May 6th

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.

Read the 14th Amendment, Joe…

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…

Remembering Ernie Harwell…

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….

Michigan’s texting law again…

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….

Red Wings

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!

May 4th

Well…it’s been quite a busy day today, had a lot to do to finish up at g’s then on the bike for a good 15 miles. Looks like a pretty good turnout for the Wings game tonight at OT…I have to stop and pick up the traditional chips and dip…maybe that’s why we’re down 2-0, no chips or dip at the last two. I’m doubling up on the gear tonight, too…have my 2008 conference champions shirt under my Hank shirt…have to try something…we need to get going.

One thing that has happened the past few days that is raising some outrage….when did people stop understanding that a “walk” sign means that pedestrians have the right of way (bike riders, too)? Three times I have almost been run over by people that were either idiots or just not paying attention. Stood the bike on the front wheel to keep them from hitting me. geez….

More about Arizona and how thin skinned the righties are…but that’s for tomorrow…

No…need to deal with the righties now…I find it ironic that all of their politics is based on lies and attacking anyone who disagrees with them…then, when Richard Cohen of the Washington Post calls out Newt for his many failings, (not even a very good attack) they scream that it’s not fair to attack him and that’s all the “liberal, socialist, communists” do…talk about the pot calling the kettle black…I know, a too used metaphor but I think of it as an oldie but a goodie…geez.

Remembering Kent State

Hmmm…40 years ago today, 4 students were killed by the national guard that were called in to keep order on the campus of Kent State University. Being a 17 year old kid at the time (and one who generally supported the government) I didn’t know what to think about our government killing people who were not much older than I was and whose only crime was to exercise their constitutionally protected rights of assembly and protest. I think that day opened my eyes and set me on the path that has led me to where I am now…believing that government can be good or evil; it depends on the humans that are making up that government….

No citizen, or no human should have to pay that high a price for his or her beliefs…but I know that’s how change happens; and it’s cost is sometime almost unbearable. Thank you to those who have had the courage to bet it all on making this country and world a better place.

I still get chills whenever the first notes of “Ohio” by CSNY come on the radio…

“What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground?”

May 3rd…not a lot to say today

Well….still can’t get over how badly the Wings were screwed last night…but that’s over and done and I have to remind myself that it was still a great, fast game and I had a lot of fun out at Sazerac in the north end. Even had a youngster flirt with me for a while which I could say helped my ego but since I know it was just fooling around, there really is no effect there. Too bad.

I am a little irritated that Monday with G was canceled after taking care of a lot of stuff for her today. But she got to golf at one of the nice country clubs around here so how can you pass that up? And, I can use the night off from drinking since I know I’ll be out to see the Wings tomorrow…maybe she’s doing me a favor, huh? Kind of worn out so I’m going to end here for a while. Maybe more later but probably not until tomorrow…

What you never want to be….