03.31.08
Cigarette Litter
Friends who know me best know that one of my biggest pet-peeves is litter. I loathe people who trash our city and public places that should be kept clean. That includes people who flick their cigarette ashes and butts from car windows.
It pisses me off when someone’s cancer stick comes flying my way. Not only is it disrespectful to other people on the road, but it is another form of litter. It’s no different than tossing an empty McDonald’s cup on the street.
And, here’s what really gets me going. Cars are built with ashtrays, right? I know my cars have always had one. So, why is it cigarette smokers don’t use them? Maybe someone who smokes and drives can explain that to me. Just don’t tell me it’s easier, because that really means you’re just lazy, which is a common trait I find in people who litter. It’s really laziness.
Either way, I hate it. I think it’s rude and inconsiderate, and there should be stiff penalties for people who do it. I think smokers who toss their butts from cars should be fined, just as they would for littering.
Surprisingly, Nevada has a law prohibiting motorists from throwing lit cigarettes from a moving vehicle. But, who really enforces that law? When was the last time anyone got pulled over for throwing a cigarette from their car? I’m guessing rarely to never, especially in Las Vegas where there aren’t enough police to battle other crimes.
It’s not to say people in Nevada don’t care about litter, because they do. One organization, Don’t Trash Nevada, promotes ways residents can clean up the garbage people leave in our state’s national parks, streets and neighborhoods. And, it educates the community about what litter does to our environment.
According to Don’t Trash Nevada, cigarette butts last a long time and end up in storm drains, which eventually flush right into Lake Mead.
So, if you’re a smoker, stop and think about what you’re doing before throwing your cigarette into the road. You may think it’s harmless, but you’re harming our environment and you’re pissing me off. So, stop!
03.27.08
Don’t Come Back, Kate Bosworth!
Actress Kate Bosworth has made it known she does not like Las Vegas. So you know what I say? Don’t come back!!! Las Vegas doesn’t want you, Kate Bosworth.
The pin thin actress told Total Film magazine that Las Vegas “is not really my cup of tea” and she struggled with the “debauched” Vegas lifestyle while she was in the “tree-less” desert filming her latest flick, “21.”
Oh really? She didn’t have any problem gambling and drinking during her six week jaunt in Vegas. Bosworth admits to trying her poker at hand while she was in the city.
I don’t like when people like Kate Bosworth judge my hometown while being here a very short time and only seeing the Las Vegas Strip! She’s a hypocrite.
I wasn’t a fan of Miss Bosworth before, and I’m really not now. Las Vegas shouldn’t be either!
See more of Kate’s comments here.
When to Interfere
I had a bad feeling in my gut this morning. I still feel guilty.
I was driving to work, taking the same route I do everyday, when I stopped at a crosswalk for two boys, who were watching something on the other side of the street. They seemed interested, so I looked too.
A man and woman were arguing, very intensly. It appeared she had gotten out the car and he followed. They were in a parking lot, and he was in her face. His arms flailing. I was sure he was about to attack her physically. The light turned green, and I had to go. I didn’t know what to do.
I got that sick gut feeling. The kind you get when you start wondering if you should do something. Should I call police? Should I turn around? What if something happens to her? What if it’s just a bad argument between a couple that just happens to be out in public? My mind was racing.
This has happened to me before. Where I see something and wonder if I should do anything. The last time it happened I was with my sister at an auto parts store. A man was beating on a window of a van, screaming at the woman inside and calling her names. We did call police that day.
Do we have a responsibility as people to call for help if something seems wrong? Should we interfere, even if we have no idea what is happening or if it warrants intrusion?
The problem is I don’t know that I would want someone to call police if that had been me. But, what if she did? What if I could have saved her?
I will never know. I hope she is safe.
03.25.08
Global Warming: Fact or Fiction
I don’t know whether to believe global warming really exists or whether it’s all a bunch of hooey. My husband has been saying all along that it’s a crock and just another way for the media to scare people. And, he has some valid points. For instance, records show for the first time since 2001 temperatures in the U.S. and across the globe were the coolest from December 2007 to February 2008. Does that sound like global warming? I’m no scientist, but it makes one wonder…
One day scientists claim our precious water caps are melting and the climate is warming. The next day their peers say there is no global warming. I’m starting to believe it’s all B.S.
The truth is the climate is warming, but not everywhere. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, some parts of the globe are actually cooling. But, in countries like North America, there is a warming trend. As we populate, we generate more heat.
While most scientific societies agree global warming is a real threat, there are those who argue against it. A group of international scientists have used satellite imagery to show how global warming is changing and threatening Earth’s landscape. At the same time, their own colleagues say new studies show our oceans aren’t warming at all.
Who do you believe and why?
03.24.08
Las Vegas: Old & New…
Steve Wynn’s newest resort, Encore, is almost done! The hotel’s name was added to the top of the tower last week, and it looks identical to the “Wynn” on the original tower. Encore is slated to open in December. Those copper twin towers are phenomenal. I think they are a beautiful sight when you are driving into the city from the outskirts.
One of Las Vegas’ older hotels located off the Strip was demolished last week. Nevada Palace was closed to make room for the Eastside Cannery. Luckily, the Nevada Palace sign was saved and has already settled into its new home at the Neon Boneyard, where it will be preserved for history. Nevada Palace survived for 29 years.
For anyone who doesn’t know what the Neon Boneyard is, it’s a graveyard for Las Vegas neon signs. When historic hot-spots are closed, demolished or imploded, the non-profit Neon Museum works with the community to preserve the signs. Most of the dismantled neon is donated to the Museum, which has a huge lot for signs to rest in peace. Unfortunately, the boneyard isn’t open to the public, but some tours are allowed.
03.20.08
Woman stuck to toilet!
This is one of the most bizarre stories I have ever read.
How is this even possible? What on Earth kept the Kansas woman from coming out of the bathroom for so long that she actually sealed her own butt to the toilet?
Her boyfriend is facing charges for mistreatment, but what I want to know is whether the girlfriend is mentally stable. I’m guessing not, because anyone in their right mind wouldn’t lock themselves in a bathroom and sit on the pot that long!
What was she doing the whole time she was sitting there?
03.19.08
A Penny for Your Thoughts
Here is something to ponder.
Are your thoughts for free? Are your ideas shared by others because people think like you do or because you inadvertantly pull strands of thought from the people you meet and the experiences you have?
The reason I ask is this. Recently, I had two very different people steal my thoughts. How could that be, you ask? It was made possible because my thoughts were on paper, or rather, the internet. Is it a coincidence? Did they just happen to think like me? No, I think not.
We live in a massive think tank. We’re up to our ears because we soak up every bit of information, visually, creatively, audibly, you name it. Even our dreams consume us to where we sometimes confuse reality with the unconscious thought. But, no matter how overwhelmed we are with information, we know when someone else claims our words are their own. I know.
I know that one of these people didn’t dream up a personality profile that starts out just like mine. She literally used my autobiography word for word and only changed the names of people to make it hers.
I know the other person didn’t blog about who “there person is” after watching Grey’s Anatomy a few months after I watched the show and pondered that very same question in a blog on the very same website. No way. No how. It was too familiar. It had my style.
What should I make of this? I could be flattered that some people either want to be like me or they want to think like me. Imitation is the best flattery, right?
The thing is, that’s just not acceptable to me. My thoughts are worth more than a penny and more than the paper their written on. My thoughts are mine. I own them. I don’t want to be imitated. I wouldn’t be me if others tried to be me.
Get it? Good.
03.18.08
Friends. How many of us have them?
I’ve been thinking about friendships lately. How important they are and what friendship really means.
Most of us have childhood best friends, who we may have lost touch with over time. Some people come and go in and out of our lives so quickly, it’s hard to remember what brought you together in the first place. And, we all have acquaintances. Those are the people you are friendly to when you see them out and about somewhere, but don’t go out of your way to keep in touch with them.
That’s what has me thinking. The difference between acquaintances and friends. As I’m sure most people do, I have more acquaintances than I have friends. Let’s face it. It’s hard to stay in touch with all of the people we like. I mean, it’s a chore for me to talk on the phone. I honestly would rather send an email. But, somehow that’s not as fulfilling as a cozy phone conversation after weeks of phone tag or a night catching-up on each other’s lives over dinner and drinks.
Here’s the thing. I have true friends that I can count on less than one hand. There are a couple who will go above and beyond for me. I know it. And, there are a couple more who I consider good friends, but really, I know they’re not the definition of a true friend. People are selfish, as I am sometimes. They value their time, just as I do mine. Therefore, they’re only around when they want to be. And, I understand.
My husband is my best friend. I would rather be with him than anyone else on the face of this earth, next to my family of course. Combined, they are undoubtedly what keeps my faith, dreams and heart alive.
And, to the few of you who are my true friends, I love you. I would do anything for you at anytime. There are no ifs, ands or buts. Just like I know, you know too.
Find your true friends. All you need are a few 
