I don’t want you to think that an earlier post was a screed against the wealthy since it wasn’t. But I also want to make clear that people that have a lot of money don’t impress me; it’s what they DO with the money that can impress me. People like Peter Cook, Bob Israels, and the DeVos’s and VanAndels who have used their wealth to make Grand Rapids and Michigan a better place to live.
Still don’t like the idea of having rich people’s names on everything around here, though.
I hope you remembered that when you see a date in the title, it’s going to be about my life and thoughts…just thought I’d remind you so you don’t get your expectations too high…or have any at all since this is just a guy talking.
That was a fun time last night out at LC with G but I don’t know how long we can sustain the bar tabs that are approaching a hundred bucks. Yep, and just for two people. But we did get a coupon for two free steak dinners for knowing the answer to the question: “What is the make and model of the car from the movie Christine?” I knew it was a Plymouth Fury and was the only one…gave the answer to the bartenders since G and I weren’t playing trivia but were watching the Wings game. Don’t know how good they will be but, in this part of Michigan, free is better than good for most people.
Taking the day off from riding since it’s raining like crazy and I think 22 days in a row is enough…the legs were starting to feel dead and it was making the rides not a lot of fun..
I’m starting to feel better since it’s close to noon and I’m going to watch the Wings game again since I couldn’t hear it last night and I want to hear Ken and Mickey. More later…
Well…have to comment on the recent speech by Eric Prince (founder of Blackwater) in Holland and the coverage that the comments have been given in the Grand Rapids Press. Let’s be clear, Prince is the founder of a mercenary organization that is still under investigation for the murder of Iraqi citizens and has damaged the U.S.’s reputation in the world with it’s cowboy antics and lawless behavior. It’s sins were so egregious that Prince changed the name to XE services to try to hide in plain sight, knowing that the activities of his organization had irreparably damaged the name Blackwater.
But now to the comments that were quoted in the Press that ranged from “he’s a wonderful man” to “this country would be a better place if there were more people like Mr. Prince”. More people that were born on third base in life and was taught that he hit a triple? More people that used his daddy’s money and connections to feed at the public trough? More people that have lived the life of privilege and feel that the rules don’t apply to him? He went so far as to impose a condition for his speaking that there would be no press at the luncheon; he did relent to allow press but still would not allow any audio or video recording of his speech.
Mr. Prince is just another of the class of GW Bush and others who, without his family connections or money, would have ended up managing a McDonalds somewhere and no one would be listening to them. I’m tired of these types that have never had to work a day in their lives telling me what is best for me or the middle class. Geez…
Well..that was a good game last night…had a ton of fun out with G and feel kind of crappy this morning. But, in my opinion, what we saw was more like a supernova burning off the last of its fuel than a sustainable move to higher energy and performance. I love the guys but to expect them to do that again is probably what I said to T last night…”an irrational hope”. But, I’ve never been accused of being that rational….
Go Wings! Looking forward to Saturday…..
Well…that’s enough outrage for the day, huh? But I couldn’t help myself…the targets were just so easy that I had to take the shot. Started to get over the headaches from yesterday and the imminent depression seems to be lifting..I know partially due to lunch with T. yesterday; thanks again. One weird thing that happened yesterday was another attack by the geese that infest the trails that I ride every day. Have a big fricking bruise on my arm from it…I wonder how they taste?
Well… it is do or die tonight for the Wings and I am kind of apprehensive…will probably watch with G or a small group…think the festiveness has gone out of watching but I’m still rooting for them.
More onion skin for tomorrow…I promise.
Well…here we go again, the people who have sworn to uphold the constitution are trying to tear it apart again led by Joe Lieberman. His proposed new law that would allow the government to strip citizenship from people accused of being associated with terrorist organizations is in direct conflict with 14th amendment as defined in the Afroyim v. Rusk case that clarified the law and found that no government agency can strip a citizen of his citizenship. Long-settled law from the 1800′s.
Pure political posturing that shows either that he is ignorant of the constituition or he is willfully playing on people’s fears when he knows that no court in the land would uphold it. He needs to stop wasting the people’s time on this kind of bs and get on with solving the real problems of this country. Geez…
Well…as you probably heard, Ernie Harwell passed away a couple of days ago. If you grew up in Michigan and listened to the Tigers, you knew that wonderful voice as the voice of summer; of the warm, soft nights here that Ernie’s voice fit so well. One of my first memories of hearing Ernie was at my grandmother’s cottage, my father sitting in our red and white 55 Ford station wagon (not the blue one, that came later) with the door open, smoking a cigarette and staring off into space; I hope escaping the 9 of us kids that were kind of wild and could try his patience at times. Not much else to say..
Thanks Ernie….
Well…I just can’t let this one go…you all know about the new law in Michigan that makes texting while driving a primary offense…that means that the police can stop anyone they “suspect” of sending or reading texts, or reading e-mail while driving. While this sounds like a good idea to some folks given some highly publicized accidents that have happened while the drivers were texting, let’s look at exactly what that means. What are the actions that would make you a suspect? Basically, anything that you do in the car now makes you liable to be pulled over. I have an MP-3 player that is attached to the stereo in my car that any officer can say looks like a phone if I’m looking at it to change the music. What if I’m looking at maps that I need to get where I’m going…how can they see in my car to see that it is a map and not a phone…and what about the smartphones that many people use instead of maps? What about the handheld gps systems that can be mistaken for a phone? What about ford’s Sync system that can provide e-mails to be read in the car? Which, under this law is illegal. I’d be selling my Ford right away.
That said, I do believe that when you are in the car, you should be driving; not talking on the phone, eating, reading, or putting on makeup.
Where are the Repubs who are howling that the healthcare bill is a direct attack on their freedoms when this bill is so much more of a direct attack on the fourth amendment and the guarantee of protection from unreasonable search and seizures?
And, let’s think of the primary driving force behind this bill; the insurance companies who have spent millions lobbying for it’s passage. The reason for this is, as the police write tickets for this offense, guess who gets to raise the rates of people that have been ticketed? Given the history of police departments abusing the powers granted to them by vague laws, do we expect any different here? Geez….
Hmmm…another night, another loss for the Wings…I guess this is just not our year…and the sharks are just playing better. I will watch the last game Thurs but don’t have a lot of hope…and they have given us so many good things this season that I will salute them no matter what happens.
Go Wings!
Well…bad night last night…with the Wings losing…and I can feel the depression coming back…so this may be the only thing that I write today…
More later…maybe…