Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.
JANE AUSTEN
It has been awhile since my last edition of Unpopular Opinions. Because of this, I struggle to not repeat myself. I hope this round will break new ground. Here's number 7!
1. I do not feel sorry for people who are injured or die doing death defying activities.
If somebody eats it skydiving or rock climbing, I am not shedding tears for them. The same goes for spelunking, mountaineering, driving race cars, jumping motorcycles over buses, and on and on. I consider all of these activities when done for recreation to be a violation of the fifth commandment which says "thou shalt not kill." This would include not killing yourself.
Soldiers in the Airborne division and smoke jumpers have legitimate reasons for jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. If there is a good reason for doing an activity that has the risk of death, I don't have a problem with that. Having a good time is not a legitimate reason to risk your life. If you kill yourself doing these things, you were asking for it.
2. Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb are Bravo Sierra.
I read too many stories of ride share drivers abducting and raping women, and Airbnb operators installing hidden cameras in their properties to video people showering, disrobing, and having sex which are uploaded to pervert sites on the internet. This is why you are better off going with a real taxi service and a real hotel.
3. Most Boomers are going to Hell. Let them have their fun.
The Baby Boomers are the luckiest and most hated generation in US history. Now, in retirement, they are living it up on generous pensions, retirement accounts, reverse mortgages, and Viagra. I am amused at the spread of STDs among retirees. What did you expect from the Woodstock generation? Naturally, Generations X/Y/Z look on with disgust as they struggle like their grandparents and great grandparents did during the Great Depression.
Not all Boomers live like this. Some are wise and devote themselves to their faith and preparing their souls for eternity. But for the majority, they are living their best lives with no thoughts of mortality. They are clueless that they are all going to Hell. Never envy the wicked. Their time is coming.
4. Money solves some problems, but it doesn't buy happiness.
Money is great for buying food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. It's also great for paying for healthcare expenses or keeping your internet and cellphone turned on. Money cannot buy you fitness, true love, virtue, wisdom, or salvation for your soul. In short, money covers material needs and not much else. Remember this when you see some rich celebrity in rehab or going through one of those bitter divorces.
5. You have to give up on people.
The best you can do for other people is give them advice that they will ignore leading to their peril and destruction. You can give them material assistance which will speed up that destruction usually in the form of an overdose or cirrhosis of the liver. You can always pray for them. Inevitably, you will have to shake the dust from your clothes as our Lord told us to do. You have to give up on people. Prudence demands this. For those who disagree with me on this, you are free to waste all of your time, money, and energy on these lost causes. Get back to me and tell me how it went.
6. Once you fall to the smartphone Dark Side, it will always rule you.
I have never owned a smartphone, so I live in freedom. Other folks desire that freedom and return to a dumbphone or dumb down their smartphones. These resolutions are usually shortlived as they return like the proverbial dog to their own vomit. YouTube is replete with videos of people who took the dumbphone challenge only to give up later. They all admit that their lives were better with their dumbphones. Then, they rationalize their way out of those better lives and return to their smartphone addictions.
Yes, it is sad and pathetic. I love coffee, and I love the internet. I don't waste my time or humiliate myself with talk of giving those up. Likewise, smartphone users should admit that they are hopelessly addicted and will never change.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you, it will. – Yoda
7. 95% of the music on KEXP is pure garbage.
I check out the KEXP channel on YouTube once in awhile to hear something new and different. I usually hear something new and dreadful. The 5% that is actually good is why I still go to that channel.
8. Most outdoor activities exist to sell you products you will never use.
I see all sorts of sporty vehicles in town carrying around mountain bikes, gravel bikes, kayaks, and camping equipment. I never actually see them on the water or on the trails. When I watch Walking With Bruce on YouTube, Bruce walks by various mountain bike trails that have no bikers. He walks by streams and lakes without kayakers. Once in a blue moon, you see that activity on the channel. What you mostly see are people walking. This makes sense because walking is overwhelmingly the most popular outdoor activity. It is also the cheapest.
You are never going to hear this from the outdoor magazines and outdoor industry trade groups. They only count the stuff that costs money and sells product. As for the people buying this product, they do so for vanity and not for exercise and enjoyment.
9. Camping is not a vacation.
A lady remarked that camping is not a vacation while an RV camper is just another box for her to clean. I agree with her. I have been camping in RVs and tents, and they have been miserable experiences. Camping is something you do in the army or the Boy Scouts. It is definitely not a vacation.
I don't go on vacations because nothing is as relaxing as staying at home. But if I ever go traveling, I stay in a hotel.
10. The best way to avoid a DUI conviction is to stop drinking.
Driving under the influence is the most committed crime in the USA. Most people don't get caught. When they do get caught, they are not happy about it. There is all the talk about designated drivers and taking a cab, but this has done little to curb DUI. If you drive to a bar or a party, you are driving home drunk. The better way is to give up drinking completely. Naturally, this leads people to the conclusion that going to bars and parties is pointless without drinking. This leads them to stay home and avoid collisions with drunk drivers.
I am all done with the seventh edition of Unpopular Opinions. Hopefully, I won't wait so long again for #8.
