February 9, 2007
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Legislative Perks: In Indiana, home to the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, 45 state lawmakers took advantage of the Colts' offer to buy two tickets at $600.00 each to attend the Super Bowl game in Miami, FL. Do you think state law makers or members of Congress should be given preferential treatment when it comes to purchasing highly sought after tickets to sporting events?
Q2 - Fast Food: Putting aside for a moment how bad you know it is for you, what is your favorite fast food meal?
Q3 - Rules of the Street: For some, the lure of an iPod may be less about music and more about blotting out the world around them. But in some major New York cities, at least, the pause button could soon be pressed on this most modern of luxuries because someone has decided it's dangerous. New York State Senator Carl Kruger plans to introduce legislation that would ban the use of handheld devices such as BlackBerries, iPods, cell phones, and portable video games while crossing streets in major New York cities. Under the proposed law, pedestrians and bicyclists caught using any kind of electronic device while crossing a street would be hit with a $100.00 fine. Do you agree with Kruger's proposal? Should handheld devices be banned in certain public settings?
Q4 - Movie Ratings: The American Medical Association Alliance will soon release the results of a national survey that it says shows that the majority of adults support an "R" rating for Hollywood movies that feature people smoking cigarettes. What do you think? Should movies featuring cigarette smoking actors or actresses be given an "R" rating?
Posted by Mikal at February 9, 2007 8:40 AM
| TrackBack
1. Mmmm... not really. But when you're in a position of powre, it's just one of those things you'll get whether you want it or not.
2. First, let me say I eat fast food on an average of probably 15 times per month. MMy favorite varies week to week. Right now, I'd have to say the double-cheeseburger combo at Burger King. Long live the King!
3. I always have problems with stuff like this. We're supposed to be a free nation! Areas like this are always a bit touchy. But in this case, I think it's going a little, nay, substantially overboard.
4. That has to be a joke! Are you serious? That seems so silly to me. But the truth is, I think the MPAA does such a horrible job of rating movies to begin with, I don't think anybody would notice the difference.
1. Sure. I don't have a problem with it. I've used such connections to get good tickets in the past.
2. MexiMelt from Taco Bell. I've ordered one every single time I've been at Taco Bell in the last 15 years or so. Without exception.
3. No fines. Let people do what they want. Sometimes, I think people are so, and forgive me for lack of a better understood word, so retarded!
4. I think this is absurd. I don't think movies should have any ratings at all.
Q1 - Legislative Perks: I think that everybody should be given the same opportunity, have to wait in the same lines, and pay the same prices for such sought after event tickets.
Q2 - Fast Food: I don't know if this exactly qualifies, but I'm big on Subway's Cold Cut Trio with a side of Jalapeno chips and a Dr. Pepper.
Q3 - Rules of the Street: This is ridiculous! Carl Kruger is an idiot, and needs to realize that people are more competent than most lawmakers think. I'm sure New Yorkers can look out for themselves without the help of a bunch of overpaid, underworked government officials watching over them like toddlers.
Q4 - Movie Ratings: Four Words..."Thank You For Smoking"...being a smoker saves the main character's LIFE! This proposal is almost as ridiculous as the one in New York.
Q1 - Legislative Perks: If politicians actually accomlished any good, I'd be fine if they had every perk in the business. ;) I think capitalism is based on perks. I get perks others don't. If it's something small, no worries.
Q2 - Fast Food: I think they should rename Fast Food really dang good food. I like to get a Quarter Pounder w/cheese at McDonald's.
Q3 - Rules of the Street: Everyone worrying about saving us from basically being stupid. You talk on your cell phone while crossing the streeet and are distracted? You listen to your iPod while crossing the street and can't hear? Well guess what. You might get run over and die. So don't be stupid, and if you are, well then that's not government's problem to solve.
Q4 - Movie Ratings: Is it rated R for me to walk down the street and see someone smoking? That's just stupid too. What is it with all the stupidity these days? I agree with Stu as well, the MPAA gets it wrong all the time anyway.
1. Any position of power is going to get the in on popular things like this. If you ask me, that's one of the major reasons that power is appealing; people see you can get power, so they'll give you anything they think you want, assuming you'd just get it eventually anyway.
2. I'd take 2 Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers with a large fry and large DP any time.
3. There are some times when you need to be able to connect with the world using more than just one sense. Anyone who isn't smart enough to know when to turn off the device for themselves deserves the pain/death they get rather than more tax dollars wasted trying to keep them safe.
4. Considering how many things used to make a movie get the "R" that don't any more, I think its refreshing to see something going the other way. In reality, the ratings system doesn't really tell you what's in the movie, you still have to go to some web site where some neo-conversitive hypocrite has watched the movie and catalogued every little thing. The thing I wonder is, if this happens, would TV start blurring out cigarettes, just like they bleep the "R" rated words?
1. No, but who among us hasn't (or wouldn't if they could) taken advantage of the perks available to them? I've gotten gratis tickets to concerts and sporting events that way. In this particular case though, the legislators were required to pay the face value of the tickets and I believe they came out of the allotment of tickets given to the Colts organization, which they are allowed to dispense with as they darn well please.
2. It's not exceptionally fast, but a Penn Station Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich with an order of their thick cut fries.
3. This is another stupid and nearly unenforceable law that will only breed more disregard for real laws. A better alternative would be legislation that would void the ability of a person to sue for damages or personal injuries if they get struck by a vehicle while using one of those devices. As to banning them in public settings? I'd be more than happy for the owners of spaces such as restaurants, theaters and retail outlets to be able to ban and/or jam the signals of those devices. I suppose ordinances banning smoking in truly public (ie publically owned) spaces sets a good precedent for that.
4. Of course not, but the MPAA is a private organization accountable to no-one that does what it darn well pleases without explaining their methodology already. Besides-I don't think anyone other than the morality police and families with small children really pay attention to MPAA ratings anymore. They've pretty much slipped into irrelevancy in this day and age of one dollar dvd rentals.
My answers are posted on my blog. Hope you are feeling better!
1) Well, being a Chicago Bears fan, I would for sure. But, I think they should leave the tickets to those who will pay full price, in efforts to help keep football and the super bowl what it is. Personaly, I would charge government people's more...but that is me.
2)Fast Food, pretty much daily...Either Cafe Rio, Panda Express or JCW's. Wendy's has always been there for those times of crisis in my life. You gotta love a fat burger, fry and Malt. Life is short, clog your arteries.
3)I feel there are more important issues than this. If people want to risk their lives by crossing with a handheld, let them. No law I say.
4)Nope, I do not feel that smoking a cigarette would make a movie rated R. I think people are looking too hard for things to fix. If it aint broke, then don't touch the damn thing.
Q1 - Jer does bring up a good point that perks are definitely part of capitalism. I appreciate them from time to time. And $600 a piece doesn't sound like it's an extremely lavish perk, but I don't know what the ticket price was. Though government officials getting perks seems wrong.
Q2 - Big Bacon Classic from Wendy's
Q3 - Where do you find this stuff? I see an interesting dillema when the guy in the car is getting sued because some kid he hit was being stupid. So maybe the government is seeking to protect the drivers rather than the pedestrians.
Q4 - That's just silly. Surveys...really should be understood with a hefty grain of salt.
Q1 - Nope. Whoever is selling the tickets should be able to give preferential treatment to whomever they choose. If that happens to be a legislator, that does not necessarily mean they were given preferential treatment just because they were a legislator.
Q2 - BK Big Fish and Onion rings
Q3 - No, his proposal cannot be enforced. I would hope human decency would prevail in movie theaters, quiet restaurants, and funerals.
Q4 - No. Cigarette smoking is phasing out anyway. Any attempt to bring it back into the focus of children (i.e. moviegoers) means they might be tempted. Stop trying to legislate health and morality.
Q1 - Nope. Whoever is selling the tickets should be able to give preferential treatment to whomever they choose. If that happens to be a legislator, that does not necessarily mean they were given preferential treatment just because they were a legislator.
Q2 - BK Big Fish and Onion rings
Q3 - No, his proposal cannot be enforced. I would hope human decency would prevail in movie theaters, quiet restaurants, and funerals.
Q4 - No. Cigarette smoking is phasing out anyway. Any attempt to bring it back into the focus of children (i.e. moviegoers) means they might be tempted. Stop trying to legislate health and morality.
Q1 - Legislative Perks: Nope. I consider lawmakers public servants. As such, they should abide by the same rules the public must follow--no perks.
Q2 - Fast Food: Whopper Junior for a buck. Can't beat that for a deal. I usually order two.
Q3 - Rules of the Street: When I jog, I don't listen to music, because I like to hear when a car is coming up behind me, so I agree that tuning out the world is dangerous--whether you're walking, running, biking, or driving. However, I believe in personal freedom, so no fines. But if I run into somebody who darts in front of my car because he's distracted by his iPod, then I should not be held accountable.
Q4 - Movie Ratings: "R" rating for movies with smoking is absuRd.
1. Since the tickets were not out of the 'general supply' that everyone else buys from and they had to pay the face value, I can see how it didn't seem to be a big deal. BUT, I think that no group (Even our wonderful Colts) should be allowed to hold back tickets from the public and NO ONE should have to pay more than face value. Beinging a meany, I don't think that anyone should be allowed to buy more than their own ticket and one other so that they can't buy a big block and then resell them for more.
2. I don't eat fast food.
3. You have got to be kidding?! Tax dollars at work? Why don't people in politics look at the important things like people who don't have insurance, are homeless, can't eat properly, and all those kinds of things and forget this nonsense. I agree that if anything is done it shoud be that people driving a car or doing anything else that injures someone who is inattentive should be protected from law suits. If you walk out in front of my car because you are to busy with your latest iPod aquisition then I better not have to pay for your stupidity.
4. EXCUSE ME!!!! okay, what happened to parents brains?! Did they check them at the office and forget they need them at home. Or at least this Alliance seems to think so. If a parent has a problem with having their child see some star someking then keep the kid away. Instead of an R or PG or whatever maybe they should just have things that say, "Attention: this movie has smoking or frontal nudity or graphic language or a combo of them and make it right out front. But to make smoking an R. Why don't they just make everything an R. Let's see, I don't want my child to see anyone swinging too high in a swing cause they might get the idea that is safe and do it and get hurt so _________ should be PG 13. I'm sorry. This just seems so overboard. The more the goverment or any other group tried to legislate morality or responsibility like this we end up worse off than before.
1. I agree w/ Jer on this one.
2. I know that this isn't what you asked for, but in order to combine all my favorites, I put together my ultimate fast food dream meal: Quadruple Bacon cheese burger made of burger patties and cheese from In N Out, and Bacon, bun, and sauce from Emmettís; a large order of fries from Iceberg dipped in fry sauce from Arctic Circle; and a black raspberry shake from Le Beauís. And if I were still hungry (yeah right), Iíd follow it up with some of Subwayís macadamia nut cookies. Ah man, that is making me hungry just thinking about it.
3. At some point in time, politicians have to realize that they just can't get in the way of natural selection. If these people don't kill themselves by forgetting to look both ways, they'll find another way to do it. Are these the same people that need a law to tell them itís a good idea to wear your seat belt in a car or a helmet when riding a motorcycle?
4. This is ridiculous. Is there anyone in this day and age that doesn't realize smoking is bad for you? People in movies do all kinds of stuff that could be considered unsafe - doesn't mean the movie should be rated R. I really like Deb's idea of just telling us what's in the movie and letting us decide. To get that exact info, I take full advantage of the neo-conservative hypocrites that Greg mentioned and visit kids-in-mind.com before viewing most films.
Q1 - I think state law should not govern these perks. They are just perks, and it happens and is no big deal. They still had to buy the tickets. I used to work for a major computer co and our local courier service used to give me tickets to the rodeo every year, as many shows as I wanted. I never minded, they weren't worth as much as superbowl tickets, but I wasn't paying for them either nor was I in a position of high power. It was just a perk.
Q2 - Hmmm...I don't eat a lot of fast food these days - and I try to keep my kids away from it. I would have to say Taco Bell. My kids love to go to the mall just to eat the tacos!
Q3 - I do not think they should be banned. However there should be something in place so that if someone is STUPID enough to cross the street, ride a bike, etc with an IPOD on so they can't hear traffic, and they get hit by a car, the driver is protected. The way juries work these days, you could potentially win a fortune by being an idiot.
Q4 - As much as I dislike cigarette smoking, giving a movie an R rating for cigarette smoking is absolutely ridiculous! (Yes, I know Mikal, I used to be a smoker.)How can they get away with language, adult situations, etc and then be given an R rating for smoking. Give me a break!
And why aren't you answering anymore Mikal? :)
Post a Comment:
|
