My absolute favorite comfort/pig-out food has to be pizza. But it's got to be thin crust, and it's got to be loaded with cheese, like this place in Brighton that I always go to that is soooo good, and I hate corporate pizza (any chain, like Domino's or Papa Gino's, though I will do Pizza Hut's all you can eat $5 lunch buffet). And there's this place near my parents' that makes the best gorgonzola pizza. A huge cheeseburger is a close runner-up. Yours?

Download the Internet. Though I would think that trying to download the entire Internet using dialup would take longer than it would take for badgers to evolve into the dominant species on the planet. Better use high-speed access.

Download the Internet. Though I would think that trying to download the entire Internet using dialup would take longer than it would take for badgers to evolve into the dominant species on the planet. Better use high-speed access.

I almost became fodder for someone else's blog about 15 minutes ago.

The dentist's appointment was rather painless, actually -- literally and figuratively. I didn't even feel the needles he used for the Novocaine, and he was extremely nice and even gave me a 20% discount on the visit since I had told him I was out of work (he asked what I did and I gave him my usual response -- "I look for a job"). I was in and out of there in about half an hour.

On my way out of my apartment, though, I had remembered that I'd not deposited my roommate's rent check into my bank account yet -- a rather important thing to do, since the rent is due at the end of the week. So I grabbed the check on my way out the door with the intention of stopping by the local ATM on my way home from the dentist.

No worries. Dentist's office is three blocks from the ATM. I even made the light crossing Beacon Street, which is a big intersection and I almost never get to the intersection in time to actually make the "WALK" sign. I figure everything's comin' up Milhouse. Then I get to the ATM, fill out the envelope, sign the check -- and realize I need to lick the envelope to seal it. At this point, my entire mouth is so doped up on Novocaine that I wouldn't have been surprised if my tongue were dragging on the pavement and my bottom jaw was trailing 3 feet behind me. I can't feel a thing in my mouth except a blissful numbness and I certainly don't have control over it.

For a moment, I debated going to the person at one of the ATM kiosks and asking her to lick my envelope, but I thought that with my luck, my slurred speech and what could be taken as a rather suggestive statement, I'd wind up with a public drunkenness charge and a sexual harassment suit on my hands. So I move up into the ATM screen very closely (which will probably give the security guys a bit of a fright if they ever need to review the security tapes), stuck out my tongue as best I could, and used my reflection in the ATM screen to guide the envelope very carefully over my tongue. I look at it -- mission accomplished. The adhesive is wet. I seal up the envelope, thank whatever Higher Powers That Be for that, deposit the check and bolt out of there.

Now I just have to hope that the Novocaine wears off soon, since I'm hungry but right now I have to concentrate to even swallow, so I have no idea how I'd be able to chew.

I almost became fodder for someone else's blog about 15 minutes ago.

The dentist's appointment was rather painless, actually -- literally and figuratively. I didn't even feel the needles he used for the Novocaine, and he was extremely nice and even gave me a 20% discount on the visit since I had told him I was out of work (he asked what I did and I gave him my usual response -- "I look for a job"). I was in and out of there in about half an hour.

On my way out of my apartment, though, I had remembered that I'd not deposited my roommate's rent check into my bank account yet -- a rather important thing to do, since the rent is due at the end of the week. So I grabbed the check on my way out the door with the intention of stopping by the local ATM on my way home from the dentist.

No worries. Dentist's office is three blocks from the ATM. I even made the light crossing Beacon Street, which is a big intersection and I almost never get to the intersection in time to actually make the "WALK" sign. I figure everything's comin' up Milhouse. Then I get to the ATM, fill out the envelope, sign the check -- and realize I need to lick the envelope to seal it. At this point, my entire mouth is so doped up on Novocaine that I wouldn't have been surprised if my tongue were dragging on the pavement and my bottom jaw was trailing 3 feet behind me. I can't feel a thing in my mouth except a blissful numbness and I certainly don't have control over it.

For a moment, I debated going to the person at one of the ATM kiosks and asking her to lick my envelope, but I thought that with my luck, my slurred speech and what could be taken as a rather suggestive statement, I'd wind up with a public drunkenness charge and a sexual harassment suit on my hands. So I move up into the ATM screen very closely (which will probably give the security guys a bit of a fright if they ever need to review the security tapes), stuck out my tongue as best I could, and used my reflection in the ATM screen to guide the envelope very carefully over my tongue. I look at it -- mission accomplished. The adhesive is wet. I seal up the envelope, thank whatever Higher Powers That Be for that, deposit the check and bolt out of there.

Now I just have to hope that the Novocaine wears off soon, since I'm hungry but right now I have to concentrate to even swallow, so I have no idea how I'd be able to chew.

So, you guys up there in Michigan -- has the cold frozen your common sense & brains as well? Since when did the Constitution and our country's legal system of "innocent until proven guilty" cease to exist?

Michigan's antiterrorism task force, in cooperation with various legal authorities, has sent out letters to young Arab-American males "inviting" them down to their local law enforcement offices for an "interview." According to the article, the Justice Department put out an eight-page set of guidelines for these interviews, saying that "[Arab-Americans] are also to be asked about their visits to local landmarks and foreign countries; about their sources of income, scientific expertise and access to weapons, including anthrax; and for a list of phone numbers of friends and relatives." Now I'm thinking a few things here -- I seriously doubt they're being interviewed for government security clearance even though those are some of the questions a person would be asked in that situation, and I doubt that they're being invited down for tea and cookies since I didn't hear anything about December suddenly becoming "Get to Know Your Local Arab-American Month."

Sure, people are saying that it's necessary to smoke out potential terrorists. But it's still unconstitutional (and "measures" to be taken with those who don't "volunteer" for their "interviews" are undetermined at present) and it's still perverting our justice system six ways from Sunday. To all of those people who keep saying that it's perfectly fine because we need to find terrorists, how would you be feeling right now if the guys who took out the Trade Center had been white Catholic Americans? How would you feel if your government was calling you in for an "interview"? Sure, you're a patriotic American, but how does your government know that? Did your government canvas the public when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building?

John Ashcroft, soon these witch trials are going to swing around and I hope that one day, you'll be on the receiving end of this scrunity, suspicion and interrogation. Civil rights are being suspended already, and our stupid government is again operating duplicitly. On the one hand, we've got our blank-faced Brainless Leader telling people not to condemn others simply because they might be Arabic or Muslim, on the other we've got our Dictator-in-Training singling them out and asking them to come down to their local law enforcement offices for questioning. Monkey see, monkey do, Mr. President, and if you think that giving some flowery speech about not judging others and asking all the kids to give a dollar is going to gloss over the fact that you're doing exactly what you told us not to do, then (hopefully) you've underestimated our intelligence.

I said before that in the wake of the September 11th attacks, the backlash by other Americans against Arab-Americans and Muslims almost made me ashamed to be an American. I never thought my own government would make me feel that way.

So, you guys up there in Michigan -- has the cold frozen your common sense & brains as well? Since when did the Constitution and our country's legal system of "innocent until proven guilty" cease to exist?

Michigan's antiterrorism task force, in cooperation with various legal authorities, has sent out letters to young Arab-American males "inviting" them down to their local law enforcement offices for an "interview." According to the article, the Justice Department put out an eight-page set of guidelines for these interviews, saying that "[Arab-Americans] are also to be asked about their visits to local landmarks and foreign countries; about their sources of income, scientific expertise and access to weapons, including anthrax; and for a list of phone numbers of friends and relatives." Now I'm thinking a few things here -- I seriously doubt they're being interviewed for government security clearance even though those are some of the questions a person would be asked in that situation, and I doubt that they're being invited down for tea and cookies since I didn't hear anything about December suddenly becoming "Get to Know Your Local Arab-American Month."

Sure, people are saying that it's necessary to smoke out potential terrorists. But it's still unconstitutional (and "measures" to be taken with those who don't "volunteer" for their "interviews" are undetermined at present) and it's still perverting our justice system six ways from Sunday. To all of those people who keep saying that it's perfectly fine because we need to find terrorists, how would you be feeling right now if the guys who took out the Trade Center had been white Catholic Americans? How would you feel if your government was calling you in for an "interview"? Sure, you're a patriotic American, but how does your government know that? Did your government canvas the public when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building?

John Ashcroft, soon these witch trials are going to swing around and I hope that one day, you'll be on the receiving end of this scrunity, suspicion and interrogation. Civil rights are being suspended already, and our stupid government is again operating duplicitly. On the one hand, we've got our blank-faced Brainless Leader telling people not to condemn others simply because they might be Arabic or Muslim, on the other we've got our Dictator-in-Training singling them out and asking them to come down to their local law enforcement offices for questioning. Monkey see, monkey do, Mr. President, and if you think that giving some flowery speech about not judging others and asking all the kids to give a dollar is going to gloss over the fact that you're doing exactly what you told us not to do, then (hopefully) you've underestimated our intelligence.

I said before that in the wake of the September 11th attacks, the backlash by other Americans against Arab-Americans and Muslims almost made me ashamed to be an American. I never thought my own government would make me feel that way.

Turning now to one of my other favorite targets, the Evil Empire of Microsoft. On top of the patsy deal they made with the government, news is slowly leaking out about other nefarious doings that the company has been engaged in.

It's pretty much been common knowledge that Microsoft threatened not to produce another version of Microsoft Office for the Macintosh if Apple didn't make Internet Explorer the default Web browser for the Macintosh operating system. Mind you, this was back in 1998, when Netscape was still far-and-away the better product. But Apple reluctantly agreed, since Microsoft Office was desperately needed by the Mac community.

Fast-forward to 2001. Apple has unveiled Mac OS X, a brand-new operating system that operates on a completely different basis, making it impossible to run current programs on the system unless they're written specifically for OS X. So Microsoft sets out to completely revamp Microsoft Office for Mac OS X, which seems like a great thing for them to do. However, now that the product has been released and acclaim is pouring in for it, someone took a closer look at the software licensing and found that the programs will deactivate after 1 year and require an annual fee to keep them running.

Now, considering that the program suite already costs $500, another $150 every year is definitely a hefty fee on top of the already steep cost of the initial installation. Microsoft already has a lock on the word processing/spreadsheet/presentation market -- I don't know of any offices that don't use Microsoft Office for this stuff, and most people use it at home as well because they're familiar with it -- so why are they being so grabby? It's this kind of thing that will keep me with the version of MS Office 98 that I've been running for 3 years without upgrading until they take out this stupid licensing fee that milks us dry, and I'll keep on using Netscape until it's proven that the program is responsible for toxic waste dumping in the oceans.

Turning now to one of my other favorite targets, the Evil Empire of Microsoft. On top of the patsy deal they made with the government, news is slowly leaking out about other nefarious doings that the company has been engaged in.

It's pretty much been common knowledge that Microsoft threatened not to produce another version of Microsoft Office for the Macintosh if Apple didn't make Internet Explorer the default Web browser for the Macintosh operating system. Mind you, this was back in 1998, when Netscape was still far-and-away the better product. But Apple reluctantly agreed, since Microsoft Office was desperately needed by the Mac community.

Fast-forward to 2001. Apple has unveiled Mac OS X, a brand-new operating system that operates on a completely different basis, making it impossible to run current programs on the system unless they're written specifically for OS X. So Microsoft sets out to completely revamp Microsoft Office for Mac OS X, which seems like a great thing for them to do. However, now that the product has been released and acclaim is pouring in for it, someone took a closer look at the software licensing and found that the programs will deactivate after 1 year and require an annual fee to keep them running.

Now, considering that the program suite already costs $500, another $150 every year is definitely a hefty fee on top of the already steep cost of the initial installation. Microsoft already has a lock on the word processing/spreadsheet/presentation market -- I don't know of any offices that don't use Microsoft Office for this stuff, and most people use it at home as well because they're familiar with it -- so why are they being so grabby? It's this kind of thing that will keep me with the version of MS Office 98 that I've been running for 3 years without upgrading until they take out this stupid licensing fee that milks us dry, and I'll keep on using Netscape until it's proven that the program is responsible for toxic waste dumping in the oceans.

Yes, folks, we have arrived at that magical day where I get to go to the dentist and he gets to perform various types of sadism on me. That novocaine had better be good, especially since I hate needles.

Of course, waking up to the realization that I have actually reached the Dental Day of Reckoning has put me in a foul mood. I had hoped perhaps that if I left it alone, my teeth would magically repair themselves, but apparently that's not the way it works.

So my "Match the Quote to the John Hughes Movie" game was a bit too easy, eh? Well, for those of you who aren't as intensely familiar with his films, the correct answers are:
1. c
2. d
3. a
4. e
5. b

Yes, folks, we have arrived at that magical day where I get to go to the dentist and he gets to perform various types of sadism on me. That novocaine had better be good, especially since I hate needles.

Of course, waking up to the realization that I have actually reached the Dental Day of Reckoning has put me in a foul mood. I had hoped perhaps that if I left it alone, my teeth would magically repair themselves, but apparently that's not the way it works.

So my "Match the Quote to the John Hughes Movie" game was a bit too easy, eh? Well, for those of you who aren't as intensely familiar with his films, the correct answers are:
1. c
2. d
3. a
4. e
5. b

I've gotten my questions for this week's Blogger Insider from this week's interrogator, Susan. Oddly enough, we both sent each other our questions at the same time. So here goes...

1. What's your favorite book?
Hmm... I've got a few. I think my absolute favorite, though, is Radio Waves by Jim Ladd, a Los Angeles disc jockey. It's the story of FM rock radio in its prime.

2. What really chaps your hide?
Rudeness. Inconsiderateness. Egotism. Plastic people. Snobbyness. Unnecessary stupidity, especially when it's mine.

3. Name your favorite charity and why.
Umm... not really sure I have a favorite. I think that most of them are extremely worthy of cash, time, materials, effort, etc. Doctors Without Borders is among my top favorites though, since I think they're not only trying to cure people, they're occasionally putting themselves in dangerous situations to do it.

4. Have you ever had an embarrassing drunken moment?
Throwing up on the train on my way home after getting absolutely completely blitzed at a bar. Details shall remain hidden, though this is the first time I've admitted to it.

5. If you could choose what you'd be doing at this time next year, what would you be doing?
Writing for the alternative department at Radio & Records Magazine, living in Los Angeles.

6. Have you ever had a strange neighbor?
Not really. Though in college, my next-door neighbors were on the crew team so they got up at 5AM every morning to go out in the freezing cold and row boats on the Charles River. That's strange enough for me.

7. The best advice anyone's ever given you is:
Do what makes you happy, but realize that you'll probably have to compromise.

8. Name some of your guilty pleasures.
"Blind Date," abjectly stupid humor, "Star Trek," skeeball, video games.

9. How much did high school suck for you?
Moderately. Was well-known but kind of in an off-beat sort of way, like I wasn't part of the in-crowd but most people still knew who I was. Got made fun of a bit, was considered "cool" and fun to be with by a decently-sized group of people. All in all, kind of a mixed bag.

10. What's your favorite song, or your "theme song"?
I could sit here all night answering this question. It really depends on what's going on in my life at the moment.

11. What's the nicest thing someone's said to you, or the worst?
Uhh... it's been a while since I've been outrightly complimented or insulted. I think being told I'm fun & interesting was one of the more recent compliments, being told I'm a fucking self-centered baby was one of the more recent insults.

12. If you were a cow, what kind of cow would you be?
Norman from City Slickers.

13. What's your favorite curse word?
I go for the gusto. Let's go with "fuck."

14. Describe a happy moment from your past.
Well, let's go back to high school, since I seem to have given it not-so-rave reviews. I was drum major of my high school's marching band my senior year, which basically means I was one of three people in charge of the 130 member band. At the end of the year, we had a "Band Banquet" where people were given awards for certain things and certain members were honored. Of course, the drum majors were honored. So the other two people got their awards and people clapped. But when the band director called me up, the other band members gave me a standing ovation. I was really touched, I didn't think they cared that much.

I've gotten my questions for this week's Blogger Insider from this week's interrogator, Susan. Oddly enough, we both sent each other our questions at the same time. So here goes...

1. What's your favorite book?
Hmm... I've got a few. I think my absolute favorite, though, is Radio Waves by Jim Ladd, a Los Angeles disc jockey. It's the story of FM rock radio in its prime.

2. What really chaps your hide?
Rudeness. Inconsiderateness. Egotism. Plastic people. Snobbyness. Unnecessary stupidity, especially when it's mine.

3. Name your favorite charity and why.
Umm... not really sure I have a favorite. I think that most of them are extremely worthy of cash, time, materials, effort, etc. Doctors Without Borders is among my top favorites though, since I think they're not only trying to cure people, they're occasionally putting themselves in dangerous situations to do it.

4. Have you ever had an embarrassing drunken moment?
Throwing up on the train on my way home after getting absolutely completely blitzed at a bar. Details shall remain hidden, though this is the first time I've admitted to it.

5. If you could choose what you'd be doing at this time next year, what would you be doing?
Writing for the alternative department at Radio & Records Magazine, living in Los Angeles.

6. Have you ever had a strange neighbor?
Not really. Though in college, my next-door neighbors were on the crew team so they got up at 5AM every morning to go out in the freezing cold and row boats on the Charles River. That's strange enough for me.

7. The best advice anyone's ever given you is:
Do what makes you happy, but realize that you'll probably have to compromise.

8. Name some of your guilty pleasures.
"Blind Date," abjectly stupid humor, "Star Trek," skeeball, video games.

9. How much did high school suck for you?
Moderately. Was well-known but kind of in an off-beat sort of way, like I wasn't part of the in-crowd but most people still knew who I was. Got made fun of a bit, was considered "cool" and fun to be with by a decently-sized group of people. All in all, kind of a mixed bag.

10. What's your favorite song, or your "theme song"?
I could sit here all night answering this question. It really depends on what's going on in my life at the moment.

11. What's the nicest thing someone's said to you, or the worst?
Uhh... it's been a while since I've been outrightly complimented or insulted. I think being told I'm fun & interesting was one of the more recent compliments, being told I'm a fucking self-centered baby was one of the more recent insults.

12. If you were a cow, what kind of cow would you be?
Norman from City Slickers.

13. What's your favorite curse word?
I go for the gusto. Let's go with "fuck."

14. Describe a happy moment from your past.
Well, let's go back to high school, since I seem to have given it not-so-rave reviews. I was drum major of my high school's marching band my senior year, which basically means I was one of three people in charge of the 130 member band. At the end of the year, we had a "Band Banquet" where people were given awards for certain things and certain members were honored. Of course, the drum majors were honored. So the other two people got their awards and people clapped. But when the band director called me up, the other band members gave me a standing ovation. I was really touched, I didn't think they cared that much.

Win one war, lose another. Our government gave the Taliban $43 million last year to halt the harvesting of poppy plants in Afghanistan, since Afghan poppies yield 72% of the world's heroin and opium supply. (Do you actually think the Taliban used that money as we "intended" them to?) Now that the Taliban have fled Afghanistan screaming like... well, fleeing Taliban, poppy farmers are gearing up production again, which will presumably increase the world's supplies of those drugs.

Poppies are relatively easy to grow and harvest, and since they're used for these expensive drugs (not to mention bagels!), the crops are worth a decent amount of money, which allows Afghanis to get back on their feet monetarily. However, as far as I know, no one's declared the also-vague War on Drugs to be over, so after we clear out the Afghan government, then our Fearless Moron-in-Charge will probably also decide that our troops are going to have to clear the farmers' cash crops out too -- leaving them relatively destitute unless they can come up with some other way to support themselves and their families.

This would probably make more sense and be in my usual rant-style were my head not pounding, but it's the best I can do at the moment. Anyone know how high our lovely president's approval rating is at this point in time?

Win one war, lose another. Our government gave the Taliban $43 million last year to halt the harvesting of poppy plants in Afghanistan, since Afghan poppies yield 72% of the world's heroin and opium supply. (Do you actually think the Taliban used that money as we "intended" them to?) Now that the Taliban have fled Afghanistan screaming like... well, fleeing Taliban, poppy farmers are gearing up production again, which will presumably increase the world's supplies of those drugs.

Poppies are relatively easy to grow and harvest, and since they're used for these expensive drugs (not to mention bagels!), the crops are worth a decent amount of money, which allows Afghanis to get back on their feet monetarily. However, as far as I know, no one's declared the also-vague War on Drugs to be over, so after we clear out the Afghan government, then our Fearless Moron-in-Charge will probably also decide that our troops are going to have to clear the farmers' cash crops out too -- leaving them relatively destitute unless they can come up with some other way to support themselves and their families.

This would probably make more sense and be in my usual rant-style were my head not pounding, but it's the best I can do at the moment. Anyone know how high our lovely president's approval rating is at this point in time?