It's All About You, Isn't It

I decided to put a stop to the uninterrupted flow of memes, as entertaining as I'm sure they are, in favor of a post that has to do with my actual self.

Unfortunately, I've been too busy lately to have proper rants stored up. Nothing percolates for more than a half hour, because that is my limit or rage-inducing thought.

So you get bullets hyphens because I don't remember how to bullet:

- There is an interesting article on Slate about the de facto moratorium on the death penalty that is currently in place. I won't go into how I loathe capital punishment (short reason: you shouldn't permanently punish when you can never be 100% sure) but it reminded me of a long-ago discussion I had with a couple friends at Kings Dominion (a theme park in Virginia). I don't recall the specifics, except to say that I have to give props to Raf for arguing with both me (now a lawyer!) and his then-girlfriend about the legitimacy of the punishment. And, as it turns out, he was on the right page and we weren't.

- Housing in the Bay Area is very expensive. Overly expensive. $1700 for a 2br in a fairly mediocre part of town (not even in San Francisco proper!) is excessive and insane. People (my good buddy Marek!) have argued with me about whether rent control is a sound plan, and while I realize that the economic reasons are strong, my own anecdotal experience will always keep me a fan of control vs. free market on that one.

- Entertainment Round-Up: Gone Baby Gone is lamely-titled but outstanding. Possibly the best I've seen since Children of Men. Bee Movie was better than expected, probably because my expectations are inverse to the amount of promotion a movie has, and oh dear Jesus. It's quite possible that 30 Rock is supplanting The Office as my very bestest favorite show on television right now; this is not to say The Office is bad--I think it is at about 90% of its game at the moment--but that 30 Rock is just unspeakably great.

- I have no idea what my Thanksgiving plans are. I have promised myself to stop calling it Turkey Day, though. It is a mild joke that has run its course, like "Tar-Jzay" and calling people "Parental Units".

- "That's what she said" is still funny, though I never, ever, remember to say it at the right time. That may actually make me a better person, but I would sacrifice an upstanding for being funnier.

- I was told that the line in last Sunday's Lions/Cardinals game was Arizona by one, and that as a result many, many people bet on the Lions. As a long-time Lions fan, I say: you fools. I could have told you that as soon as they hit 6-2, they would stumble like the mediocre team they are. Don't get me wrong, I support them. I want them to do well. But if wishes were wings, we'd all fly. Kitna cannot do it all. Losing, and losing badly, to Arizona (and let's not forgot how badly they were blown out by their other "losses", quotes because the games were more like forfeits) shows that they are lucky first, and skillful a distant second.

- I got the finger for tailgating the other day. I do not believe it was justified, because although I was indeed tailgating, the guy was going 18 mph in a 30 mph zone. And not just for half a block--for almost a mile. And then he gave ME the finger? What is the thought process there? He's lucky I didn't leap from my car and beat him senseless. It's not like it would have been hard to catch him on foot.

(And before you think or say it, if you are looking for a store, or house, or are otherwise unsure about where to turn or go, the correct answer is to PULL OVER in the wide-open parking area and let the mile-long line of cars go by while you check your directions.