Bush Screws The U.S.

NSFW

Never Fly Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines has a problem with simple math.

Problem 1: "Ladies and Gentleman, today's flight to San Diego has overbooked. Alaska Airlines would like to offer free round-trip tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flys if anyone is willing to give up their tickets and take the next flight to San Diego which is at 6:20 tonight [this announcement was made at 6:00 am, btw]...again, Alaska Airlines will offer free round-trip tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flys in exchange for you tickets...Alaska Airlines flys to Cobbo San Lucas...Seattle...Anchorage...Phoenix...?........did mention Cabbo San Lucas?....Seattle....Cabbo.....?"

Problem 2: Ladies and Gentleman, this is the captain from the flight deck, we apologize for the delay, but we miscalculated the amount of baggage on this flight and will have unload some fuel to make up for the difference. This shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes. Thank you for you patience and for picking Alaska Airlines." About ten minutes later: "Ladies and Gentleman, it seems we have to wait for a fuel truck to arrive in order to off load the fuel. Should only be another few minutes." A few minutes later: "Ladies and Gentleman, this is the flight deck, again, it seems there are no empty fuel trucks on the tarmac [yes, we were already boarded when this started] so we need to wait for a fuel truck to unload its fuel before it can unload our fuel, unfortunately this will take about a 1/2 hour. In the meantime, flight attendants will be through the cabin offering water for any passenger that would like some." 1/2 hour later: "Well it looks like a truck has finally arrived and will start to unload the fuel. We need to unload about 3000 gallons which should only take about 20 minutes. We apologize for the delay." 30 minutes later: "Flight crew, prepare doors for take-off." Finally.

1 hour and 1 minute later: "Ladies and Gentleman we would like to thank you for choosing Alaska Airline we hope you enjoyed you flight from San Francisco to San Diego. [I didn't choose Alaska Airlines, it was chosen for me. I booked through American, but my flight was being operated by Alaska? I found this out when I tried to check in at the America desk! Grrrr]. Sitting on the runway: "Ladies and Gentleman, sorry for the delay, but the ground crew are pushing the ramp up to the plane. This should only take a few minutes." Yes, Alaska Airlines sucks so much, San Diego "International" Airport, doesn't even give them a jet way ramp to de-plane its passengers! We actually took a metal ramp to exit the plane. We had to walk on the tarmac to the gate!

Again, never fly Alaska Airlines!

P.S. To the lady sitting next to me during the flight? Just because your farts are silent, doesn't mean we can't smell them.

P.P.S. I don't care how much money it costs me, I now only flying first class.

Merry Chistmas!

One more thing: There are a lot of "Merry CHRIST-mas" signs on churches/billboards here in San Diego. It's so sad when people think christmas is about Jesus and all that, when it is fact all about Rudolph and a jolly old guy in a plush fur-lined red velvet suit. I say stop taking the secular out of christmas! Take christmas back from those who would spoile it with all this death now undead stuff!

*hehehehehehehehehe ;-)

New Series of Gratuitous Pics

A lot of bloggers have pictures of hot naked or semi-named guys on their sites every week. Well, I have decided to post some gratuitous pics of my own, but of puppies! Why? Because the world needs more puppies.

To inaugurate this new series, I have re imagined Bert Bacharach's and Hal David's "What the world needs now".

"What the world needs now
are puppies, sweet puppies
it's the only thing
that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
are puppies, sweet puppies,
no not just for some
but for everyone.

Lord, we don't need
another naked torso,
there are naked torsos
and chests enough to cry
There are pecks
and abs enough,
enough to last
'til the end of time.

What the world needs now
are puppies, sweet puppies
it's the only thing
that there's just too little of
What the world needs now
are puppies, sweet puppies,
no, not just for some
but for everyone.


"Pffft! You wish you were as cuddly as me!"


via

Religion And The Atheist

I was reminded of a conversation I had with a fried of my not to long ago after I read this article that Andrew Sullivan linked to. My friend is religious, while I am not. If fact, I am pretty much an atheist with the understanding that religion gives great comfort and guidance to many, and I respect that (I say "pretty much" because I don't think much about religion beyond what world affairs, child molesting priests and gay fundementalists bring to the news). Too often people think an atheist is necessarily anti-religious. Not true. At least, not for me. I think anyone can worship whatever they want, just leave me out of it. I actually enjoy discussions about religion because, if anything, religion is a testament to humankind's imagination. Sadly, we live in a society that feels the need to cram down our collective throat their belief. Ironic, or, perhaps not, since I have never tried to convert anyone to my belief that there is no god. But, when pushed, I will usually bring up that, as far as I know, no one has ever gone to war over the the other side's non-belief in god was non-believing enough.

As the conversation progressed, the usual talking points of how much carnage and war religion has brought to the world was brought forth. My friend mentioned that even atheists have brought pain and suffering to the world, like Stalin. True enough, I responded, but then gave this caveat: Stalin did not kill those millions of Russians out of some sense of being an atheist, he did it out of a sense of retaining power over his country, not out of an atheist dogma (an atheist dogma, in the classical sense, would be counter intuitive). The want for power is not the sole provenance of the atheist or the religious. The difference is the want and need for power from a religious person is often wrapped in the cloak of doing "god's work". The want and need for power by an atheist is generally simply the want and need for power, with none of the trapping of a faith to hide inside. One can argue Stalin's atheism, and accompanying Communism, was used as an excuse for the many deaths he caused. If he were to allow religion, he would always be secondary to this faceless god. Simply put, his atheism was a tool to retain power, but not the reason to pursue power. Whereas a religious fanatic uses religion as a reason for his power; the religious fanatic always has the hot line to god, after all!

Does the lack of belief in a god make Stalin's atrocities any less heinous than that of, say, Bin laden's use of his god as reason for killing thousands of people? Certainly not. Religion is used in conflict time and time again as an excuse to spread, ironically, the love of god. In true atheism, there is no such conceit to spread anything. If you are a true atheist, you really shouldn't care what someone else beleives since it doesn't make a difference since what they believe in (god) does not exist and, therefore, has no bearing on our lives. The problem is the religous person has this need to convert the atheist, and that can be annoying.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane...

I love flying puppies.

Risky Business

Just received my grade for the Project Risk Management class I took a month ago. I was a bit apprehensive about the grade since I thought I had blown the final, but alas, I did fine. Actually, I did better than fine, I did quite nicely, and I got an A+ for the entire course! I seriously thought I would fail the class because a lot of determining risk in Project Management is using algebraic equations. Who knew? Well, for as long as I can remember, I have had this, um, shaky relationship with math. When I was in elementary school, Jr High, and High school, I was always in remedial math courses. And one thing I learned about being in remedial math courses throughout my education is that remedial math seems to be taught by remedial teachers!
There was one incident I can recall when I was a sophomore in high school. I remember sitting in my class, the teacher was explaining a formula. I raised my hand to ask a question because I was not "getting" the formula. When I asked the question, the teacher tried to explain the formula again. When he was done I tried to, by way of understanding, explain back what I thought was the steps one takes to solve this particular problem. It seems I had gotten the process all wrong and the teacher yelled "no," he then hit the chalk board with the palm of his hand and said, "how can you not understand this simple equation?!" We locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity, when I slowly got up from my desk, gathered my books, left the classroom and walked home. The next day the teacher apologized for his outburst and offered any help he could after class. But it was too late. The damage had been done. From that moment on, I essentially shut down anytime mathematical equations were brought up in any context. Because I had been so embarrassed by what had happened that day, I ditched his class many, many times. So many times, if fact, I was called into the Vice Principles office because of all the absences I had accumulated even though I always had a note from my "mother", stating why I was missing so may classes; braces, dentist, etc. It was my sister that wrote all the notes excusing my absences from first period math (a fact she reminded me of two years later during high school gradation when she wrote in my yearbook, "I'm glad you graduated especially since you had such a difficult time with your braces during your sophomore year.") After sophomore year was over, I seemed to be assigned to progressively worse teachers. One math teacher was a guidance counselor and had never taught math and was only brought on because the district didn't have the money to hire another teacher. Another was clearly an alcoholic that probably shouldn't have driven a car to school the majority of the time.
Anyway, that's why I was so worried about the grade in Risk Management, but it seems my math phobia did not affect me the way it usually does, so, YaY!! Maybe I'm over my phobia when it comes to math? Basically, for me anyway, getting through that class with the math used, is quite the accomplishment.

Pearl Harbor Day

Remember that little gem from history class about that sneak attack by the nefarious Japanese (not anymore - nice people the Japanese)? Well, that all happened on December 7, 1941 "a day that will live in infamy"
Ahh, the good ol' days when the U.S. went to war for a legitimate reason.

Public Service Annoucement

Before a job interview, always turn off your cell phone.

Post Modern, Quote, Chad

Last night as I was watching a show, can't remember the name, that was so tongue in cheek-self aware, I wanted to scream, "I am sick of all this Post Modern crap!!" I did not scream, though, I just blogged it instead.

Quote of the day.
Referring to Fremont California as:
"a parking lot with a mayor"
totally bogarted from Little Yellow Different.

Stopped by Chad's workplace the other night to see exactly what Venetian Plaster is. I have to say, the work Chad has been putting into this job is amazing. The plaster work is beautiful. The best way to describe it is that it looks like marble, but better. Chad has posted some photos of the shop he has been working on, but the photos do not do the work justice. You have to see it for yourself.
You should be very proud of the work you have done, Chad!

Drive By Review: Teatro ZinZanni

Went to Teatro ZinZanni last night over on Pier 29.
Here you go:

Like Weimar Germany without the impending doom.