ActivClient: Because We Think Intrusive is Cool

I have to use this ActivClient dongle to log into some of my computers at work.  But when it's not plugged in this annoying dialog pops up. Even if you don't need the dongle, you still have to deal with the crappy software.  So I modified the dialog (see below), so that you can see what it's really saying:

Building a Mosque at Ground Zero

There is a plan to build a mosque in NYC at ground zero.  I am opposed to the idea. I'll admit that when I see someone in middle-eastern garb, I usually feel and think something. And it's not nice. This doesn't change unless I actually personally interact with someone and decide he or she is a nice person. I don't want to see a mosque at ground zero. I don't want to see a mosque anywhere, but seeing one at ground zero is like a slap in the face.

I do believe that many mainstream Muslims in the U.S. are secretly sympathetic to the people who participated in the September 11, 2001 attacks on our country. Just like I'm sympathetic to those who died at Ruby Ridge and Waco at our government's hand. But I really don't know what mainstream Muslims think. And even if I did, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be allowed to build their mosques wherever they want to.

Last time I checked, this was still America. I see commentary everywhere, with a lot of people saying, "We are duty-bound as Americans to prevent this mosque from being built."  But if we are duty-bound to do anything as Americans, it's to allow religious freedom to continue to flourish here. Because without religious freedom, there is no America. 

There's a reason that religious freedom is considered sacred. If government controls your religion, it's controlling what you think. We've already lost countless freedoms over the War on Terror and the War on Drugs. If we allow a precedent like preventing Muslims from building their mosque at ground zero, where is that precedent going to take us as a country? Is it going to be cited in two years to prevent a Jewish temple from being built? Is it going to be cited in 10 years to keep a Baptist church from being built?

If you're one of the angry voices saying that the government should act to prevent the mosque from being built, step back for a moment and think about what such an action actually costs. If it was your church, what would you say if the government prevented you from building it? 

Because if the government were to do something so stupid as to manufacture a reason to prevent this mosque and we were to allow that to happen, your church, or even your house, could be next.

Here's a note for Sarah Palin: I know that riding a mob's wave of sentiment is a common way to gain political power. I knew others would stoop this low, but I really didn't think you would. Shame on you.

Goodbye, Petie

Petie died today.

He was a peach-faced lovebird who would have been 14 years old in two months. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon, and we had a door open to let the breeze in. A scrub jay called. Petie didn't answer.  Normally, he would answer.

"Petie!" I yelled.  

He didn't answer. That's odd.  

"Petie!  Shut up, you stupid bird!"

That always elicits a chirp, but not this time.  Alarmed, I went to his cage. "Petie?" 

I didn't see him sitting on one of his perches, or ringing his bell.  I grabbed the stepladder so I could see the floor of his cage. Knowing what I would see, because lovebirds start dying of old age at 8 years, I forced myself to look on the floor of his cage. There he was, laying on the floor. I picked him up and he was cold.  "Babe, Petie's dead!"

"No. You're joking"

"I wouldn't joke about that.  He's dead." 

I couldn't look at her. I had to keep my emotions in check. I stood on the stepladder, Petie's lifeless body in my hand, looking towards the cage with my back to the room, trying to control the emotional turmoil threatening to overwhelm me. I've lost pets before. Why am I taking this so hard? I have to get out of here before something breaks.

"I'm going to go bury him." 

I went outside. It was starting to rain. Fitting.  This is the first time Petie has ever been in the rain. I was glad to see there was a posthole digger leaning up against the garage, because I wasn't thinking too clearly and I'm not the best at putting my tools where I can find them.  I looked around, thinking, "Where's a place that Petie would like?"  I decided that a shade tree we call the "mushroom tree" was as good as anything else. We've got several pets buried there already. I started digging. While I was digging, I was thinking. About how I didn't get to say goodbye. About how I haven't let him out of his cage to fly around the house in a long time.  About how he had been dead all day and I hadn't even noticed. About how he's just a tiny little bird and it feels like I've lost something important.  Like a kid or something.

13 years ago, Virginia, my wife, wanted a parrot.  But we couldn't afford one at the time.  So we bought a lovebird.  He was five months old. Virginia named him Petie. She spent a lot of time with him, teaching him that humans were friendly. She got bit 20 or 30 times before he decided she was his friend.  And then he got to where I could handle him without being bitten. Then one day, he got mad at her for something trivial.  After that, he decided he liked me instead. I didn't have to do anything.

He could speak.  If you listened carefully, you could hear him clearly articulate the few words he knew.  For the past several years, whenever he was fed, he'd say, "Thank you." He'd also occasionally say "thank you" when he wanted cereal.  He could also say "cereal."  He could say "stupid," and, of course,  "Petie, " "Pete," and "pee-pee." There are other words he didn't use as frequently. My favorite was "thank you," because it was used in a conversation of sorts.

We'd have long talks:

Petie: "Screech!"  

Me: "Shut up, you stupid bird!"  

Petie: "Petie!" 

Me: "Ok, ok, I'll feed you." 

Petie: "Thank you."  

Me: "I haven't fed you yet." 

Petie: "Thank you." 

Me: "You want some cereal too?"

Petie: "Thank you."

Me: "You're welcome."

Petie, I wish you were still alive.  I wish I could have said goodbye. I'm going to miss you for a long time.