You're It!

Umm, okay, I'm it . . . I've been tagged by Heather.

• Grab the book closest to you
• Open to page 123, go down to the fifth sentence
• Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog
• Name of the book and the author
• Tag three people

"It's true that the various police departments involved in the case --- particularly the Michigan department --- are ready to have both you & Mr. Turner arrested. I, however, do not share their enthusiasm."

"Get to it, Doctor." - Mortal Fear by Greg Iles

That's incredibly boring & is totally not representative of the book, which is one of my all-time most favorite novels! I have no idea who to tag. Seriously, nobody I know is going to do this but I will try . . .

You say tomato . . .

It's not as though I have some fantastically high profile blog, as though the world waits with baited breath for the next post. As such, this blog receives a variety of interesting & thought-provoking comments but doesn't attract so much attention as to make me a target of wackos.

Until now.

If you disagree, offer a rational point of view instead of calling names & hurling unfounded accusations. If my posts seem ridiculous, ask questions instead of making crazy accusations.

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes or misunderstands others on occasion. But there's no acceptable reason to make comments on a blog if those comments have nothing to do with that blog.

It takes an extraordinary coward to make crude, offensive anonymous "comments"; How easy it must be to criticize others while denying them the opportunity to critique you in any way! If you can't be bothered to make any effort of your own, you should be especially considerate of those who do.

If you have something to say, blog. Blog away! But don't unload the chip on your shoulder on someone else's page. I'm perfectly able to admit it when I don't understand something & require further explanation. I believe that only then will I learn.

When I comment, I apologize when I'm mistaken or misunderstood in any way. I also thank people for taking the time to explain their point to me, since I missed it the first time. Even when I disagree with other people's opinions, I appreciate having had the opportunity to hear them out & consider where they're coming from.

Sometimes I change my views as I gather more facts. But even if I don't, I'm always grateful to have had a chance to critically examine & affirm them. If I read something that I find offensive, I write down my response, walk away for a while & revise it as necessary before submitting -- or sometimes just delete altogether.

Knee-jerk reactions, closed minds & emotional responses never lead to broadened horizons or meaningful discussions.

I believe in being gracious -- and grateful -- to everyone who puts themselves out there and especially to those who that the effort to get their point across to everyone.

The key to good communication isn't getting it "right" the first time, but rather in being able to reiterate your statements as needed to reach as many interested parties as possible.

Life is not static, it's fluid. You can't go through life without ever forming new views, revising existing ones or opening yourself to ideas you've never considered. Well, it's possible but would prevent even an iota of personal or intellectual growth.

As this year draws to a close, I would like to thank everyone out there for blogging & commenting. I learn something each time I read your thoughts & I hope that every reader is enriched by my own, even if only in a very small way.

Merry Christmas to All!

Would you like to wish a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to some of your online friends in their native language? Here are some great links to translation pages, to help you do just that.

Translations from Omniglot

Greetings & goodbyes around the world

Central European translations

Merry Christmas in all languages

Merry Christmas!

Leave Santa Alone

Illegal immigration has long been a hot topic in this country & we all know that it will be in the spotlight for the next presidential election. (Yay! Election season! All soundbites & rhetoric, that time of year when facts & intelligent dialogue just fall by the wayside.)

Being of Native American descent, I follow the arguments with both interest & a hint of amusement. I can't help but see the parallels. That said, there's an important point in this debate that nobody seems to want to face. Illegal immigration as a whole is not a real problem in the US. What is a huge problem is illegal immigration of Mexican citizens.

Let's face it, most foreign-born citizens that want to come to the US have to follow a process. There are only two places geographically positioned in such a way as to allow people to sneak into the US illegally & you'll never convince me that large numbers of Canadians are fleeing here.

Since the rest of the world has to abide by our regulations & established process to gain citizenship, why would Mexicans be exempted? It seems really unfair to the rest of the world to let Mexicans just walk right in when that won't fly for anyone else.

It's ridiculous to characterize the problem as illegal immigration when in fact it's not about immigration at all. The real issue is that citizens of one particular nation consider themselves to be above our laws. They want special preferential treatment above & beyond what is afforded to everyone else.

If you have no respect for the laws of a nation, no faith in that nation's due process & no compassion for others (people such as foreigners from countries other than your own, who seek citizenship through proper channels), then why do you want to come here in the first place? Logically, this place isn't for you. You hate it's laws, you hate the people it welcomes, you hate the people who already live there or you'd pay all the same taxes they pay . . .

You're probably wondering what brought this on. I recently came across an article about an anti-Hazleton, PA website which accuses the town of banning Santa Claus because he's not a US citizen. I visited the site & frankly it's pretty stupid.

For starters, Santa is not a good example. He visits everyone once a year for a few minutes, which does not qualify as illegal immigration. Also, I truly believe that Santa not only pays taxes but also that the elves earn a living wage & have excellent benefits.

More importantly, it's a really bad idea to promote, encourage & champion illegal immigration. It does a terrible disservice to potential immigrants from every other nation, for one thing. They may hear stupid messages such as this & think that they aren't welcome here because they're not the preferred race or ethnicity. In some parts of the US, public & social services which exist to help newcomers are overburdened by illegals & not accessible to our legal immigrants.

Just look around the next time you go shopping or visit a doctor. Everything is in Spanish today. Imagine how confusing & frustrating that must be for the hundreds of thousands of people from non-Spanish speaking countries that come here & struggle with language every day. In essence, by embracing the current "movement" put forth on behalf of illegal Mexican immigrants, we're telling people from all over the world that we don't care about them at all. We're telling them that we're only extending ourselves to the squatters & scofflaws.

The solution is simple: don't support this movement. It harms many & benefits only a selfish few. By being illegal, these people are often put in a position where it is difficult or even impossible to assimilate. By accomodating them, we ostracize everyone else. That isn't welcoming to new citizens. It unfairly burdens the law-abiding taxpayers who have to foot all the bills -- many of whom are legal immigrants themselves; What a slap in the face! It does nothing to help the illegals become legal, yet it condones that way of life & encourages the cycle to continue.

It's a lose-lose situation for everyone. And the root of the problem here is the lack of focus in the debate. Obscuring the real issue prevents critical thinking on the subject. No useful or relevant solutions can ever be put forth when all subject matter is completely out of context. We can only help that this issue will be discussed in context as the debate continues.

Homage to Blinky

Here's some food for thought: Imagine that you encounter a strangely freakish animal, a mutant of some sort. Maybe a hermaphroditic cow/bull with 7 legs. What would run through your mind?

I think my thoughts would turn to the possible cause of the mutation. I'd wonder what dangerous pollutants or dire genetic abnormality might be responsible. Maybe I'd try to get a photo of it. But I definitely wouldn't accept a burger made from that cow. Would you?

A daring chap in Wisconsin does not share my reservations. The man ran over a young buck in his driveway. Being an avid deer hunter, he decided to take the carcass home for dinner. I can only imagine his surprise upon closer inspection, when he discovered that the buck had both male & female sex organs, as well as 3 extra stump legs similar to crab pinchers.

Incidentally, the story brought to mind good old Blinky, the 3 eyed fish caught in the river just outside the Springfield nuclear power plant.

"It was definitely a freak of nature." He's quoted as saying in a recent MSN article. "It kind of gives you the creeps when you look at it." He also described the deer as quite tasty.

Sorry, but I just couldn't eat the mutant. It would be interesting to see a follow-up story on this guy years from now. Will he have dolphin-like flippers or perhaps nub antlers of his own? One can only imagine.

I don't know what kind of environmental laws they have in Wisconsin, but I sure hope this kind of thing is stringently investigated. That seems unlikely, sine the evidence was promptly processed & consumed but I'd still like to think someone will try to figure it out.

Idiot Laws

It's a shame that such things have to be legislated but we all know these laws are desperately needed. They're long overdue but 3 new state mandates are about to take effect. The term "idiot laws" is often tossed around in reference to things we shouldn't have to legislate but do, so it seems very fitting in this case.

Has this ever happened to you: You're driving along on an icy morning when suddenly George Costanza's evil twin in 80's couture flys up behind you, weaving in & out of traffic in an extremely unsafe manner.

Between gelling what hair he has left & starching his collar into just the right "casually dork" somewhat upright position, he must have run short of time. He was simply too pressed to clear the 2+ feet of snow & ice from the roof or covered bed of his grotesque, taxicab yellow foreign mini-truck.

He completes his final slalom through traffic & in celebration of his victory of passing all traffic on the right, he floors it & starts to fishtail. The aforementioned winter build-up goes flying & hits the windshield of your vehicle & 2 others, temporarily blinding all 3 drivers on the icy overpass. As a result, you have pull over on an icy road with no shoulder to clear your own windshield.

Even though there are clearly 3 vehicles & 3 drivers occupied on the side of the road, other drivers have no consideration for these people whatsoever. They don't even bother to change lanes when possible. One exsquisitely mannered gentleman in a McClane rig even feels the need to holler disgusting epithets - let's just say British terms for cigarettes & a "Catch you next tuesday" kind of thing.

Apparently, their victimization had somehow inconvenienced him. Maybe he prefers more of a challenge when nearly running down motorists in distress, I don't know.

Of course, there's a few nicks in the windshield from the ice balls that struck it. By the time you drive the final three miles to your office, there's a crack in the windshield. By the time you return from lunch, there are 2 cracks. By the time the glass repair guys arrive, you know you need a whole new windshield.

Three people were put in harm's way, inconvenienced & endured out of pocket expense upward of $200 bucks, all because "George" is stupid & lazy. And yes, I was one of the victims.

But I'm happy to say now "Georges of the world beware". Failure to completely clear one's vehicle of snow & ice can receive fines of $200 - $1000. For inconsiderate motorists like our classy rig passenger, fines start at $250. If you fail to change lanes (or move to your left as much as possible) when encountering a vehicle or person on the shoulder, you can lose your license for up to 90 days.

The third law requires headlights on whenever windshield wipers are in use, which is plain old common sense. At least, it should be common sense . . .

I don't mind taking a few extra minutes to brush & scrape when Mother Nature sprinkles my Jeep with her frosting. I'm short but I keep an empty milk crate handy so that I can fully clear the roof. I'd rather be a courteous, intelligent motorist than injure or kill an innocent person. I wouldn't even want to live with the fact that some poor driver had to spend a few hundred bucks on a new windshield just because I'm a stupid, lazy, selfish jerk.

Personally, I think the penalties are too lenient. But of course these laws aren't made for people like me, they're made for people like "George". Maybe "stupid" really is a handicap & the hit to their wallets will drive home the point. I sure hope so.

A Trivia Nerd's Dream

My life is fairly stressful, not a whole lot of "me" time. So I like to devote as much of my free time as possible to good old-fashioned silliness. My intellectual side is generally satisfied by my job, my often dour coursework & an occasional serious book.

The fun part of me wants to read funny books & watch stupid-silly movies. Nary a day goes by that I don't quote The Simpsons. I'm one of those annoying people who frequently reference movies most popular with teenage boys. I have successfully surrounded myself with like-minded people who share my love of all things ridiculous.

And I love trivia, although I'm not really a force to be reckoned with in that arena. Have I also mentioned that I'm sometimes the last to know about cool stuff, since I'm often in my own little world?

You're probably wondering why I'm boring you with this. Well, I've recently made a delightful discovery: The Internet Movie Database is chock full of cool trivia & quotes. And it's not limited to movies but includes your favorite television shows as well.

I may not always have time to sit down & watch an old favorite, so IMD lets me steal a moment to relive the funniest scenes & the best lines. It's also inspired some unique & sure-to-be-appreciated gift ideas this Christmas season.

Some of the pages I've recently visited:

Quotes from CB4, one funny movie. Chris Rock, Phil Hartman & Chris Elliot -- could anyone poke fun at gangster rap, right-wing conservatives & clueless wannabes better? Well, no.

Airheads is a cameo-laden exercise in stupidity & I absolutely love it. All of your favorites are here, from the obscure (Ed & His Dead Mother) to the classics (Animal House, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Caddyshack) and the contemporary goofs (Billy Madison, Dodgeball, Old School, Happy Gilmore).

Goodfellas is one of my personal favorites but I'd also like to call attention to one of the most underrated gangster flicks of all time: New Jack City. Memorable line from Nino Brown, referring to his girlfriend: "Cancel that bitch. I'll buy another one." Love it.

Cruel Intentions is totally underrated as well. This story has everything & is no-holds-barred cruel to everyone. An exercise in sarcasm & satire but very entertaining indeed. Great Quote from Cecile: "He took down my pants & started writing the alphabet but he was writing it with his tongue!"

In addition to the entertainment value, I'm learning stuff as well -- useless stuff, my absolute most favorite kind of knowledge.

For the Scrubs fans out there, did you know that (916) Call-Turk is a real number? A voicemail recording is set up to give you the latest information about the show. The cell phone is normally lying around the set & is occasionally answered by cast or crew members who enjoy chatting with fans.

So next time you need a laugh or just a few minutes respite from the world, give it a try.

Is this Irony or What?

One can hardly read the local news without hearing of yet another effort to prevent a casino in the Hill District. Various church organizations & community groups are working diligently to ensure that the casino is built elsewhere.

Let me first make it clear that I personally think legalized gambling establishments are a complete cop-out from our state government. Our leaders have no vision. They lack the creativity & progressiveness needed to create jobs, decrease government waste & improve our state for the better.

Here's a novel idea: Instead of giving humble public servants lavish perks, salaries more than double the median PA income or free health insurance into perpetuity -- not to mention the extravagent pension plans that aren't subject to any state or local taxes -- use some of that money for property tax relief, infrastructure costs, etc.

But I digress. Casinos are touted as the answer to all of our problems when in reality the money being spent there will most likely just be the same money that's already being spent here right now, it will merely be spent at the casino instead of the mall, some restaurant, concert hall, mortgage payment, grocery store, etc.

The point is that instead of coming up with viable solutions, the whole casino dog & pony show has monopolized public interest, taking focus off of real issues & problems in our little corner of the world. We debate the veracity of the casinos themselves as a good solution to our ills, we bicker over the details - where will it go, how many free drinks can they serve, can we smoke there - and the debates could go on forever with no satisfactory resolution to any side of any argument.

While we debate the details, the corruption behind the entire debacle goes largely unnoticed. The average taxpayer is completely clueless about the role of lobbyists in all of this, nor are they aware of the corruption involved.

But the reality of the situation is that a casino is going to come to Pittsburgh. If history has taught us anything, we know that PA taxpayers will somehow get screwed on the whole deal. Since the proposed sites are basically within walking distance of one another, it's unlikely that any one community will see horrendous detriment due to the actual location of the casino.

Case in point: With the Isle of Capri plan, Pittsburgh will get a new arena for free. That would help our hockey team a lot since they play in the oldest & crappiest arena in the league. Anyone who enjoys music would benefit, since our existing arena is so outdated that it can't support modern equipment used by most bands these days. The arena is useful for much more than hockey & concerts, so this would offer the entire region a perk that would benefit many people.

The other proposals offer considerably less to the region & give little, if anything back to the average citizen. In fact, one of the plans offers next to nothing.

But there are all these groups from the Hill mobilizing protests, rallies & the like to do everything in their power to make sure the best plan for everyone gets shut out.

It amazes me that they'll work so hard against the one plan that would make the whole slots debacle somewhat worthwhile to the region. At the very least, it will create some decent jobs for the area & greatly increase the tax base. Plus, the developer has proposed donating $1 million per year to the Hill itself, which would go a long way toward rebuilding this once-great neighborhood.

I'd like to know why these same "concerned" community groups can't organize that kind of determination to clean up their neighborhood & reduce crime.

For the People

Life is good with Verizon DSL. Don't let the tortoise commercials from Comcast bias you against it. Anyone who knows me will tell you that Comcast was my archnemesis for years. Crappy service, phony "specials", mysterious rate increases . . . everything about Comcast just plain sucks.

I was stuck in their clutches due to the strange positioning of my townhouse, which prevented satellite reception. But then I moved & got my dish, along with DSL. Best choice I ever made. I now pay considerably less to receive far more. My internet connection is not only faster but more reliable.

My satellite service is far more reliable, offers more channels for less money & gives me channels I actually want. No more of this: "What? I no longer have NFL Network or Bravo unless I pay $20 more each month? No, I don't think the 24 hr. golf station & radio Disney fill that void at all . . . "

And I don't their need the totally overrated "On Demand" -- having a dual DVR box means never missing anything in the first place.

For those of you who buy into the anti-DSL propaganda or are just plain afraid that satellite service means no reception when it rains, you'll soon have an alternative. Verizon is finally working to bring programming to our area. After decades of revolting tyranny, everyone will have a choice, even the meek.

It's way overdue, but we'll take it. Not that I'd get rid of my Dish, but it's nice to have options in case they become somewhat "Comcastic" in the future.