Despite what this appears on the surface, this is not a “toot my horn” entry but is a pause to look back at the metaphorical trail behind me as I climb this mountain called Life. Been spending time this morning putting the finishing touches on another college semester of teaching computer classes at the local prisons and got to wondering: how many students have I taught?

Proceed at your own risk »

Honestly, not seeing a problem with this guy’s priorities.

Things can only get better from here.  Y’all have a most excellent week.

Over the years, I’ve been open in my admiration of Myrna the Minx at Reno and Its Discontents (like here, here, and here) and even contributed a couple of times to her blog. She spoke with the voice I always I aspired to but could never muster the energy, effort, and dedication. Part of the fun in reading RAID has been the mystery surrounding her identity, but as Scott found, the curtain’s been pulled aside and Myrna is unveiled.

And I used to know her in her day identity. Go figure.

Now candidly, we haven’t spoken in years and when we did work together for the same state agency many moons ago, Tracy and I didn’t have much reason to interact. After she left that agency, I occupied her vacated office space until I moved onto better things. A few days later, she returned to the same chair and, no doubt, had the place fumigated. Even so, I consider it a brush with greatness (grin).

Welcome back to the light of day (so to speak), Tracy.

Knights in Satan’s Service? This must be a clever editing job (please let it be a clever editing job.)

Can it be eleven years since he left us…and over thirty years since he shot one of his last films in Carson City? Hard to believe.

Jefferson Smith: I guess this is just another lost cause, Mr. Paine. All you people don’t know about lost causes. Mr. Paine does. He said once they were the only causes worth fighting for. And he fought for them once, for the only reason any man ever fights for them; because of just one plain simple rule: ‘Love thy neighbor.’… And you know that you fight for the lost causes harder than for any other. Yes, you even die for them.

I’ve been enjoying Carolyn Tate’s and Maizie Jesse’s column in the Nevada Appeal for years. Every Tuesday, they print up twn to fiften blurbs on their special insights on Nevada’s capital city and they give us a couple of knee-slapping jokes. This last column on Tuesday, however, kind of pushed my button.

They said:

We think Congressman Dean Heller is absolutely on the right track in asking that all our ballots be printed in English. New York City and Los Angeles already print their ballots in over 40 different languages. Excuse us … that’s madness. Aren’t all citizens supposed to speak and read English before they become naturalized? Do you really think Germany, France, Mexico or China print their ballots in English? Fat chance.

If you move to a country to reside there, you should get with the program and learn their language. That’s what made our country great … the assimilation of immigrants into a “melting pot,” where we could all get along. Our forefathers worked hard to become citizens. So should it be with voting … if there’s no challenge, there’s no value. Print the ballots in English. Period.

I posted my response in the comments section on the same page (after the jump). I suspect there will be no response on their part.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that Maizie’s daughter and I work for the same state agency, and I respect her daughter immensely.)

Proceed at your own risk »