Notes from the journey.
In God We Trust, all others we monitor....
The opinions expressed in this weblog are solely my own as an individual and private citizen, and do not represent the opinion or policy of my family, my employer, or any other private or public entity.
Over the years that I've been blogging, I've taken note on several occasions of signs and other forms of large written expression that are interesting, unique, outrageous, or challenged in terms of spelling or grammar. Most of these were from locations in Colorado. I coined these posts "Sign O' The Times" - you can review some of the previous posts and pictures by clicking here. Since returning to the Pittsburgh area, I've been collecting similar examples of signage silliness, but since I haven't been as frequent with my writing here as I was out west, the collected pictures have piled up a bit. There are some regular displays of humorous signs in the Sewickley area. The best-known come from the marquee-style sign in front of Marroni's Lounge on Route 65 in Leetsdale. The bar regularly documents these on their Facebookpage - it's worth checking out. So without further adieu, here are several other examples of impromptu,deliberate, or unplanned noteables in the world of getting your visual message across. Enjoy..
This kind of spontaneous humor and creativity always catches my eye. Now if only the Caped Crusader could spell 'restaurant'. Then again, he doesn't need to..he's Batman. From Five Guys Burgers and Fries in North Fayette.
The manner in which many elected officials in Pennsylvania emphasize their name over their elected office seems best illustrated here. What is more important - which arm of the government has inspected the gas pump, or the name of the person in charge of that particular department?
No...really? It's for windows? I was worried that someone might try to use it for their MacBook Pro..
This is the "on special" price? Must be some really special lemons there. I could eat lunch somewhere else for the same money..and did. Then again, you have to consider where you are. No, it's not a county fair somewhere - it's the China Palace in Sewickley.
So good they haven't changed it in a long time. In this day in age, I wonder how many kids look up from some type of device to actually see this, however. From the Dairy Queen on Babcock Boulevard in Ross Township - best enjoyed after a round of miniature golf at Kniess' across the street.
A recent visit to Boston Market revealed this little gem on the table where the salt used to be. I can understand the need for some to restrict their intake of sodium, but do you really think that making people get up and walk for it is going to reduce how much salt people choose to use? Not to mention it's a bit nanny-ish.
The Leetsdale Giant Eagle had some unique ideas of what constitutes "Young Adult" literature. It pretty much runs the gamut, don't you think?
It seems that every workplace that has a refrigerator needs a "fridge nazi" to enforce the proper cleaning and disposal of lunches long forgotten. Mine is no exception.
This Brighton Heights eatery had a unique perspective on the traditions and significance of the Lenten season.
A thrift store in Coraopolis seems to be a little conflicted about the status or existence of their public facilities. Pay no attention to the man in the reflection..
An oldie but a goodie - This pair of signs along southbound Route 65 in Sewickley may be symbolic of the disconnect between PennDOT and local officials. The state put up the sign indicating that White Avenue is approaching on the right - it's likely that Sewickley put up the No Right Turn sign after making White Ave. a one way street in the opposite direction. This was probably done to prevent motorists from accessing Chadwick St. to circumvent traffic at the bridge.
Turning toward current events, this is a two-for-one spell-check special. Can you spot them?
Judging from the sign at the Leetsdale VFW, this year's annual craft fair and festival in Henle Park will have a slightly different theme this year. I'm trying to imagine the events that the "treasurers" will be conducting - perhaps a bean (counter) bag toss, with bags from Citizens Bank and beans from Azul. Or maybe a Credit Default Swap Meet, sponsored by Libertas (formerly Hussey) Copper and their new owner, Lynn Tilton. Better yet, how about a "Take the Money and Run 5K", brought to you by Goldman Sachs?
The latest edition of the signs posted in front of homes adjacent to Quaker Valley High School, part of the ongoing campaign of the fledgling Concerned Taxpayers of Quaker Valley. What pearls of wisdom can we expect next from this group? Stay tuned...
The weekend before last, Evan and I took Leslie and Gianna to DIA for their flight back to Pittsburgh. After that, we decided to get some lunch, and check out a few things that you can't get or see in Grand Junction:
This is the Loco Moco from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in Aurora. Evan had been here before.
This dish consists of two fried eggs and two hamburger patties atop a bed of white rice, covered in gravy. This is accompanied by macaroni salad. Sorry I didn't get a picture of their sign, but if you look closely you can probably make out the words WIDE LOAD AHEAD.
Unless you have the metabolism of a 19-year-old.
We actually have Hawaiian Barbecue in Grand Junction, down at Tropix on Orchard Mesa. It's comparable to L&L in quality and price. They had Loco Moco on the menu at one time, but it is inexplicably no longer available there. Hence it's inclusion here.
Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill is a Denver-based company, with restaurants along the Front Range. They were a favorite of mine when I went to school in Denver. The selections are varied and tasty, the quality consistent, and the prices reasonable.
You can't find this kind of food in GJ. The closest facsimile is the falafel and hummus at the Pita Pit on North 12th Street, which while kind of tasty is a bit pricey in comparison. Garbanzo has an active presence on Facebook, in case you'd like to give them a shout for expansion to the Western Slope.
The Ya Hala at Evans and Colorado in South Denver is a diamond in the rough for Middle Eastern food, no matter what the sign says. They're in a remodeled former gas station. I ate there a few years ago. The food was excellent, and the staff pleasant and welcoming. They're in an area with several local choices in mideast and Mediterranean cuisine, including the Damascus just down Colorado on the same side of the street.
Unlike many of these similar places in Grand Junction, this one did not have a nail salon next door.
Evan and I took in Tron: Legacy at one of the IMAX 3D theatres in Denver. The movie was good, but wasn't enhanced by 3D the way that Avatar was. Judging from the trailers, the 3D movies made specifically for the IMAX format are extraordinary.
After the movie, Evan recommended Noodles and Company for a light dinner before heading back home. The concept of this Texas-based restaurant chain is noodle dishes with asian, mediterranean, or american origins, food cooked made-to-order with selection of meat and other options, and reasonably priced in a casual, comfortable atmosphere.
They have numerous outlets across the country, including several in both Metro Denver and Salt Lake City. Time to split that gap, Noodles folks.
In all fairness, Grand Junction is not a culinary wasteland. We've got some very good and very reasonable locally-owned restaurants (Conchita's, Suehiro, Blue Moon), as well as franchises such as Red Robin and Genghis Grill. Cafe Rio is the newest addition to this lineup, across Patterson Road from the Mall. Based in Salt Lake City with outlets in 6 western states, Cafe Rio specializes in freshly prepared Mexican dishes in freshly made tortillas. It drew crowds for its opening, but the staff was efficient and the food tasty. A little expensive, though.
Unfortunately, not all restaurants with a unique Denver presence seem to be able to survive here. Good Times at 23rd and North lasted over 10 years before shutting down recently.
When I lived east of the college on Elm Avenue, it was difficult to walk to Teller Arms without gravitating toward the smells coming from this place.
Christy Pennington, a spokesperson for the Golden-based company, told me that the Grand Junction outlet, which was a franchise operation, had "struggled long enough", and they hoped to be able to return to the area sometime in the future.
When reflecting on all of these places, I know that I'm better off staying at home and cooking my own food, especially when trying to eat healthy. Yesterday, Yahoo offered some interesting ideas on what to eliminate from the kitchen in order to eat healthier.
I've yet to perfect pan frying falafel and spinach in olive oil, but I'll get there.
I knew that the TSA controversy would not be complete until SNL got to weigh in on it.
Enjoy:
This fall it's probably fair to say that the best professional Football being played in Denver isn't being played at Invesco.
The Colorado Rapids will be playing this evening in the MLS Cup championship in Toronto against FC Dallas. Soccer is a great game, and the Rapids have really ramped things up in the playoffs.
I am an unaffiliated voter. Among other things, this means I am part of a bloc of the electorate that comprises nearly 1/3 of the total active voters in Colorado.1
As a result, I don't get to participate in the caucus process that determines who represents a political party on the ballot, and whether or not a primary election is even necessary. In Mesa County, it doesn't appear that the latter has to happen very often.
I'm not an expert on the political process; there are plenty of those to go around. Excellent analysis of these processes, at least from the Republican side, came from local blogger Gene Kinsey. Gene's insights as to the nature of the beast came in several posts, available here, here, and even here.
Gene illustrated well the pattern of recycling career Republican politicians in our area. Not that this is a bad thing in all respects, but how to you avoid disenfranchising those who want, and likely deserve, a place in the process? The Democrats even do this; at least since I've lived here, the county Coroner's office has rotated through the Pathology department at Community Hospital, without apparent opposition. I could probably start into a bunch of reasons why Mesa County should be a Home Rule county with an appointed Medical Examiner, but that's for another time.
There was a bit of a ripple in the calm pond of this 'business as usual' on the GOP side, with the unsuccessful nomination of Tom Bjorklund for the office of County Treasurer. Tom's wife, Shari, tried running for legislator a couple of times.
One friend of mine on Facebook, who attended the GOP assembly on Saturday, described Mr. Bjorklund as a "narcissistic idiot". I wouldn't know about that, but his Facebook profile lists him as a fan of the Personhood amendment and Tom Tancredo. Allll-righty, then..
On the Democratic side, Mesa County's contingent did make the news for bucking the remainder of the state in supporting incumbent appointee Senator Michael Bennet in his bid for a full term, over the favorite of the rest of the state, Andrew Romanoff.
If I were really interested in all of this, I would probably register with one party or another. In this context, Gene made another great point, specifically about the Tea Party faction within the GOP:
There is no room at (Mesa County Republicans') table for newcomers and outsiders...It is this closed attitude in both parties that has been the genesis of the TEA party and sister organizations. The Tea parties are unstructured groups of people dissatisfied by both parties. Republicans may think that the ire of the TEA party is directed against the Democrats, but it is directed against the old way of doing business.
I do get e-mail from the Mesa County Democrats, and see a lot of the same names, but also a lot of new names in recent years. Unfortunately, only one name there has seen fit to challenge for state office this time around, so Mesa County's two seats in the state House will be occupied by Republicans without opposition. What does this do for the rigorous, open exchange of ideas inherent to the survival of a democratic system of government? Not much.
I found a much more interesting example of political analysis on TV this weekend. It's good evidence of the adage that when you arrive at the way some things are done, sometimes you just have to laugh.
About a year and a half ago, I wrote about neighborhoods and the spirit of cooperation they can engender when people reach out to each other. One idea that I mentioned was community gardens, and it looks like another one is just about to come to fruition in Downtown Grand Junction.
This sign has been up for a couple of months now, on a vacant lot at the southeast corner of 5th Street and Chipeta Avenue. The land is owned by the Mesa County Public Library District, and the project is being managed by the CSU Cooperative Extension office on Orchard Mesa.
I recently spoke with Curtis Swift of the Extension office. He stated that as the library district can't legally charge users of their land for a garden, they have asked his office to coordinate these efforts. He estimated that a 20 ft by 20 ft section of the garden would cost around $50 per season, primarily to offset the cost of an irrigation system and water.
Mr. Swift expected to have to conduct a lottery for available spaces, so if you're interested in being listed for one, it would probably be a good ideal to contact him at 970-244-1834.
Congratulations to all involved in working together to bring a valuable use to this vacant land.
To buy or not to buy, that is the question...
Wal-Mart, Grand Junction (West), 3/16/10
One thing I've noticed with increasing frequency is grocers more openly identifying the origin of the products they sell. This seems to be much more evident with regard to fruits and vegetables. I know several people that will not buy foreign produce under any circumstances, even though I think it's pretty difficult if not impossible to find an American-grown banana.
All of the produce on sale at this particular market had its country of origin clearly identified next to the price, as illustrated above. This is most likely due to pressure from consumers, and it's a good thing.
I spend too much time on my computer. I am told this by those who love me from near and far away, including those who would seem to benefit from contact with me by e-mail, Facebook, and other virtual conveniences. Between writing, following the news, looking for work, and playing (most recently) Scrabble, I have to say that I agree with them.
One reason I spend so much time is what I write here. I try to get things right, to analyze and comment on different issues in a comprehensive, concise, and respectful manner. My emphasis is on engaging in civil discourse and being accurate about it. After three years-plus this is still a good outlet, and with the assistance of others has helped me see things and express myself a little bit better. I'm sure I don't get as many visits as other blogs, but I can deal with that.
In keeping with that, I'd like to follow up on my last post about gas drilling in areas other than western Colorado, and the seeming lack of coverage from the media in Grand Junction. Today's Daily Sentinel took a step toward recognizing the validity of issues surrounding gas drilling in other parts of the country, and effectively applying it to the discussion going on here.
The paper dutifully covered a Republicans-only 'candidate forum' for persons seeking to replace Steve King in the State House. The three men seeking the GOP nod appeared to let loose on the current regulatory climate as it pertains to drilling in Colorado. Quoting from Gary Harmon's story:
“We need to convert our economy to natural gas” and use it as a transportation fuel, (David) Cox said.
(Ray) Scott said changing the drilling rules wouldn’t go far enough.
“You don’t need to fix the regulations. You need to abolish them and start over,” Scott said.
Regulations of all varieties are strangling the state’s economy, (Bob) Hislop said.
“We need to deregulate Colorado,” Hislop said.
Fortunately for local readers, the Sentinel's editorial staff seemed to counter these assertions with one of today's editorials. They chose to reference recent news articles about drilling in the Barnett Shale region of north central Texas, which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
It seems that air quality monitoring around wells in both residential and rural areas there has showed high concentrations of pollutants that apparently can be sourced to drilling activity. This includes reported high concentrations of benzene. Both state and municipal officials are discussing the development of new regulations, along with continuing to "work with" the energy industry to address the issues.
In a truly civil manner, the Sentinel basically said "B.S." to the above prospective legislators:
Colorado adopted stricter rules on air quality and gas development in 2006, even before it passed new drilling rules last year. That was sensible. Protecting the environment while encouraging development of natural gas is a difficult balancing act, but one that must be undertaken, as people in Texas are beginning to realize.
Thanks to the staff at the Sentinel for widening the perspective of recent reporting just enough to let some relevant information from other areas of the country shine a light on the true nature of gas drilling, and why a 'balancing act' is indeed critical.
Speaking of balance, for too long there's been a lack of it in political discourse at too many levels of government and media. Nowhere is this more evident than the Internet, where opinion publishing can be facilitated by sitting down at one's computer and typing. This isn't anything new.
However, some of the discourse in the blogosphere, while less than civil, can also create representations of events that bear little resemblance to what actually happened. Jon Stewart pointed this out in the usual hilarious fashion on The Daily Show last night.
This is just another shining example of how humor and entertainment give us the ability to look inward at ourselves without being so serious about it. For some reason, the lesson is often imparted better than it would be otherwise.
Thanks to the Sentinel and Jon Stewart, we are today able to better distinguish between what is civil discourse and what is..well, natural gas.
While I'm at it, congratulations to the Sentinel on their new website, especially the improved ability to leave comments.
I know it's been a while, and I'm almost done with a post that will hopefully fill in some of the gap of the last few weeks. That will be here tomorrow, I hope.
Yesterday's sermon at Canyon View Vineyard highlighted the work of Convoy of Hope, a non-profit group that specializes in providing water, food, supplies, and personnel to people in need. Their work appears to be responsive, effective, and efficient. You may want to consider them in your end-of-year charitable giving.
Yesterday also marked the end of the NASCAR season, which means I am thankful (and hopeful) for the end of those ridiculous NASCARRaceday ads on nearly every Bresnan channel I watch.
That was the start of what I hope will be a good week of giving thanks in a simple, direct way. I hope to have more examples as the week progresses, and while I bear no ill will toward the retail sector, it seems appropriate for me this year to hope that this Friday's convocation of the First Church of My Stuff will be smaller in size and bad craziness, and that we can enjoy something akin to what Father Guido Sarducci called a "Little Christmas".
Today's installment of The Writer's Almanac included the excerpt below, which touched me as one reason to give thanks for the stability we enjoy in this country, regardless of who is in charge, or how much we make of the comparatively small problems and issues we may encounter each day.
Today is the 29th birthday of Ishmael Beah, (books by this author) born in the fishing town of MattruJong, Sierra Leone (1980). He's the author of the book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (2007), published when he was 26 years old and chosen as No. 3 on Time magazine's list of 10 best nonfiction books of 2007. That year, Starbucks chose Beah's memoir as its Featured Book and displayed it at thousands of coffeehouses around the country.
When Beah was 12, Sierra Leone was in the midst of a brutal civil war, but his town seemed far removed from it, and he was busy memorizing Shakespeare and performing in a dance and rap ensemble. Then the rebel army came into his town and started shooting. His parents and brothers were killed. He recounted: "I ran away, along paths and roads that were littered with dead bodies, some mutilated in ways so horrible that looking at them left a permanent scar on my memory. I ran for days, weeks and months, and I couldn't believe that the simple and precious world I had known, where nights were celebrated with storytelling and dancing and mornings greeted with the singing of birds and cock crows, was now a place where only guns spoke and sometimes it seemed even the sun hesitated to shine."
The Sierra Leone government army conscripted him; by the time he was 13 he was carrying an AK-47 and constantly high on drugs — speed pills and also "brown-brown," a mixture of cocaine and gunpowder that the child soldiers were given to sniff. For two years, he fought constantly in bloody battles.
Then, there came a directive to disarm child soldiers, and he was chosen by the army to go to a UNICEF-sponsored rehabilitation center, where he spent eight months.
He got in touch with a woman in New York who worked for an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), whom he'd met when he'd been invited to speak at a UN conference earlier. He asked her if he could live with her. She agreed and sent him some money and clothes. He narrowly escaped from Sierra Leone into Guinea, and then went on to New York, where the Brooklyn Jewish woman officially adopted him. He finished high school in New York, graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio with a political science degree in 2004, and wrote his memoir, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.
Ishmael Beah, who said, "I believe children have the resilience to outlive their sufferings, if given a chance."
Grand Junction blogger Gene Kinsey has linked a couple of comics to the sidebar of his blog. One is the popular and on-the-mark funny Dilbert. The other is Day By Day, which has been published online since 2002.
'DBD' appears to be the chronicle of the lives of several urban professionals, most of whom have a decidedly conservative point of view. I spent about half an hour flipping through the strip's archives, and it seems that DBD's creator, Chris Muir, has a pretty good bead on the conservative talking points of the day.
Not all people feel that way, and that's certainly to be expected. Some of the talking points are extrapolated pretty well for just three panels, and the strip itself, while drawn in a less exacting fashion than others, certainly has a way of grabbing your attention, if the editions from today and yesterday are any indication:
OK, I'll admit it, this caught my attention, while at the same time validating my suspicion that the strip (literally and figuratively here) isn't published in any mainstream newspapers.
Well, if you're going to go about bringing back interest in the conservative movement, here's certainly a novel way of trying to accomplish that. I'm not sure this is what Michael Steele had in mind when he said yesterday that the Republican Renaissance is underway. I'm also not sure that this website will get through the firewall at Dr. Dobson's fortress of solitude in Colorado Springs...
Oh, by the way, just click on the 'strips' above if you want a larger version.
I would love to have a comic widget or two, but there is no such animal yet for some of my favorites, Luann and Doonesbury among others. I'll keep an eye out.
Grand Junction City Manager Laurie Kadrich is seen hard at work yesterday in an atypical work environment for her daily job routine.
What is she doing?
***
Digging a grave at Orchard Mesa Cemetery, fulfilling a pledge to do a "dirty job" if a certain amount of holiday charitable giving was accomplished by City employees.
Imaginary sources also report a simple granite marker was being prepared at nearby Snyder Memorials, bearing the inscription THE PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE 2008-2008.
***
At the request of certain City Council members, providing a visual illustration of the shortfall in projected sales tax revenue for this fiscal year.
***
Assisting with the preliminary ground work for a secure facility from which to conduct City business, in the event that Bill Pitts is elected to Council in April.
***
Participating in the groundbreaking for a new, stand-alone Regional Communications and Emergency Operations Center. Located on an Orchard Mesa hillside, the new facility will feature state-of-the-art security with video monitoring and RFID badge access, secure interior parking, fortified construction and building ventilation systems, and emergency generator capabilities for up to three days of uninterrupted service if necessary.
The EOC will feature redundant broadband Internet connectivity, as well as the capability to communicate with emergency management officials via satellite, secure telephone, and amateur radio.
The 9-1-1 and regional dispatch operations floor will be fully windowed on three sides, with individually climate-controlled workstations and sufficient personnel and equipment space to accommodate 15 years of potential expansion.
The above quote came from a book that Leslie gave me for Christmas called Shakespeare on Leadership. It's a collection of quotes from the Bard's plays that the author uses to bolster contemporary theory on management and leadership.
This quote speaks to me because it is indicative of the stated willingness of the new occupant of the Oval Office to listen to many differing opinions and schools of thought before moving forward with a decision or strategy. I think it's very unfortunate that we have to say this is a refreshing change from the last 8 years.
This quote also brings with it an air of caution; in the play, the above words are uttered by Brutus, not Caesar. It is perhaps a reminder of the evil that still exists, even amidst such a celebratory air as was witnessed yesterday.
I had to work on Inauguration Day, but I recorded the TV coverage, and last night watched a good chunk of it, including the Inaugural Address, while I was burning the whole thing to a DVD for Leslie. And yes, Rick Wagner, I recorded MSNBC, because Keith Olbermann makes me laugh and think at the same time. The same goes for Rachel Maddow, but she has the added advantage of being hot.
Ralph D'Andrea listened to the speech, and gave his favorite passage in a post yesterday. I enjoy the broad brush strokes of promise that a speech like this is supposed to provide, and President Obama (don't you justlove the sound of that?) didn't disappoint. I prefer a little more substance at times, and this paragraph spoke to me the most:
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
I'm looking forward to these first few months; President Obama has indicated through his words and initial actions that he will get right to work, perhaps if not as much live up to many of his campaign promises as to get these things accomplished while the honeymoon is still going on.
In an era of what is potentially a period of significant political change, it's likely unclear how long such a honeymoon will be. The President's actions, to me, are indicative of an administration that is vital, youthful in its' actions and approach, and capable of engaging stakeholders and average citizens alike.
It is up to us to make ourselves active participants in our own government, and therefore our own future and that of future generations.
Enough platitudes. This is my favorite TV piece related to the transition, and the President is expected to order it to happen tomorrow. Well, it may sort of go like this..
Today was eventful for other reasons as well. I had a staff meeting at work, and immediately after that got the call that Search and Rescue was needed for this lovely situation up on the Colorado National Monument. I'm a volunteer with the Communications Team, and there was certainly a lot of communicating to be done up there. We didn't get back down until the late evening, and I missed calling Leslie because of it.
When I call her tomorrow morning I will tell her all about it, and also about what I was thinking about on the way back down. As I looked down on the city lights of Grand Junction coming off of the Monument, I was reminded of when she and I and her two daughters drove down from Glade Park after the movie last summer.
The beauty of the city lights below seemed to trivialize the challenges that we face individually and collectively every day, and reminded me tonight of how only by facing up to those challenges, taking risks when needed and exercising caution where necessary, can we truly achieve those things that God has gifted us with skill, faith, and courage to accomplish.
Let's hope that our new leader, and those who assist him, can continue to engender the kind of feelings that were stirred up yesterday, and that so many of us felt as a community and a nation.
Have a blessed day.
Photo Credits: Gretel Daugherty, The Daily Sentinel City of Grand Junction
I've taken a lot of flak in recent months from loved ones who think that I spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer. To many of them, this equates to mindless surfing and the consumption of time better spent on more practical pursuits.
To be truthful, I have a lot of RSS feeds that I look at every day or couple of days, and there's a fair amount of e-mail to go through. I believe that this helps to keep me relevant in my profession and avocations. However, I pay my bills, organize information, vent to the blogosphere, and did most of my recent Christmas shopping online. There are practical reasons for why I type, click, and read.
Still, I must take seriously the concerns of Evan, Leslie, my mother, and others who have chided me for doing this too much. They feel I need to organize my time better, and to some extent they're right.
With this sentiment in mind, I'd like to pass along this gem, courtesy of Robb Topolski's Journal, an excellent general topic blog with a techie emphasis.
Last night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room and I said to her, ‘I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle.
‘If that ever happens, just pull the plug.’
She got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.
She’s such a bitch.
This isn't to say that I will abandon cyberspace to devote time solely to laundry, tax time, and taking down the Christmas tree. I will still sneak a peek on occasion. My computer-free zone would probably resemble the so-called No-Spin Zone, and make about as much sense to practical living in this world as Bill O'Reilly does.
.jpg)
