Shqipo's Virtual Mumblings

It looks like some young girl and her friends wanted to act tough and rob people. But this time they picked the wrong person and got the short end of the stick. Too bad she had to die... or maybe it's not really that bad. She asked for it.

Semper Fidelis!

On my way to and from work, I drive through this really tiny suburb town/village (population 1753) called Sylvan Lake. It's been several days that they're advertising big time a home and garden tour.

Although they advertise this town as "the prettiest city in the state of Michigan" I have no clue what rigged contest they won. It's basically a former resort place with houses around, you guessed it, Sylvan Lake. But they're not the greatest houses anyway; there are other nearby suburbs which have truly houses and gardens to be admired.

With that being said, I am not sure why would someone, in the right mind, pay $15 or whatever to tour someone's aluminum/plastic sided, cheesy print paper walled house which looks pretty similar to several ones in the same neighborhood. Not me, that's for sure. And how nosy do you have to be to be willing to pay $10 just to see what's inside other ppl's house?!

What puzzles me more is these people who are opening up their homes for everyone to come in. If I were a burglar, this is a prime opp to learn all the ins and outs of these houses and come back later to collect the "rewards." Is it really worth it?

I can't say I know the legal system that well, hence my ignorance of not understand the whole point of sentencing someone with more than one lifetime prison sentence. What exactly does it mean for someone to be in jail for 3 life sentences? Are judges playing God and punishing someone not just for this lifetime, but for the supposedly next one as well? Does it mean that, after this convicted criminal dies in prison, his body will still be buried inside the prison - or left rotting in his cell? If he's dead, what are the other life sentences for?!

Here's another English language puzzle that I can't figure out: Why are policemen called "officer?" They're not working inside an office. Is a police car an office?

I don't know why, but suddenly I've been seeing the word "untoward" mentioned more and more, from flirt-laced blogs to news about former Congressmen and former CIA big shots accused of corruption, prostitution, etc. It looks it's the new trendy word - is it "ubiquitous?"

Frankly, my rather slim English vocabulary did not have this word in it - the fact that English is not my native tongue could be a reason for it. So I do thank everyone who mentioned this word for helping me expand my vocabulary.

What I don't understand is: what is wrong with using "improper?"

I better stock up on clothes cause their price may go up pretty soon, after Bangladeshi workers torch textile factories. I do hope prices don't go up, but you never know.

Tonight I had a truly Albanian peasant meal: homemade white corn bread (no, not the desert-like so-called corn bread they make here), olive oil, feta cheese, Kalamata olives (damn Greeks that got everything named first) and... homemade Albanian raki (moonshine-like brandy distilled from grapes).

Oh it was sooo good!

I don't know what the hell is going on lately (past few months) but my short-term memory has almost disappeared. What the hell is going on? I'm still young, I haven't hit 31 yet (or so I keep telling myself, trying to forget these 7 days that separate me from that number)!

Is there a cure? Does it even mean anything?

I know several people personally who love celebrity gossip and try to follow all the latest trends set by "celebrities" - and in the process try to look a little bit like them as well. You know, the usual "I'd like my hair cut like such and such" etc. And it does look like following celebrities is big business - people love gossip! How else could one explain the financial well-being of trashy supermarket papers and all those paparazzis with expensive cameras?

I'm glad to say I have not gotten to that point, despite the fact that many times I get this "has anyone told you you look like David Duchovny?"

Browsing through the vast internets this morning, I found MyHeritage.com, a face recognition software site. I thought I'd give it a try just for the heck of it. So here is what it says I look like:

1. Alain Prost (famous Formula 1 race car driver - Yesss!): 73%
2. Tony Danza: 72%
3. Harvey Keittel: 72%
4. Emma Watson (whaaat?): 68%
5. Mikis Theodorakis (Greek composer - arrgh!): 67%
6. Bobby Charlton (famous English football - err... soccer player): 66%
7. Camilla Parker (yikes!): 64%

So...where's David Duchovny? Maybe I should try it with another picture - if only I had more time or really cared about this.

I always wear a seat belt when I drive; if I don't wear one, I feel that something is missing and start freaking out a little. In Albania, you are considered "cool" and "tough" if you don't wear one. Apparently, it is the same case here in the US, where redneck country boys think they're better off without wearing one. Well, sure, they can show how tough they are when they fly through the windshield and spill their brains out on the hot concrete.

It is sad that even some people that I know here, who are not rednecks, prefer not to wear one. I hope they come to their senses, for their own safety.

What pisses me off is that some government entity is spending millions of dollars advertising the seatbelt-wearing laws. Of course, this is not the only program where my hard-earned tax dollars are wasted for no reason whatsoever, but it's just one I decided to talk about.

First of all: why is there a need to spend millions to make people aware of something that it's already a law? "Wear your seatbelt or we'll ticket you" No shit! Theoretically, one can not pass the driving license exam if one doesn't know these laws. Why the hell do they need to spend millions to remind them again?

Second of all: so what if they don't want to wear seatbelts? Why should I give a damn and pay for these stupid ads? It's not like seatbelts have effects on other people, such as drunk driving. If one decides not to wear one, they're only affecting themselves. Why spend money making the obvious even more obvious? If they don't care for their own safety, why should I?

WTF is wrong with the media? Don't they have anything else better to do but report everything Paris Hilton does? I'm curious when will the start reporting how many tampons she uses each month!

Supposedly her $10,000 Mother's Day gift was "stolen." I don't know why I have this suspicion that she either forgot to buy her anything and blew $10,000 on other things, or the delivery person snatched it.

A while ago I vented here how I think that not everyone is not meant to go to college. I got several types of feedback, some were critical to me for saying that. I started to think about it back then and thought maybe I went a little too far, but yesterday I got the following email from a student of mine and now I'm back thinking I was right - and I challenge anyone to prove me wrong!

I am sorry for complaining before I looked I did not think about checking the submit assignment area in the small group section. I apologized to xxxxx as well. You were not telling me anything when I asked you questions you just say do it yourself. That to me was a little rude and makes me think you are not a very understanding person. Not everyone is intelligent. I have learning disabilities so I have to work extra hard and when you say mean things it makes me want to give up.

They were supposed to do this group project and she was complaining that noone from her group had submitted any work (which turned to be not true) so I replied that she does her work by herself. Apparently, this was a very "mean" thing to say. WTF? Am I the only one who thinks this sensitivity crap is going way too far? Especially when there was no mean thing said anyway. It just pisses me off when people accuse me for things I haven't done!

What the hell does she think I teach, a special ed class? This is college, not elementary school. Just because they pushed you through the system all the way through here (and the university closes an eye as long as they get paid) doesn't mean you're qualified to have a college degree and be equal others. I'm sorry to be so blunt but it's the truth. I thought college was supposed to be an optional educational institution where those who do have the ability to learn go to - and when they finish it, it proves this ability of theirs (at least theoretically).

I'm not an understanding person? What kind of medication are you on? First you admit it's your fault, then turn around and blame me for your stupidity? Well, understand this F then for not doing your work!

Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks that this teacher has gone beyond normal classroom education techniques - parents have already complained. However, administrators at the school where he teaches don't find it that problematic.

I'm not saying they should fire him but doesn't his request raise any suspicions at all?! Especially since he teaches drafting and not English? Shouldn't the police investigate his intentions? Is he planning something and is trying to get ideas from his high school students? Aren't high school students troubled enough mentally and emotionally (remember Columbine) but now they need a teacher to feed their creativity?

I've started to not blame those religious freaks who home school their kids... .

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! And... thank you!

I am not sure why this made it on Associated Press' news page. But here's the best part: Zuma, who once headed the South African National AIDS Commission, also testified he had taken a shower after sex because he believed it reduced the risk of infection."

I do not understand why many women of a certain ethnic/minority group don't shave their legs. I may understand the women of some other groups, whose culture, etc. doesn't include that part of personal hygiene. But these other ones I'm talking about have been here for over 200 years! Seriously, do you really think we can't see them? It's just nasty to look at - and I sure don't want to know what it feels like!

There's this girl at work who is very nice, dresses nice etc. Yesterday, as I was talking to her, she was wearing capri pants and I noticed some hair sticking out. Not a pleasant view, those were longer than mine! Yikes!

Today MSN has a video which shows a polygamous family telling their story. On other polygamous news, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, accused of having sex with minors, arranging marriages with minors, etc. is on the top 10 list of FBI's Most Wanted. Wait a sec, a Fundamentalist Christian church? I thought only Muslims were fundamentalists... .

Anyway. I'm not going to discuss cults today but rather about polygamy as a concept and practice. I can't speak on behalf of all men, but I'm assuming that, deep inside, our cavemen-hunter nature would want something of that nature. Oh wait, that's what the feminists and all the women magazines say :)

Seriously, I could imagine that quite a few men would be comfortable with that idea - afterall, there would be no more "headache" excuses. However, it is illegal. Mormons and Muslims alike are mocked for supporting it as part of their religion.

What puzzles me is the fact I was under the impression that state and church were separated. Reading from the famous First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Or is it separation from all religions but Judeo-Christian?

How did they come up with the law that you can be married to just one person? Isn't marriage itself a religious-based social contract? So, how did the lawmakers pick one religion to make its rules into a law and make everyone abide by them? Isn't this some kind of state enforced conversion?

Driving to work yesterday, there was this white van zooming in and out of traffic, using no turn signals.... well, you get the idea. I got closer to him at a light and say that it was a Red Cross van with words "Give Blood Today" stamped all over it. I thought this moron should add something more: "Give blood today - I'll be needing it very shortly."

I can't believe the popularity of American Idol! Granted, I've only watched parts of it once or twice as I was flipping through channels. To me, it's just another stupid "reality" show which is actually puppeted/staged very well. Today CNN has "'Idol' down to the final 4" as one of their top stories.

Of course, all the idols of "Idol" would argue that it's not staged, etc. I beg to differ. How come that, although thousands of hopeful teens go to try-outs throughout the country, there are still truly miserable ones who "make" it to the show on TV so Simon can be nasty to them?

And yes, I do think Simon is well-instructed to be the asshole to everyone so the show can be fun or whatever.

I received this message through my email. I don't know, $9 million isn't really that much. I remember getting other ones for $18 mill in the past. What do you think, should I reply to this dearest Mr. Caleb Mputu and get rich quick? Should I honestly help him as a son or friend? Afterall, he's assuring me there is no risk. Or should I wait for another offer for $20 million or whatever?

Caleb Mputu
288 José rue de marcher.
Abidjan-Cote d'Ivoire
Abidjan Republic of Cote D'Ivoire.West Africa
Dearest one,
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you, I got your name and contact from your country directory, please i need a trust-worthy person that will help me to transfer this money I am Caleb Mputu, the only Son of late Mr and Mrs David Omenka Mputu.
My father was a very wealthy Gold Merchant in Monrovia the Gold Capital of republic of Liberia all in west africa my father was poisoned by his business associates while my mother died when i am little and my father took me so special because I am his only son.
Before the death of my father on 4th November 2005 in a hospital here in Cote D'ivoire, he secretly called me and told me that he has the sum of(USD $ 9 MILLION NINE MILLION U.S DOLLARS )which he deposited in a bank here in Cote D'ivoire.
He also made me understand that it was because of this money he was poisoned by his business associates while on a business trip with them and he instructed me to look for a foreign partner who will help me transfer this money out of this Cote Divoire and invest it for me, my purpose of contacting you is for you to help transfer this money to your country before this peoples who kill my father will kill me too I'm now hiding in a local place here and I shall be happy for your decision in helping me secure this transfer to your account l hope you will not betray the trust i have on you because this money is my only hope in this life and you will also help me to come over to your country to continue my education while you will invest my own share of the money for me.Now permit me to ask these few questions:-
1. Can you honestly help me as your son or friend?
2. Can I completely trust you?
3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the money is in your account?
Please, Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible. i can assure you there is No Risk involve the money is an inheritance from my late father, I am waiting to hear from you, Caleb Mputu

Gold diggers, rejoice!