Random stuff #8

A few more tidbits that have been simmering in the sweltering heat.

• PA lawmakers are greedy bastards! They recently voted themselves a pay raise (at 2:00 am) to make them the second highest-paid legislature in the country. Normally, pay raises are only effective in the legislative session following the one in which the raise was approved (i.e., it should be effective in December 2006). However, several enterprising individuals (read: most of them) are taking the raise now through an expense-type voucher. Among these people include some who voted against the pay raise. There is a movement afoot (called Operation Clean Sweep: Pennsylvania) to throw all these bums out.


• There are actually scientists out there who don't believe in evolution. This is rather shocking to me. But I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised. Read about them here.


• SEPTA is only on "tangerine" alert. A somewhat disturbing news item reveals that the Philadelphia-area mass transit system doesn't think that it's really necessary to be on an "orange" level alert, and believes that they are doing enough by floating somewhere between "yellow" and "orange". This indicates either: (1) a high level of stupidity and incompetence, or (2) irrational hubris. I'm going with option #1. Though I do have to agree that SEPTA would be a highly unlikely target: the trains and buses don't go to enough places and they're hardly ever running on time. Imagine how that could screw up a well-planned "event". (I'm purposely avoiding certain key phrases to avoid having my door kicked in and my computer seized for no valid reason. I denounce any and all "events" or "program-related activities".)