No Room for You? ___________________ “We are trying to construct a more inclusive society. We are going to make a country in which no one is left out.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt _____________________________________________ Thank goodness Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed that awful (and probably unconstitutional) Senate bill 1062, the bill designed to institutionalize discrimination against gays (but cloaked under “religious freedom”). I’m not going to debate this issue – just to say that opening the door to discrimination based on someone’s “ism” is dangerous and scary to comprehend, greasing the already slippery slope to fascism. But I want to look at another side of discrimination and show how it can affect our lives as well. This failed anti-gay bill has reminded me of an incident that happened to me and my husband in the early 1990’s. We were planning an overnight trip to New York City and were looking for an inexpensive hotel – or, at least, a cheaper hote

The Second Mouse Checks Out His Cheese Inventory Photograph is from two Wikipedia sources: Cheese: Zerohund Mouse: Iketsi _______________________ I heard this quote on last night’s Criminal Minds (“The Road Home,” original airdate: January 22, 2014) and thought it was quite hilarious (although not so much for First Mouse). After laughing at the seeming absurdity, I realized that there is much truth in that statement; being First Mouse to approach the trap, filled with a seductive cheese treat, is not a good place to be. Meanwhile, cagey Second Mouse, perhaps sniffing something amiss, awaits in the shadows. Aw, snap! We can all figure out what happens next – Second Mouse wends his way around the corpse of First Mouse and claims his prize... This quote can serve as a metaphor for what happens in the business world, especially in the tech sector. Time and time again, First Mouse builds a site, develops it, and, for a time, enjoys success. Then Second Mouse swoops i

National Do Not Call Registry _________ It happens again today. I’m sound asleep, and my land line phone rings. A woman from a major charity (so she says) starts in with a scripted appeal for a donation for her “good cause.” I don’t know about you, but (1) I despise these calls because (2) I don’t trust them, (3) and they’re intrusive and annoying. They always seem to come at the wrong time. Groggy and upset at being awakened, I ask to be removed from her calling list, but she keeps saying that if I donate just this one time , she’ll make sure that my name is removed. Yeah, right. I can’t seem to make her understand that I don’t want to donate over the phone; I simply don’t trust her or her motives. Furthermore, I have no wish to continue this conversation. We get into a bit of a snarkfest as I try to tell her (nicely) to get lost. She doesn’t hear a word I’m saying as she robotically attempts getting back on her script. While she’s still talking (yak, yak