New Years celebration in New York this year. Clark has long been a man who was energetic and always looked young. He has long been an American icon and a lot of that had to do with his seemingly eternal youthfulness. (Although he was certainly a smart business man). After his stroke, Clark was not able to do New Years in 2005. This year he came back. But he was not the same. Or so the critics say. But I disagree. He was himself. He is a man who suffered a stroke. He didn't act like he used to, but he is a man who suffered a stroke. His speech was a little slowed, but he is a man who suffered a stroke. His physical movements were a little slowed, but he is a man who suffered a stroke. The way he was on TV the other night is an improvement from what he was when the stroke first happened because at that time he couldn't speak at all. He should epitomize the American spirit of one who overcomes obstacles and survives. Instead Clark was met with criticism by some who felt his appearance shouldn't have happend. Why? Because it was a downer for them. They want to see the pretty and unblemished. They want to see the youthful Clark. His appearance rained on their celebration. All I can say to them is "boo hoo." I applaud his effort. America, the land of the pretty, needs to get over itself. It needs to quit trampling over the hopes and dreams of so many people just because they don't look beautiful and fit the image. Countless numbers of teenage boys and girls suffer from self-esteem issues pounded daily by a society that worships those without acne, with no weight issues, with perky personalities. Those of that ilk become favorites while the others start a downward plight toward accepting whatever they think they can get out of life because they just aren't part of Americas elite: the bold and beautiful. Criticism of Clark embarasses me. If it were a national policy, I would be looking to move to another country. It is not. though, and I find the attitude abhorrent.

Sexual Percentages We All Need to Know

.......[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.03.06.....


Here's some information that you probably need to know: About 12 percent of males and 10 percent of teen females have participated in oral sex with a member of the opposite sex. This information was released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. This is your tax dollars at work. And by discovering this information we did what? I don't know either.
"This is the first time we've had data on use of oral sex by teenagers," said the study's lead author, Bill Mosher. "It appears that the levels of oral sex are higher among white teens than among Black and Hispanic teens." That's good they threw that in there because I hate racist sex studies. The next study by CDC is going to study whether Bill Mosher has way too much free time on his hands. 12,000 participants interviewed in the US for this survey. The findings were not altogether unexpected, experts say. But, they had fun doing the interviews and finding 12,000 people who would talk about it. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group Child Trends did its own analysis of the data and found that almost one in four teens who has not had sexual intercourse has engaged in oral sex. So, once a report is released, it can be "analyzed" to reach another conclusion? "That reflects about 10 percent of all teens.." said Jennifer Manlove, a research associate at Child Trends. So they analyzed it and came up with the same conclusion. Aren't they the clever ones?
The study also said that men aged 30 to 44 reported an average of six to eight female sexual partners so far while women reported about four. I guess the age explains it. I am 45. One is all I can handle, let along 6 to 8. And there was a lot of other stuff.....but at least we know the Washington and the CDC is keeping busy.

Top Ten Consumer Complaints in Missouri

.......[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.02.06.....

Telephone-related issues topped the list of consumer complaints in 2005 to the state attorney general in Missouri. No surprise. I have said that SBC has got the worst customer service system around. And you have to wait forever on different menu options in order to get to talk to a human being. I hate being told by a recording that I should wait on the line because i am a valued customer. If I was so valued, I wouldn't be waiting. Billing problems, unauthorized service charges and long distance providers switching without consent of user are the top three issues with telephone services. Can you hear me now? Granted, the report didn't specify SBC, but clearly they have to be at the top of the complaint list. I know I have a complaint to add every time I try and communicate with them.

The No. 2 consumer complaint was spam in the fax machine in the form of unsolicited faxes. No. 3 was issues with home repair and remodeling. No 4 was financing. Of, course, we already know the banks are never wrong so the error has to be ours. But is is OK to complain about it. No 5 is travel scams. No 6 is automotive repair and warranty. How many times does a repair end up costing more than estimated? Never according to them. They just find other problems along the way and have to ad them to that original bill. They know how to work the system. No 7 is auto sales, odometer, title and towing. Since I don't think that making payments on a car is always the best way to spend money, I would deal with used car dealers. And there are a lot of dishonest ones in that field. But, there are some good. Gasoline prices came in at No. 8. I would have thought that would have come in higher, but we are a nation that lives in that car, so we will be accepting of most prices and increases even if we complain. No 9 is credit issues. And coming in at No 10 was debt collectors, of which, I think most are the scum of the earth. I don't have any calling me now because I think I am pretty clear, but I remember the day. I have suspected there is a class on "how to be a non-human" and most debt collectors are required to take it.

I Read the News Today! Oh Boy...1.01.06

.......[c]2006 by Richard L Zorek......1.01.06.....
Notes I made as I read the Kansas City Star:....
Earlier this year, Kansas legislators wanted the tax from pornography dealers. Now Missouri schools want their share of confiscated drug money. Doing stuff illegal is getting to be profitable for everyone. How long will it be before law enforcement will be "winking" at crime so that the miscellaneous governments can increase their income. And I have to register just to buy allergy/sinus medication because someone is afraid I wil start a meth lab in my basement............Dick Vermeil says he will retire. If I am to follow suit of the Star and all the local news, I should take everything off this page and put nothing up but stuff about Vermeil and the Kansas City Chiefs. That is, of course, the main reason I would NOT do it. Not to mention that I think the Chiefs and any "sport" industry is over rated.............Osco Drug has a 10 for $10 sales on Pepsi and Cole 2-liter bottles. (By my calculations that means $1 a piece, but then I didn't have drug money to support my education so I could be wrong). Buying a bottle of pop at the Quik Trip is getting too expensive. I almost paid $1.29 for one 16 oz bottle the day before yesterday in Olathe. Then noticed I could buy 2 twelve ounce cans for $1. (8 more ounces for 30 cents less). I may actually have to quit drinking Mountain Dew, which would amount to "withdrawals" unimaginable..........Dear Abby, or what used to be "Dear Abby," but is now written by Jeanne Phillips. Has her typical "goldmine" of wisdom in her article: I believe this one boils down to: live one day at a time. Man is that ever clever? Whenever I want advice that is so sugar coated with sugar substitute...that's the column to read..............JC Penney's is having a "White Sale" with up to 40 to 50 percent off. If you take that much off of white does it make it closer to black?............Best Buy has a toaster for sale which makes toast with pictures on them. No, wait, I guess that is a printer. They are just looking more different all the time........Kansas has a credit debt coming due of about $3.86 billion. Most of the debt was run up to keep government programs from having to be cut back. And the result: government programs will have to be cut back. Why must they continue to prolong the inevitable and just deal with stuff as it comes????