I have read and enjoyed a few science fiction books, but I am not a sci-fi fan (I can sleep at night because Douglas Adams is more comedy than sci-fi).

In addition to going to the star trek convention while in Vegas, many sci-fi fans take the alternate fiction world serious. I have heard at least one nerd explain that their obsession with the extra-terrestrial is justified by the notion that when the aliens come they will look to the sci-fi nerds for intermediacy.

The idea that aliens will use nerds as some kind of diplomatic mediator is absurd. When the aliens come to conquer earth the last thing they want is a group of enemies that understand their complicated language and fancy technology. The first thing aliens will do under their cloak of friendship is slaughter all the nerds (way to go Shatner, your music career may not have be your most harmful contribution to society).

See Ya

Soon after the criticism concerning President Bush’s actions in Iraq, I heard a lot of people say ''well, if you don't like it, leave.''

This motto is especially popular where I live in Utah because of it's heavy conservative views. I sympathize with those who have given this advice because the disapproval regarding this conventional state has been plentiful. Regardless, telling people to leave is obviously a completely elementary attitude.

The advice to ''leave'' came to my mind the other day when I got pulled over by an officer. He thought my scooter was not road legal (even though it had a tag and registration sticker) and after looking at my registration said ''well, back in the seventies you could get by without turn signals, but you should use your hand to signal'' (Utah motorcycle laws still don’t require turn signals). This was frustrating because I use my hands to signal but only before the turn (while turning I keep both hands on the handlebar).

I realize that this sole experience is not a justifiable reason to consider leaving a state, but this is not the only time I have been frustrated with crooked cops. Having been pulled over three times for turn signal problems, twice for not having them (which, again, is legal in Utah) and once for having too bright of blinkers. But these experiences do not compare to the unjustified arrest of my brother along with other harassments.

So, what should I do? Apply for a one-year German internship? Sure. Hope to learn the language well enough to apply for a real job and live in Germany? I can only hope.

This may seem like a childish mentality toward an otherwise trivial issue, but I really hate cops. They have destroyed my favorite hobby. I used to ride my scooter to release stress, but now I am always looking over my shoulder and worried that some cop has some quota to fill. The real problem is that there are so many laws that a cop can pull you over for just about anything, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a law prohibiting black tires.

So, it may not happen at all, but if it does it won't be till March and between then and now I will have to continue to stop myself from yelling ''ass hole'' every time I see a cop.

I hate moldy bread!

I don’t think I am alone in my frustration when little green speckles appear on the inside of a new bag of bread. It’s true that potato bread molds slower than bleached flower and whole wheat even slower, but that is not the point, my car has a similar problem. Every three thousand miles my car’s oil begs to be changed (unlike many irresponsible people I do not let this inconvenience hinder my car maintenance, but I still get annoyed).
It seems like everything in my life is too temporary. The heals on my socks wear out, my computer battery is loosing life, and I can’t seem to remember the protagonist in the novel “Go Down Moses.”
Sure, sometimes it is refreshing to get a new beginning, like when I moved away for college, but eventually I would like to find a place where I can “settle down” (or not, I would just like to be in control).
Is it too much to want everything to last forever? Am I a victim of modern conveniences? Or am I just lazy? At least my water comes out of a faucet instead of a continuous refillable basin. I don’t think I could have made it growing up a century ago when they used a dried out corncob instead of toiletries.
Beyond Ideas like Jesus, Moses, Buda, Mohammed, and a few other intangible nouns, nothing lasts very long (I know the pyramids have been around for a little while, but I’m considering things that I can own and I don’t think even the smallest pyramid will fit in my back pocket). To go one step further, I think your brain will actually explode if you think long enough about the temporary status of Earth, the universe, and everything, including ideas (ahhh, what replaces blackness?).
But seriously, who wouldn’t love a car that never needs an oil change let along gas. I’m not saying that I want to live forever, but I think it would be cool to leave your car running when you die and rest in peace knowing that it will always be warm for a quick getaway, just in case.