Judgment Day

Everyone has their day in court. Lucky for us, a lot of people choose to have that day on national television.

There are a lot of court shows on the air these days. Sometimes it seems as if they are the only thing on. There’s The People’s Court, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Jude Mathis, Judge Alex, Judge Hatchett, Cristina’s Court, Judge Maria Lopez, Divorce Court, Judge Jeanie Pirro, and Judge David Young.

The one court show that stands out from the pack, in ratings as well as overall entertainment value, is Judge Judy. Presiding arbiter Judith Sheindlin is a no-nonsense legal powerhouse with the refined skill of narrowing down the truth in a matter of minutes.

Judge Judy and shows like it involve soliciting the participation of people who have filed small claims court cases. If both parties of the lawsuit are willing, Sheindlin hears the case in her television courtroom. She then renders a verdict that is binding under the rules of arbitration that the parties have agreed to prior to the hearing.

Participants are paid for their appearance on Judge Judy. There is a production fund that pays any monetary judgment to the winning litigant. The balance of that fund is then divided between the parties.

One of Sheindlin’s strongest skills is her ability to ask a series of investigative questions that leads the person she is interviewing to give her the truthful answers she desires. She is very intolerant of deception and is known for getting to the bottom of the issues at hand quickly and without listening to irrelevant testimony.

Sheindlin was appointed as a judge in the New York Family Court system in 1982 by Mayor Ed Koch. In 1986, she was named Supervising Judge for the Manhattan District where she heard over 20,000 cases. She was known as a tough but fair judge with an open-court policy and an emphasis on personal responsibility.

A 1993 article in the Los Angeles Times profiled Sheindlin, which led to a 60 Minutes interview that gave her national exposure. She retired from the bench in 1996 and began a second career as “Judge Judy.”

With an estimated 10 million viewers, Sheindlin is one of the highest paid personalities on television, earning over $30 million a year. She has authored four books based on her experiences, Don’t Pee On My Leg And Tell Me It’s Raining (1996), Beauty Fades, Dumb Is Forever (1999), Keep It Simple, Stupid (2000), and a children’s book, Win Or Lose By How You Choose (2000).

By all accounts, Sheindlin is not someone you would want to run into in a legal dark alley.

“The time for change was yesterday,” says Sheindlin. “The time to wake up is now.”

The World Is Outside

Author Ray Bradbury once said, "I don't understand this whole thing about computers and the superhighway. Who wants to be in touch with all of those people?"

He makes a good point.

Too many people, especially the younger ones, think that the Internet is the greatest thing since sliced bread. You need bread to live; you don’t need the Internet.

The Internet is a great resource tool. Email has its place, and porn that should never see the light of day is just a click away.

People spend a great deal of time perfecting their MySpace and Facebook web pages. They constantly email and text message. They have iPhones and BlackBerrys with Internet access. What is so important that people feel the need to be in constant communication?

It’s not that I don’t “get it.” I get it, I just don’t believe it’s the way to live. I’ve seen the world before the Internet and I’ve seen it since. It was a lot better before.

Of course, I’m also a hypocrite. I’ve downloaded an iPod’s worth of MP3s, I email people I don’t feel like talking to in person and yes, I’ve even peeked at a few dirty pictures.

A lot of great things have come from this technological boom, but it’s also responsible for many of the problems the country is experiencing right now.

The job market has suffered from a technological glut. Many things that needed to be done by people are now being done by computers.

There used to be plenty of entry-level clerical, data entry, and filing work. Now that most of these things have been automated, those jobs are disappearing.

Computers have replaced human employees in a variety of tasks. Science fiction writers like Bradbury predicted that this would happen. Sure enough, it did. I know from experience.

I wasn’t replaced by a computer, but many of my co-workers were. They were replaced because of me. They were replaced because I designed and programmed a medical claims auditing system that eliminated their jobs.

When word gets around that you’re the reason their friends were laid off, it doesn’t exactly make life easy in the workplace. I was friends with them too, but it didn’t matter. I did what I was supposed to do.

This is the kind of thing that is happening every day at companies around the world. Once automated computer systems are in place, it only takes a few employees to do the work of many.

Technology can only take us so far. We have to remember that we are smarter than the machines that seem to be taking over. We have to remember that the world is outside and not on a computer screen.

Using technology should improve your life, not make you a slave to it.

Prop 8: It Ain’t About Hate

There’s one thing that people against Proposition 8 don’t understand. Everyone is equal.

That’s what the opponents of Prop 8 are trying to say, but it’s not really what they believe. Everyone is equal, everyone’s opinion is equal, and everyone’s vote is equal. Yet here we are, enduring the threats of the opponents of Prop 8, people who will apparently stop at nothing to extinguish my rights in favor of theirs.

If this is about “equality,” then why does my vote not matter? Twice. We voted on this issue twice. The results of the votes were the same both times. The majority of voters do not want gay marriage. Those on the losing end can’t accept it, so they want to play lawyer-ball until they get their way.

This is not a decision that belongs to the courts. Gays have exactly the same right to get married as any heterosexual person. There is no denial of civil rights. They can marry anyone they choose as long as that person is of the opposite sex.

To be honest, I’m not even entirely opposed to gay marriage. Perhaps more people would be open to allowing it if they hadn’t forced it down our throats in an “in your face” way. You just can’t tell people that their views are wrong. Like everyone else, I am the world’s number one authority of my opinion and what I believe cannot be wrong.

The two things the opponents of Prop 8 preached were that it was “unfair” and “wrong.”

Unfair? Life isn’t fair. My mom’s been telling me that for as long as I can remember. And it really isn’t. The income tax code isn’t fair. Affirmative action isn’t fair. The ban on talking on cell phones while driving isn’t fair. What isn’t fair doesn’t matter. Love the one you’re with and leave me out of it.

Wrong? There is no right and wrong when it comes to the law. Wrong is a judgment call. What one person thinks is wrong may be what another person thinks is right. The best we can do when it comes to right and wrong is try to get along. That’s where the vote comes in.

They’ve also claimed that Prop 8 is hateful. If you want hate, I’ll give you hate. I hate being told what to think. I hate being told that my opinion is wrong. I hate people who think their opinion is more important than mine. I hate that my vote doesn’t seem to matter.

I’m not going to go into how many gay friends I have or that I have had gay roommates in the past. It really doesn’t matter to me. I don’t think any less of them; I say live and let live, just don’t demand my endorsement.

It’s always been kind of a tenet of the gay community to not care about what people think of their lifestyle and that’s great. I do think it’s kind of sad, though, that gay people who want to get married demand my approval and a piece of paper from the state to validate their love.

For anyone who opposes Prop 8, don’t worry. It’s likely that gays will be allowed to get married in California sometime in the future. I might even be persuaded to change my mind if opponents of Prop 8 would be a little nicer about the whole thing.

They’re the ones spewing the hate and anger. I don’t hate anyone. I don’t want to stop anyone from having a committed relationship. I just want to be free to believe what I want without being made to feel like I'm evil.

Free Beer!

Finding a restaurant that serves a great hamburger shouldn’t be difficult. After ordering the burger at Hoppy Brewing Company, only one thing can be said: the search goes on.

Hoppy Brewing Company is a happy little brewpub located on Folsom Blvd. in Sacramento. The place is what it appears to be from the outside, a drinking establishment that happens to serve food.

Inside the brewpub is a long bar with a full array of liquor and plenty of taps for dispensing a variety of pilsners, including several that are brewed on the premises. The dining room itself is not particularly large, but it isn’t intimate. Tables are easily arranged to accommodate groups of different sizes. There is limited outdoor seating, but those tables only seat two.

Seating a party of seven wasn’t really a problem; the wait for a table was reasonable for any restaurant during peak dining hours. However, there wasn’t much room for waiting. Standing around the hostess’ podium as other diners and the staff navigated through was a bit uncomfortable.

The restaurant was particularly noisy and it was difficult to carry on conversations. Above the chatter was a sound system that played music. While the chatter is something to be expected and overlooked, the music was unnecessary.

Once seated with menus, the waiter promptly took drink orders. A free pint of beer was offered to those who had voted in that day’s presidential election. In addition to the varieties of light and dark beer, the menu features a decent selection of wines and spirits. For those with limited wine knowledge, the menu lists the location of the vineyards to aid in selection.

Without a free pint of beer (not for lack of voting), the soft drinks were of the Pepsi variety. Ordering a Coke and receiving the “Is Pepsi okay?” comeback, root beer was my drink of the night. A bit overpriced at $2.50, I was expecting a refill before the end of dinner but was offered none.

The menu is complete enough to cater to the desires of most diners. The appetizers are typical for a brewpub: potato skins, hot wings, calamari and cheese sticks. Much of the entrée menu seems a bit ambitious for this type of dining establishment. Pizza, mahi mahi, ribs, steaks and pastas are difficult foods to prepare well. Many restaurants that specialize in those kinds of foods don’t always succeed in quality.

The entrées that made more sense for a brewpub to serve are burgers and sandwiches. The hamburger was the most appealing, reasonably priced entrée for me. Rather than having half a dozen different hamburgers on the menu, burgers are available with an interesting variety of fixings.

Included on the burger are lettuce and tomato. For forty cents each, different seasonings, cheeses, sauces and toppings like mushrooms, pineapple and jalapeño peppers can be added. Unfortunately, adding onion to the hamburger was a forty-cent addition as well. Charging extra for onions on a hamburger borders on the unthinkable.

Hoppy’s was hopping but all of the food came quickly, in about 15 minutes. The burger was prepared medium rare with lettuce, tomato and onion, exactly the way it was ordered. The shape of the burger was perfectly round and flat, a telltale sign that what I was about to eat was recently a frozen 1/3 pound industrial patty. One bite of the burger confirmed that suspicion.

There was nothing terrible about the hamburger; it just wasn’t anything great. For the $8.25 plus the forty cents for the onion, I expected something more than a factory burger. It was better than a Jumbo Jack from Jack-In-The-Box, but those are less than two bucks and they come with onions.

The service was completely professional and efficient. Plates were promptly cleared and individual checks were issued without having to ask who ordered what. The entire experience was pleasant and enjoyable. I would dine at the Hoppy Brewing Company again, but I would order something other than the hamburger.


On the Net
http://www.hoppy.com/

Hot Diggidy Dog

It's no secret that Americans love to eat tubes of mystery meat on a bun, otherwise know as the hot dog.

They're offered up at every major league sporting event. They're sold on the street out of portable hot dog steamers. They're sold in most movie theaters. They're available in every supermarket and at thousands of independent hot dog stands around the country.

New Yorkers boast that Nathan's of Coney Island serves the best hot dogs. While there are many Nathan’s locations in the New York area, the one actually at Coney Island is the place to go. Millions of New Yorkers also patronize the famous Sabrett's hot dog carts that can be found throughout the city.

Detroit lays claim to the best "coney islands," restaurants that specialize in chili dogs. Chicago also claims to have the best hot dogs with the most unique toppings, like pickle spears, tomato and relish.

Hollywood is home to Pink's, with its wide variety of topping-laced dogs named after celebrities and golden, delicious chili cheese fries. Its walls are adorned with pictures of hundreds of celebrities who frequent the joint.

As good as any of these hot dogs may be, there is a chain of hot dog stands in the San Fernando Valley called Cupid’s that out-dogs them all. Their menu is simply hot dogs, potato chips, and sodas.

Cupid's has been a Valley landmark since the chain opened in the early 1940s. They serve up their hot dogs with no pretences. A chili dog costs $2, and "everything" includes mustard, onions and chili. And while it is practically unheard of in Los Angeles, I take ketchup on mine.

The hot dogs are prepared on wooden paddles with curves on them that hold the bun and dog in place while the toppings are quickly applied by the expert staff. They can be eaten on the spot at the provided picnic tables or wrapped to go.

When you unwrap your Cupid’s dog at home, the chili stays on the dog thanks to a special dual wrapping process. One layer holds the chili in place while the second wrapper, placed at a 45 degree angle, covers the bun securely. The bun remains soft and chewy, and when you take that first bite, the flavors explode in your mouth.

The tart deli-style mustard gives the dog zing, while the onions provide a crunchy texture. The chili is soft, smooth and solid so you can safely eat the dog without worrying about dripping ingredients on your favorite shirt.

Given America's love of the hot dog, it's surprising that fast food chains haven't cashed in on that love. Yes, there is Weinerschnitzel, but no hot dog aficionado would willingly eat there.

We can be grateful for this lack of commercial interest in the hot dog. It leaves more room for the local and regional chains and independent stands. Could you imagine the McHotDog?

Ambien Dreams

Parked in a driveway somewhere, I sit in my car waiting for someone. A car pulls up next to mine. I get out, walk around the back of my car and over to the other car’s driver window. The window opens. Gunshots spurt from an Uzi, striking me in the chest.

I fall down, slowly feeling the life leave my body. Things are beginning to go dark. The car pulls away. I die. For a long time, I feel only darkness.

When I wake up, I am slow to realize that it was all just a dream. The images haunt me, though, and for a while all I can think of is what it feels like to die in a dream. I always thought people didn’t actually die in dreams. I wish it had been the first time, but my own death in dreams has become a theme in my nighttime world.

They say that Ambien can cause vivid and intense dreams, but I’ve been having these kinds of dreams way longer that I have taken the popular prescription sleeping pill. They also say Ambien is habit-forming.

It probably is habit-forming, but given the number of nights I’ve suffered without sleep in my life, I’ll take the addiction, bad dreams and all.

One night, I was on a plane that went down. The sensation of the plane falling to the ground seemed so real that when I woke up it took quite a while to convince myself that it wasn’t real.

The worst dreams I’ve ever had involved nuclear explosions. I’ve had three of them in the past year. If you’ve never experienced the sensation of being hit by a nuclear blast, it is like seeing a bright flash then feeling a burst of powerful, hot wind that destroys everything in its path.

Most of the Ambien dreams are ordinary ones, though incredibly detailed and lucid. They’re a lot like watching movies, and often I’m not even in them. They have distinct characters and story lines and I often become emotionally involved with what happens in them.

The dose of Ambien I am on is relatively strong, and it leaves a hangover-like grogginess to the following morning, sans the nausea. I don’t like having to take a pill for something that comes to most people naturally.

Ambien is better than tossing and turning hour after hour until I’m so frustrated I get out of bed and watch infomercials all night, or worse, Will & Grace.

Triggered Traffic Lights Leave Sacramento Timed Out

Sometimes technology overwhelms common sense. Such is the case with many of the Sacramento area’s traffic lights.

In Los Angeles, where I come from, there’s a saying that every destination is “twenty minutes” away. Of course this is not true, but it sure feels about right when you drive it. Around the Sacramento area, it’s really hard to judge how long it will take to get where you’re going.

In Sacramento, sometimes I can get to my local Target in a few minutes. Sometimes it takes forever because I have to stop at five consecutive traffic lights in less than a mile.

As the region grows and expands, so does the traffic situation. The solution that local authorities have chosen is to place sensors in the pavement to change signal lights based on traffic flow. And there must have been a sale on left turn arrows because this area is overflowing with them.

It all seems logical, at least on the surface. When the sensors detect vehicles at intersections, the traffic lights change accordingly. The problems with this system become very apparent very quickly.

One problem is that traffic signals stop all the vehicles on one road when a single car hits the sensors on a cross street. It may be nice for that one car to be able to proceed, but it’s not logical to halt the flow of all traffic for a single vehicle.

Another problem is reaching the sensors before the signal changes. This is especially frustrating with left turn arrows. As soon as the sensors detect no vehicles, the light changes. If you don’t hit the sensors, you’re forced to wait through an entire traffic light cycle before you can proceed.

The reason I find these triggered traffic signals frustrating comes from many years of driving the streets of Los Angeles. In L.A., just about all of the signals are timed and only major intersections have left turn arrows.

Timed signals mean that if traffic is able to flow at or about the speed limit, vehicles can get through multiple intersections without having to stop. I was often able to get through six or seven intersections on my way to and from work and not stop once.

Since relocating to the Sacramento area last year to finish college, I have noticed that my fuel consumption has decreased by about 3 miles per gallon. These triggered signals are forcing a stop-and-go pattern of traffic that’s sucking down the gas.

Considering the price of oil and concerns about the environment, it’s kind of surprising that the region has gotten carried away with a system of traffic signals that waste gas and cause a lot of stop-and-go traffic.

It’s not possible to compare traffic in L.A. with traffic in Sacramento, but in L.A. we share what I would describe as “mutual frustration.” That is, we all know traffic is a mess and we all know we’re stuck in it so we might as well work together to get through it.

Unlike Sacramento, drivers in L.A. are generally more patient when allowing lane changes and navigating through freeway and surface street traffic. While the volume of traffic is greater in L.A., my frustration with traffic in the Sacramento area has convinced me that people up here just don’t know how to drive.

I’d also like to meet the Einstein who designed the Watt Avenue and Highway 50 interchange. To get on or off the freeway at Watt, vehicles have to cross over in shared lanes. Stupid. I can’t think of any way to describe it better than that.