laptops or cigarettes

my lil brother came home with an armful of laptops this afternoon. reminds me of that simpsons dialog:

fat tony: bart, is it wrong to steal a loaf of bread to feed your starving family?
bart: no.
fat tony: imagine you have a big starving family. is it wrong to steal a truckload of bread?
bart: i guess not.
fat tony: now, what if your family don't like bread? what if they like -- cigarettes? is it okay to steal a truckload of cigarettes?
bart: hell no!

of course, my lil brother is not a thief. this powerbook g4 on my lap right now? was got via legitimate means.

speaking of legitimate means, my other brother and i went shopping for a dog today at the humane society. we went to two places. ever been to an animal rescue? it breaks your heart. i couldn't stand it at first. all the dogs start barking at once, throwing themselves (in the cutest possible way) at the bars, wagging their tails to beat the band. forget solar power, man: you should hook up a generator to the noise and wag-generated wind you get when someone visits those dogs.

the one we ultimately applied for is a lab/shep mix, 3 years old, sweet-tempered and pretty. too bad i won't be around to get to know her. cty tomorrow, and for six weeks thereafter.

now somebody make me a manhattan.