Don’t be a loser

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Walked out this morning and somebody had yanked my Sirius radio receiver out of my car window. They also stole my 10-year-olds fencing gear.

There are about four column themes wrapped up in that second paragraph. Maybe that’s the way to approach this thing, illustrate how little words become little columns.

First, I can hardly blame anyone but myself for the theft of my satellite receiver. I left the window on my Jeep open. It was practically an invitation. Cars—and don’t tell me the world shouldn’t be this way, I’m kind of a reality-based guy—and computer networks should not be left open to wandering marauders. I don’t feel too bad for myself, but—geez—to rip off a little kid’s stuff. He didn’t do anything to deserve that. I’m always kind of surprised by those random acts of shitheelhood. I can say that those creeps could leave their Clearasil on the sidewalk, and I’d never touch it. So much for the golden rule off Skyline Drive.

Second, yeah, I listen to satellite radio. Sorry, Reno stations, but Left of Center reintroduced me to the fact that music is a living, breathing art form with intelligent lyrics and insightful commentary. I’m not going out of my way to promote anything that doesn’t enhance the local talent pool, but I don’t have any problem stating categorically that some of our local stations never play a local band in regular rotation.

Third, there is no “safety” on this planet. We live in a world where a loser with a rock can enter any home with a window. I could have put a motion sensor and alarm on that driveway. I will now.

Fourth and finally (and this is related to the theft), I want to repeat a quote repeated by Bruce Van Dyke in the week before last’s Notes from the Neon Babylon: “Lives based on having are less free than lives based on doing or being.”