Archives for December 2011

Mainstream media dumbs-down Americans

If ignorance is truly bliss, then many American news media outlets are helping to ensure we have one big, happy country.

The long-running joke has been how Fox News is a dumbed-down source of information, yet many other outlets have been consistently following suit.

The Fox joke, by the way, has a basis in reality. A PublicMind Poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University found that folks who watch Fox are more ignorant than those who don’t watch any news at all.

That’s pretty scary. What’s also scary is that Fox is the most-watched 24-hour cable news network.

If you really want to be terrified, however, you can just take a gander at the results of all this dumbing-down. A Gallup Poll noted nearly 20 percent of Americans believe the sun revolves around the Earth. A Zogby Poll said 75 percent of Americans can name the Three Stooges while only 40 percent can name the three branches of government.

Just like reality TV is not fully to blame for turning American intelligence into an oxymoron, we cannot put the full onus on the shoulders of the media. But it can take a major chunk.

With newspapers as a dying breed, the internet and TV have become the main sources of information. A total of 61 percent of Americans said they use the internet for a source of news and 78 percent tune in to the idiot box, according to a Pew Internet and American Life survey.

Typical headlines from online sources on any given day may include things like “Things to Buy after the Holidays,” “See What’s in Store for Capricorns this Month,” and “What You Missed on Dancing with the Stars.”

Links to mindless videos are also hot, with standard fare including 5-year-olds rapping, an elephant crapping and cats playing Mozart on piano.

Give back to America for the holidays: Help pay off national debt

Giving to Toys for Tots, donating funds to fix a child’s cleft lip and sponsoring an aye-aye lemur in Madagascar are noble ways to celebrate the holidays indeed, but we here in America have a duty to give back in a patriotic way.

We can help pay off the national debt.

Soaring to more than $15 trillion, the national debt could use a little TLC from the general public. We the people should do what we can, even if it means going without during our own holiday celebrations.

Sure, it may mean forgetting the black pearl earrings for your fiancé, the suede sports jacket for your beloved beau or substituting the holiday ham and turkey for a “Manager’s Special” salami log.

But we can do it. Let us proudly starve, scrimp and save in the name of the nation. Forget the Christmas candies and fruitcake, we can instead eat bread.

Even aye-aye lemurs can wait when we have this important national issue that needs our urgent attention. Involuntarily acquiescing big chunks of our income is not enough – we can do more for our country.

Uncle Sam makes it incredibly easy to help pay off the debt, as well. A direct link on the U.S. Treasury website under “Financing the Debt” lets you siphon money from a bank or credit card account directly into the nation’s coffers with a few clicks of the mouse.

Custom Cat Signs: Beware of Cat, Don’t Mess with Cat, Puking Cats

Cats and cat lovers take center stage with a fine array of feline signs. Custom sign choices include Beware of Cat signs, Don’t Mess with Cat signs, and the best-selling Beware of Puking Cats that warns to watch where you step.

Variations:
Custom cat sign options for the Beware of Cat and Don’t Mess with Cat are a sitting cat with his head held high or a cat lying on its side.

Puking cats are all sitting up since that’s the most effective way to puke.

Colors and sizes are you choice, as are any personal options such as “Beware of Jenny” if your cat is named Jenny.

Why you need it:
No one likes to step in cat puke. And the warning signs help ensure annoying people don’t start poking at your cat.

How I made it:
Metal yard art is created with love and care by first cutting out shape from sheet metal, filing down the edges with a Dremel and pounding out kinks with a flat hammer and anvil combination that the neighbors and my dogs hate.

Specs:
Weather resistant, rust-resistant paint finished off with clear coat.
Wire loop for easy hanging. Two-tone body hues.

Prices depend on sizes:

$49 for LG sign approx. 18 by 14 inches
$44 for MED sign approx. 16 by 12 inches
$39 for SM sign approx. 14 by 10 inches

Go even larger for more impact.

Please e-mail ryngargulinski@hotmail.com for a custom order or for more information.

Terms:
Custom art ships out in five business days at most; typically sooner.

Buy one now on Etsy (whee)!

What NOT to name your kid in 2012: Most popular baby names 2011 and names likely to turn kids into criminals

An original thought can be tough to come by, as can an original name. The latter is constantly evidenced by folks who name their dogs two of the most popular monikers of Max and Sassy. Or parents who name their kids Emma.

Emma tops the recently released list of the most popular baby names for 2011, which means every other kid entering kindergarten in 2016 will be fighting for the lunchbox marked with the letter E.

The most popular list of baby names is released annually by BabyCenter.com and it can be a very helpful tool for parents – when it comes to knowing what not to name their kids going forward.

Top names for 2011 for little girls kick off with Emma, and then continue through the top five with other names ending in A. Emma is followed by Olivia, Sophia, Isabella and Ava. Taking up the rear through slot number eight are Madison, Emily and Ella.

Mason tops of the list of popular little boy names, followed by Liam, Noah, Ethan and Jacob. Aiden, Jackson and Logan complete the top eight.

This is not to say that any of these names are not beautiful or cool. One of my childhood cat’s three names was Mason and Jimi Hendrix really belts it out when he’s screaming for “Izabella” (although the name has an alternate spelling).

But this is to say that new parents should steer clear from these particular names unless they want their children to grow up with a potential identity crisis.

Seven Deadly Sins as Told by Rats: Custom Framed Artwork

Grow by leaps and bounds – and avoid repulsive behavior – with a comical yet educational depiction of the seven deadly sins as told by a bunch of rats. Everyone ends up with a favorite rodent after checking out the highly expressive faces engaged in one of the seven deadly sins of Pride, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Envy and Sloth.

Why you need it:
Enhances your spiritual life when the seven deadly are staring you in the face all day, reminding you how not to act. Makes an excellent and unique gift for pals following a spiritual path who are sick of all those frufru, pastel reminder plaques.

How I made it:
Drew the illustrations as separate cartoons a few years back, probably as my way to memorize the deadly sins so I could either best avoid them or amaze people at parties that I had the list down pat. My friend Mary loved the illustrations so much she suggested putting them all together in a long line, framing it up, and hanging it in her house. I have since ordered one for myself and two other folks.

Specs:
Approx. 38 inches wide by 7 inches high.
Frame is custom-ordered black frosted metal with adjustable wire hanger across the back. Front is sheet of plexiglass covering custom print on high-quality foam core. Black and white with grey tones in the illustrations produce biggest impact for the biggest sins. Nice!

Variations:
Custom orders always welcome! If you see other illustrations, photos, or artwork around my portfolio you MUST HAVE in a custom frame, shoot me an email and we’ll make sure you get it. To place a custom order or more info, e-mail ryngargulinski@hotmail.com

Terms:
This item needs at least 10 days leeway before it leaves Ryndustries home base as I need to order the custom sign and print from a supplier on demand as ordered. Thanks!

Kardashian ‘royalty’ and reality TV hastening the decline of the American mind

Kim Kardashian and her clan are American royalty. This oft-mentioned thought may be incredibly disgusting, but it is also incredibly true. Twenty bucks says bunches of folks can name 10 reality-TV stars quicker than they can name 10 American presidents.

No wonder the country is going to hell in a handbasket.

Reality TV, with its flunky cast of characters, is not the main reason for America’s demise—there are too many other fun causes to attribute to that—but it is certainly hastening the process. Think of the reality shebang as, say, the grease on the pig chute that creates a seamless, speedy ride to the depths of a murky slop pit.

And many American viewers are sure game for getting muddy.

Perhaps reality-TV viewers should not carry the brunt of the blame for becoming addicted to such programming. It can be quite compelling to watch fat people dancing to lose weight, only to get fat again when they leave the show.

Nielsen ratings show the average American watched nearly five hours of television per day during the 2008-2009 season. The amount has been steadily increasing and is up a full 20 percent from a decade ago.

Keep in mind that a decade ago, the TV landscape wasn’t littered with the reality shows that now dominate the airwaves in the way Jessica Simpson has dominated the handbags, high-heels and too-tight-jeans markets. Mix in the copious amount of unemployed folks who don’t have much to do other than find a way to fill the giant void left by Oprah’s end, and you’ve got a potent recipe for widespread reality-TV addiction.

Archives for December 2011

Buy one now on Etsy (whee)!

Footer

Stay in the loop