You Say You Want a Revolution

So if you remember awhile back I posted about my experience at the local McDonald's drive-thru. If you haven't read it go ahead and read it here.

So since that post I've had a few people tell my about their experiences, some similar to mine, others just the opposite. And with each one I continue on my soap box. Preaching about how it's crap that we let McDonald's get away with it. About how we should as a nation, stand up to them. Each and every one of us. Stand up for the little guy who continues to get pushed around not only by McDonald's, but by Corporate America in general. I preach that if we all would refuse to let them treat us this way, eventually we could make a change.

So this morning the DW and I were both off to work. We left the house and went our separate ways. After about fifteen minutes I get a call from her:

Hello my beautiful love, how can I be of assistants to you? Well that's what I might have said had it not been 8 am on Saturday morning.

I didn't do it, she tells me.

Didn't do what?

I didn't pull forward. Enthusiasm in her voice. They asked me to, but I didn't. Aren't you proud of me. I didn't do it. 

Truth of the matter is, I am proud of her. Way to often we let people push us around because we don't want to rock the boat or start something. They get our order wrong, we eat it anyway. They overcharge us, we dismiss it.

Why does it matter

Why does it matter? Maybe that's what you're thinking. Sure you have to pick your battles in this world, and sometimes you have to cut bait and live to fight another day. But as a father I want my clowns to be tough. Not Mike Tyson, street thug, sucker punch you tough. But tough enough to stand up for themselves. To fight for what's right, what's theirs, and what they believe in. To not be pushed around. And as parents, it's our jobs to show them, and to teach them. That's why it matters.

My Contribution

Now while I won't boycott McDonald's altogether, I know I suck, I have taken things a bit further. Today after I got home, I logged onto their website, and began documenting my frustrations with their pull forward policies. I explained my stance. How I feel that if I'm next in line they should put me first. How they should give the all hands on deck approach to the next customer. How they should evaluate why they're not getting the next order out the door in the first place. I was polite and to the point. But more importantly I stood up.

And if that doesn't work.....Maybe we sucker punch somebody.

J-Tony

Zoo Humor...

So the other day we went to the zoo. We had a great time. Well, as much fun as you can have at a zoo I guess. So anyway, while visiting the elephants my son notices one of the elephants privates parts. Boys can be very curious at this age. So he asks me.

Dad, what is that?

Now because I believe in being honest with my clowns and answering their questions the best way I can, I explained to him that what he was seeing was the Elephants penis.

His reply: Oh, mom said it was nothing.

To which I explained: She's just spoiled.


ZING....................

*** OK, I may or may not have visited the zoo recently***

J-Tony

Top 10 Things I Missed While in Japan

1. My wife. Obviously. She is my best friend and as the saying goes, she completes me. I kept telling myself, I wish the DW could see this. And I just missed talking to, and being with her.

2. My clowns. Naturally I missed them, but I didn't miss the arguing and fighting that comes with em, and Japan is not a place that they would appreciate. But they're my clowns, and I missed them.

3. My bed. Nothing says home quite like your own bed and pillow.

4. Food. Now I didn't starve in Japan and in fact some of the food was good, but it wasn't my type of food. No juicy steaks, no chips and salsa, no famous DW's Lasagna.

5. Grass. Yes I know for as much as I complain about cutting the grass, this one seems weird, but in Japan there's not much actual grass or landscaping.

6. Space. There are so many people in Japan. Everything, and everyone is so crowed. You're constantly avoiding running into people either on foot or on bikes. The roads, sidewalks, and houses are so narrow and small. Its nice to be back home where I can spread out.

7. Paper towels. Yeah, so in Japan they don't use paper towels in their bathrooms. Or hand dryers for that matter. Most everyone carries around their own hand towel, similar to a handkerchief in size, and that's what they dry their hands on. So for me I had to constantly wave my hands in the air, or wipe them on my pants to get them dry. Very annoying.

8. Baseball. Oh sure they have baseball in Japan, but its not American baseball, and I love the opening weekend of the baseball season, and unfortunately I missed it this year.

9. Mt. Dew and Sweet Tea. I know that's two, but whatever. I couldn't find a Mt. Dew anywhere. In Japan they have vending machines all over the place, stocked with tea, coke, energy drinks and coffee. Yes coffee. Hot coffee. Anyway, I never could find a Mt. Dew. And as far as Sweet Tea goes, nada. They drink all kinds of tea, but nothing like the sweet tea we're used to with lots of sugar. Their tea is really weak and has no sugar at all. Now naturally I didn't drink every type of tea they have, but that's just what I experienced.

10. Social Media. I missed sitting around reading twitter and facebook, and even my favorite blogs. Now this was more due to the fact that every night we went out sight seeing, and to dinner with a large group and just didn't have as much time as I usually do, but I still missed it.

J- Tony

Checking in from Japan

Hey Lifers...I find myself having a difficult time expressing into words the awesomeness of my trip to Japan. I know it's not every body's cup of tea, and quite frankly I was afraid it wouldn't be mine either when I was first told I would be going. But now that I'm here and have experienced the culture it is just unbelievable.

I had the opportunity this past weekend to visit Tokyo, which was very surreal. We took the bullet train, which travels roughly 180 mph, early Saturday morning two hours north to Tokyo. We then walked through the streets and to one of the many Temples they have here. This is what it looks like as your walking down the street into the Temple.



We did some shopping and ate on the street, and just took in all the sights. It really was pretty cool. The city alone has a population of around 12 million people, yet it's one of the cleanest cities I've ever seen. It's Japanese custom to carry your own trash and dispose of it when you get home. There are very few actual trash cans on the streets and in the buildings. On Sunday we went to a festival which was much like any festival around my home town, with people drinking, and having picnics, grilling and vendors lining the streets. However there was very little trash anywhere. They are very disciplined people.

I also had the opportunity to visit one of the many Japanese castles here. Apparently this Samurai dude was a big deal back in the day, and they have turned his castle into a museum now, and they have this parade and the festival every year around this time to honor him.

OK that's all for now, more to come. And I'll post some pics when I get back home. Unfortunately I didn't bring the cable with me to be able to dump pictures from my camera.

J-Tony

My trip...

What up?

As you know I'm on a  work forced vacation in the wonderful country of Japan. I don't have much time to post at the moment but I just wanted to apologize for not keeping up on all the awesome blogs I follow. So If you've posted recently and I've failed to respond I do apologize. I've been stuck in an airport for nearly three days, been on a twelve hour plane ride, and eaten raw squid. I know the squid has nothing to do with anything, I just thought it was cool.

So anyway I promise I'll get back around to you all, and Ill post more about my trip soon.

J-Tony

How do you eat?

Being stuck at the airport for a couple of days gives a guy plenty of time to people watch and see things that quite frankly, I could do with out, like eating.

Now I get the fact that we all have to eat, and with the fast paced world we live in today, people eat on the go more than ever.

This is never more evident than at the airport, and while I hate to watch someone eat, I'm compelled to continue to stare. It's like that car crash you just can't take your eyes off of.

I've witnessed people eating standing up, running, and my personal fav, two feet in front of me.  And I've never seen anyone  eat with style or grace. And just for the record I've never seen anyone like the chick in the Hardee's commercials, who makes it look sexy or hot.

For me, I hate to watch or hear people eat, especially strangers. Which I guess is why I'm a little more conscious of my own eating in public.

So please remember your manners. Keep your mouth closed, don't talk with food in your mouth, and use a napkin, for crying out loud. Remember, the rest of us our watchin.

Tell me, does it bother you to see a stranger eating?

J-Tony