On my way home tonight I ended up behind a Chevy with a “bumper sticker” in the rear window… Actually, “bumper sticker” isn’t the best way to describe it; it was a corrugated cardboard yard sign held in place with blue painters’ tape. It was smack dab in the middle of his rear window - there was no way for him to see out around it.

This is all odd enough by itself, but what really caught my eye was what the sign said. The sign said, “Jesus Is Lord Not Allah”

I sat and blinked a few times, wondering if I had misread his vehicular missive to the world. It distincly said “Jesus Is Lord Not Allah” - my eyes were not deceiving me.

It’s exactly this sort of religious intolerance that keeps everyone at each others’ throats over petty, stupid differences.

Someone I know is fond of pointing out, “But that just shows the bad side of christianity - they don’t speak for the majority of us.” Well I have to say - shame on all the christians who’ve had this thought, let alone those who would actually put a sign like this on their vehicle or applaude someone who would.

I know it’s not just christians who are intolerant, but it’s rather in fashion right now given the current radically religious conserativism that’s sweeping the country.

However, people wonder why religions are perceived badly? I think it just takes one glance at a statement like this to show us - vividly - why.

Knowledge is like 4WD; you still get stuck, but in much more difficult places.

I was reading our city’s local liberal rag (primarily because nothing else was available) and rather than get my blood boiling by the outragious liberalism spewed forth by their “staff writers”, I flipped to the back of the magazine to scan the personal ads and help wanted section.

As I was reading the help wanted section this advertisement caught my eye. It read: “If you’ve been referred to as Hippie, Liberal, Environmental-Waco, Progressive or a Non-Conformist, we want you!”

I thought, “Okay, at least they know who they’re looking for.” Then I read the very next line (I swear I’m not making this up): “Sleep Late 2-10:30“.

I thought to myself, “Huh, that about says it all doesn’t it?”

I’m sure there are some liberal, hippie, environmental-wacko, progressive non-conformists out there who aren’t slackers and generally lazy bums, but I’ve never met one.

I realize that this is my own bias towards left-leaning people, but I feel some vindication that even those who would target the way-left-leaning has to admit their shortcomings.

I’ve been using my Sleeptracker watch for a week now. Just like clockwork, it awoke me at 6:40am this morning.

I can’t say I bounded out of bed, but after a few minutes of denial that I had to get up I rolled out of bed and onto the floor.

Then it hit me; the Sleeptracker does do a great job of sensing when you’re most awake to set off its alarm. But it’s still an alarm and you still have to get up! Oh yes, it’s infinitely better than a clock radio, violently yanking you from slumber according to its schedule; but the bottom line is that no matter how you slice it, you have to get out of the warm, soft, comfortable bed.

And that just sucks…but it sucks less when you’re almost awake and Sleeptracker can work the voodoo that it do so well.

So if you’re eager to know, “Gosh, does the Sleeptracker really, really work?” the answer is, “Yes! The Sleeptracker really, really works. It works well. It got me up at 9am on a Saturday and I don’t get up at 9am on a Saturday for nobody.”

You probably are thinking, “But why does it cost so much?”

“Because it works!” Yeah, the Sleeptracker is $150, but look: I’ve had problems getting up my whole life. I’ve also blown $150 in ten minutes on a slot machine. Personally, the money was an investment in myself. If it worked - which it did - it was money well spent. If it did work, Innovative Sleep Solutions promises a 30-day money back guarantee on their web site and I figured even if they wouldn’t make good on the refund; I’ve blown $150 before and it’s not the end of the world.

So imagine my surprise when I got it, tried it and it worked. If you have problems getting up with an alarm, try this. For me it was money well spent.

The Sleeptracker gets two thumbs up - way up - because it does exactly what it promises and it does it really well. Those guys at Innovative Sleep Solutions are really on to something with this product.

They get mad respect from me because they’ve made waking up a little easier. I still hate that I actually have to get out of bed. If they can figure out a way to make that enjoyable they’ll make billions!