Phoenix is a ghost town, and other things

I was going to let you ruminate on my awesome musical taste for a day or two, but what the hell, I'll post again.

First: who knew?

You scored as Islam.

Your beliefs are most similar to those of Islam. Do more research on Islam and possibly consider taking the shahadah and officially becoming a Muslim, if you aren't already. Despite the actions of some - who go against the teachings of Islam - Islam is a religion of peace; the word "islam" means "peace through submission to God." "Muslim" means "one who submits to God." Islam is the third of the three Abrahamic faiths, and it shares much with Judaism in Christianity; its differences are the acceptance of Muhammad as the last and final prophet, and the oneness of God - in other words, that Jesus, though he was a revered prophet, was not in fact God, and only one God exists. Apparently the Taliban could not read (though their name means "students"), because the Qur'an states that men and women are equal as believers, and that all believers should be educated and seek knowledge. Modesty in dress and behavior is required in Islam for both men and women to preserve the values of society and move the emphasis from superficial appearance to intelligence, knowledge, and God.
Islam: 75%
agnosticism: 71%
Buddhism: 54%
Paganism: 50%
atheism: 46%
Hinduism: 42%
Judaism: 38%
Christianity: 33%
Satanism: 33%

Courtesy of the which religion is right for you? quiz. Wow. Posting will re-commence once I've made the hajj.

Moving on, on Friday night Krys and I went out to dinner with her father, since it was his last night in town. We went to Famous Dave's at the picturesque Chandler Fashion Center. Krys and I got the rib tips, while Wally got a full rack. Sweet Fancy Moses, they were quite possibly the best ribs I've ever had. Melted off the bone, just melted! Dipped in an excellent, slightly spicy BBQ sauce. Unbelievable. I told our waiter that I could do commercials for it. I'm doing one now (of course, it's unpaid). Go to the web site and see if there's one near you. Then go, quickly. You won't regret it.

Finally, I drove through downtown Phoenix yesterday and today. It's weird, because it's a ghost town - seriously. People around here always talk about making downtown more vibrant, and let me tell you, they have their work cut out for them. First of all, the downtown area is really small. It's weird how small it is for a region with 6 million people. Second of all, there's nobody out on the streets. Yes, it's a work day, but in Portland, there was always street activity, even in the middle of a Monday or Tuesday. In the summertime the activity is even less - it doesn't help the area that for a good six months of the year it's too hot to go outside. Phoenix has some potential, I suppose, but it's dead. I like to point out that truly great downtowns are near water, and while Phoenix sits on the Salt River, it's not much of a river (due to the rains this winter, there's actually water in it for the first time since 1997). Everyone is in their own little communities, and Phoenix is the rotten core. Downtown Mesa is more vibrant than downtown Phoenix! My father-in-law did not like it here (I don't blame him) because there's nothing to do. He's right. The major activities in the Basin are golf and going to the mall. If you want to get a look at the future of America, people, come to Phoenix and its surrounding villages. Here it is - suburbs as far as the eye can see, golf courses, malls, very little culture beyond sports, and no sense of community whatsoever. I wish I was kidding.