Time Also Flies - When You're Losing Your Mind

A quick post, since my only reader Asia is quickly losing her grip on reality.

It's been an incredibly busy time, which further explains the lack of posts.  Between insane end of the year work in the payroll department, finishing my Associates' degree in Liberal Arts, fending off boredom and frustration in my Paralegal courses, and dealing with numerous other demands on my time, I haven't had any time at all to post anything.  So, I'm going to take a moment to give some more random thoughts.

Pakistan:  If anyone thinks that the governments of this world can make things better in the long run, just look at what's going on.  Someone assassinates Bhutto for whatever reason, and they think that it makes things better for them.  How?  In the end, violence begets violence and that region is already close to exploding.  

Baseball and HGH:  Boy, Roger Clemens is in a spot.  He says he's innocent of the use of human growth hormones.  But if he sues, then he can be deposed, which means that they can ask him any number of questions under oath.  You just know he doesn't want to do that.  But then, Pete Rose opens his big yap and says that these players have brought shame to the game.  Really, Pete?  And your gambling on baseball while you were a manager was ... what?  Good?  Less harmful?  Shut up, Pete.  You still need to learn that prized behavior, humility.  As for the problem itself, there's no way to go back and look for people to punish.  It won't work.  And Selig can't go on a witch hunt without pointing four fingers back at himself, and another finger at the Players' Union.  Just admit it was a problem, that a large number of players did it, start testing for it and punishing users now, and don't let it happen again.  That's your only option that makes sense.

The Primaries:  Boy am I glad that I don't have any part in the political matters in this country.  I have to admit, though; the humor possibilities are endless.

The Spears Family:  Go away.  I beg you.  Just go away and take Lindsay and Paris with you.  (Side note:  the mothers' book on parenting skills just moved from the "how to" section to the "science fiction" section of your local Borders.)

Writers' Strike:  Does anyone really miss network television?  And when are they going to stop calling shows "reality" series?  Do any one of these idiotic shows even remotely resemble reality?  Besides, I don't think the general public deserves good television if they didn't give Studio 60 on Sunset Strip a fair chance.  What a loss.  If you haven't done so, rent it on Netflix or just go buy it.  Quality television at its best.  Aaron Sorkin, on behalf of the viewing public, I apologize.  Please bring us another great series, but this time put it on a cable channel that will appreciate it.  (Just not HBO...I don't subscribe to it.)

That's all for now.  I'll try to check in again soon, if anyone really cares.  And if anyone reads this, please drop me a comment.  I'd love to read your thoughts.

A Few Moments

If I described the last few weeks as tough, I would be greatly understating the amount of work and pressure that has been grinding me into dust. Still, now that I have a moment, I thought that I would throw a post in here. I'm not doing this for any readers, since I only have one (Hi, Asia!). I do this for the sake of refreshment for my brain. Sometimes, just writing silliness calms my mind.

So, what should be the silliness for today? Should it be the presidential races? Nah. Too political. How about the fires in Southern California or the droughts in the south? No, too depressing.

So, today I would like to copy one Stephen Colbert and play "Tip of the Hat / Wag of the Finger". In fact, this is a "wag of the finger" to - Stephen Colbert!

Comedy is a strange thing. As humans, we all find different things to be humorous. Personally, I find the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, Alton Brown (Good Eats!), and Monty Python to be very funny. I also find Donald Trump and the WWE to be very funny, but in a different way. What I don't find funny is a comedian who feels that humor involves bad language. There are a number of comedians out there who drop "f-bombs" or the like with every other sentence to shock the audience into laughing. Even Jeff Foxworthy gets a little graphic about his love life from time to time.

There are a few comedians, though, who are funny while keeping it clean. I understand that Sinbad refuses to use bad language in his act, and I salute him. Stephen Colbert in his show "The Colbert Report" is very funny. I especially like "The Word", but the show is hilarious for its sarcasm, its tongue-in-cheek jabs at society and its leaders, and Colbert's creation of his alter-ego as a conservative extremist. (I saw him a few times on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", and he isn't like that.

Thus, I was happy to pick up his book, "I Am America (And So Can You!)" That happiness didn't last, as Mr. Colbert felt the need to lob quite a number of "f bombs" and other vulgarities at me as a reader. It stopped being funny very quickly.

Therefore, Mr. Colbert, I send to you a blindfolded "Wag of the Finger" for your strange need to get nasty in your book. You're a funny guy. The character you created claims to value family and clean morals. If only you believed it and proved yourself to be an excellent comedian by not relying on cheap methods to try to get a laugh. Pitiful.

A Few Moments to Spare

I have a few minutes, so I thought I would add a few lines today.

I have just started my paralegal studies and have decided that Lawyerese is its own language. Our studies this week have focused on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. I read one sentence that had to be the equivalent of 6 sentences in English. I guess that's one reason the law can be so intimidating. It is rare to find anything written in simple terms. But I have also discovered that there is a reason for this. Everything that is written for the field of law has to cover many different contingencies. Otherwise, court cases would abound with technicalities that thwart the efforts to apply justice.

Common, everyday English can be very fluid, and leave a lot of room for interpretation. The law cannot do that. For example, what is murder? It is easy to say that it is one person who purposely kills another. But the law cannot allow for such a wide use of terms. If we left it at that, then we cannot allow for circumstance or state of mind or the like. It would be nice to say that murder is murder, but it just isn't that simple.

That having been said, it sure would be nice if these paralegal textbooks carried more examples, and if the FRCP had a "plain English" translation alongside for rookies. But, they don't, and I have to fight off the desire to run screaming into the night rather than make sense of how to serve a summons.

It's going to be a looooong series of classes. Sure, it will be about 6 months, but it's going to feel long. (I wonder how that would be described in Legalese?)

Few and Far Between

Well, my efforts of keeping this blog going on a daily basis has hit a snag.  My English course at the local community college was no big problem.  However, adding the paralegal course has caused my time to be at a premium.  Therefore, I am going to have to return to "catch as catch can" on my postings.

I'll try to do it as often as I can.  Sorry for my inability to do more.

First Impressions

Well, I did it. I bought an iPhone. So, like everyone else, I'm going to give my first impressions of this expensive little toy.

First of all, it is sleek. When it is turned off, all you see is a silver frame around a pitch black screen. But when it is turned on, everything comes to life. The registration process with AT&T is easy, but I'm sure that it was easier on my iBook than it would be on a Windows PC. After the registration, syncing, restarting, syncing again, and disconnecting, I was ready to play.

I think the thing I liked most was the phone and contacts feature. Dialing the phone is simple, and adding and editing the phone contacts are incredibly easy. I was even able to add pictures to my contacts with just a touch. I had to use the pictures that I imported, but it's easy to import more. One of the cool things is that when you call up a photo to use for a contact, you can zoom in and crop the photo to look how you want. It is such an absolutely easy process that I want to add everyone right away!

The Safari browser is a bit slow using the Edge network, but it's great when you hook up via wi-fi. The iPod feature is nice, although a bit less intuitive than the iTunes program on my iBook.

One thing I didn't like is the inability to bring in .mp3 ringtones or use a song that's already in your iPod as a ringtone. You can go into iTunes and create and download a ringtone for 99 cents (which is far less expensive than it is to download one online through normal AT&T methods), but it still seems a bit unfair to charge me twice for the same song. I also have a short song I want to use as a ringtone, but the current methods don't allow for it. Come on, Apple! Don't you make enough money from the phone itself???

Another negative is the lack of voice dialing. Apple needs to add this feature, especially for those who use a bluetooth headset and need to dial while driving. With voice dialing, I don't even have to take a look at the phone.

Overall, my first impression is one of glee. I can tell I'm going to have a lot of fun with this phone. That is, if I can get my co-workers to quit asking to see it.

Needing Focus

Have you ever had something that you are supposed to do but have no real set schedule as to when it is supposed to be done? That is a real challenge for me, as I will procrastinate until the cows come home.

The problem is, this is no longer an option for me, at least for the next 26 weeks or so. I am currently completing a writing course, which ends in December, and as of this coming Monday, I am also going to be starting a fast-track paralegal course. Both of these classes are in addition to my spiritual and family responsibilities.

So what is the solution? It's especially tough for someone who has attention issues as I do. So, here is my plan based on what has worked for me recently:

1) Schedule everything. There can be no deviations. If part of an assignment, reading, writing, or studying is scheduled for a particular day, that task must be completed before bedtime.

2) Prioritize. Ideally, I should do this while making my schedules, but at times this might have to be done on the fly.

3) Celebrate the small victories. They are victories, you know. When a large assignment is done on time and my other activities haven't suffered, I need to treat myself somehow, whether it is with a particularly good cup of coffee or a day off.

4) Don't ignore my family and even rely on them. I have a wonderful wife who is a huge help and support. I can't be so proud that I turn down help from her. I also can't focus so much on my tasks that I forget that she is the most important human being in my life. I have good kids, too, who don't demand more than I can give. They need less attention now that they are older, but they still need my time and my praise from time to time.

5) Pray. 'Nuff said.

In the end, the only way I can finish these courses without going insane is to keep my eyes focused on the goals and the reasons for these efforts. If I do that, and I follow my own instructions, I may make it through the next six months with just a minor need for a lobotomy.

Pick Yourself Up...

OK...so my posts lost their regularity. I'm not going to let it get me down. Instead, I'm going to infuse a bit of literary Metamucil and try to get regular again.

I'm about 2 months away from getting my AA degree. That's 25 years after my high school graduation. Even though I berate myself for taking this long, I do feel good that I have finally accomplished something in this area. As such, my wife has told me that I deserve a graduation present. (Awwwwwww......cute.)

The problem here isn't that I don't deserve a present (which I don't think I do), but instead it is how to justify spending money on myself. I don't like to do this, because every time that I do I tend to buy something absolutely pointless. For example, a while ago I bought a Palm TX; a relatively useful item which I do use, though not as regularly as I once did. Still, it has served a purpose. I bought a Nintendo Wii. Useless, but I love it! (Geek alert!) I have my iPod, which I also use every day and I love it. (Level 2 Geek Alert!!) So what graduation gift do I have my greedy little eyes upon? An iPhone. Why? 'Cause it's so darn cool!! (We have achieved Nerdvana! Alert Dilbert writer Scott Adams!) The problem is the price. Even though it has dropped $200 since it was released, it's still $400 plus an extra $15 a month for internet fees. Lots of moolah.

Still, both my wife and son insist that I should get it as a gift for myself. Do I do it? As they say in the old cartoons, "I dood it!"

Nerds of the world unite!

Dealing With New Phones

My wife and son just got their new cell phones today.  They traded Sony Ericsson w600i phones for Razrs.  As soon as they saw them, they loved them.  Until...

Until they realized that even though they transferred their phone directories over via SIM card, they were going to have to "manipulate" them.  In so many words, they are going to have to fix the names and combine the home and cell phone numbers for single persons into single entries.

The phones aren't so much fun now.  sigh...I can't win for trying to do something nice.  I'm sure they'll love them again once everything is fixed.  But for now...

Another thing that cracks me up is that they just jumped right in to playing with the phones instead of reading the instructions first.  Thus, I became their walking, talking, pulling my hair out by the roots instruction book.

It's late.  I'm tired.  It's been a lousy couple of days at work.  I'm going to bed.  Honey, put your phone on silent, will you?  Oh...well check the instruction book on how it's done.

No Time To Blog

It's been one of those days at work. A day when I thought that every piece of equipment, every program, and every employee was out to get me and drive me nuts.

And I was right.

But seriously, it's been a day that I will be trying hard to forget, so I'm going to leave the blog alone today. That's life.

To any of you who are reading this blog, (I think it's just you, Asia), see you tomorrow.

AT&T Makes Things Right With Me

A couple of days ago I complained about AT&T and their website. As of this morning, my feelings had gotten even worse.

I went online to their upgrade site and clicked on the chat button. I tried to communicate my questions to the person on the other end, but the tech simply did a typical cut-and-paste response and didn't respond to any of my questions. Then, she ignored my follow-up postings and then closed the chat.

Annoyed as can be, I decided to try calling AT&T again, although my past discussions about the subject matter had been fruitless. (Yes, it does sound like I was banging my head against the wall.) However, lo and behold, I spoke with someone who actually heard what I was saying. She not only acknowledged the logic in my statements, but made things right! I now have the phones that I wanted for my son and wife on the way, and I have to say that AT&T Business Services showed a human side that many cell phone companies lack.

Before this, I had good experiences with this part of the company, and was distressed that suddenly things were not going as well, but my faith has been restored. I can hereby state that I am still a customer and will be so for another two years. Thanks AT&T. It's nice when something like this happens and a company shows appreciation for a loyal customer. (Now I just have to wait for a month or so and treat myself to an iPhone as a grad present!)

Sports Weekend

Lots of stuff went on this weekend. My blog...my opinions...so there.

Baseball - What a collapse! The Mets went down in flames and frankly, I'll shed no tears. Now if only the Yankees will go down, too. But who am I to brag? I like the Athletics!
I'm also kind of happy to see the Fuzzy Cubbies in the playoffs if for no other reason than to hopefully break the Bartman hatred. Maybe if the Cubs win, then Steve Bartman can come out of hiding. (Do you think some baseball fans take things waaaay too seriously?)
So, out of the teams that are still in it, I'll root (if I root at all) for the D-Backs in the National League (because I'm an Eric Byrnes fan) and the Indians in the A.L. (just because Cleveland could use a break.)

Football - Did anyone else think that the 49ers offensive line looked like a sieve? I'm not amazed that Alex Smith got injured. I am amazed that Trent Dilfer was still standing at the end of the game. Although he didn't do much to worry the Seahawks anyway. Truly a sad display, and I still wonder about Nolan's play calling from the sidelines.
Oakland won?? Oh...it was against Miami. Never mind. Still, it's kind of funny to see the Raiders at the top of the division with a 2 - 2 record. Lane Kiffin is probably going to get an earful from all those who said Daunte Culpepper should have been the starter from game 1.
Arizona beats Pittsburgh....bwah ha ha ha haaaaaa!!!!!
Chicago loses to Detroit .... bwah ha ha ha haaaaaaa!!! (Ouch! My side hurts from laughing too much!!!)

Basketball - The NBA is looking at Sacramento's Cal Expo for a place to build an arena. If it keeps the Kings in Sacramento, I'm all for it. However, to soothe the nerves of the citizens, they had better release a traffic plan that makes sense before they even release the plans for an arena itself. That area is already a nightmare, and an arena is going to make it far worse.
More on the Kings...does anyone else wonder what the heck Petrie is doing? This team looks like such a mixed up hodge-podge right now that I hear the NBADL is thinking of accepting the Kings as one of their teams. I have ZERO hopes for a playoff spot right now with the way the roster looks. Here's hoping the Mr. Petrie has a rabbit somewhere in his clothing if it isn't in his hat.

Poorly Thought Out Website

Today, I would like to tell you about frustration in its purest form.  That frustration revolves around the website of one AT&T Wireless.  I shall explain.

My contract with AT&T will be up in December.  Because of this, I can upgrade my phone or my family's phones at a discount.  So, I went to the website to attempt to do so.  There is a special going on that says if you upgrade to a particular Sony phone, you also get a Bluetooth headset for free.  Now, I tried to click on the link to upgrade my wife's phone.  It listed my name instead of hers.  So, I changed the name to hers.  OK.  Then, I clicked on that model phone, and it added the phone to the cart, but gave no place or information to add the headset.  Hmmm...time to chat with the company, but wait!...they are closed!  You can't even chat with someone from India!  Are you getting the picture?  I also wanted to upgrade my son's phone to get him one of the free Razrs but....they are sold out!  Yay!

You know, AT&T's network has been pretty good for me.  I have had very few problems with dropped calls and such.  But AT&T...your website bites!!!  You are a communications company, for goodness sakes!  Make your website more useful. 

I thank you.

Gettin' Sick of Being Sick...and of Sick People

Well, here I am on day 12 of being sick. Frankly, it's getting old. But you don't want to hear about that, do you? Neither do I.

I decided that today I was going to live up to the description of this blog and be opinionated. The opinions today are going to surround some of the legal issues that are being plastered all over the news. Yeah, I'm sure that you're sick of these cases, but I haven't commented on them and I want to.

OJ - How the mighty have fallen. He used to be such a talented football player and was making at least a little money in the movies. Then he decides to play "Juice the Ripper" and escapes the prison laundry. Now, he walks into a hotel room to, excuse me, steal back his own items? This guy needs more mental help than shock therapy can provide. Even if the stuff was his, it wasn't, as everything that has monetary value belongs to the Goldman family.

I do have one more question, though. Can he get a fair trial of impartial jurors? I think that any attorney would be worried that the jury would be trying to convict him for the murders rather than the robbery. Mistrial on its way, folks.

Michael Vick - Another footballer fallen by the wayside. I'm not going to comment on the dog fighting, as it is disgusting, no matter where you are from. I do want to comment on the latest bit of idiocy provided by Mr. Vick. How...HOW stupid is a person who smokes pot while on parole. Yeah, the judge in this case is going to feel a lot of sympathy for Vick. Now he is on house arrest with his ankle bracelet showing is location and is probably wondering why everyone is picking on him. Perhaps we should have seen this coming. Not because of the airport incident with the water bottle with the secret compartment, but just by checking the family tree; particularly the branch leading off to his thug of a brother. Sheesh.

Larry Craig - Oh, I just can't think about this one. It's so warped on so many different levels.

Brittney Spears - Here's another one that I can't think about. However, a group rate at rehab with Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Nicole Richie could probably save her some money, don't you think?

This is one twisted world we live in, isn't it?

Guilty Pleasures

We all have them; guilty pleasures in the area of reading material or viewing material that we really like but may be a bit embarrassed to admit that we like. Well, no more hiding. I am about to admit publicly some of my guilty pleasures in books and movies.

Books
Let me start with a series that I am currently reading. In fact, I'll list a couple by the same author. His name is Lawrence Block, and the two series are the Evan Tanner and Bernie Rhodenbarr series. Evan Tanner is the "Spy Who Couldn't Sleep". Without going into too much detail, Tanner took some shrapnel in the Korean War which destroyed the sleep center of his brain. He spends that extra time learning languages and writing doctorate thesis papers for paying students. He got roped into secret government work, and the books are about his adventures. To bring him to our day, Block had to use cryogenics. (You see why this is a guilty pleasure?) The Bernie Rhodenbarr series starts with "Burglars Can't Be Choosers", as Bernie is a burglar turned bookseller who can't give up his old profession. He frequently has to use his skills to get the cops off his case when he gets accused of other crimes. Both series are fun, even if they do stretch credibility a bit.

Other favorites include books by Christian Jacq (especially the Ramses series), Agatha Christie (go Poirot!), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock rules), and (here's the extremely guilty one) Pride and Prejudice.

Movies
Oh, man...I could go on for weeks about movies. I think I'll just list a bunch rather than go into details (in no particular order):
Support Your Local Sheriff
Clue
Real Genius
Airplane!
Hot Shots Part Deux
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Cats Don't Dance (animated and a salute to Gene Kelly)
Gigi
An American in Paris
Singin' In The Rain
Asterix: Mission Cleopatra (in French)

I must admit, I don't feel guilty about many of these...unless you count Cats Don't Dance and numerous other cartoons (Animaniacs, Cars, Incredibles, among others). Still, try some if you haven't seen them. And don't worry...I won't tell anyone.

Two Different Views of Gray

I was talking with my wife this morning, and she told me that she needs to find a stylist who can do highlights at a reasonable price. Knowing that she didn't mean those yellow pens that you use when studying, I asked why she thought she needed this done. Her response was that she is tired of all of her gray hair.

Let me describe the level of gray in my wife's hair...maybe...MAYBE 1 - 3 %. I have far more gray than she does. But I have no desire to get highlights done or anything of that nature. Heck, I'm just glad that I still HAVE hair, but even these allies are deserting me quickly.

The Bible links gray hair with wisdom and glory. But in terms of human ego, gray represents something very different. Oh sure, many women will say that gray hair makes a man look distinguished. If that's so, why is Walt Frazier advertising Just For Men hair coloring? They are trying to convince us guys that we can't attract women unless we color our gray and make it brownish-orangeish color. No thanks.

But women see gray hair in themselves as a sign of old age. The first gray hair results in depression and mourning over lost youth. And men tend to view women with gray hair in a similar manner. Why? Why this form of discrimination? I don't have an answer to that.

Thankfully, "Madison Avenue", the world of advertisers, is starting to use some very attractive gray headed women in commercials. Maybe this can help to break the stigma.

Almost all of us get gray eventually, except for a few really freaky people who keep their color and I despise them horribly. Maybe someday, as long as gray hair still exists, we will see it as the Bible does and think how distinguished women look with that color as well.

Too Tired

This is a sort of substitute post for today.  I had to take my wife down for biometric scanning today.  It went very quickly, so props to the USCIS for that arrangement.

Anyway, I have a meeting at 7:30 tonight, and I think I need a nap.  Old age must be creeping up on me.

So, let's count this as a post and try to do better tomorrow, shall we?  We shall.

When You Can't Think of What To Write...

Wow. I've been doing pretty well in keeping this blog going. Six days out of seven each week isn't bad. But I find that on certain days that I have brain clog. I just can't think of a topic. I suppose I could try some "creative writing - fiction", but I'm doing enough of that for my English class. Frankly, fiction isn't my best genre. It's on days like this that I tend to rant, so why break the mold?

I find that I have given my wife the "gift that keeps on giving". Yes, as sick as I was last week, I decided to share the sickness with my loving spouse. I told her that I should have slept on the couch but no, she wouldn't hear of it. Because of her generosity and love, now she is sniffling and coughing like I was. What's the moral of the story? Wives, if your husband offers to sleep on the couch when he is sick, accept it as an act of love. Frankly, it's also a bit of selfishness on our part because we know that when you're out of action, nothing gets done around the house. Okay, that may sound chauvinistic, but I only say it because I know how lame I am at cleaning and cooking. (Take out food, anyone?)

Rant the second...the San Francisco 49ers are overrated. I think I said something about this last week, but after watching part of the game against the Steelers, I feel justified in my statement. Alex Smith, congrats on being the number one pick a couple of years ago, but you are NOT good enough to be a starter. Sorry.

Rant the third...Thanks to Asia for being, as far as I know, the only reader of this blog. She is the only one who comments, so I have to assume that she is the only one that reads it. I appreciate it, Asia.

Rant the fourth...To all residents of Sacramento, California: Does anyone else think that Cal Expo would be an absolutely horrible place for an NBA arena? Can you say "traffic nightmare"? (I knew you could.)

Final rant...Why do parents give their kids names that they are going to hate or hate dealing with all their lives? For example, they spell names differently for the sake of being different. Let's take an imaginary (I mean it...it's imaginary) example. John and Joan want to name their baby daughter Jane, but instead of spelling it "J-a-n-e" they decide they want to be different and spell it "J-a-i-n-e". As the child grows up, she will have to correct pronunciations and spellings just because the parents wanted to be different. People, please consider things such as this and other things such as sources of teasing. Being unique is fine, we are all unique. But when you clamp a ball and chain of a bizarre or too-different name on your child, you aren't stressing uniqueness. You're saying, "Yes, please, tease my child. It will be good for her." Trust me; it isn't.

Digital Cable

You know the old jokes about 100 channels and nothing on?  Like Frankenstein's monster, "They live!!!"  

We recently upgraded from analog cable to digital cable.  Cool, right?  Indeed, there are some benefits.  We now have Turner Classic Movies, which makes American Movie Classics look cheap.  TCM does have the classics, particularly the old MGM collection.  We also have (because we coughed up an extra $10 per month) TV5, which is the French television network.  For those of you who have read earlier columns, you know that my wife is French, so we are glad to have shows in her native language.

There are some other cool channels.  The History Channel International is nice, as is the Sci-Fi channel.  BBC America is an awesome addition.  But other than those?  Bleah!  A whole lot of crud, garbage, poubelle, etc., etc.  But the joke has to be changed.  Now, we have to say that we have 500 channels and there is nothing on!  Sheesh.  TV - off...book - in hand...time to read.

Waitin' On The Comcast

I am now taking part in a ritual that all homeowners or renters go through at one point in their lives or another.  It is a ritual that all can identify with and empathize with.  It is the waiting game.  It may be experienced with a phone company, a cable company, or an electric company, but it will be experienced.

Many moons ago, you were given a 9 hour window in which the technician was promised to arrive.  "He'll be there Tuesday."  

"When on Tuesday?"

"Some time between 8 and 5."

"Can you be a bit more precise?"

"Some time between 8:01 and 4:59."

"Thanks a heap."

Ah, but thank goodness for progress.  Yesterday, I came home to my phone answering machine reminding me of my service appointment with my local cable company.

"Your service appointment is scheduled between noon and 5 p.m. tomorrow.  Please call us if you have any questions." This has been a recording.

You see?  Progress!  The nine hour window has been reduced to five hours!  Just think!  Ten years from now it will be 3 hours!  I don't know about you, but I'm psyched!

Sports Day

It's that time again! Time for my random rants on sports.

Basketball - Each time I look at the Sacramento Kings' roster I scratch my head and wonder. How in the heck did we get into this mess? I won't go into details, or this wouldn't be a short rant. Nonetheless, what are the chances that we can get rid of everyone except for Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia...and that's it?
AK-47 (Andre Kirilenko) wants out of Utah, and, of course, Kings fans wonder if we could get him here. Personally, I'd love to have him here, but I just don't see how it could work. But I'm sure going to keep my eye on www.sactownroyalty.com for the latest news and opinions. Just think how much Sacramento's Russian population would go for this trade!

Baseball - To Marc Ecko, the man who bought Barry Bonds' record breaking baseball: Can you please be a bit more self-serving and self-righteous? I would be curious, however, how you plan to get that baseball into space. Do you really have so much money to waste on these things? Feed the poor, plant some trees, do something useful!

Football - Fans crack me up sometimes. The Raiders are 0 - 2 and the haters are pulling the plug on the entire season. The 49ers are 2 - 0 and bandwagonneers are ready to anoint them the rulers of the NFC West. Both teams have looked mediocre at best, and it's only been two games! Calm down, will ya?

Three Cheers for the River Cats! - The Sacramento River Cats just won the Triple-A championship. And that's with more call-ups and roster changes than one can even imagine. That says a lot about the players, the coaches, and the fans who supported the team. Way to go, guys! You rock!

TheraFlu Rules

Still sick today, and have already had to write a lot for my creative writing course.  Thus, no big blog commentary again today.

Yet, I do have to write something, per my self-imposed instructions.  Thus, today I sing the praises of TheraFlu daytime formula.  Man, does anything work better to get a person through the day when he's sick?  Not that I've found.  I do have some advice for those who want to use it.  First, daytime formula only.  The others are almost undrinkable.  Second, use very hot water and finish drinking the concoction before it gets lukewarm.  The hotter the better and the less gagging.  Finally, whenever possible, add honey. 

That's all, and that's all I have to say today.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Sick Tuesday

I'm not feeling too well today, so here's just a few random thoughts.

Is O.J. Simpson evil, deranged, sick, stupid, or all of the above?

I like how Jeff Foxworthy describes the side effects of medicines. He lists everything from diarrhea to low credit ratings. It's funny, but it's true. I looked up the side effects of a medicine that my doctor prescribed for cluster headaches. Thanks, but I think I'll just suffer. Sheesh.

It used to be that women looked at the inner man when choosing a partner while the man looked at the outer woman. Studies have shown that to be true. But does anyone else think that young women are becoming just as shallow as men? What does that say about society?

Being sick stinks on ice.

That's all. Just wanted to post before my brain completely seizes up like an engine without motor oil.

Monday...Bleah! (Title Supposedly Borrowed)

***NOTE: A friend who has another blog has accused me of borrowing the title. Even though I can't find proof, I will give her credit. http://asiavou.blogspot.com/ (You crack me up, girl.)

Yes, that just about sums up my mood today.

First of all, my apologies for not posting yesterday. I'm giving myself a pass for two reasons. Reason number one: I had a really busy day along with some health issues. Reason number two: If I don't give myself a pass, then I'm being really hard on myself, might discourage myself, and become even more bitter towards myself. Thus, a full pardon has been granted. Hurrah!

I was helping my son with his drafting homework last night. Let me rephrase that, because what I know about drafting could fit in a thimble with room left over for Lake Tahoe. I was loaning him my eyes because he was so tired. Why was he tired, you might ask? He was tired because, at age 19, he put in a day at work on Saturday that was not to be believed. He started work at 7 am, worked until 4, then had to go back to work at 7 pm to do inventory and didn't leave till about 1 am. He had to work so many hours due to a bunch of irresponsible co-workers who put partying ahead of agreed upon duties.

I'm so tired of these teens and twenty-somethings who think that they have every right to do what they wish, be as loud and obnoxious as they wish, be as vulgar and rude as they wish, and to do it so that it infringes on others' rights. For example, there are neighbors in my building who will play their music loud at 2 am, and then stand in the parking lot or sit on their balcony and scream, cuss, and just generally make a nuisance of themselves. If you try to call them on it, they turn it on you! (I won't even begin to go into the sight and sound of young women using language that is so vulgar that it wouldn't even qualify for an "R" rating!)

Parents, you need to teach your children from an early age that other people have rights, too. You need to teach them to put others before themselves, how to display manners, and how to have some self-respect.

What are the chances of that happening? Not good, as I see a bunch of parents out there who don't even understand the concept themselves.

Why am I ranting on this? I don't know. I guess I'm just sick of what I see and wish that people would consider what they look and sound like, and how they treat others.

And to those young women who think that cussing makes you mature and sexy? You're wrong. You seem cheap, trashy, and ignorant. Guys, the same goes for you. Try a few sentences without a cuss word in the middle of it. You might be surprised that you can sound intelligent.

Done for now. I'm tired, it's Monday, and I'm rambling. But at least I posted!

Grocery Stores

I just got back from doing my weekly grocery shopping.  Yes, I'm a guy and I do the family shopping.  There is something depressing about shopping.  I'm not talking about the prices, although those can get a person and his budget down in a hurry.  I'm talking about selection.

Hear me out.  I realize that American grocery markets carry a wide variety of foods.  I also understand that they can't make everyone happy.  But let's compare, say, Safeway to a much smaller store such as Trader Joe's.  Safeway has a huge variety of items compared to TJ's.  But as I wander through Joe's place, I find things that I want, not just things I need.  I find good prices on things such as French cornichon pickles, cage free eggs, wine, pasta, and other items.  But on top of that, I find items from all over the world.  In comparison, Safeway feels sterile and, well, safe.  Safe is fine, but safe is not always best.  When I walk into a market in France, I can smell the flavor in the air.  The stores are clean, but they don't try to hide the aromas. Here, the smell of...nothing...is in the air.  

Where in the world am I going with this?  I don't know.  I guess I'm just down because I'm tired of seeing the same old boring products every week.  Hey Safeway.  Why not get juuuust a little daring?  How about a nice cassoulet?  Perhaps some true Italian mortadella?  Something?  Oh well, just give me half a pound of the overly processed sliced chicken breast, please.

Writing Prompts

Today I had to do two prompts for my creative writing course. The first prompt was to describe a "black sheep" of the family and write about why they were considered to be odd and why you might have liked or admired them. The second was to describe someone's room using descriptions for all five senses, and then reveal a secret at the end.

The reason I am putting this in my blog is to reveal something I have learned about writing; you don't always like what you have to write.

I hated these assignments. They weren't me! But I also realize that if a person wants to earn money as a writer, they may have to take freelance assignments where he has to write about a subject that doesn't interest him. These qualified, that's for sure. But in writing these stories, I began to understand that I have to take even more care when writing in cases like this. One student who reviewed my paper said that he could tell that this subject was less appealing to me than previous papers. He could tell! Even though I thought the work was pretty good, this student - who doesn't know me at all - could tell that I wasn't thrilled with the assignment!

Thus, the lesson for myself today is to make myself interested in what I have to write. If I can't get interested in my mind, it won't be interesting on paper.

Second Guessing

The title of this post should in no way be construed as meaning my decision to post every day. This is actually good for me, if not for anyone else.

I have signed up for extension courses in a local university which, upon completion, will point me towards a different line of work. Sounds cool, doesn't it? Yeah, well I'm having those old second-guessing, self-doubting heebie-jeebies. The new career is beginning to sound too much like the old one, and the whole point is to get out of the old one!

As I analyze the situation, a very solid truth keeps rising up before me: I don't want to do any of these jobs. Except one. You guessed it. I want to write. But reality sticks its little nose into my business and reminds me that there are a lot of writers out there, and it's tough to make it in the field. Even if you do, it's tough to make ends meet. What to do...what to do?

I guess what I have to do is gut this out. I need to finish the training for the new career, use my old career as a fall-back option if I don't like the new one, and get serious about writing. Until I get serious, I'll never know if I could make it. So, bring on the paralegal courses (yawn)...

...and get out the laptop, pad of paper and pen, and start doing what you've always wanted to do. Yes sir, right away sir.

Here's to seeing things clearly, and a wife that helps me to do so.

Dig Deeper

I promised I would post every day. I don't have much time today, so here it is.

There was an article in the newspaper saying that more and more children are being diagnosed with bipolar syndrome.

Why do I mention this? Because I want people to look deeper at news. I want people to ask questions. The question is this:

Are more children being diagnosed as bipolar because there is more mental disease in the world today, because more children are being diagnosed correctly when in the past such symptoms might have been missed, or because more parents want an excuse for their children's behavior so they take them to psychiatrists and claim that the children are bipolar.

Too often, people read the news and just assume that the easy answer is correct. Don't do that, folks. See the story in context. Think about it. Play out the possibilities. Think for yourself and use insight.

Otherwise, you'll simply take everything - and everyone - at face value.

Football Thoughts -- (Soccer to some)

I just noticed on ESPN.com that the U.S. Women's Football (Soccer) team tied North Korea 2-2. I didn't watch the game because it was on at 2 am PST. I wouldn't watch a game at that hour if it was the U.S. or French men's team going in the World Cup Final! Watching sports can be fun, but sleep is sleep. A couple of weeks ago I read that there is going to be another attempt at a women's professional league in the U.S. That's fine. Just don't expect it to be wildly successful. Football (soccer) is not as popular as the other major U.S. sports, and women's sports are also far less successful than the men's sports. Women's basketball is more popular and more profitable overseas. Maybe that's where a women's league should start.

I'm on a football (soccer) rant now. Let's keep it rolling. I love good football. I hate to tell the MLS, but their brand isn't particularly good. When an aging David Beckham can join the MLS in an injured state and still outplay the others on the field, that tells you the quality of play. That doesn't mean that the MLS should disband. On the contrary. It should go out and get the best players possible. But perhaps a couple of changes would help.

First change: flopping is penalized. Americans constantly complain about players falling down and holding their legs when they aren't even touched. They don't understand that one reason for this is to get a sort of "time out" for their team. It's tough running for 45 minutes straight, so if a player notices his team getting tired, he'll take a fall to give them some water and a breather. This should either be explained to U.S. fans, or there should be a break at 22:30 and turn the game into four quarters like basketball or American football.

Second change: get rid of the ties. Americans hate ties. There are winners and losers. That's all. Thus, every game should have the golden goal period followed by a shootout. It isn't classic football, but it would help the U.S. game.

Third change: increase the exhibition matches. We've had Mexican and British teams come to the U.S. to play MLS teams. Let's get some French, Italian, and other clubs here so that Americans can see the best of the best.

I want the women's league to succeed. I want MLS to succeed. I want Americans to quit whining about how slow football is and instead compare it to a baseball game. You want slow? Watch just a couple of at-bats in baseball. Who needs prescription sleep aids? "OK Mr. Jones. I want you to take two innings of Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays before bedtime and you'll go right to sleep."

I also want San Jose and Raleigh to have teams. Go Quakes!

New Resolve

Have you ever resolved to do something and failed over and over again? I have. The few people who read this blog know for a fact that I have.

I have promised time and again to post regularly on this blog, and have not lived up to that resolution. No more. Today I make the vow: I WILL post regularly.

So...why will it work this time?

I want to write. Period. I want to be a writer. Thus, I have decided to use this blog as a tool to get in the habit of writing daily (or at least every other day...I do have to be a bit flexible, you know.) Even if I don't have a subject prepared, I have to find one. Even if it isn't particularly good, I have to do it.

Thus, I am asking a favor of anyone who reads this: let me know you are there! Post a comment, send a message, do something to let me know that there are living, breathing people out there who read this.

Even if there is no one, I need to do this for myself. So, come with me, if you dare. Take a trip into my brain from time to time and see what is churning between my ears. (For those of you who say, "not much"...bleah to you!!) Let's have some fun and see what happens.

I thank you.

Psych Widget

Enjoy the show!

"Psych" You Out In The End

Sometimes it's hard for me to find time or brain cells or motivation to blog. But my "idiot box" watching activities last night prompted me to give a quick plug to a fantastic show.

I'm not going to try to give you the entire plot of the USA Network show called Psych. I'm just going to highly recommend that you either watch it, tape it, or Tivo it on Friday night at 10 p.m. Not only is it hilarious, but it is smart, and the chemistry between Dule Hill and James Roday is as perfect as can be.

Imagine a man who was raised by his police sergeant father, who is a major control freak. One thing he taught his son Shawn is the power of observation. For example, Shawn and his dad were eating in a diner, and Shawn asked for dessert. His dad told him to cover his eyes, which Shawn did grudgingly. He was then asked how many hats were in the room, where they were, and what kind. Yes, Shawn got it right.

Fast forward to the current day. Shawn keeps calling in tips to the cops, and collecting rewards. But the cops begin to think he's in on the crimes. In reality, Shawn just watches the news and notices little things that the cops miss. To get out of being arrested, he gives a display of his abilities, but goes through a whole routine to convince the cops that he is psychic. He and his best friend Gus (Dule Hill) then form a psychic detective agency to help the Santa Barbara cops solve crimes.

James Roday and Dule Hill are hilarious. You can tell they have a blast on the set and that they positively love doing this show. My family laughs out loud at each and every episode.

Want to get the best start on this series? Season 1 is now available on dvd.


Amazon link

Thoughts on the NBA

It had to happen. There have been so many complaints about NBA officiating that an incident like this was bound to appear. Any time that I watched a game with even slightly knowledgeable fans last year, the common complaint was, "Man! These refs stink! What are they doing, trying to fix the game?" Sure, that's common in any sport, especially when your team is losing. In this case, though, the fix was in.

The main thing that Tim Donaghy apparently did was to affect the over/under line of the game. I'm sure that more will come out as this case progresses. But the big question that is hanging over the NBA right now like the Sword of Damocles is: Were any other refs involved?

How big is this? It's huge. It's "damage the sport for a decade or longer" huge. It's "how will refs be able to do their job without worrying about game fixing allegations" huge. Referees are human and will make mistakes. They are doing a tough job that involves constant running, judgment calls, and players who think that they are bigger than the game. So if they make a mistake, will the calls of "cheater" from the stands rain down on them? That isn't fair either. But it is going to happen.

Why did this happen? I'm sure there are a lot of reasons, but I want to point a finger at one in particular. Stu Jackson, who is in charge of Vice President of NBA Operations, is also in charge of the referees. He has sat on his throne like a modern day emperor, slapping down all implications of referee misbehavior or incompetence as though he is always right about everything. Guess what, Stu? You blew it! And it isn't just Donaghy that should pay the price. This was your domain and your watch, and you dropped the ball. Time to go, and if you go, it will be without a tear in the eye of any true NBA fan. It's time that the NBA got humble and realized it needs to make some changes. Change the way the refs are trained, paid, and policed. Change the playoff structure and even the conference structure to allow for more exciting playoffs. And change the atmosphere from one of "hip hop, male diva, gangsta" attitudes and get professional.

Boy, Mr. Stern. Mark Cuban is probably laughing his hiney off right now. Would you like a towel to wipe that egg off of your face?

Filling Space

It's been a couple of weeks, so let me fill some space with some more random thoughts.

SPORTS:
Wimbledon - What a great match between Federer and Nadal. I have to admit it, I am a Federer fan. Nadal is great, but I love the way Federer can dig down and find the "killer instinct". If he sees any weakness in an opponent, he has the skill to decimate anyone. That's what happened in the finals. Nadal showed some weakness in his knee (even though he seemed to be better as he went along after it was taped), and Roger got the mojo working. Five in a row. Amazing.
Kobe Bryant - Shut up, Diva. In the name of sanity and the hatred of whining everywhere, just shut up.
Summer League NBA - Who cares?
World League of American Football (NFL Europe) - I still remember going to a Sacramento Surge game when the league was new. Now it is defunct. Hey Commish, why not a developmental league here? It works for the NBA.

CULTURE AND NEWS:
Al Gore III - Daddy must be so proud. Possession of drugs. Speeding. (100 in a Prius???) But hey, at least the carbon signature was lower than if you did it in a Hummer, right?
Commutation for Scooter - I can't resist this. It had to be humanitarian, right W.? I mean, you probably imagined what fellow prisoners would do to a guy named Scooter, didn't you?
Polite Paris - An article on MSNBC.com talked about how the mayor of Paris wants locals to be more polite. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19680045/ ) One of the quotes was:

Tourists, too, were given tips like “try out French products” instead of heading to the first Starbucks in search of friendly service.

Let me be very blunt here, American tourists. If you go to Starbucks in Paris for coffee instead of any...and I mean ANY... local cafe or restaurant that serves coffee, you don't deserve to go to Paris and should be forced to take your next vacation at your local McDonalds. Yes. That's right. You should also be forced to wear a sign that says "Taste Challenged". Are we getting the picture here? I don't care how rude Parisians may seem, you simply deal with the perceived attitude and get the real coffee, not Starbucks! Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. (Common Monty Python reference, for you French Taunter fans.)

COUNT YOUR SHEEP - Man, I love this web comic. Adrian, you're a genius. I urge everyone to keep an eye on this comic. Here's a great example:

http://www.countyoursheep.com/d/20070707.html

Be sure to check out his tshirts and such available at Zazzle.com.



I've been sick these last few days. You know what? I'd rather have a cup of Starbucks coffee in Paris than feel this way anytime soon.

Will France Change? Will the U.S.?

The elections are over. While the Socialists made some gains in the Asemblee Nationale, the UMP still holds the cards. Thus, Sarkozy may be looking ahead to some big changes in the way that France runs its economy. But hold on there, Monsieur le President! There are some roadblocks in your way. And I mean that literally!

While trying to change the length of the workweek and make things more palatable for business in France, Sarkozy will have to find a way to circumvent the unions and their habit of shutting down Paris. Sure, it sounds great for Sarkozy to say, "We are going back to the 40 hour workweek." But what happens next? Strikes, as always. And the worst strikes are always those that surround the transportation sector. So...what can Sarko do? There is a radical solution, and it may be his only hope: make strikes in the transportation and public safety sectors illegal. Thus, any strike by the RATP, SNCF, firefighters, police, or the like would be illegal. Then, he would have to have the guts to fire them if they strike and bring in the Army. Will it happen? It's doubtful. France has not been willing to do what it takes to fix what is wrong, and I'm not sure that Sarkozy has enough public support to do something like this. Still, one would think that Parisians would remember the recent strikes, with huge traffic jams and people walking into Paris because there was no Metro or RER service. I guess we'll have to see if Sarko will do what it takes.

Do you have the feeling, though, that when you look at U.S. politics that it's business as usual here as well? The Dems took over Congress, made promises, and promptly went back to the way things have always been. Before the U.S. interferes with other countries' political systems, shouldn't things be corrected at home? Just curious. Not that I'm involved or that I espouse one party over another. It just cracks me up, that's all.

Quick Shout to a Fellow Blogger

Just in case you want to read a blog by a very sharp young person, click over to "Asia's Personal Chronological Log of Thoughts". It's a nice blog by a shy but extremely bright friend of mine.

http://asiavou.blogspot.com/

Random Thoughts of the Week

Sometimes I like to rant. OK...I frequently like to rant. Here --- catch!

Paris Hilton: Let me get this straight. She serves a few days in jail and then, due to unexplained "medical reasons", she has to serve her full sentence (with no time off for good behavior -- I can't believe I wrote that without falling off my chair) at home. A Hilton home. And that's tough...how? And why do I have the feeling that her condition has to do with some form of the D.T.s? Now, now ... There's no proof of that, sir.

Stan Van Gundy: Well, Sacramento's Kings were scorned by Stan Van Gundy, who has decided to sign as the coach of the Orlando Magic. To that I say, "Whew!!!". I was never hot on the idea. I'm still an Elston Turner fan, but I think he burned his bridges with the Maloofs. I'm just hoping that Kurt "Laker" Rambis won't get the nod. Not because he's forever linked with the Lakers, but because I think he might try to bring the triangle offense to Sactown. Not a good match for the crew we've got. Calling Terry Porter! Terry Porter, white courtesy phone, please.

Ford is #1 in quality: Mmmphh.....pffftt.....BWAH HA HA HA HAAAAAAA!!! Ahem...sorry. That just got away from me. Latest news release - J.D. Power survey ranks Ford as #1 in quality. In the same release, J.D. Power announces that the Yugo and Pinto are #1 and #2 as best small cars in history.

OK. Done for now. Gonna try to up the frequency of this blog, even if no one is reading it.

Sports Day!

Well, with so many things going on in the sports world right now, I wanted to throw in some random thoughts (especially since I haven't written about sports in a while!)

• The Sacramento Kings ended up with the tenth pick in the lottery. I keep reading all of the mock drafts and I have come to an important conclusion: Geoff Petrie never does what people expect him to do. Therefore, I say to all of those who are making up these mock drafts - just leave the Kings guess blank. You're almost guaranteed to be wrong when you try to figure out what they are going to do!
• The coaching interviews go on in Sacramento, and the only thing we know for sure is that everyone is glad that the Maloofs are staying out of it. The recent forays of the owners into the day-to-day aspects of running the team have given us the release of Rick Adelman, the acquisition of Ron Artest, the hiring of Eric Musselman, and the firing of Eric Musselman. Joe...Gavin...you have been great at running the business side of the team (except for your recent PR disasters with the arena). Let Petrie do his job. He's one of the best.
• The Raiders have drafted JaMarcus Russell as their quarterback of the future. Does anyone else see the poor guy suffering hit after hit because the Raiders have no blocking?
• The 49ers have done a great job this offseason. I still have too many doubts about Alex Smith, though.
• Real football (aka soccer) continues in the U.S. in the form of the MLS. Here in Northern California, though, we really don't care. Oh, it isn't because people don't like the sport (although it seems that most don't.) Rather, it's because our San Jose Earthquakes, now known as the Traitors in Houston, don't exist. With the difficulties that seem to be appearing in the quest for a new stadium in San Jose, we may end up burying the idea of a new team forever. Yet there is that nagging rumor that Placer County may be up for building them an arena. Can you just see it? The Roseville Earthquakes? The Lincoln Quakes? The Placer Quakes? The California Earthquakes? (That last one sounds bad, doesn't it?) In any case, I'd still like to have a team to root for.
  
• Finally...it's official. Clinton Portis needs to have elective surgery to either sew his mouth shut or remove his foot from it. I know this is old news, but it's been driving me nuts. How could anyone, regardless of his education, think that you can do whatever you want on your own property? "Yeah...well, this is my house and I can store nuclear waste here if I want to!" No, Clinton, you can't. You can't commit a felony by staging dog fights. You can't kidnap neighbors. You can't kill someone. What you can do, however, is go on an interview show and prove that you're a complete moron. Oh wait...you already did.

Ahhhh....I feel better now. Sports thoughts released. Now returning to our regular programming.

Whales In Sacramento Redux

It's deja-vu all over again! Twenty-two years ago, a wayward whale nicknamed Humphrey the Humpback wandered into the Sacramento River. He eventually made his way out and an affectionate legend was born. This week, however, the legend is reborn in the form of a mother and calf that have made it all the way up to West Sacramento. They haven't been given names yet, but here they are a long way from home.

People tend to romanticize this situation and think that it's pretty neat to have these whales swimming around. But let's look at the circumstances logically instead. These are two whales a long way from where they should be. It appears that someone got too close to them while they were in the river and both are now injured. (People can be really stupid sometimes in their pursuit of selfish pleasures, can't they?) If these whales don't turn around soon, chances are that they will die. -- Hey folks! Isn't it cute? Two dead whales in the Sacramento River! Awwwwww, how adorable! -- That isn't going to be as much fun, is it? Instead of turning it into a sightseeing tour, people need to get away from the levies (which are having enough trouble) and get away from the whales (who are confused, hurt, and not doing well), and let the specialists try to lure them out. Whales are beautiful in their own way, but not when they are in this much trouble.

Still, I can't help thinking that some private filmmaker is going to be writing a story called "Star Trek 10 - The Voyage to the Delta (Quadrant)" with the tagline, "There be whales here!"

Studio 60, We Hardly Knew Ye

Well, NBC has completed their journey to the dark side. They have gone completely over to the side of inanity and gimmickry and announced the cancellation of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. What have they decided to keep? Well, you can be thrilled with more episodes of shows like Deal or No Deal. Even Heroes, which is higher quality than Deal, is still more geared towards shock value than quality, but at least there are a few redeeming features.

Why the big deal about Studio 60? Let me take you back in time. Way back in the "old days", there was a little show with a little following. In many cases, this show would have been canceled, but NBC decided to give it time to find an audience, because the president of the network thought that quality should count for something. The title of that series was Hill Street Blues, and it did find an audience and became one of the most appreciated police dramas in television. Want another example? How about a show that focused on the happenings in the White House? It was given time to find its legs, and became another hit. It was a quality show that assumed that the public was smart enough to "get it". That show was, of course, The West Wing, an Aaron Sorkin masterpiece.

Sorkin came back this season with another intelligent series, with witty, quick-moving banter and story lines. Instead of giving it a chance to find its audience, NBC kept pre-empting it with other programs (a special Deal or No Deal??) and making people go weeks between episodes. Is it any wonder that it couldn't find an audience? Now, after no opportunity whatsoever, NBC is pulling the plug.

What does this tell us about network television? It tells us that corporations are running the networks with nothing more than dollar signs in their eyes and no concern about quality. Is it really a surprise that cable networks are killing the free networks? It isn't because they have more money or sponsors. It's because they take a chance on quality. Shows like Monk, Psych, or even Mythbusters wouldn't have a chance on NBC, but are huge hits for USA and Discovery. Frankly, I'm insulted that NBC thinks that my intelligence is lower than theirs. I long for the days when a network president would give quality a chance. I miss West Wing. NBC...you've lost a viewer.

Let's be careful out there.

How Stupid Can French Protesters Be?

OK...just a quickie here.

Sarkozy elected president. Claims he will be a president for all of France. Vacations on a billionaire's yacht. Not too bright, but hey, he's the President-elect and won't be recalled for it. Just not a big public relations coup.

My main thing is the protesters. Once again, they start burning cars and clashing with police, calling Sarkozy a facist. (Have they already forgotten what a facist really is? I don't think Sarkozy is looking to put any Jews, Roma, or Jehovah's Witnesses in a death camp.) But on top of it...this:

In Paris, about 150 protesters shouting "Sarko, fascist!" clashed with police in the Bastille district. In the suburbs, youths set fire to a nursery school and torched cars in a garage.

In Lyon, some 200 demonstrators clashed with police, while UMP party offices were set ablaze in the nearby town of Villeurbanne.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6638301.stm

OK, guys. You're calling someone a fascist and then torching a nursery school??? There are some people in this world that truly qualify as idiots. Congratulations, protesting youths...you are overqualified for the word.

France Has Chosen

I just finished listening to the BBC World Report. They had a special edition on the French elections. After hearing the different reactions from the French politicos and people, I have a few thoughts to relate:

1) Nicolas Sarkozy is a driven man. He has wanted the presidency for a long time, and now he has it. There have been some negative comparisons to Napoleon - a short man driven to rule - and feel that while negative, they do have some merit. Not the "short" part, mind you, but the driven part. Even though Napoleon is viewed by many today as a crazy, power-hungry loon, the fact is that Napoleon was largely responsible for the look of Paris today, as well as the Codes that are still used to govern France. Sarkozy is driven, that's for sure. But no one can really say what direction he will ultimately take the country. One of the main problems that he sees in France is the business climate, and he sees that as causing many other problems that are offshoots from that one. He isn't wrong. When a country has high unemployment and bored youth, as well as poor immigrants who can't find work, there are bound to be social and criminal problems. Put people to work, and problems diminish. The only way that will happen is to remove some of the burdens that the Socialist governments have put on business. That's one of Sarkozy's main goals. Will he be able to implement it? That leads to item #2.

2) The Leglislative elections that are coming up are vital for any chance of success for Sarkozy's programs. If the French really wanted Sarkozy to do something, then the people are going to have to follow up the presidential elections with a legislative group that is in favor of change. The problem with France's multi-party system is that it is very difficult for the Assembly to speak with a single voice, or even two voices. The multitude of platforms makes it tough for a leader to get what he needs to implement policy. Sarkozy needs a majority to make it happen.

3) The Socialists still don't get it. Listening to the comments of one of the Socialist leaders, I realize that they don't really see what's happening. They see France as a left-leaning country and Sarkozy as a dangerous villain. But when asked if they need to change, the interviewee stated that they need to examine the reasons for the loss, but just need to find a new candidate with experience. Hello? Are you hearing what the people are telling you? They are tired of eight percent unemployment! They are tired of strikes interfering with their daily lives! The Socialist agenda didn't work. That isn't to say that Sarkozy's agenda will. No human government can ultimately succeed, because humans aren't capable of guiding their own steps, as the Bible tells us. Still, this is three losses in a row for the Socialists. If a dog gets swatted on the nose with a newspaper often enough, he learns not to use the carpeting as his personal toilet. The Socialists have been swatted several times now. They need to stop wetting themselves and take an honest look at their failures.

OK...enough politics. I'm sick of it. This old system keeps proving the Bible's point and that we need the Kingdom to rule. Want more proof? The Dems and Republicans have been debating in the U.S. Watch...learn...gag...

Tough Decision for France

When a country arrives at a crossroad, it's always interesting to observe which path its people takes. In the case of France, we see a clear-cut decision placed before her citizens, and it is truly fascinating to watch.

First....to be redundant and repeat what I always do...I don't get involved in politics. I don't feel that any official can truly make things better for people. Only God can do that. But, I do like to observe cultures and the way that people react to situations. That's why I'm writing about France's elections today.

For years under Mitterand, France had been careening down a Socialist path. High taxes paid for increasing social programs that served no real benefit for the economy. Then, along comes Chirac, who was supposed to be a fiscal conservative. The problem was that his p.m. was a Socialist, so that nothing could really get done. One thing that DID get done, and horribly so, was a change to a 35 hour work week. That slowed the economy farther. In addition, due to restrictions put on companies, youth unemployment sits at over 25% because companies won't hire a young person who is untested and cannot be fired. When a proposal was made that would allow a company to fire a newly hired person if they didn't work out, riots ensued. In fact, it seems as though France has been one riot after another.

So, we come to the election. There cannot be a more striking gap between the two candidates. On one side is Sarkozy, who is pro-America, pro-business, and fiscally conservative. He wants to get rid of the 35 hour work week, eliminate some of the mass of social welfare programs, and make it more difficult for public employees to strike. Sounds good, right? The problem is that for years the French people have violently opposed any proposal that might take away some of their "God-given" rights, such as the right to strike for a damaged toenail. Still, Sarkozy has the lead in the polls right now.

On the other side is Royal. She is a relative newbie to politics. She is a Socialist who wants to increase the social programs so that the youth of France will be taken care of better. Of course, that will mean increasing taxes, but what the hey? Her downfall, however, has been her self-contradictions and gaffes. People see her as too inexperienced. She is also anti-Bush, but who isn't these days?

Now the fun begins. Will France elect the conservative Sarkozy? If they do, will they allow him to implement his programs? Will they elect Royal? If they do, will France ever be relevant again? Who will the centrist voters of Bayrou turn to? So many questions. But this may turn out to be one of the most meaningful elections in France in years. It may, in fact, determine if France ever becomes a major player on the world stage again. Both candidates are from the younger, post-World War 2 era. In the end, however, the candidates will not be the ones who decide on France's path. The people of France will need to decide once and for all if they are willing to make drastic changes to fix what is holding them back. That may include giving up some of the freebies that they think they are entitled to have.

Interesting...

Tragedy in Virginia

I was going to start this with some thoughts about Imus' firing. However, not only has that topic been beaten to a pulp, but now a news story is breaking about an incredible horror story at Virginia Tech. As of this moment, MSNBC is stating that 31 people are dead in a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University. The gunman apparently started at a dorm around 7:30 this morning, and then moved over to an engineering and math building about 2 1/2 hours later. Details are still sketchy, but it is the worst murder spree at a school in U.S. history, and that includes Columbine.

It would be easy to rant here about gun control, safety in our schools, college life and the like. But in the end, these kinds of changes wouldn't fix the problem. The problem lies within the hearts and behavior of people.

Not all people are as wicked as this gunman. That's obvious. There are many people who give of their time, their effort, and their hearts to help others. Even those that don't actively volunteer to help others may still be nice folk and lend a hand from time to time. But people still look out their windows and are afraid. Some fear crime, some fear war and terrorism, and some fear natural disasters. There are those who live on little or no money and are hungry every day. The world is an unsafe and in general, an unkind place.

I want to tell anyone who reads this, though, that there is hope. Please take a moment and visit the following website for information:

http://www.watchtower.org/library/dg/article_09.htm

You can also go to the main page and get answers to other questions.

I can't say it any better than the site does. It's a terrible day for all who love peace, but there is still a way to enjoy safety in this troubled world.

Foreclosures

The news is filled with stories of the rise and fall of the "Subprime Lenders".

As I understand things - I say it this way as I did not buy a home over the last few years - loan companies came out of the woodwork to offer Interest Only Loans for new homeowners. After a specified amount of time, the payments would readjust to allow for new interest rates. These loans were even being offered to those with low or downright poor credit ratings. Now, people are having great difficulty paying the new monthly amounts. Loan companies are failing. Foreclosures are growing. Thus, I ask this question: What the heck did you expect????

The problem is that people want everything right away. They aren't willing to wait. Thus, they got loans that they couldn't afford, with the idea that interest rates would stay low or they could just flip the house and make a huge profit before the payments went up. Nice dream. The reality was that the housing market began to tank because people pushed up house prices because they got into a bidding war to see who could buy the biggest and best property with the least down. Housing prices in my area are so high that I can't even begin to think of purchasing a home.

I should feel sorry for these people, I really should. And I do feel sorry for those who were badly deceived by loan companies, some of which falsified or grossly inflated applicants' income so they would qualify for a loan. These are people that I feel sorry for because they just didn't do their homework. I also feel sorry for those who were scraping by and either lost their job or had medical bills or some other tragedy crop up. But for those who were just looking to make a quick buck, to brag about what they owned, or to just let the bank foreclose when the interest went up I say: Nyahh, nyahh, nyahh. (Okay...so that was childish.) Still, I have little sympathy for those who were greedy.

What happens now? Do housing prices come down to a more realistic level? I don't know. I'm not an economist, realtor, or other form of expert. I just hope that people will learn to live within their means and be satisfied with the basic needs of life. But in California, I doubt it.

Time Marches On!

Do you ever have the feeling that the day only has 12 hours instead of 24? Well, that's the way it's been lately. So, instead of apologizing once again for my failure to post for any of my one or two readers...let me move on boldly and full speed ahead.

Politics are funny. Anyone who has dared to read this blog knows that I don't get involved in them. But I do laugh at them. California has decided to move its primary up several months to have a bigger say in who gets nominated for President. But not so surprising is that a number of other states are trying to do the same thing. The law of the land says that Iowa and New Hampshire get first dibs on primaries, so none of the other states can usurp that position. But you have to ask yourself; what happens if almost all of the other states hold their primary on the same day? The answer? You get about 9 months of endless commercials and photo ops with the two winners. You think you get sick of it now? Just wait, folks.

If it comes down to that, though, can you imagine what else that means? It means that candidates will have to enter the race and start earning money almost as soon as the previous election is over! They will have less time to make their names known and get their faces in front of the public, so they'll need to start earlier and they'll need to raise more money and do it faster than ever. Imagine that. November elections are over, and you have a new President. He or she outlines what the administration hopes to accomplish in the first 100 days. After the 100 days..."oh, by the way, I'm running for re-election!" Time to throw the tv and newspaper out the window to avoid the endless campaigning.

I really don't like the way the French government operates in a number of areas. But maybe their idea for a national election would work the best. It would have to be modified for the U.S., though. Maybe a single primary election that takes place, say, on a day that would be designated a holiday or a weekend day. Then, about two weeks later...the presidential elections. Wouldn't that be interesting??

Anyway, on to other things. Over the weekend, someone got the bright idea that it would be fun to burn a railroad trestle in Sacramento, California. Yes, some bonehead arsonist decided to torch a creosote-laden wood railroad trestle. Not only did it burn for a few days, and not only did it pour pollution into the air that just hung over the city and caused no end of respiratory ills, but it will cost about $30 million to rebuild it and will delay trains by nearly a day as they have to take alternate routes. Anyone up for harsher penalties for arsonists? Pardon me...I have to cough.

Let's talk sports for a moment, shall we? Yes, I think we shall. The Sacramento Kings are looking abysmal. After looking so good for so long, this season is a wreck. But why? What happened? Since it's my blog, I'm going to chime in. First, the Maloofs should stay out of Geoff Petrie's way. Petrie is one of the best, if not THE best, GM in the league. He has an eye for talent and getting the most bang for the buck. But then, in stepped the Maloofs, who decided that Rick Adelman was too boring for them as coach. Even though it was Adelman who was able to get a bunch of average players to work together and was able to find the strengths of each player and use them to the best advantage, the Maloofs canned him. Want proof of Adelman's skill? Where are the following players now, and what are they doing: Jason Williams, Doug Christie, Yogi Stewart, etc., etc., etc. Adelman got their best and they thrived in Sacramento. Anyway, then the Maloofs demanded and got Ron-Ron Artest, who can't decide if he wants to jack up threes, starve his dogs, alienate his teammates, or hit his wife. There's a prize acquisition! And now, even if he wanted to, Petrie is going to have a hard time moving him. Joe and Gavin, please....focus on cooperating with the city and getting a new arena built. Sacramento needs one, there is no doubt. Make it happen. Work with people instead of against them. Focus on the running of the franchise and of making your paying public happy. Let Petrie make the player and coach moves. There are few better. You guys were at your best when you were into public relations and letting the GM do his job.

More soon...I hope. If anyone is actually reading this blog, drop me a comment! I would like to know if I'm just a voice crying out into the wilderness with nothing but an echo for an answer!

Wii were just wondering...

OK...so I didn't live up to my billing. I didn't improve my blog record. Mea culpa. I guess I could say I've been so busy with school, family, and spiritual life that I just didn't have time. Well...I will say it! So there.

Around October of 2K6, the big question was whether the PS3 or Nintendo Wii would rule the video game world in December. I think it's been decided that the Wii has taken the crown. (the wii-ner?) But why? Why would such a strange little system beat the powerful PS3? The answer, I think, is playability. As the years have gone by, I have found little to like in video game systems. Not that the graphics were bad or anything like that. I just wonder how in the world I'm supposed to remember a 10-button code to throw a forward pass! Along comes the Wii, with its controller and nunchuck. If you haven't seen it, go to Nintendo's website. This thing detects motion, and is bundled with the system and the Wii Sports game. I couldn't believe that I was bowling with this thing, and the controller was reading everything from the speed that I threw to the twist of the wrist. Amazing.

And fun. My son had a graduation party at a friend's home, and as things died down a little, one of the guys hooked up the Wii. Very quickly, a crowd gathered, as they took turns playing tennis, bowling, and any of the other games. But it wasn't just the players having fun. The spectators were having a blast commenting and kibbitzing. In the end, it was a hit.

No, I didn't really want one. But now I do. The problem is...I just can't find one! I've found them in bundle deals, where instead of $250 you have to pay $650 and choose 6 or 7 games to bundle with it. I don't want 6 or 7 games! I want the Wii (and everything that comes with it), an extra controller and nunchuck, and maybe Madden 07. That's all for now! Why can't I find that?? The reason is that Nintendo just can't pump them out fast enough, and retailers figure that they can make more by forcing folks to buy games. That's just low. If people want games, they'll buy them. Don't make us do it.

In the meantime, I'll keep hoping that Nintendo can ramp up their production. I'll be patient. Really. But I'm also disabling ebay from my computer for now. Less temptation.