A Silly Movie Game and Politics

I don't feel all that with it today. Not sure how well I can think. Might as well go with it until I get bored, though.

Got woken up in an interesting way, especially since it happened in the middle of a dream. I heard someone say something and a knock on the door. One of the maintenance guys then poked his head around the corner of the bedroom door. He said something about a pigeon flying into a window and wondered if he could take a look. I said sure. Unfortunately, I couldn't fall back asleep afterward.

Didn't accomplish much for the job-career search. I ended up doing more personal stuff (like setting up a package to be sent for my passport renewal, getting some stuff for the cats and addressing some personal and news e-mails). I've rationalized the more personal direction, however, in that this stuff has been hanging around my task list for so long that I should just get it over with.

XXXXXXX ON A PLANE

I probably haven't invented a new game. Someone else must have invented it. How about this for a game, though: Instead of Snakes on a Plane, fill in the blank for "_____________ on a Plane."

For my first turn, I'll say "Children on a Plane," because, of course, we all have horror stories of flying with children sitting behind us, in front of us, next to us. Now imagine if the whole plane was full of them!!!!!!!

Thanks, Kirk, for inspiring the children parody, which lead to the game idea.

How about you? Do you have any funny fill in the blanks for "________________ on a Plane" and what would make it funny?

CONFESSIONS OF AN "ELITIST": PART 7 -- MORE FEAR

As I said before I cut myself short, the liberal "elitist" fear probably originates in a pretty primordial place: the fear of bodily harm.

Here, in Chicago, I've heard that you (meaning the general "you"), especially if you're not black, shouldn't go into certain neighborhoods, like the South side or, at one time and possibly still, Bucktown. Not knowing where the South side started, I guess the South Loop didn't have a great reputation, either (even though after working a fair their for The Company, I've heard it has gotten better and more gentrified).

In Boston, you've got Dorchester, Roxbury, parts of Jamaica Plain, parts of the South End and, possibly if you're not white, Southie.

(BTW, what's up with the places with the name South that just attracts danger?)

Elsewhere in Massachusetts, people told me to watch out for Lowell, especially since I'm not Southeast Asian (particularly Cambodian, even though I once had an interesting conversation with some Cambodians from Lowell without feeling threatened for my life at a party at the local gravel pits). I even had a friend once who feared going to Cambridge or downtown or any other safe part of Boston more than going to Lowell, which, to me, still sounds crazy, even if Lowell has gotten some rewards for the state of life there.

Long story short, I, and probably many liberals, have been told not to visit certain urban areas.

As it stands now, I have even heard plenty of warnings of not to visit South Africa because of my skin color. I've also heard that I shouldn't visit Cape Town (or Cape City, for that matter =D) because of the danger it presents. I don't know how much it has to do with skin color, or if crazy, scary stuff just happens there (like chop shops for body parts -- is that just something mentioned in Charlie Jade or is there really some kind of black market for body parts there?)

For now, though, I have food to eat. It just got dropped off by the take out man. This topic will have to wait for a conclusion.