Stop Spending My Money

I just read a lame opinion piece regarding the recent rescue attempt of the three men in Oregon. The writer suggests and even cites some samples of why we shouldn’t sweat the cost of this rescue mission, as in the end it helps rescuers to train for future rescues, helps with the coordination of rescue teams and law enforcement, and besides... all of these costs will go toward other future hopefully successful rescue missions, so its certainly fair that these costs could be paid back by taxing everything from gas, to hotels, to cell phones.

Excuse me?

Aren’t I taxed enough already? Do you think the American people are a never ending pocket full of money? Our income is taxed, our goods are taxed, our gas is taxed, we’re taxed coming and going, even our deaths are taxed, and you want us to pay more taxes because somebody with the “spirit” to climb got stuck on a mountain?

Could it be that we now NEED to have these types of mountain rescues because people know if they get in trouble that someone (at great expense) will come get them? Do you think that perhaps we wouldn’t have these issues if they were told “get up there and get stuck, you are on your own buddy”.

We need to stop this “save everyone” mentality, especially for those who purposefully put themselves in harm’s way. People don’t HAVE to climb a mountain, and yet I’m footing the bill for their hobby. I have no problem with helping people who find themselves (through no fault of their own) in a bad situation, but why am I paying to find three people who CHOSE to do what they did, knowing the risk and danger. You get into it, you get yourself out of it.

Justifying everything because it’ll help me out in the long run is lame, telling me that I shouldn’t sweat the money (um, its MY money, well, at least until the IRS wants more of it) because it’ll help others who CHOOSE to do dangerous and stupid things... no. Screw them. I’m tired of footing the bill for stupid people.

I think its time that everything taxed needs to be itemized WHY you have to pay this tax. Would people be so willing to pay additional taxes if they got a receipt that said:
Gas: $1.25
Rescue stupid people stuck on a mountain tax: $5.24
Road fix tax that we’ll never get around to fixing: $2.39
Environmental tax to save the Blue Horned Toad: $.06

Instead of prices going up for no reason and just standing by and paying it like lemmings, perhaps we could use tax as a donation system. Do you want to help stupid people get off a mountain? Then make that tax donation. But don’t force me to pay for it. Then, if I ever get stuck on a mountain, you can tell me “hey, you didn’t pay your get stupid people off a mountain tax so we can’t help you”. Which is fine with me, as I don’t plan to purposefully get stuck on a mountain any time soon.

May the Earth Embrace and Care for You!

Yeah, that’s my “holiday” greeting to everyone. As you may guess, I don’t celebrate christmas, I’m a Neo-Pagan. I have a cool little private ceremony on the 21st (Winter Solstice) and pretty much that’s it for me. No shopping, no gift exchange, no last minute running around for stuff, no decorating (tree killers all of you), no cards, no nothing. I just enjoy the earth, thank it for allowing me a space, and pray that I continue being a good person and enjoy what I have in life, no matter what that is.

So, as someone who doesn’t celebrate the “holidays” as most people, what do I think of all the politically correct hoopla going on? I think the world has gone insane actually. Can you BE any more non-festive? People suing because their religious or belief icon is not displayed in an airport, people ramming cars with their cars getting parking spaces, people freaking out because they don’t know what to say to people in way of a greeting, people fighting over toys, killing over games. Wow! Is this the TRUE spirit of Christmas?

What cracks me up is that if we’re so hyper-sensitive over offending people, why have decorations or ornaments at all? Are the atheists not a big threat in the sue happy world? I would think that if we’re so worried about offending a religion (or lack thereof) then we wouldn’t put ANYTHING up in a public place for fear of pissing those god-less people off.

What’s the big deal about saying “Merry Christmas” to someone anyway, regardless of their belief system? Its yours, that’s your “saying” so freakin say it! If you say it to someone that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, then they should, in return, greet you with whatever it is that they say. What’s so hard about that? Does everyone have to get all hot and bothered because someone “assumed” they celebrate Christmas? That’s not what the greeting means. It means “Hey moron, I celebrate Christmas and I’m greeting you”, its not “Hey moron, I celebrate Christmas so you better celebrate it too or I’ll beat your head in with this tickle me Elmo doll”.

I also wonder if anyone ANYWHERE actually celebrates holidays anymore for their true meaning. To me, holidays mean a sale in a store, not a celebration of our Independence, or to commemorate fallen soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom. It means 50% off, going to a mall, getting a bargain. Does anyone go out to a military cemetery and actually honor the soldiers, or do we just watch a ceremony on tv, call it a holiday and go shopping? I actually remember a time in history where stores were closed on holidays so that people could celebrate, or commemorate, or do whatever it was they did with everyone else. Now, everything is open, and usually they have something on sale. Usually food places name “specials” after the holiday, which I find demeaning and sickening. Come get your 2 patty FREEDOM MEAL with free fries!

What’s with people who scream about Christmas, don’t celebrate it, yet still take that day off? Ok, so I’m given that day off by my company because if I showed up for work, I’d be the only one there, but if we’re suppose to be such a diverse country, why aren’t I interviewed for my belief system and given the appropriate days off instead of the traditionalist holidays off. I’d much rather have December 21st off to celebrate, instead I have to take a rare and fleeting vacation day, or even work and do my little ceremony at the appointed time (in some cases most likely freaking out some people with my little outdoor ceremony, who will never question me about it, for fear that I will sue them). If given the choice of having the 21st of December or the 25th of December off, I’d go with the 21st, as that is my day of “celebration”. There are some people that complain that they don’t get their days of “celebration” off, but should get them off because its a religious thing for them, but don’t want to give up the traditionalist holidays either. Um, that’s not right. You can’t have it both ways. Either or, make a decision and if you choose your religious day off you can come sit with me in an empty building on Christmas. After all, its not YOUR holiday, so it should be just any other day at work... just with less people. Look at it this way, at least you’ll get more work done because people won’t be running around telling you about their shopping sprees. Of course the next day will suck because you have to listen to what everyone did over their three day weekend.

So, do what you do, let other people do what they do, and shut up about it. If you want your religious thing displayed somewhere and it isn’t, go buy one and donate it. I’m sure if you went to someone and said “hey, I would appreciate it if you would accept this thing to display” they would be more likely to actually display it, versus you walking up and saying “here’s this lawsuit because you aren’t displaying a Festivus Pole next to the soon to be dead non-descript non-offense pine tree”

Get a life people, and get busy reading about what the holidays are REALLY all about.

In anticipation of the rebirth of all earth’s belongings

Me

The Way Forward

So, the news is goofing on President Bush about saying “The Way Forward” over and over and over. Well, duh, that’s just contractor speak and has been used to death on documents for years now.

I’m actually somewhat relieved by the fact that its taken over for the nauseous and non-sensical “Paradigm Shift” of days gone by, perhaps it’ll even take over for “thinking outside the box”, but I doubt that. Thinking outside the box is how you plan the “way forward”. Then there are those who are rebels and use “Way Ahead”, which may be a little short-sighted and only used to get through the next week, whereas the “way forward” suggests a longer term plan, but certainly not a “solution” to a problem. Its more of a machete approach to get through a boggle, then you have to plan the plan for the over-arching solution.

Some other gems expected to make it into the mainstream (remember, you heard it here first) will be adding “centric” to everything. From Net-centric, to war-centric, peace-centric, grocery store-centric, you name it, and “centric” will be added to it.

Another good one is adding “ability” to the end of everything. Sustainability, Re-usability, coffeeability, planability, way forwardability, thinking outside of the boxability, paradigm shiftability. Its all just another way to say the same vague thing, but make it seem much MORE.

So, the depth and breadthability of the latest paradigm shift in the war strategy is to plan the plan for the way forward in the peace-centric future.

Witnessed this in the store today

Equal Rights?

Trunk or Treat

I’ve learned from a reliable source (a friend who has kids) what the infamous “Trunk or Treat” signs were all about on churches.

Since “Trick or Treat” pretty much means: “give me candy or we’ll egg your expensive car”, I assumed that “Trunk or Treat” meant “give me candy or we’ll lock you in the trunk of your expensive car”. I just couldn’t figure out why churches were condoning such violent acts, since by nature they’re pretty much against the whole Halloween satanic ritual of begging for candy from strangers.

Churches have used a new device to sway young children from the evils of candy, strangers, and evil costumes by organizing “Trunk or Treat”. It also satisfies the amazingly obese parental population by allowing them to simply decorate their cars, park them in a row in a church parking lot, and dole out candy to their soon to be obese church going children.

The problem is that whole “or” thing. I wouldn’t have an issue if they called it “get candy from the trunk of someone’s car”, but they chose “trunk OR treat”, which makes no sense. And they wonder why Johnny can’t read the bible?

The one stipulation is that the children can’t dress up as evil or scary things... like your pedophile neighbor, or a congressman... oh, same thing. Ok, I’ll have to come up with a better example.

The whole lure to this is that the church guides impressionable youth to see that getting free or really cheap things out of a trunk is ok, which prepares them for a life in New York buying stolen merchandise from mobsters.

So, the mystery of “Trunk or Treat” is solved, except for that whole pesky OR thing.

365 Days of Harping for Nothing

Well, its about that time again.

The night where we let children run around in sight obscuring costumes, go door to door, begging for candy from strangers.

Oh sure, throughout the year we’re beating into their heads how they shouldn’t be out at night, and how they shouldn’t approach strangers, let alone TAKE anything from them, but this one night... its ok.

I wonder if parents, in this high tech world we live in, have printed out the addresses of all those sex offenders to avoid those homes. That will ensure their little kid is safe, that’s for sure. There couldn’t be a crack head in the neighborhood, or someone that’s just waiting to get arrested. We all know our neighbors... ok, no we don’t. We sit in our houses after working long hours, we probably wave at them when we drive by, just to be friendly and so they don’t call the authorities on us for stupid reasons, but we don’t know if they kidnap magazine subscription kids and eat their flesh in their basements. We have no idea if they have a fetish dungeon in their attic and all those cars parked out front aren’t relatives visiting. Not a clue. Nobody goes over to the neighbors with cookies and chats over coffee anymore, we’re too busy. But we aren’t too busy to go parading the kids out in darkened streets to get free candy, no sirreee.

Sure, go ahead and let your kids run wild on Halloween. I’m sure its perfectly safe in today’s society.

Breast versus Chest

A friend of mine e-mailed me the other day to tell me that she and her husband were watching a television show about a guy getting a sex change operation. While in today’s medical marvel world, a rather blase story, but she pointed out something very interesting.

During the whole process, the show had no problem at all showing a man naked from the waist up. He went through medical procedures, and hormone shots, and therapy, and each time they showed him in a state of undress... no problem showing his chest and nipples.

When it came time for the man’s implants, on the other hand, they showed the surgery in graphic detail, from the cutting open of the hole, and insertion of the implants, but the moment the implants were in place... they pixelated the “breasts”.

Wait a minute. What’s wrong with this? Just because the man has now taken a female form, its not ok to show a breast? I happen to know some men (who are not men trapped in women’s bodies, they’re just... fat) that have WAAY more cleavage than I do, and yet I’m sure there wouldn’t be any problem showing that on television (see “The Biggest Loser” or any of the myriad weight reduction shows on tv). Plenty of naked male boob flab going on there. But throw in the intent that the man wants to be a woman, or perhaps make these flabby guys wear Manbras and we draw the line at showing it on television.

If there’s a baby attached to the breast, that’s fine to show. Show a breast with a lovely piercing during a superbowl, not so fine. Ok, so we’ve ruled out that having something attached to a breast makes it ok to show (baby versus piercing), so baby ok, starburst piercing not ok. Breast reduction or implant surgery... ok to show blood and tissue and gore, not ok to show a nipple. Simply fine to show someone being ripped apart, blown apart, mangled, chainsawed, or hacked... just don’t show any breasts during that.

Do we wonder why our children are messed up?

The New Politically Correct Tea Party

Illinios Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn urged citizens to send tea bags with their electric bills to protest the raise on electricity rates in their state.

The post office says that while its not illegal to mail tea bags, it could possibly gum up with postal service equipment and slow their jobs down, and also cause some security concerns. In light of that announcement, the Lt. Gov then said it would be ok to just send a picture of a tea bag in with the electrical bills.

Flash back to December 16, 1773. Three groups of fifty Boston residents known as the “Sons of Liberty” board the ships; Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver with the intention of throwing all of the tea into the Boston harbor to protest the tea act. A harbor master explains to the groups that throwing all of the tea into the harbor would be very messy, and affect the other boats in the harbor, which would need to be cleaned. The group aggrees and goes home, and instead write a letter to the editor complaining about taxation without representation, being forced to buy untaxed tea from the British East India Company, and generally being cranky. If that were the case, I’d be drinking tea instead of Starbucks and sitting here bitching about being taxed by the Royal Colonies.

There is such a thing has peaceful protest, and despite the concerns of the postal system, there has to be a way for citizens to protest something they don’t like in a peacefuly, yet inconvenient way to get the point across. Using “National Security” concerns has become the trademark of all excuses to stop citizens from peaceful discord. We can’t congregate anymore, we can’t mail tea bags, we can’t do a lot of things anymore because they throw the whole “oooh, National Security” concerns flag and we simper back to our holes and continue to stew over being ineffective and castrated. Thank you government can we have another.

This year in Maryland the de-regulation of power companies went into effect. In 1999 the Maryland General Assembly thought it would be a good idea to de-regulate power companies so that independent power companies could come in and do business and give the almight conglomerate Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) some competition.

Let’s see, BGE came in, paid for the entire infrastructure of power lines, owns all of the power companies that generate and route electricity... and the Maryland General Assembly thought that Bob’s Power Company would come in, do the same and give BGE a run for their money. The problem with that is that Bob would have to buy his power from BGE, so why would anyone buy Bob’s power, when Bob would have to pass the power cost on to us, and bump up the bill to cover his administrative fees. Hmmm, no thanks, I’ll just stay with BGE. Ok, another alternative would be that a company outside of Maryland could provide us with power. Except it would be the same situation, unless the outside of Maryland company strung extension cords to your house. Once again... stupid scenario. The only thing de-regulation did was increase our power bills by 72%, which is very convenient. There is talk of un-de-regulating power, which doesn’t help matters any.

This election year, plenty of fingers were pointing to those that made those decisions in 1999 that landed us in a 72% power increase (on top of gas being over $3.00 a gallon), and I have every confidence that the Maryland voters will go to those polls in November, forget who did what and vote those idiots back into power. “Hey, here’s a name I recognize... I’ll vote for them” Yes, you remember that name because they thought it would be neat to provide competition for a business that can’t be regulated. Next year I expect they’ll de-regulate air.

Television, and other stupidity

As the new tv season approaches, it is once again chock full ‘o stupidity.

I see that “reality” tv is once again booming, thanks to Survivor and their racially divided “tribes”. Big hoopla about that. Here’s a thought... don’t watch it. I can pretty much guarantee that if nobody watches, you won’t have that crap on tv anymore. Keep complaining about it and you just give them free publicity. So turn it off, go play with your kids or something.

Nancy Grace, who berates a woman whose child is allegedly stolen from its bedroom, then has the gall to play the interview (actually, it was mostly Nancy screaming things at this poor woman) hours after the woman commits suicide. Why isn’t she answering your questions Nancy? Because you’re puppet head, you bleached blond, poofy haired bitch, that’s why. She doesn’t have to answer your stupid questions. You claim you’re “helping”, helping what? Ratings? How about volunteering at a soup kitchen, or cleaning up trash along the road, or even (if your law license hasn’t been stripped) defending indigent people. Helping isn’t sitting in an air conditioned studio screaming at people for your “scoop”.

Then there’s the endless parade of daytime “talk” shows that showcase the dregs of society. Who are all these people, and why do they think we care that your husband had a sex change and married your son? We know you’re dysfunctional, your family has probably told you a zillion times that you are dysfunctional and should seek professional help, they meant a licensed shrink, not Jerry Springer!

What’s up with YouTube anyway? I thought there were a gazillion copyright laws that said you couldn’t tape a show and then post it somewhere, or make a profit from it, or something like that. Its bad enough that you have to pay 10 bucks for a ringtone that lasts for three seconds, how are these people getting away with taping practically a whole freakin show and posting it on YouTube?

What’s with everyone now calling everything “i” something? iJack, iThis, iThat. I would think that Apple would be storming down people’s butts for copying their catchy little naming thing. Do they actually think that by naming something “i”, that people would immediately think it came from Apple and buy it sight unseen? iDont’care. iAmsickofthewholething.

Some artist painted an elephant (after getting approval) for an art show, and now the city is freaking out because people are freaking out, so they’re saying they have to scrub the paint off the elephant. Here’s a quote from someplace “Ed Boks, the head of the ASD, said the order was made after consulting with two animal rights activists and the city attorney's office.” See anything wrong with that picture? I’ll point it out if you are incapable of spotting stupidity: Why on earth is this city consulting with animal rights activists? Wouldn’t Zoo elephants keepers, or a zoologist, or even the freakin Barnum Bailey Circus be more informed about what is and isn’t good for an elephant? Do we think that two animal rights activists who probably protested outside of a circus as packaged meats know more about elephants than say... ohhhh... licensed professional animal caretakers?

Don’t get me started on that hoopla about the animal activist that “saved a dying dog from a chain” by stealing it from the owners when they weren’t home. Apparently some group in Utah now wants to help change the law so that anyone that feels that you aren’t treating your pets right can just take them and be free of any legal repercussions. I hope they change the child laws so that you can just steal some kid that isn’t getting the candy bar it wants in the store.

end of rant

Men in a Women's College

Men in a Women's College
Originally uploaded by Shmoomeema.

Apparently the all woman students at Randolph-Macon Woman's College are upset because it was announced that men would be admitted to the 115-year-old institution starting in 2007. Due to financial reasons (they can't find enough qualified women students to go to the college), the officials have decided that instead of allowing the college to bleed to death financially, the best thing to do would be open up the college to men. This, apparently is not ok with the current students, past students, etc.

I find this to be a bit hypocritical. I'm a woman, and I think having an "all-women" college to be a bit offensive. Where is all that "we're equal" crap, and "we deserve the same opportunities as men" crap the women's libbers are always spouting.

If you want to be equal, don't create "women only" institutions. What about all that hoopla complaining, and fighting for the opening of "men only" institutions (Naval Academy among others) to women. You didn't think it right to have men only stuff, what's with the women only stuff?

Hero of the day

In response to a question on the condition of a man that plunged from a fourth floor hotel balcony with his 2 children, killing one child and injuring another:

"I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should commit suicide." - Panayotis Spatharakis, director of the Heraklion Hospital where the man is being treated.

Breast Double Standards

Ok, I'm sick of it.

I'm a woman

Yes breastfeeding is natural, but so is taking a crap and having sex and you don't see people complaining when they can't do that in public, and yet we're suppose to bend over backwards and give these woman special rooms to do it in, or they just freakin do it wherever they want and we're suppose to "understand".

Its natural, yes, but they get bent out of shape if you look at them when they do it, they get bent out of shape if they give you a room to do it in that they don't approve of, and they get bent out of shape if everyone doesn't freakin bend over backwards and do what they say.

I don't want that happening at the table next to me when I'm trying to eat, I don't want to see it when I'm drinking a coffee, I don't want it near me at all! What about my rights not to see that?

We had yet another case of "breastfeeding rights" at a Victoria's Secret (of all places): Breastfeeding Protest

The best quote ever is from the woman who was offered a bathroom (because all of the dressing rooms were full) which she described as disgusting, and led a breast-feeding protest in front of the store (oh GAWD!)

She says (and I quote) "the nurse-in was meant to make people aware that breasts are not obscene."

Not obscene? Then why was MTV and ABC fined for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction"? Why is it that women who work at Hooters (and don't show their breasts) or who wear skimpy clothing, or bathing suits are "demeaned and exploited"?

If breasts aren't obscene, then on a hot day I should be able to run around without a shirt like men do... hey that's natural, we aren't born with clothes!

I'm so sick of women using this double standard to get their way. Breastfeeding is natural, breasts aren't obscene, but don't look at us when we do it, don't expose your breasts for anything other than breastfeeding, and give us what we want or we'll blackmail you by plunking our asses down and breastfeeding our kids.

Next time I hear of one of these protests, I think I'll go pee in front of them. Its natural too, where are my pee rights?

Sue the World for your Stupidity

The latest idiocy is some kid suing Myspace.com (well, she isn't suing, her PARENTS are suing for her) because she believed someone that said they were her age, and let's meet, and we'll have fun, and she did, and it turned out the guy was older, and molested her... duh!

So, instead of telling their kid, "hey, you're a moron, guess you learned not to trust people now", no, they decide to sue myspace.com, why? WHO FREAKIN KNOWS!

Did people go around before the internet and sue the post office because their pen pal lied to them? No, don't recall those lawsuits.

Do people go around suing the phone company because someone on the phone scammed them? no, don't recall those lawsuits.

So what's this suing internet companies because people make up phony names, ages, and personalities? The internet company has no control over that, just like the car makers don't control the morons that get behind the wheel and drive their car into yours or drive like morons. Should I sue General Motors because an idiot was driving a car they made? NOOO.

Gun makers are getting the heat from these money grabbers also. People suing a gun manufacturer because someone with a screw loose used one of their guns to kill people. Fast food places getting sued because people buy their greasy crap food and get fat and heart diseases. Nobody shoved that burger in your mouth fatty so shut up!

Victims are overtaking this world. The fingerpointers will soon be in charge and nobody will be able to do anything because there will be so many rules to follow that you can't get anything done because you'll be too busy reading the rule for something simple like breathing.

The Blameless

A five foot, 1 inch man was convicted of abusing a child, but will face no prison time because he's too short.

A female teacher who was convicted of having sex with a child will face no prison time because she's too pretty.

Lesson learned: If you are short or pretty go do what you want, you are impervious to consequences. If you are short AND pretty they may even give you a coupon for free stuff.

"Supporters of short people say it's about time someone recognizes the unique challenges they face." Um... is this to say there are non-supporters of short people? There are anti-short people factions springing up all over the country? This is a case of the anti-short people group forcing a poor short person into jail for molesting a child? That jails are unfair to short people? We need to build short people jails? I guess we'll need to build pretty people jails too eventually, and then we'll need to build jails for people who don't see well in the dark, and jails for people who fear concrete, and jails for people that require ambient lighting, and jails for left-handed people?

We make the claim that we've come a long way in merging color and nationality lines, being equals no matter what, and yet we continue to put people in different categories: too short, too rich, too pretty. We give special treatment and special consideration for groups of people and call it diversity. This "diversity" only further sections off people, and actually calls attention to their differences when we all should be equal, play on the same board, and treat each other fairly.

If you break the law you should go to jail, no matter what the excuse is.. You should go to jail even if you are a one-eyed, albino, transgendered, short person, or a average height white person. It shouldn't matter. We are all people. Nobody is more special than someone else, nobody is more valuable than someone else, nobody deserves more protections than someone else. We are all equals, but until everyone starts thinking that way, there will always be discrimination, special treatment, special consideration, and hatred for those who get the special treatment.

Inability to own up: the new disease!

U.S. Rep. Kennedy bashes his car into a barrier and blames it on a disease: drug abuse.
Golfer John Daly lost $1.65 million in five hours playing mostly $5,000 slot machines, the disease: gambling.

Wait a minute? Disease?

How about stupidity, lack of common sense, lack of ability to face reality, lack of self control, but not a disease by any stretch of the imagination. To call these things a disease is a slap in the face of everyone that has faced cancer, leukemia, glaucoma, etc. You decided to pop those pills, you decided to bet your money, people with real diseases didn't have those choices, they just got it and dealt with it.

So, I'm suppose to actually feel sorry for a man that plays GOLF for a living that he blew 1.65 MILLION on slot machines in 5 hours? awwww! That poor man! Here I am, scrimping money so I can afford gas at 8 bucks a fucking gallon so I can drive to my crappy job so I can get paid and waste all of my "earnings" to buy more gas to drive to my crappy job. OR, I'm sitting in my swelter house because my electrical bill went up 72% thanks to "de-regulation" and I can't afford to fill my tank up to drive to an air conditioned mall.

And what about "de-regulation"? How is it that someone thought "hey, lets give other electrical companies a fair shot at providing home owners with electricity"? One company owns all the power lines, owns all of the electric generating stations, so did they think that Bob's electric company was going to snake an extension cord to my house and provide me with electricity? What the F?

How is this fair?

I don't use a blackberry, I think they're ugly and I really don't need to be connected 24 hours a day, give me a break. But the Government is now crying about the fact that their blackberry connections will be cut due to the lawsuit against RIM, and they want assurances that if blackberry does get shut off, they will be exempt.

Wait a minute! What makes PUBLIC SERVANTS more special than those that pay their salaries? Nobody screamed foul when the Beta VCR went obsolete and left us with a worthless piece of expensive technology. What about all of the other things that went by the wayside with not even a "sorry" after people bought them? Why should the Government be exempt if RIM is wrong and infringed on a patent? Sure it'll be an inconvenience, but they can join the line of the inconvenienced along with all of the non-government users.

Perhaps if the government was inconvenienced they would understand the frustrations of us little people who get "taken" every day by manufacturers who taunt us with big claims and promises, then go obsolete, taking our money with them.

If blackberry goes dark EVERYONE goes dark, not just us little people.

Stupid Quote of the Day

"The state wouldn't be allowed to euthanize a dog in the manner in which it's executing prisoners" - Defense Attorney Todd Zubler in response to his client about to undergo lethal injection.

Are you kidding me? The state allows dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, you name it to undergo "lethal injection" on a daily basis by the hundreds, if not thousands! Some states still gas animals in huge chambers enmasse!

Cruel and unusual punishment? Certainly not as cruel as gunning down an innocent person. His client should have thought about the consequences of his actions before he pulled the trigger.

His client is lucky to get the "relaxing cocktail" prior to the heart stopping mix, unlike the thousands (millions if you go by the entire US) of dogs and cats that die each day who get a poke in a vein.

Why People Suck

Last night I came home from a crappy day at work, a continuation of a crappy week at work, after dealing with going to the crappy store, and I see something stuck in my screen door.

Its a note and business card from the Department of Health. Department of Health?

The note said: Anonymous complaint, trash and refuse in the front yard, attracting rodents.

HUH?

Oh sure, we have the top of a kitchen table leaned up against the fence that needs to go to the dump, we have a rolled up carpet, also needs to get dumped, and some boards neatly stacked on the other side of the house. Trash and refuse attracting rodents? You've got to be kidding me!

We suspect its our next door neighbors, who recently moved in. Their house is a mess, and it was a mess before they moved in. 11 years we've lived here, the old lady that did live there complained all the time about rats in her back shed (which would venture into our yard and be killed by our dogs), mice in her house, and flooding every time it rained. I'm sure the real estate agent that sold that house got a big commission for not mentioning these little tid bits of information to the new owners.

Not once in the 11 years we've lived here did we complain about the rat colony in her shed, not once did we complain about her dog taking a dump in our front yard, we just lived with it like good neighbors, and if we had wanted to complain, we would have asked her nicely... not called the freakin health department on her.

So, the new people moved in, nice couple with kids. We loaned them yard tools until they could get their own. Did we call the police when their kid threw a basketball and hit my brand new SUV? no. Did we call the County and bitch when a HUGE branch from their tree fell into our yard and they did nothing about it... well, nothing but drag it more into our yard? no. Do we complain about their dogs barking and yipping at 5am, or midnight? no. Do we complain when their friends park in our front yard? no.

So, in return, they call the health department and claim that a few items are now causing the next bubonic plague. Good lord, a woman was recently found with 200 dead cats in her house, the stench so bad that animal control workers had to wear respirators to remove the cats, all she got was a fine for the dead cats and allowed to go back and live in her urine drenched home. We have 3 items in our yard and we're causing the moral decay of the community.

I called the Health Department guy up and asked how we could remedy the situation. He looked at the file and kind of chuckled. Told us to remove what we already knew needed to go. I apologized for our inconsiderate and unsociable neighbors for dragging him out to our house and not discussing the issue with us first, which we would have gladly remedied. He sighed, and said it was no bother, giving me the impression that most of his job entailed going out to look at perfectly fine houses because morons have a grudge or blame their problems on someone else and can't face them to resolve the issue.

I'll be travelling to the fun and festive dump today with our plague items. While we were at it, we also raked the yard, and now there are 40 bags of leaves on the curb. This from a front yard with two tiny trees in it... most of the leaves are from their tree. I guess we'll get complained about again, since I'm sure those bags are just havens for creatures before they get picked up on Thursday.

I hate people