what's the deal?

i don't know if maybe i've just lost touch and forgotten how things were back in wisconsin/minnesota, but i sure seem to remember people being so much more friendly and helpful. i hadn't really thought about it much until recently, but last week a group of us at work had a discussion about the people around here. it seems that washington d.c.'s people are just not very good at dealing with other people, which is strange, given the politics that take place here. growing up and going to school in wisconsin, it always seemed that if you encountered someone on the sidewalk, you'd give them some sort of acknowledgement, even if it was just a slight nod. hell, i know everyone there has done the one-finger wave to a total stranger while driving (no, not the middle finger, B, the ol' lift the pointer finger up and put it back down on the steering wheel, you know what i'm talking about). it's just kind of out of a sense of having respect for other people. but around here, if you even look at someone while walking down the sidewalk, you're likely to either a) be shot, b) be punched, c) be flipped off, or d) all of the above, with a guy pulling the trigger of his gun with the middle finger of his right hand while punching you with his left. and from what i've gathered from co-workers that are in the know, new york is even worse. i can't wait to visit there. it could be due to the fact that the residents in these cities are used to dealing with tourists that don't know their heads from their asses, but maybe everyone would be a little better off if they just gave them some quick directions rather than telling them they're idiots. but maybe that's just me. anywho, that's about all i have for now.

"what should i do, throw the ball back to jimmy? or put some goggles on and look at his feet?"
-mitch hedberg, on the ways to have fun in an above-ground pool