Gym etiquette

A while back, there was this bozo who kept trying to chat me up while I was reading some comic books while I was on an elliptical trainer in the gym. I like to read comic books because they are easy enough to read despite all the up-and-down motion that invariably results when using those machines. I also read books while working out, but that tends to create a lot of eyestrain.

So this one bozo, apparently a newbie, decided to start a conversation. He says the most inane things like, “So, you’re reading comic books, eh? What ya reading?” and “That Wonder Woman, she’s all about sex, isn’t she?”

“Shut up, you bozo. Can’t you see that I”m trying to read?” is what went through my head. I didn’t care if they were just comic books; I was busy! I tried to answer his questions, but slowly and without ever lifting my eyes from what I was reading. Apparently though, he didn’t get the hint.

“So who’s your favorite superhero?” he asked. Gritting my teeth, I answered, “Speedy. Or Arsenal, as he’s now known.” “Who’s that?” he replied. I paused for a long time, hoping that he would take notice. Then I slowly said, “He was the former sidekick of Green Arrow.”

Shortly after that, I moved to another machine. I didn’t get a good look at this fellow’s face, so I don’t know if he ever returned to the gym. Frankly, I didn’t want to make eye contact. I didn’t want to give any indication of wanting to converse with him.

The bozo should read this intro to gym etiquette. Not that it should be necessary, of course. A bit of common sense would work as well.

Annoying people

Some people are just darned annoying.

Like Michael, this guy from my undergrad days. I remember when he went around, trying to convince me that there was this episode of the G.I. Joe cartoon where Duke had sex with Scarlett. What did he think I was, stupid? It wasn’t even a funny joke. I can enjoy lighthearted levity as much as anyone else, but I don’t tolerate idiocy very well.

Or this time when our class was planning a group outing. Two of the guys in our class had just won a cash prize, so of course, people were joking that they should fit the bill. That was just lighthearted conversation, of course. Nothing wrong with that.

But as we were planning our expenses, people kept bringing that up. “Hey, these two guys should fit the bill!” they’d say. Okay, okay. It was funny the first five or six times, people. Now give it a rest. What are you, a bunch of sixth graders?

Or this guy who tried to pull my chair out from underneath me while I was in front of an entire room of people. Yeah, he must have thought that was rip-roaringly funny. Knock it off, Drew. That’s not how mature adults behave.

Nobody who knows me can say that I’m a sourpuss. I crack jokes on a regular basis. What I don’t tolerate is kindergarden-level humor from grown adults. Stop it.

Being anti-blockbuster

We all know people who jump on whatever fad happens to be popular, right? “If other people are doing it,” they reason, “then I should, too!”

Well today, I came across one guy who thinks in the opposite way. Here’s what he said about movies that are popular:

When the world tells me I “have” to see a movie it brings out the rebel in me. “THE DARK KNIGHT IS THE MUST SEE MOVIE” means I won’t see it. I’m a contrary bitch, I have never seen any of the Jurassic Park lot. I have never seen any of the “Lord of the Rings” (I could be kicked out of the country for that!). I have never seen any Batman movie at any time. I have never seen Titantic. I have never ever seen ET.

They guy is a bit of a loon, and that’s putting it mildly.

A Hungarian cutie

So I got to watch a concert of Broadway music last night with a 31-year-old Hungarian beauty. She wasn’t your Hollywood-style glamour gal, but I think she’s just outrageously cute. Very sweet and charming as well, with one of the most endearing faces and soulful set of eyes that you’ll ever see. A lot of fun to talk to, and quite intelligent as well.

And no, she doesn’t want to go out with me. She only wants to be friends.

Too bad. It’s hard to find ladies who just exude sweetness and charm. If they also happen to be really pretty, as this gal was, then that’s just a bonus.

Dang.

Out of my league

So I was at another community dance event last night. There’s this youngish physician gal there that I regularly see at these events. She was kinda pretty, and way out of my league. What’s more, I’m sure that she knows that.

The thing is, she’s not a classic beauty. You can see that in her body type and her facial proportions. I think she’s very attractive though, and as I said, way out of my league.

Trek beauties

Is it just me, or is Nicole DeBoer the most achingly beautiful Star Trek actress of all time? Yeah, a lot of guys slobber over her predecessor, the leggy and statuesque Terry Farrell. Personally though, I prefer sweetness and a certain wholesome charm. That’s Nicole.

Denise Crosby also had a certain appeal, albeit of a different nature. I never did understand why guys went nuts over Marina Sirtis and Nichelle Nichols, though. Frankly, I would have preferred the actress who played the somewhat boyish looking Yeoman Colt from the original Trek pilot, “The Cage.”

Interestingly enough, I once read a discussion in which women argue over who they’d prefer, Kirk, Spock or McCoy. Their comments were amusing.

Software engineering

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The vast majority of people with the title of “software engineer” are nothing of the sort. And the vast majority of companies that give employees this title have no concept of proper software design. In other words, I echo the sentiments expressed in this article here.

This title is a status symbol, pure and simple. It’s a sop. IT also indicates that many people become programmers without properly grasping their material.

I’ve known a lot of people with Computer Science degrees who cannot write decent code. A lot of them don’t understand principles of clean structured programming, and even fewer have a strong grasp of object-oriented programming. I wish I could sit them down and force them to read Stephen Meyer’s books. Ugh.

It’s very disappointing. People learn as much as they need to churn out code, but they don’t bother to refine their art. After all, as long as it works, that’s what matters, right? Not to me, it doesn’t. Not if you think that quality matters.

What a lovely lady

Dang. This woman is really quite lovely. Sexy, even. She has an impeccably beautiful face and a slender, athletic figure. She’s thin, but she’s no scrawny, fragile waif. It’s clear that she has some respectable muscle on her in a way that’s both feminine and impressive. Quite beautiful.

And she is so far out of my league that I know much better than to even dream.

Overweight women, short men

Overweight women get a raw deal. They get a lot less attention from men than slender women do, and they feel marginalized as a result. Rightfully or not, they claim that men are being shallow when they prefer slender women.

One day though, on a web message board, I raised the question, “Most women prefer taller men, right? Why are men considered shallow for preferring slender women, but you don’t hear the same outrage over women who prefer taller men?”

The responses I got were interesting:

• “You can’t help who you’re attracted to.”
• “What’s wrong with having preferences?”
• “You’re attracted to whoever you’re attracted to. That’s just natural.”

I think they missed the point. The question wasn’t whether it was okay to prefer taller men. The question was why such preferences are socially acceptable, whereas men are reviled when they prefer thin women.

I think that’s a fair question, frankly.

Hey! I remember her!

I came across this website today. I remember this actress! She was on that TV show, [i]Making a Living[/i]. I remember because I always thought she was really cute and pretty in a delightfully wholesome way. Good, funny actress, too.

I’d love to watch all of those videos on her site. I’ve got too much other stuff to do, though.