So angry my stomach hurts

[BakerMikeRomeo]

Oh, God.

First of all, I'm at the haircut place, waiting for my turn to have my gargantuan gourd attended to by the lazy with the buzzing plastic rectangle, so I pick up the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, third-floor-tire-tools-lingerie-and-smellslikepaint News & Observer to pass the time.
What to my wondering eyes should appear? This piece of absolute trash, which went ahead and twisted my belly just a little bit to whet my appetite for punishment:

http://www.newsobserver.com/681/story/529264.html

Wretched excesses? Oh NO. Better call the Waaaaaambulance, 'cause the babies just don't think it's faaaiiir that the CONTRACT that all parties involved AGREED TO distantly beforehand specifies a big old pile of freaking money if the guy gets fired. And the bastards want Congress to get involved? Ggrggrhrh! Murderous, murderous thoughts! Gaaggrghghg...

So I come home with a pre-knot in my belly, and I, being a glutton for punishment, hop onto L&P over at THR. Mista-aaaake:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=245678
*bang!*
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=245380
*pow!*
I check my blogs!
http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/tos/single/10083/
*biff!*
One of my.. friends.. IMed me..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIu3JMGxk3Q
*wheeze*

Are there no people in this country or on this planet who aren't just complete and utter retards? Is anyone out there who could out-think a slug or best a rotting stump in a clash of wits? Why do I so consistently feel as though I'm surrounded on all sides by these... MORONS. I don't know whether to laugh or scream or hit a stump with an axe or cry. What the hell is this?

Ugh. My stomach hurts.
~GnSx

[cosine]

Relax. You're among friends now. I'm sure there have to be some people here at APS who could "out-think a slug or best a rotting stump in a clash of wits."

[Sindawe]

Critical thinking skills were not demanded, nor even encouraged when I was in the public indoctrination system 20 some years ago, and I doubt much has changed since then.  So it is no surprise to me to find myself in the same situation as you do GunnySkox.  It is easier to just coast along and watch what ever is popular on the glass teat, chatter about overpaid talentless pretty mannequins and do into debt for plastic and glass junk.

I learned years ago that there are usually three responses to such fustration.  Laugh, cry or get angry.

Getting angry usually accomplishes nothing more than raising my blood pressure and making be feel bad.

Crying solves nothing.

So I laugh.  Its good for the heart and mind, and most folks never pick up in the tinge of madness that goes with such laughter.

[Fly320s]

Gunny,

I'll attempt to raise your spirits.

I spent a few hours at my local shootin' club today.  I was there primarily to sight-in my new Savage 10FP .308 rifle.  It has a 16 inch heavy barrel and it is a liberal-bashing evilblack sniper rifle.  (yes, evilblack is one word).  I did more socializing than shooting, which is rare for me.  Two events came about that restored my faith, at least in the gun community.

One.. A gentleman I was speaking with is fairly new to shooting, but has a full blown case of gunitis.  He has a more-evil evilblack sniper rifle with a very effective, and very loud, muzzle break.  He also has a Springfield XD9... a dangerous high-capacity killing machine.  Best of all, he's British.  Or was, I never asked.

Two.. a younger man (mid 30s) was there with his new (used) Stag Arms AR15.  The Brit and I helped him get it zeroed and gave him some basic info.  He told us he bought the rifle so he could teach his sons to shoot and so he and his sons would have an activity to do together that wasn't tied to TVs or computers.  I thought that was pretty nice.  He let the Brit fire a few rounds through it, now the Brit "needs one of those."

All-in-all, a nice day at the range.

BTW, my Savage is partial to the Black Hills match ammo.  One small, ragged hole at 100 yards.

[Perd Hapley]

I once bested a rotting stump.  I've softened a bit since then, though. 

Sounds like Kim DuToit's friend really messed up his little "help yourself" speech. 

Now I'm going to go play that video game where you hunt and kill cops and corporate executives. 

[Balog]

Are there no people in this country or on this planet who aren't just complete and utter retards?~GnSx

A few, but given that the public education system has been dedicated to creating good little serfs for ~100 years now it's a dying breed.

[TarpleyG]

First of all, I'm at the haircut place, waiting for my turn to have my gargantuan gourd attended to by the lazy with the buzzing plastic rectangle

Gunny,

How come there are no barbers around here?  Weirdest damned thing I have ever seen.  There are literally NO barbers (you know, the ones with the little spinning barber pole that a woman would NEVER step foot into) around this place.  I have looked in Fuquay, Holly Springs, Apex, Cary, Morrisville, etc. and have found one who is so old and slow I might die waiting on him to call me to his chair--not to mention I have to wait in line because he is the only barber for 100 miles.

What gives?  In Florida and Texas, there were barber shops all over the place.  Great Clips is all you see around here.  If anyone knows of a good barber, I might even pay a finder's fee.

Greg

[mtnbkr]

I have looked in Fuquay, Holly Springs, Apex, Cary, Morrisville, etc.

Try Lillington or Dunn.

Chris <--Campbell Grad '96

[TarpleyG]

That's fine and dandy if I only needed a haircut once a year but it's not practical if I have to go every 3 to 4 weeks.

Greg

[mtnbkr]

Picky picky.

Otherwise, I dunno.  They're not too common in Va either.  I got lucky and found a good one just minutes from the house.  The only problem, they take cash and check only.  I rarely carry cash, preferring to use my check card.  Therefore, I have to remember to hit the ATM before I stop by.

Chris

[Perd Hapley]

I have to remember to hit the ATM before I stop by.

  Me too.  I've had to stiff my barber a couple of times, just due to forgetfulness.  He's very understanding about it, and my bank is right down the street, so I just hit the ATM and come back. 

GunnySkox, I sympathize.  I get fed up sometimes.  I still remember driving down the interstate one day, and some stuff on the radio set me off.  I drove for several miles with tears streaming down my face, screaming, "They're destroying my country!"  Got it out of my system and went back to complacency. 

[mountainclmbr]

Here in the mountains of Colorado the slugs are frozen and the tree stumps are buried under 12 ft snow drifts created by last nights 100 mph wind and the 8 ft of total snow received in the last 3 weeks. Does surviving in this weather count for anything? The targets of the wit-matching challenge seem to be unavailable right now.

[BakerMikeRomeo]

I know, right? I'd kick a cat for a haircut place where I could get a freaking straight-razor shave. getting the "MVP" at Sport Clips is an acceptable alternative, though, and the haircut isn't bad (I don't ask for much. But the #2 on the rectangle, take my hair away, and desideburn me). When I lived in Flower Mound (near-ish Dallas) there was only one barber shop nearby, and they were pretty steep (~$20 for a hairscut and shave).

Oh! I know the feeling of having the incorrect mode of payment at the barber shop well. There's a crappy "barber shop" in Blacksburg that doesn't take debit or credit, and neglecting cash, I left my iPod and Headphones with the lady while I ran down the street to get some money from an ATM. I totally had to ask a cop where it was, too, so I had embarassment with extra feelinglikeajackass on top.

On the original topic, sometimes my friend will turn the news on just to see me completely lose my mind for half an hour.

~GnSx

[Antibubba]

If you'll PM your address, GS, I'll mail a trial sample of Xanax.  If you want more, you'll have to ask your doctor.