Grand Theft Auto

The Los Angeles district attorney has no problem with "murder, drug-dealing and pimping" via video game but some hidden "explicit sexual acts" are cause for alarm. If he had known THAT was in there, he would have insisted that the game get an 'adult' rating. A little murder and pimping only merits a 'mature' rating.

Grand Theft Auto Slapped With Lawsuit

How ironic.

NFL: Yearly Coaching Carousel

It's getting towards the end of January and that means two things for the NFL:

1) The Super Bowl is right around the corner
2) Racism is on display regarding coaching hires

At the end of almost every season, the doormats of the NFL fire their head coach and go in search of another "right man for the job" to lead their franchise to Super Bowl glory. And right on the heels of these new hirings, the charges of racism began to emerge from pointy-headed sports writers and self-appointed "leaders" in the black community. According to these fine folks, not enough minority coaches are being hired to fill head-coaching vacancies.

Their argument is completely illogical and fraught with stupidity.

I have always made the contention that racism is simply bad for business and that is never more true than in the world of sports. A sports franchise exists for one reason only: to win. Winning means money. Everyone may love the game, but (like any other business) if you are not making money you will not be in business very long. Are we supposed to believe that such deep-rooted racism exists among NFL owners and general managers that a qualified minority candidate would be intentionaly passed over for a less qualified white candidate? How absurd does that sound? Regardless of ones personal beliefs, would they really choose to forego success in order to maintain their racist agenda? Of course not.

The NFL has chosen to handle this problem by insisting that at least one minority candidate is interviewed for every head coaching vacancy (smells like a quota, huh?). The NFL is a private organization and they can run it as they seem fit, but to me this only exacerbates the issue. It's telling minority coaches that you are not good enough to get an interview on your own, so we will force the hand of your prospective employer. The sad fact is that this rule has made it more difficult to hire a minority head coach as some minority coaches have declined interview offers because they do not want to be the token minority interview.

Would you rather have a job interview based on your glowing resume or based on a quota system? Unfortunately, the NFL has choosen to throw dignity and respect out the door in favor of social experimentation.

Cutting the Cord

I just saved $16.39 per month.

I just took another step into a wireless future.

Today I called SBC and gleefully disconnected my land telephone line.

After several months of nearly zero activity, it was time to let the old fellow go. My home telephone only rang under the following conditions:

1. Telemarketer calling
2. Pablo calling for Enrico
3. Tommy Coleman had once again confused my celluar and home telephone number

As I enter this brave, new world armed only with a cellular number, I cannot help but feel a bit eco-friendly. One less envelope will be dropped in the mail each month. One less bill will be thrown away and added to some landfill somewhere. Less data will be jamming the information superhighway as there will be one less online bill payment originating from my PC. Besides, my home looks neater without those relics of centuries past cluttering up the place.

To infinity and beyond!

So.. What Is He Trying To Say?

If any one of the number of Conservative radio hosts or political figures had made the following statements, there would be rallys, calls for resignations, rioting, concerts for unity, and never-ending debate on racism in white America.

By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press Writer

Mayor Ray Nagin suggested Monday that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other storms were a sign that "God is mad at America" and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting.

"Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country," Nagin, who is black, said as he and other city leaders marked Martin Luther King Day.

"Surely he doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves."

Nagin also promised that New Orleans will be a "chocolate" city again. Many of the city's black neighborhoods were heavily damaged by Katrina.

"It's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans _ the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans," the mayor said. "This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans."

Caring Too Much

Sometimes, I care too much.

Sometimes, I would like to be one of those guys that didn't care.

"Yeah? Oh well.. whatever..."

That would be good.

I would be less stressed.

I would cause others less stress.

Life would be much simpler.

"Hey Tiny! YOUR HEAD IS ON FIRE!"

"Yeah? Oh well.. whatever!"

I like it.

Check Engine Light

While moonlighting as a furniture deliveryman in Coto De Caza over the weekend, the 'check engine' light in my sporty Mazda 3 came on. As my car is 2 years old with a mere 12,000 miles, this unexpected disturbance came as a quite a shock.

When I came to a stop, I fetched my user guide from the spacious glove compartment ('glove'.. ha! You can fit a 10 gallon hat in there!). Section 5-35 informed me that the check engine light could mean one of the following (in this order):

1. The gas cap might not be on tightly
2. The electrical system could be malfunctioning
3. The emission system could be malfunctioning
4. The car could very low on gas

I just love it when a manual goes into such specific detail in pinpointing excatly what a problem may be.

"Hey! There may something wrong with your car having to do with something!"

The next morning, the 'check engine' light was off, so I called the service department at the dealership.

"Good morning, Mazda service department."

"Good morning. Yesterday my check-engine light came on while driving, but this morning it is no longer illuminated."

"Yeah, you're gas cap must not have been on tight."

"I read in the manual that was one of the possible scenarios, but it came on while driving so I am fairly certain that it was not the gas cap. Should I bring it by to get checked out?"

"No. You're ok."

Sigh.

While Kelley's expert diagnosis over the telephone was indeed impressive, it did not give the comfort level that I had hoped to achieve when I made the call. Now I am left wondering if I should make an appointment to take the car in or just wait until my next oil change and let them know that the 'check engine' light came on for a few hours six weeks ago.

Happy New Year Charlie Brown

It's 2006 and I am just not too thrilled.

Unlike most people, I don't see the beginning of each year as a time of renewal and hope. I see it as the bottom of the ladder (a very rickety ladder) that you have to climb slowly rung by rung in hopes of making it to the top without spilling your can of paint. And when you finally get there, you accidently stand on the rung that reads "not a step", plummet back down to the bottom, dust yourself off and start all over again.

To me, Christmas is the climax of the year. Everything after Christmas is just filler until Christmas rolls around again (ok, maybe football season). You know how you read about people being depressed before Christmas? My depression begins on Christmas night. I begin asking myself the big questions, thinking about my mortality, and regretting that another year has passed in which I feel that I did not accomplish anything truly fulfilling.

This has been particularly evident this past week. The day after Christmas, I started getting an uneasy feeling which worsened as the week wore on. By Friday, I actually began to feel sick to my stomach. My mind was waging war against itself and flooding with thoughts of failure and shortcomings.

Sometimes I find it impossible to enjoy the moment because I am too wrapped up in what may happen. Even though I always seem to land on my feet, I don't always remember how I managed that smooth landing. Is it instinct? Faith in God? Pure luck?

Not knowing how I got to where I am is frustrating. I've lived my life by the seat of my pants, taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves to me.

I never had a master plan.

I never sat down and made a list.

Here I am, almost 35 years old, and I don't have a plan for my life! I am still waiting on something big to happen. I am still waiting to make my mark on the world. I am still waiting to find my passion and capitalize on it.

Maybe 2006 will be the year that everything suddenly makes sense. My eyes will be opened and my purpose on Earth will be made clear.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.