But Then Again I Could Be Wrong

But Then Again I Could Be Wrong: The Book of Rants, Jim Rising, Tribute Books, 2007

This is a book of short commentaries, or rants, that were first broadcast on a radio station in northeast Pennsylvania.

Riding swears that his lawn tractor was a pig in a previous life. It seems to have an affinity for choosing the muddiest part of his yard in which to get very stuck; the usual removal methods don't work (of course). His yard also seems to be a popular hangout for deer, rabbits and other animals, as evidenced by the many footprints in newly fallen snow.

A person can't help but wonder about life and death at seeing the obituary of a girl who didn't reach her first birthday next to that of a 90-year-old man. In late winter, with two feet of snow on the ground, anyone will be looking for a sign that spring really will come on schedule. Having spent much of his career in radio, several pieces are about radio stations at which he has worked in the past; the good, the bad and the very forgettable.

Riding talks about overdraft fees charged by banks. Like most men, he spends as little time as possible in greeting card stores, which are intended for women, anyway. He talks about life behind the wheel; drunk driving, actually driving the speed limit on the highway, and the idiots who seem to get in a car only during the holidays. There are several pieces on 9/11. Is there an Alcoholics Anonymous for email addicts?

Cellphone hell is when your cellphone company changes providers, right after you buy a cellphone and have already manually transferred all your phone numbers (for the second time). Then your new phone does not work in your kitchen and you get another phone, and transfer all your numbers (for the third time). Of course, this newest phone cannot dial the right numbers half the time, or dials numbers for no reason the other half of the time. He reserves a special place in hell for people who throw cigarette butts out of their cars, and those who have loud cell phone conversations in public, somehow assuming the nobody nearby is listening.

These rants could apply to anywhere in America, so they are very easy to identify with. They are also very short, less than 2 pages each, so this book can be picked up and read at any point. It's very much worth reading.