Local news item... and no, I'm not fabricating the facts; these have been reported.
A father walks into the kitchen to see his daughter snacking on a biscuit - a biscuit marked for his consumption only. Granted, food rationing at its most extreme.
An altercation ensues. The father reportedly stabs the daughter ten times. Though injured, the daughter returns suit, killing the father, then is found later hiding outside. Yes, an assault over a single, solitary biscuit, when I'm sure there was more food in the refrigerator that they could have fairly split and eaten.
The "times two" occurred in the article's on-line reader feedback. People jokingly signing names such as "Pillsbury" commenting that the girl "is hot", "sat on a biscuit, never willing to risk it," and "So what? I've killed for less."
What a pathetic case of insensitivity, all the way around. It ranks among the top 5 I've ever witnessed all-time.
First, the incident: I might not totally understand the plight of the hungry, but there are soup kitchens in this area. Individual cities have surplus food drives. All they need to do is show proof of residency and they'll qualify. Pride of the ego may be sacrificed, but pride of survival ranks much higher.
I am not knocking the practice of labelling the food per se, since I've done it at our house, and for the most part it worked. If it didn't, though, the situation would never have come to simple blows, let alone what happened there.
Now, to call me an activist is not really accurate, since I'm hardly active enough as is. But for several weeks, I've left comments saying that the local newspaper in question is letting posters get away with murder on their commentaries. Any Joe or Jane Q. Public can leave comments on the site without having the true source of the comments being traced. Just be able to read a Captcha code, and you're in, regardless how lewd your comment is.
It's truly unbelievable what makes news these days. When I was raised in the 1970s & 80s, I don't think my parents could have foretold the extremes seen today. This, in addition to the gunman story of a few days back.
Where has the human chain of command gone so horribly wrong in recent years?
May 27, 2009
Why Detroit shouldn't fix what they broke
About a year ago, I YouTubed a video concerning the plight of Detroit Public School buildings that were abandoned, yet continued to house important, sensitive student & teacher records and books, which would be accessible to any vagrant. Joy Middle School, I believe, was the focus school as there was local community outrage over the story, originally posted in the Free Press.
Yesterday, it was reported that Joy School is in the process of being demolished. It's about damn time.
Continuing the theme of my previous post about funding projects, it was not stated in the article who's funding this demolition, but you can bet the city itself, or the DPS, did not loan one red cent. In other words, it's likely to be funded by a private contractor outside of city operations. This is a good thing!
Scanning the article and the public response blog, I was sure I would see a dissenting opinion, saying "Why doesn't Detroit get this project? Why aren't Detroit natives picked first to do the demolition?" It's just like they've been saying about Cobo Hall in recent months: "Why let it be taken over by a tri-county authority? Where's the preference for Detroit natives and city-based companies?" It's their indirect opinion that the people seeing the blight would be the ones responsible for correcting it.
Thank goodness the thought on this was: Just get it done; no matter the cost, no matter the type of personnel. The response time on Joy School is probably happening faster, under NO city control, than it would otherwise. To improve the quality of life in the city, the blight has to be demolished. The ultimate candidate should be ANY candidate that is capable of demolition. The focus shouldn't be on who does it, or where they live, but just to get it done so the neighborhoods can move forward.
Just a small step... but if the deal was brokered by new mayor Dave Bing, then he's off to a great start in office after mere weeks on the job.
Yesterday, it was reported that Joy School is in the process of being demolished. It's about damn time.
Continuing the theme of my previous post about funding projects, it was not stated in the article who's funding this demolition, but you can bet the city itself, or the DPS, did not loan one red cent. In other words, it's likely to be funded by a private contractor outside of city operations. This is a good thing!
Scanning the article and the public response blog, I was sure I would see a dissenting opinion, saying "Why doesn't Detroit get this project? Why aren't Detroit natives picked first to do the demolition?" It's just like they've been saying about Cobo Hall in recent months: "Why let it be taken over by a tri-county authority? Where's the preference for Detroit natives and city-based companies?" It's their indirect opinion that the people seeing the blight would be the ones responsible for correcting it.
Thank goodness the thought on this was: Just get it done; no matter the cost, no matter the type of personnel. The response time on Joy School is probably happening faster, under NO city control, than it would otherwise. To improve the quality of life in the city, the blight has to be demolished. The ultimate candidate should be ANY candidate that is capable of demolition. The focus shouldn't be on who does it, or where they live, but just to get it done so the neighborhoods can move forward.
Just a small step... but if the deal was brokered by new mayor Dave Bing, then he's off to a great start in office after mere weeks on the job.
May 26, 2009
Kids or Vets: Who's got the hunger
Many Detroit Tiger fans have written off the 2007 & 2008 seasons as bitter disappointments, given the amount of talent they've acquired. They've been hoping for a better 2009, and so far they've gotten it, for the most part.
However, some of the key components have either been injured or unable to perform well. Instead, kids from the farm system have stepped up and been noticed.
Take starting pitcher Rick Porcello, for instance. In his last few starts, he's been dominant, especially considering the club will be watching his pitch counts all year. Justin Verlander has evidentally put 2008 behind him as, once again, he looks like the dominator of old. If he doesn't win AL Pitcher of the Month, there's an injustice in baseball. Young Ryan Perry, walks aside, has taken over the seventh inning role and done well.
Offensively, the Tigers finally got a Braves trade right, as Josh Anderson has done well in limited playing time, and given the club sorely-needed speed. Clete Thomas came from Triple-A and had an immediate impact. And Miguel Cabrera has proven he's a hit machine time and again.
All this has resulted in a first place spot in the AL Central. But why may that not be the case for too long?
It's been implied by management that, as well as these kids have done, they have to make way for veterans coming off the DL soon. Magglio Ordonez, though not on the DL, is a case in point. He's always looked fragile in the outfield, so he would be more valued at DH, but he's off to a very slow start. There's simply no room for a $14 million singles hitter who, at age 34, could be losing it.
Then there's Carlos Guillen, whose career has seen better days. The uptempo focus of the club coincides with Guillen's stay on the DL. How can the Tigers expect him to cover ground in left field (with a huge power alley), when he looked feeble at third base, clueless at first base, and overmatched defensively at shortstop? There's no room for a DH-type that has driven in a total of five runs this year.
Starter Jeremy Bonderman is due to return soon after nearly a year off due to major surgery. How far do you trust his stuff after he's been on the shelf much of the past two years? Put him in the rotation, and endurance (plus those well-known bad 1st innings) will tax the bullpen. Put him in relief, and he'll balk. Put him in anywhere, with just a 2-pitch repertoire, and you're asking for trouble. Do you sacrifice the future for an unsure present?
In these three cases, money talks, if you look at their contracts. The Tigers, unfortunately, are where they were in 2000-2002; too many big contracts, and not enough suitors to take them on to get payroll flexibility. Remember how long it took them to shed Damion Easley's contract, and how long it took to rid themselves of Bobby Higginson's attitude? So much money is geared toward the injured & unproven. Their motivation to come back may just be the money. Will that be the Tigers' only motivation in playing them, because they're financially bound to?
It honestly would be a shame. Kids are hungry for action and a chance to prove themselves. That's one of the key factors that has helped the Tigers rise to first. Stirring the pot the other way may be a hindrance to an ultimate goal of the post-season.
With the Tigers, it's win or else. And I would hate to see what the "else" consists of, from the management down to the fans.
However, some of the key components have either been injured or unable to perform well. Instead, kids from the farm system have stepped up and been noticed.
Take starting pitcher Rick Porcello, for instance. In his last few starts, he's been dominant, especially considering the club will be watching his pitch counts all year. Justin Verlander has evidentally put 2008 behind him as, once again, he looks like the dominator of old. If he doesn't win AL Pitcher of the Month, there's an injustice in baseball. Young Ryan Perry, walks aside, has taken over the seventh inning role and done well.
Offensively, the Tigers finally got a Braves trade right, as Josh Anderson has done well in limited playing time, and given the club sorely-needed speed. Clete Thomas came from Triple-A and had an immediate impact. And Miguel Cabrera has proven he's a hit machine time and again.
All this has resulted in a first place spot in the AL Central. But why may that not be the case for too long?
It's been implied by management that, as well as these kids have done, they have to make way for veterans coming off the DL soon. Magglio Ordonez, though not on the DL, is a case in point. He's always looked fragile in the outfield, so he would be more valued at DH, but he's off to a very slow start. There's simply no room for a $14 million singles hitter who, at age 34, could be losing it.
Then there's Carlos Guillen, whose career has seen better days. The uptempo focus of the club coincides with Guillen's stay on the DL. How can the Tigers expect him to cover ground in left field (with a huge power alley), when he looked feeble at third base, clueless at first base, and overmatched defensively at shortstop? There's no room for a DH-type that has driven in a total of five runs this year.
Starter Jeremy Bonderman is due to return soon after nearly a year off due to major surgery. How far do you trust his stuff after he's been on the shelf much of the past two years? Put him in the rotation, and endurance (plus those well-known bad 1st innings) will tax the bullpen. Put him in relief, and he'll balk. Put him in anywhere, with just a 2-pitch repertoire, and you're asking for trouble. Do you sacrifice the future for an unsure present?
In these three cases, money talks, if you look at their contracts. The Tigers, unfortunately, are where they were in 2000-2002; too many big contracts, and not enough suitors to take them on to get payroll flexibility. Remember how long it took them to shed Damion Easley's contract, and how long it took to rid themselves of Bobby Higginson's attitude? So much money is geared toward the injured & unproven. Their motivation to come back may just be the money. Will that be the Tigers' only motivation in playing them, because they're financially bound to?
It honestly would be a shame. Kids are hungry for action and a chance to prove themselves. That's one of the key factors that has helped the Tigers rise to first. Stirring the pot the other way may be a hindrance to an ultimate goal of the post-season.
With the Tigers, it's win or else. And I would hate to see what the "else" consists of, from the management down to the fans.
Strange... Everyone says there's no funding
Michigan basks (for lack of a better, more truthful word) in a huge deficit that will produce very scary ramifications come September. Educational institutions are threatened to their core. Libraries close or merge. Recreation complexes on the municipal level are becoming piecemeal (and in Detroit, you might as well forget it). This means the future of the children born to lead this country in the future will be affected negatively.
To get to those ever-shrinking number of locations, we need to travel more, and in spite of the best efforts, the road is literally becoming bumpy again. For several years now, Michigan motorists have had to play "Dodge The Orange Barrel" on highways and local streets. We are supposed to be in a seven-year program that makes 90% of Michigan roads rated "good", yet word comes that highway funding will dry up unless stimulus money is put into the budget. Great, more of the pothole-laden mess that we've spent five years trying to avoid through all these detours and such.
And in all that red-ink panic, they're replacing all the traffic lights. Where is the funding coming from for those? And how are we able to support their installation when everyone is out there pushing the panic button?
In downtown Garden City, for instance, they're not only replacing the lights themselves, but also the old-style, decorative columns that support them... just ten years after they were first installed. On some of the other streets, instead of stringing the lights on one line, they're stringing together four lines, one in each direction, which increases the cost of labor & materials. And there's nothing really wrong with the traffic lights they're replacing. They simply want to push for LED lighting, which they claim will have cost savings in the future.
The future? What about now? What about the people & institutions that could use a cash infusion now? Will we base a future on what we know, what we've learned, and what institutions we learned from? Or will we base it on a beautiful traffic signal on a decorative column, designed to be asthetically pleasing and be a boom to downtown business?
Please! As long as there is a regular program to replace burnt bulbs on signals, can't their lifespan be extended a few more years while money goes to places that really need it?
To get to those ever-shrinking number of locations, we need to travel more, and in spite of the best efforts, the road is literally becoming bumpy again. For several years now, Michigan motorists have had to play "Dodge The Orange Barrel" on highways and local streets. We are supposed to be in a seven-year program that makes 90% of Michigan roads rated "good", yet word comes that highway funding will dry up unless stimulus money is put into the budget. Great, more of the pothole-laden mess that we've spent five years trying to avoid through all these detours and such.
And in all that red-ink panic, they're replacing all the traffic lights. Where is the funding coming from for those? And how are we able to support their installation when everyone is out there pushing the panic button?
In downtown Garden City, for instance, they're not only replacing the lights themselves, but also the old-style, decorative columns that support them... just ten years after they were first installed. On some of the other streets, instead of stringing the lights on one line, they're stringing together four lines, one in each direction, which increases the cost of labor & materials. And there's nothing really wrong with the traffic lights they're replacing. They simply want to push for LED lighting, which they claim will have cost savings in the future.
The future? What about now? What about the people & institutions that could use a cash infusion now? Will we base a future on what we know, what we've learned, and what institutions we learned from? Or will we base it on a beautiful traffic signal on a decorative column, designed to be asthetically pleasing and be a boom to downtown business?
Please! As long as there is a regular program to replace burnt bulbs on signals, can't their lifespan be extended a few more years while money goes to places that really need it?
May 25, 2009
The church bends on traditionalism
The Catholic Church is getting wired. And as a practicing Catholic (in my youth), it sounds kind of strange.
The Pope and Vatican now have a YouTube page, and they have recently debuted a Facebook page as well. Symbolically, I am sure it is a continuation of reaching out to young Catholics, which began in earnest with Pope John Paul II's World Youth Day.
Though not actively participating right now, I still find myself a staunch traditionalist. The church has retained the same prayers, and still uses some of the old hymns. An institution that is thousands of years old, modernizing in the way, doesn't feel right for some reason.
I know the church has had image problems with its priests. It also has had great difficulty in encouraging the youth to commit to the priesthood. Opportunities for Catholic education are fewer & further between (my old high school, Catholic-based, closed its doors years ago, and many old elementary schools are now leased by the churches in this area to individual, independent academies). So one would think an extreme positive dose of good PR is the best solution.
Why it doesn't seem right to me, I can't explain. You run risks on YouTube. Every member is entitled to their say, yet you run the risk of spammers, or even legitimate people, posting lewd comments that cloud the religion. I shudder to think of some of the comments already on the YouTube page. For the sake of the traditionalists and those very close to their religion, I hope the Vatican has eliminated (or is closely watching) any commentary.
And Facebook... Other than Twitter, what better and more modern way to communicate? Again, however, those run the same risks. What if a spammer decides to hit the site and it becomes news? The church doesn't need any more hurtful stories in the press.
Plus, it's odd in another way. Senator Carl Levin, up in his 70s now, admits he doesn't follow the Facebook or Twitter trends. It's hard for me to imagine the Pope, who is 82, understanding this technology and how to reach others with it. Not to say it can't be done, and it would be great if the Pope had this understanding. But something about it doesn't mix, to me.
Now excuse me as I recover from the bolt of lightning that's undoubtedly about to hit me.
The Pope and Vatican now have a YouTube page, and they have recently debuted a Facebook page as well. Symbolically, I am sure it is a continuation of reaching out to young Catholics, which began in earnest with Pope John Paul II's World Youth Day.
Though not actively participating right now, I still find myself a staunch traditionalist. The church has retained the same prayers, and still uses some of the old hymns. An institution that is thousands of years old, modernizing in the way, doesn't feel right for some reason.
I know the church has had image problems with its priests. It also has had great difficulty in encouraging the youth to commit to the priesthood. Opportunities for Catholic education are fewer & further between (my old high school, Catholic-based, closed its doors years ago, and many old elementary schools are now leased by the churches in this area to individual, independent academies). So one would think an extreme positive dose of good PR is the best solution.
Why it doesn't seem right to me, I can't explain. You run risks on YouTube. Every member is entitled to their say, yet you run the risk of spammers, or even legitimate people, posting lewd comments that cloud the religion. I shudder to think of some of the comments already on the YouTube page. For the sake of the traditionalists and those very close to their religion, I hope the Vatican has eliminated (or is closely watching) any commentary.
And Facebook... Other than Twitter, what better and more modern way to communicate? Again, however, those run the same risks. What if a spammer decides to hit the site and it becomes news? The church doesn't need any more hurtful stories in the press.
Plus, it's odd in another way. Senator Carl Levin, up in his 70s now, admits he doesn't follow the Facebook or Twitter trends. It's hard for me to imagine the Pope, who is 82, understanding this technology and how to reach others with it. Not to say it can't be done, and it would be great if the Pope had this understanding. But something about it doesn't mix, to me.
Now excuse me as I recover from the bolt of lightning that's undoubtedly about to hit me.
Old car vs. Old home: Troubleshooting
What's the best way to escape an insurmountable electric bill? Move! Or so I'm told.
But despite that very lofty bar standing in our way, a mental checklist is being prepared by all of us (including Eden), telling us that moving may well be the best thing to do. Perhaps after six years, it's time, considering what they call the "physical plant" condition of the house.
I made a list of things wrong with my old Ford Contour just before I got rid of it for a mere pittance. Seventeen different things were wrong with it, and not all of them minor. Three of them kept it from being legally road-worthy. Regarding the house, the city will have a field day if they inspected it, and the landlord -- nice a guy as he is -- would probably try to take refuge in that field.
There's a central air system that's been half-installed going on four years now. Water heaters usually last about 15 years... well, happy 15th anniversary, knocking tank! The fridge is whining. The gutters sag & flood the eaves, and the downspouts don't drain right. Steve says there's a heat loss (although I'm sure his mouth could replenish some of it). All told, the number of house defects are fast approaching the number of vehicle defects. The landlord has talked about selling the place if we left, but that's where the "field day" comes in. That place is a code violation trap. Not to say any of us are ungrateful about having four walls & a ceiling above our heads, but I worry about a cash cow status that might befall the landlord.
But moving is our call; we being the customers of the landlord, and isn't the customer always right, hurtful though it may be?
Stay tuned.
But despite that very lofty bar standing in our way, a mental checklist is being prepared by all of us (including Eden), telling us that moving may well be the best thing to do. Perhaps after six years, it's time, considering what they call the "physical plant" condition of the house.
I made a list of things wrong with my old Ford Contour just before I got rid of it for a mere pittance. Seventeen different things were wrong with it, and not all of them minor. Three of them kept it from being legally road-worthy. Regarding the house, the city will have a field day if they inspected it, and the landlord -- nice a guy as he is -- would probably try to take refuge in that field.
There's a central air system that's been half-installed going on four years now. Water heaters usually last about 15 years... well, happy 15th anniversary, knocking tank! The fridge is whining. The gutters sag & flood the eaves, and the downspouts don't drain right. Steve says there's a heat loss (although I'm sure his mouth could replenish some of it). All told, the number of house defects are fast approaching the number of vehicle defects. The landlord has talked about selling the place if we left, but that's where the "field day" comes in. That place is a code violation trap. Not to say any of us are ungrateful about having four walls & a ceiling above our heads, but I worry about a cash cow status that might befall the landlord.
But moving is our call; we being the customers of the landlord, and isn't the customer always right, hurtful though it may be?
Stay tuned.
May 24, 2009
Because it's there
We're losing so many autoworkers to downsizing. Why can't the same apply to Detroit city councilmembers, and heads of various departments?
Now the latest story, reported in the Free Press, has councilmember Jo Ann Watson in a spite of trouble for underpaying her taxes. Perhaps not a blatant oversight on her part, since the property has been underassessed.
WAY underassessed.
All told, Watson paid $68 in taxes in her relatively modest east-side home. Detroit records go one step further into absurtity: They say the house doesn't exist, and hasn't for over a decade - even though the Free Press shows a photo of Watson exiting said house on a recent day!
First, when you think of council members there, you wonder what Oscar-winning stories you'll witness. And Watson proves she's as good as Martha Reeves, Monica Conyers and the rest. She said there was damage to the home from a tornado that hit, either in 1993 or 2002.
Um, for an incident as big as a tornado hitting your house, you would think you knew where you were at the exact moment, with a time and date stamped in your mind. You would think receipts exist that shows dates of needed repair work. No mention of this. Not even a question posed to the city in the years forthcoming, questioning why her assessment changed so drastically.
Okay, that last statement sounds foolish. Who would volunteer to pay more taxes in such a depressed economy? It does sound like a kiss-up label on the surface. But since honesty is in rare stock these days, it would be nice to show some. And I was about to shower the woman with complaints that she's hiding something, until I read at the bottom of the page that she is going to rectify the problem, after all.
My God, someone on the council actually earns brownie points from a candid observer!
But the points and honesty levels are both next to nil. This goes to show, more than ever, how tied up Detroit departments are with gross negligence. Whether the sheer size of the city is the issue or not, a competent department should be able to keep better records. A decade of misclassification is a farce at its best. Those at the assessment department probably saw the article and thought it was a fabrication. It wouldn't be a surprise if they continue to believe it as such, and not send a field worker down there to verify the existence of something that's been there since 1926.
It makes you wonder whether cities like Detroit, or neighboring Ecorse (fighting a deficit due to mismanagement for the second time in 15 years) will ever recover.
Perhaps the former Ecorse city controller said it best in a recent interview: Maybe the people don't want change.
And perhaps newspapers want to continue selling subscriptions.
Now the latest story, reported in the Free Press, has councilmember Jo Ann Watson in a spite of trouble for underpaying her taxes. Perhaps not a blatant oversight on her part, since the property has been underassessed.
WAY underassessed.
All told, Watson paid $68 in taxes in her relatively modest east-side home. Detroit records go one step further into absurtity: They say the house doesn't exist, and hasn't for over a decade - even though the Free Press shows a photo of Watson exiting said house on a recent day!
First, when you think of council members there, you wonder what Oscar-winning stories you'll witness. And Watson proves she's as good as Martha Reeves, Monica Conyers and the rest. She said there was damage to the home from a tornado that hit, either in 1993 or 2002.
Um, for an incident as big as a tornado hitting your house, you would think you knew where you were at the exact moment, with a time and date stamped in your mind. You would think receipts exist that shows dates of needed repair work. No mention of this. Not even a question posed to the city in the years forthcoming, questioning why her assessment changed so drastically.
Okay, that last statement sounds foolish. Who would volunteer to pay more taxes in such a depressed economy? It does sound like a kiss-up label on the surface. But since honesty is in rare stock these days, it would be nice to show some. And I was about to shower the woman with complaints that she's hiding something, until I read at the bottom of the page that she is going to rectify the problem, after all.
My God, someone on the council actually earns brownie points from a candid observer!
But the points and honesty levels are both next to nil. This goes to show, more than ever, how tied up Detroit departments are with gross negligence. Whether the sheer size of the city is the issue or not, a competent department should be able to keep better records. A decade of misclassification is a farce at its best. Those at the assessment department probably saw the article and thought it was a fabrication. It wouldn't be a surprise if they continue to believe it as such, and not send a field worker down there to verify the existence of something that's been there since 1926.
It makes you wonder whether cities like Detroit, or neighboring Ecorse (fighting a deficit due to mismanagement for the second time in 15 years) will ever recover.
Perhaps the former Ecorse city controller said it best in a recent interview: Maybe the people don't want change.
And perhaps newspapers want to continue selling subscriptions.
May 23, 2009
Save buckshot for the new studios
Just read about a frightening situation in Allen Park, where a barricaded gunman was held at bay for nearly six hours, while reportedly shooting nearly 100 loads of ammunition at officers from Michigan State, Sterling Heights, and local police. At last report, the man was found dead in his home, which was to be foreclosed at that time.
There have been some confusing reports surrounding the man's identity, his life, and his motive. Supposedly, he helped author a weight-loss book. He was described by neighbors as a creepy individual, but the way he went out was creepier than any description someone could give him.
Allen Park is breaking ground on a new film studio barely a mile west of the shooting site. All sorts of productions will occur there, including (I'm sure) some gunfight scenes. Staged scenes, while I'm not a fan of them, will go better in those studios than they do in real life.
You never think the violence you read about can come near you, or even affect you directly, until you read that it IS happening locally.
I theorized in this space about two years ago about the donut-hole theory that urban sprawl is. What experts tragically fail to mention is that urban sprawl is more than constant build-up outwards from a central city. With the bad, you get the really bad.
Let's hope and pray this is only an isolated incident.
There have been some confusing reports surrounding the man's identity, his life, and his motive. Supposedly, he helped author a weight-loss book. He was described by neighbors as a creepy individual, but the way he went out was creepier than any description someone could give him.
Allen Park is breaking ground on a new film studio barely a mile west of the shooting site. All sorts of productions will occur there, including (I'm sure) some gunfight scenes. Staged scenes, while I'm not a fan of them, will go better in those studios than they do in real life.
You never think the violence you read about can come near you, or even affect you directly, until you read that it IS happening locally.
I theorized in this space about two years ago about the donut-hole theory that urban sprawl is. What experts tragically fail to mention is that urban sprawl is more than constant build-up outwards from a central city. With the bad, you get the really bad.
Let's hope and pray this is only an isolated incident.
May 22, 2009
Does the floor match the red ink?
We trudge forward with more head-shakers from the City of Detroit.
The good news: City Council realizes that the budget deficit is growing worse (almost $300 million), and now they're putting on a game face (supposedly) and planning to cut each councilmember's individual outlay for the year.
Amounts spent in the last fiscal year ranged from $5,959 to nearly $340,000 to cover everything from additional hires to office supplies & equipment.
Of course, Monica Conyers remains the most mystifying. How she values the practicality of money differs from about 6.2 billion of us worldwide. For example, nearly $7,000 was spent on police protection for herself during visits to three U.S. cities (she probably worries she's a target -- ah, don't get us started on that). And almost $6,200 in new carpeting for her office, while nary a penny more can be saved up to fix the streetlighting or tend to the neighborhoods.
Thirteen-thousand-two-hundred dollars. And what does her spokesperson say? "All of these expenses were official business."
Maybe the guy who nearly had his classic car ruined by leaky water at the Auto Show at Cobo Hall this past year has a grave he'd want to turn over in. Simply crazy. Drawing on yesterday's entry, would you want to build a bridge here?
-------------------------------------
All my Saturday running (bills, groceries & such) are being pushed to later today, because I am also working Saturday, which technically makes me working seven days this week. And what a run it will be: over 100 miles here & there.
Tell the truth, I find myself doing more for the good of the house then I swore I'd do two weeks ago. Any move with Laura, or anywhere else, couldn't be further from my mind. And that's a shame; I didn't intend it to turn out so negatively. There's no finger-pointing, no one's at fault. These days, you need every safety net you can get, while cutting out the risk factors.
That's the 21st century for us, so far.
The good news: City Council realizes that the budget deficit is growing worse (almost $300 million), and now they're putting on a game face (supposedly) and planning to cut each councilmember's individual outlay for the year.
Amounts spent in the last fiscal year ranged from $5,959 to nearly $340,000 to cover everything from additional hires to office supplies & equipment.
Of course, Monica Conyers remains the most mystifying. How she values the practicality of money differs from about 6.2 billion of us worldwide. For example, nearly $7,000 was spent on police protection for herself during visits to three U.S. cities (she probably worries she's a target -- ah, don't get us started on that). And almost $6,200 in new carpeting for her office, while nary a penny more can be saved up to fix the streetlighting or tend to the neighborhoods.
Thirteen-thousand-two-hundred dollars. And what does her spokesperson say? "All of these expenses were official business."
Maybe the guy who nearly had his classic car ruined by leaky water at the Auto Show at Cobo Hall this past year has a grave he'd want to turn over in. Simply crazy. Drawing on yesterday's entry, would you want to build a bridge here?
-------------------------------------
All my Saturday running (bills, groceries & such) are being pushed to later today, because I am also working Saturday, which technically makes me working seven days this week. And what a run it will be: over 100 miles here & there.
Tell the truth, I find myself doing more for the good of the house then I swore I'd do two weeks ago. Any move with Laura, or anywhere else, couldn't be further from my mind. And that's a shame; I didn't intend it to turn out so negatively. There's no finger-pointing, no one's at fault. These days, you need every safety net you can get, while cutting out the risk factors.
That's the 21st century for us, so far.
May 21, 2009
Sarah Palin, here's a bridge for you
Of course, this would be a bridge to somewhere if you're looking from the United States to Canada. But a bridge to nowhere if you're from the other side.
Over the past six months, the debate has heated up again about the need for a second international bridge crossing in the Detroit area. The Ambassador Bridge is currently eighty-something, and cannot handle the "increased" truck traffic that has appeared recently. The Ambassador Bridge owner (Marty Mouron), who many claim is imperialistic, wants to build the second span right next to the current bridge, which would only be used in emergencies. Two bridges within yards of each other, with a completely different design, would just reek havoc to the eye.
Looks are not the focus here, though. The alternate site chosen for a span is from Sandwich, Ontario to Delray. Yes, Delray, the poorest part of Detroit, one where you wouldn't be caught dead during the daylight hours.
It was (and still is) an embarassment coming back to Michigan from Canada. Once you pass inspection, you're thrown right into a neighborhood of burnt-shell housing and one car-gobbling pothole after another. What's the first hotel you'd see? The Hotel Yorba, which doesn't look like it's been updated in 50 years. What a distressing image.
But what do you get in Delray? Entire city blocks of overgrown weeds, more burnt-shell housing, and factory pollution. And virtually NO highway infrastructure in place. You trust the rickety Rouge River Bridge enough to place more Canada-bound traffic on it?
At least the Ambassador site has some infrastructure in place, it's already acquired its space, and it's already thought ahead by building the bridge & piers already right to the water's edge. So the stub of the bridge is technically already in place. Argument over?
You would think so, but it's not. One just has to judge Mouron's track record & personality (and longtime residents already have that burned into their minds) to question his motives right away. Development of land? It took him over 20 years to acknowledge there may be something wrong with the abandoned Michigan Central train station. Unsecured, unsanitary and unsafe. Twenty years where he could have made a difference, and did not -- where it's been him against the people. An eighty-year old man won't change his ways unless more greenbacks are exchanged.
But do travellers want a good first impression, especially during a first visit to our country? Undoubtedly. But they won't get it in Delray. Does anybody down there care what their properties look like? Do they even mow the vacant fields? A bridge there certainly isn't going to motivate the people.
Detroit, Windsor, Mouron, members of the Detroit International Bridge Commission and others should turn to Port Huron and ask them how they made the doubling of the Blue Water Bridge crossing work. They fit in seamlessly with their environment. You can get off the bridge and go to a store - unarmed and unafraid. And you won't find their City Council in the news every day.
If we are so important to good border relations in providing the biggest amount of free trade from two points in North America, shouldn't people be doing a little more homework? If it takes years to figure it out, so what? Thoughtful homework looks a lot better, when all is said & done, then snap decisions.
Over the past six months, the debate has heated up again about the need for a second international bridge crossing in the Detroit area. The Ambassador Bridge is currently eighty-something, and cannot handle the "increased" truck traffic that has appeared recently. The Ambassador Bridge owner (Marty Mouron), who many claim is imperialistic, wants to build the second span right next to the current bridge, which would only be used in emergencies. Two bridges within yards of each other, with a completely different design, would just reek havoc to the eye.
Looks are not the focus here, though. The alternate site chosen for a span is from Sandwich, Ontario to Delray. Yes, Delray, the poorest part of Detroit, one where you wouldn't be caught dead during the daylight hours.
It was (and still is) an embarassment coming back to Michigan from Canada. Once you pass inspection, you're thrown right into a neighborhood of burnt-shell housing and one car-gobbling pothole after another. What's the first hotel you'd see? The Hotel Yorba, which doesn't look like it's been updated in 50 years. What a distressing image.
But what do you get in Delray? Entire city blocks of overgrown weeds, more burnt-shell housing, and factory pollution. And virtually NO highway infrastructure in place. You trust the rickety Rouge River Bridge enough to place more Canada-bound traffic on it?
At least the Ambassador site has some infrastructure in place, it's already acquired its space, and it's already thought ahead by building the bridge & piers already right to the water's edge. So the stub of the bridge is technically already in place. Argument over?
You would think so, but it's not. One just has to judge Mouron's track record & personality (and longtime residents already have that burned into their minds) to question his motives right away. Development of land? It took him over 20 years to acknowledge there may be something wrong with the abandoned Michigan Central train station. Unsecured, unsanitary and unsafe. Twenty years where he could have made a difference, and did not -- where it's been him against the people. An eighty-year old man won't change his ways unless more greenbacks are exchanged.
But do travellers want a good first impression, especially during a first visit to our country? Undoubtedly. But they won't get it in Delray. Does anybody down there care what their properties look like? Do they even mow the vacant fields? A bridge there certainly isn't going to motivate the people.
Detroit, Windsor, Mouron, members of the Detroit International Bridge Commission and others should turn to Port Huron and ask them how they made the doubling of the Blue Water Bridge crossing work. They fit in seamlessly with their environment. You can get off the bridge and go to a store - unarmed and unafraid. And you won't find their City Council in the news every day.
If we are so important to good border relations in providing the biggest amount of free trade from two points in North America, shouldn't people be doing a little more homework? If it takes years to figure it out, so what? Thoughtful homework looks a lot better, when all is said & done, then snap decisions.
May 20, 2009
Another tell-tale sign of trouble
Since I moved over to the dispatch desk in November, and with me going about six weeks without a car in the winter, my attention shifted away from gas prices. They were running pretty good at about $1.85 when I last drove a cab around Thanksgiving.
Now I walk in, and gas is nearly $2.50 per gallon with credit card; $2.40 without. This shows there's really going to be trouble brewing, to where the 2008 debacle which we thought was bad will look like a walk in the park.
I still claim that last year's run to $4 gas was the last straw that began the auto industry's woes. Then the prices went down, but that was before the talk about government bailout & bankruptcy restructuring became common. Now we read that the feds are sending bailout payments around $7 billion to both GM & Chrysler-Fiat. And gas is on the fast track to breaking the $4 or $5 barriers by July 4th.
Michigan unemployment is at 12.9%. With factory and supplier shutdowns, some are predicting 18-20% unemployment by Christmas. Chrysler-Fiat factories are to be idled 90 days during the summer... just perfect timing for high gas prices.
What will happen then? Probably another quick re-think among auto management, more stringent standards from the Obama administration, less consumer confidence, and yet another blow to Michigan: a state that's swimming in red ink already.
The book of horrors may just be getting started.
P.S.: I can't help but note my father worked at Ford for 31 years. Hmmm... haven't heard any requests for bailouts from them, have we? I guess my father knew where to work!
Now I walk in, and gas is nearly $2.50 per gallon with credit card; $2.40 without. This shows there's really going to be trouble brewing, to where the 2008 debacle which we thought was bad will look like a walk in the park.
I still claim that last year's run to $4 gas was the last straw that began the auto industry's woes. Then the prices went down, but that was before the talk about government bailout & bankruptcy restructuring became common. Now we read that the feds are sending bailout payments around $7 billion to both GM & Chrysler-Fiat. And gas is on the fast track to breaking the $4 or $5 barriers by July 4th.
Michigan unemployment is at 12.9%. With factory and supplier shutdowns, some are predicting 18-20% unemployment by Christmas. Chrysler-Fiat factories are to be idled 90 days during the summer... just perfect timing for high gas prices.
What will happen then? Probably another quick re-think among auto management, more stringent standards from the Obama administration, less consumer confidence, and yet another blow to Michigan: a state that's swimming in red ink already.
The book of horrors may just be getting started.
P.S.: I can't help but note my father worked at Ford for 31 years. Hmmm... haven't heard any requests for bailouts from them, have we? I guess my father knew where to work!
May 18, 2009
Since no one uses a cab anymore...
... May as well sum up the goings-on in my life lately.
* As you can tell by the subject line, business continues to decline at the cab. When I first hired in, we could do 35-45 calls per night. Now we're lucky if we top off at 30. The recession is hitting everywhere, and the bar calls have literally vanished. Many drivers see empty bar parking lots no matter what time of night it is. The price of having a good time in life seems to have been raised above most peoples' ability to pay. Maybe it's good that they're not getting drunk and becoming menaces to society, but that's what we put our business into! The business model is just not working, and I'm not apt to say anything about it. We can't dictate how well the company does, the economic conditions do that. Safe to say they've spoken loud and clear. I can't say I'm surprised.
I do root for the construction of a major production studio in Allen Park that should have been commenced by now. 3,500 jobs in my craft waiting, and hopefully I can snag one of those without having to be an Allen Park resident.
* Another relationship is off. Why do I even bother at this point? This relationship has been called off due to friendship. Remember, Laura has been there through it all with me, thick and thin, when others (Jenni, Mike, George, Sheila, etc.) have not. The key to this relationship would have been the strong foundation of our six years of friendship. Two weeks ago, we were even thinking about moving together.
Now as much as I say I try not to put the blinders on when pursuing something, that I look both ways before I do so, that's not the case. Without Laura's call saying she'd be "stupid for not saying this", I probably would've been stupid enough to let it proceed and fail. First and foremost, she was not stupid, and she's not been overthinking. I've been underthinking. And I'm sorry it's resulted in yet another long gap in-between conversations, but I've honestly given it a great deal of thought. She mentioned that a botched move would kill the friendship, and she would most likely be right. I don't want to risk physical proof of this, in order to avoid the damaging end result. She wants to move back to the city, and I'd love to see that happen. But with me would be a liability.
I've backed off for now to cool things off. Normally, if I'm involved romantically with someone, or have the opportunity to, there are times I get excited about that person, or imagine a romantic scenario. For some reason, a romantic moment with her cannot be imagined. A romantic rendezvous would almost seem like it would kill anything that was built for six years.
For now, I will chalk it up as crazy talk on both our parts. Perhaps sharing what our ideal lives would be like - in bliss - was meant to be shared, thought about and smiled at. But no further. Both of us are not the easiest people in the world to get along with. Why move, only to find things that turn us off, and realize that hey, we're stuck? Would that improve a friendship & working relationship? Not at all.
For some reason, it's just hard to communicate that verbally. I hope any hurt is at a minimum. Thank goodness most of it is likely averted because we didn't actually set the ball rolling on any move.
Which doesn't necessarily mean any type of move is out of the question. Sometimes, I wonder about motel life. Higher rent, but no utilities. And much less area to be responsible for. I don't even bother with the yardwork now; neighbor Lisa takes care of that. It's hell pushing a lawn mower, especially one that works. And I've already broken my lawn care appliance for the year (the leaf chopper)!
* Steve's wife, Eden, is now with us at last... four long years of waiting on Steve's part is finally over. She seems pretty nice, and the housekeeping issue - long a source of frustration for me - has been taken care of. She is the neat-nik I advertised in this space two years ago.
Now we're in the midst of a huge energy conservation program at the house, which I think borders on the ridiculous. Eliminating the dishwasher was okay, but throwing out the microwave? Unplugging the fridge at night? Having taken the time to measure jumps in the electric meter when one turns appliances on and off? Let's bring out the candles! It's way to the other extreme here, and compromise must take place. I can cut down on some uses, but eliminating them altogether is mind-boggling.
* New car in the fold again - a 1999 Ford Taurus. Other than a slight rod knock and a bad wiper arm, it runs great, the best since the white Sable of 2002-04. I got hosed one final time when unloading the damn Contour, a salvage company advertised guaranteed $150 payout for any car, running or not. What did I get? $75, that's all. The tower noted the busted headlamp lens, the gash on the rear bumper... thank goodness they didn't inspect the inside, or I'd been out the money. Do they expect perfection? I mean, the thing DID run. Just not too well.
* Irene passed away just after New Year's, and in March, relative Gary reared his ugly head and basically dispossessed Diane, Dawn & Dylan from staying there. I spent my birthday helping them move stuff from house to house... this being the day I also got the Taurus. I paid them a visit at the other house Friday, and Dawn got approved for a real fix-me-upper further south, but only about a mile from us. Hope she throws a nice housewarming party. It's weird, though, knowing we don't have to keep an eye on that house anymore. I have no compassion for that family after what they did. The memories are haunting in that house, and probably always will be, especially since it's only known Irene as its owner.
* Physically, I am decent, though I've continued to put on weight, and I found that 2 1/2 games of bowling are about my limit now. Not due to my back, but due to age. My dad was about my age when he realized he couldn't hack it for too much longer.
* And dad's doing well, but it's a little painful to realize he's now 64, not the big hulking guy I knew in my youth, or the guy who broke swim records at his middle school. I guess I'm getting to the point where I realize, more & more, what age can do to a person... age as well as distance, and the infrequency of seeing that person.
And I wrote all this without a phone call coming to the office! Good thing I'm paid for inactivity, but I feel for these drivers who think I've forgotten about them; I used to be one of them.
Will I continue to update regularly on this blog? Depends on the economy... :)
* As you can tell by the subject line, business continues to decline at the cab. When I first hired in, we could do 35-45 calls per night. Now we're lucky if we top off at 30. The recession is hitting everywhere, and the bar calls have literally vanished. Many drivers see empty bar parking lots no matter what time of night it is. The price of having a good time in life seems to have been raised above most peoples' ability to pay. Maybe it's good that they're not getting drunk and becoming menaces to society, but that's what we put our business into! The business model is just not working, and I'm not apt to say anything about it. We can't dictate how well the company does, the economic conditions do that. Safe to say they've spoken loud and clear. I can't say I'm surprised.
I do root for the construction of a major production studio in Allen Park that should have been commenced by now. 3,500 jobs in my craft waiting, and hopefully I can snag one of those without having to be an Allen Park resident.
* Another relationship is off. Why do I even bother at this point? This relationship has been called off due to friendship. Remember, Laura has been there through it all with me, thick and thin, when others (Jenni, Mike, George, Sheila, etc.) have not. The key to this relationship would have been the strong foundation of our six years of friendship. Two weeks ago, we were even thinking about moving together.
Now as much as I say I try not to put the blinders on when pursuing something, that I look both ways before I do so, that's not the case. Without Laura's call saying she'd be "stupid for not saying this", I probably would've been stupid enough to let it proceed and fail. First and foremost, she was not stupid, and she's not been overthinking. I've been underthinking. And I'm sorry it's resulted in yet another long gap in-between conversations, but I've honestly given it a great deal of thought. She mentioned that a botched move would kill the friendship, and she would most likely be right. I don't want to risk physical proof of this, in order to avoid the damaging end result. She wants to move back to the city, and I'd love to see that happen. But with me would be a liability.
I've backed off for now to cool things off. Normally, if I'm involved romantically with someone, or have the opportunity to, there are times I get excited about that person, or imagine a romantic scenario. For some reason, a romantic moment with her cannot be imagined. A romantic rendezvous would almost seem like it would kill anything that was built for six years.
For now, I will chalk it up as crazy talk on both our parts. Perhaps sharing what our ideal lives would be like - in bliss - was meant to be shared, thought about and smiled at. But no further. Both of us are not the easiest people in the world to get along with. Why move, only to find things that turn us off, and realize that hey, we're stuck? Would that improve a friendship & working relationship? Not at all.
For some reason, it's just hard to communicate that verbally. I hope any hurt is at a minimum. Thank goodness most of it is likely averted because we didn't actually set the ball rolling on any move.
Which doesn't necessarily mean any type of move is out of the question. Sometimes, I wonder about motel life. Higher rent, but no utilities. And much less area to be responsible for. I don't even bother with the yardwork now; neighbor Lisa takes care of that. It's hell pushing a lawn mower, especially one that works. And I've already broken my lawn care appliance for the year (the leaf chopper)!
* Steve's wife, Eden, is now with us at last... four long years of waiting on Steve's part is finally over. She seems pretty nice, and the housekeeping issue - long a source of frustration for me - has been taken care of. She is the neat-nik I advertised in this space two years ago.
Now we're in the midst of a huge energy conservation program at the house, which I think borders on the ridiculous. Eliminating the dishwasher was okay, but throwing out the microwave? Unplugging the fridge at night? Having taken the time to measure jumps in the electric meter when one turns appliances on and off? Let's bring out the candles! It's way to the other extreme here, and compromise must take place. I can cut down on some uses, but eliminating them altogether is mind-boggling.
* New car in the fold again - a 1999 Ford Taurus. Other than a slight rod knock and a bad wiper arm, it runs great, the best since the white Sable of 2002-04. I got hosed one final time when unloading the damn Contour, a salvage company advertised guaranteed $150 payout for any car, running or not. What did I get? $75, that's all. The tower noted the busted headlamp lens, the gash on the rear bumper... thank goodness they didn't inspect the inside, or I'd been out the money. Do they expect perfection? I mean, the thing DID run. Just not too well.
* Irene passed away just after New Year's, and in March, relative Gary reared his ugly head and basically dispossessed Diane, Dawn & Dylan from staying there. I spent my birthday helping them move stuff from house to house... this being the day I also got the Taurus. I paid them a visit at the other house Friday, and Dawn got approved for a real fix-me-upper further south, but only about a mile from us. Hope she throws a nice housewarming party. It's weird, though, knowing we don't have to keep an eye on that house anymore. I have no compassion for that family after what they did. The memories are haunting in that house, and probably always will be, especially since it's only known Irene as its owner.
* Physically, I am decent, though I've continued to put on weight, and I found that 2 1/2 games of bowling are about my limit now. Not due to my back, but due to age. My dad was about my age when he realized he couldn't hack it for too much longer.
* And dad's doing well, but it's a little painful to realize he's now 64, not the big hulking guy I knew in my youth, or the guy who broke swim records at his middle school. I guess I'm getting to the point where I realize, more & more, what age can do to a person... age as well as distance, and the infrequency of seeing that person.
And I wrote all this without a phone call coming to the office! Good thing I'm paid for inactivity, but I feel for these drivers who think I've forgotten about them; I used to be one of them.
Will I continue to update regularly on this blog? Depends on the economy... :)
January 1, 2009
There from the beginning...
Greetings for the New Year, everyone.
And for once, perhaps the systematic pieces are finally being put together as we dawn in a new year. It appears nothing has happened in my life since about February 20th. However, that's only because I dropped this blog like a bad habit for almost eleven months. While I do not promise that updates will be regular, I can promise at least a bit more effort.
With that, here's a rundown on 2008:
* The year began with a second hospital trip on January 7. Remember I had been in for a partially collapsed lung Christmas Day. Now I somehow had a recurrence, but was fortunately out of the ER after about seven hours.
* The George situation went downhill FAST toward the beginning of February. Apparently he spent too much company money buying parts, and the owner didn't like it. Neither did his previous boss at his previous location, and on down the line. He finally moved out in March, so it became me and Steve again, where it remains to now.
* February came and went without the promise of Mike getting married. For years now, he's been hounding Steve for $150. "It will help with the wedding," he'd say. But that's all he'd say... not "how are ya", or anything.
* I made the prediction the Tigers would finish in last place. Bingo.
* I became more active on YouTube posting videos, including a one-minute series of topical videos.
* I made the resolution, once again, to finish the garden project. And this time I did it! It ended up looking great, although not like I originally wanted it to.
* Our phone number changed three times this year.
* In the span of two hours in July, I went from driving cab #23, to having it demolished, to becoming a dispatcher the next night, to not being a dispatcher the next night, to being shifted to cab #21, which was a firetrap in its own right.
* The house became "adopt a cat" over the summer months.
* I finally replaced my 11-year old computer with a more modern one (actually, Steve gave me his.)
* My green thumb burned - in the span of a week, the lawn mower blew up, and the weed whacker burst into flames with me holding it like a torch. Then, someone pilfered my trimmers a week later. I had to have the neighbor do the yard the rest of the year.
* We finally had the carpeting replaced in September - hello neutral colors!
* Two houses foreclosed on my block - sign of the times.
* I finally became a dispatcher in November, as they wanted to take a new direction. It's been a challenge, but only in dealing with driver egos, not business increases. Business is not increasing.
* The car made it through the year, but I ended up compiling a list of seventeen different things wrong with it. Why I am keeping it is up for question.
* I made a serious resolve to resume drawing my comic strip after an absence of four years. Results pending.
* And, on December 26th, I became involved in another relationship. This one, with Laura! I'd secretly been hoping to ask her out for six years. I didn't, so she did! Bar NONE, this is who I should have been with for that length of time. We've been there for each other for so long and through so much, it's only natural for the selection to happen. And like I always say, it happened when least expected.
So there's more of a smile on my face.
And as always, I resolve for this year to go a bit more smoothly than last year. All I can say is: Enjoy the ride, however bumpy it may be.
And for once, perhaps the systematic pieces are finally being put together as we dawn in a new year. It appears nothing has happened in my life since about February 20th. However, that's only because I dropped this blog like a bad habit for almost eleven months. While I do not promise that updates will be regular, I can promise at least a bit more effort.
With that, here's a rundown on 2008:
* The year began with a second hospital trip on January 7. Remember I had been in for a partially collapsed lung Christmas Day. Now I somehow had a recurrence, but was fortunately out of the ER after about seven hours.
* The George situation went downhill FAST toward the beginning of February. Apparently he spent too much company money buying parts, and the owner didn't like it. Neither did his previous boss at his previous location, and on down the line. He finally moved out in March, so it became me and Steve again, where it remains to now.
* February came and went without the promise of Mike getting married. For years now, he's been hounding Steve for $150. "It will help with the wedding," he'd say. But that's all he'd say... not "how are ya", or anything.
* I made the prediction the Tigers would finish in last place. Bingo.
* I became more active on YouTube posting videos, including a one-minute series of topical videos.
* I made the resolution, once again, to finish the garden project. And this time I did it! It ended up looking great, although not like I originally wanted it to.
* Our phone number changed three times this year.
* In the span of two hours in July, I went from driving cab #23, to having it demolished, to becoming a dispatcher the next night, to not being a dispatcher the next night, to being shifted to cab #21, which was a firetrap in its own right.
* The house became "adopt a cat" over the summer months.
* I finally replaced my 11-year old computer with a more modern one (actually, Steve gave me his.)
* My green thumb burned - in the span of a week, the lawn mower blew up, and the weed whacker burst into flames with me holding it like a torch. Then, someone pilfered my trimmers a week later. I had to have the neighbor do the yard the rest of the year.
* We finally had the carpeting replaced in September - hello neutral colors!
* Two houses foreclosed on my block - sign of the times.
* I finally became a dispatcher in November, as they wanted to take a new direction. It's been a challenge, but only in dealing with driver egos, not business increases. Business is not increasing.
* The car made it through the year, but I ended up compiling a list of seventeen different things wrong with it. Why I am keeping it is up for question.
* I made a serious resolve to resume drawing my comic strip after an absence of four years. Results pending.
* And, on December 26th, I became involved in another relationship. This one, with Laura! I'd secretly been hoping to ask her out for six years. I didn't, so she did! Bar NONE, this is who I should have been with for that length of time. We've been there for each other for so long and through so much, it's only natural for the selection to happen. And like I always say, it happened when least expected.
So there's more of a smile on my face.
And as always, I resolve for this year to go a bit more smoothly than last year. All I can say is: Enjoy the ride, however bumpy it may be.
February 20, 2008
Mother may I?
Sheesh, I always hated that game growing up. Along with "Simon Says", these were two games I didn't see a purpose to, even in elementary school.
But I've been playing the mother hen today, and it all started with the furnace. I think Rose put the whammy on me (jokingly) by her furnace going out last week. Last night I came home to a 53 degree house, which told me the furnace wasn't going to make it through March like I had hoped. Of course, who knows when we'll get a thaw this year?
I already let work know last night I wouldn't be in... with Steve leaving for the Phillipines (again) today and with George working nearly sixteen hours in the shop last night, I knew someone had to be here to wait for the furnace repairman.
Strangely enough, I got up right at 6 AM this morning, thinking something was amiss. Something was -- underwater -- the entire kitchen. Poor George decided to do a load of laundry but forgot to stick the drain hose out the window. An entire cycle of water was in the kitchen. Let's just say we went through our whole stack of towels in just five minutes.
Therefore, I was forced to rent the Rug Doctor carpet cleaner, and it's been pretty productive, as I've done all the carpet in the house. But donations for the rental were impossible to come by. I'm not surprised.
Steve then left me a list of six favors for me to do while he's gone, including getting him a tax form, doublechecking his work schedule, emailing his wife about hotel reservations (she wants to go to Thailand on this vacation), prepped me to make another Rent-A-Center payment on Saturday with no help from him... and took my digital camera, which he broke the last time he took it.
I spent nearly $50 on battery parts and a charger to get the camera going again, and I have the feeling the resulting inventory will be less than the inventory I gave him. You just can't trust boneheads with small parts - I keep finding them in his room. But I say it with a slight smile, and a sigh of resignation.
When Steve, Mike and I took this house in 2003, I said I would be the main over-seer around here, since I know how to take care of this house. Boy, does everyone take advantage of the resident "miracle worker" now that they know this!
But I never wanted to be someone who is unliveable with... hence, I carry on...
But I've been playing the mother hen today, and it all started with the furnace. I think Rose put the whammy on me (jokingly) by her furnace going out last week. Last night I came home to a 53 degree house, which told me the furnace wasn't going to make it through March like I had hoped. Of course, who knows when we'll get a thaw this year?
I already let work know last night I wouldn't be in... with Steve leaving for the Phillipines (again) today and with George working nearly sixteen hours in the shop last night, I knew someone had to be here to wait for the furnace repairman.
Strangely enough, I got up right at 6 AM this morning, thinking something was amiss. Something was -- underwater -- the entire kitchen. Poor George decided to do a load of laundry but forgot to stick the drain hose out the window. An entire cycle of water was in the kitchen. Let's just say we went through our whole stack of towels in just five minutes.
Therefore, I was forced to rent the Rug Doctor carpet cleaner, and it's been pretty productive, as I've done all the carpet in the house. But donations for the rental were impossible to come by. I'm not surprised.
Steve then left me a list of six favors for me to do while he's gone, including getting him a tax form, doublechecking his work schedule, emailing his wife about hotel reservations (she wants to go to Thailand on this vacation), prepped me to make another Rent-A-Center payment on Saturday with no help from him... and took my digital camera, which he broke the last time he took it.
I spent nearly $50 on battery parts and a charger to get the camera going again, and I have the feeling the resulting inventory will be less than the inventory I gave him. You just can't trust boneheads with small parts - I keep finding them in his room. But I say it with a slight smile, and a sigh of resignation.
When Steve, Mike and I took this house in 2003, I said I would be the main over-seer around here, since I know how to take care of this house. Boy, does everyone take advantage of the resident "miracle worker" now that they know this!
But I never wanted to be someone who is unliveable with... hence, I carry on...
February 18, 2008
Reading, thinking, puzzling
It must pay to advertise on billboards, even if the message makes no sense to the motorist.
We've seen some strange billboards around Detroit over the years. One near downtown Detroit was particularly weird: a picture of a child who seems to be dressed in a shroud, along with this message:
If not for you, then for them: Take back the weather.
Well yes, I'd like to take back this rotten weather, but that's not humanly possible. So what on earth does this billboard stand for?
There's an explanation of it, in fact, on this site. To make a long story short, the message is supposed to be about global warming, disappearance of the ozone, pollutants, and the resulting change of weather patterns (El Nino or La Nina most likely). Obviously, the author of the campaign is warning us to take better care of the Earth for our children, and their children.
I first noticed the billboard about two weeks ago, and it took until now for me to find out what it stood for. That's what's annoying about billboard messages of this type: They make you think, but they also make you confused - which is not the way to be when you're trying to keep up with traffic on the freeway.
One marquee at a church in Taylor also stood out today. But depending on how it's interpreted, it could be sending an anti-church message. How?
Looking for love in all the wrong places, try Jesus.
The message obviously means that ones who want the right love should turn to Jesus. But if you base it on syntax alone, it's saying that Jesus is not the right choice.
And aren't people making the wrong choices daily? All we have to do is look around us.
(Courtesy lewrockwell.com)
We've seen some strange billboards around Detroit over the years. One near downtown Detroit was particularly weird: a picture of a child who seems to be dressed in a shroud, along with this message:
If not for you, then for them: Take back the weather.
Well yes, I'd like to take back this rotten weather, but that's not humanly possible. So what on earth does this billboard stand for?
There's an explanation of it, in fact, on this site. To make a long story short, the message is supposed to be about global warming, disappearance of the ozone, pollutants, and the resulting change of weather patterns (El Nino or La Nina most likely). Obviously, the author of the campaign is warning us to take better care of the Earth for our children, and their children.
I first noticed the billboard about two weeks ago, and it took until now for me to find out what it stood for. That's what's annoying about billboard messages of this type: They make you think, but they also make you confused - which is not the way to be when you're trying to keep up with traffic on the freeway.
One marquee at a church in Taylor also stood out today. But depending on how it's interpreted, it could be sending an anti-church message. How?
Looking for love in all the wrong places, try Jesus.
The message obviously means that ones who want the right love should turn to Jesus. But if you base it on syntax alone, it's saying that Jesus is not the right choice.
And aren't people making the wrong choices daily? All we have to do is look around us.
February 17, 2008
Everyone takes note of the Manoogian Mansion
Here is the link to the latest video I created on YouTube. This details the recent text messaging scandal of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. I won't expound on my thoughts here as I let the video do the talking.
I'll also post the link on the left-hand column as time goes on.
So far, responses to my viewpoint are positive, as well they should be. Any supporter of this man, after what he's done to the city, the taxpayers, and his own family would probably be hiding their signs of support after what we've read the past two weeks.
------------------------------------
(LATE NOTE: Add this to my entry of the 14th: Olympic Bar-B-Que in Southgate just closed its doors as well. Olympic was once a one-of-a-kind barbeque restaurant in the area. Proof positive that the chain restaurants are actively alive & well, and still killing off the old mom-and-pop stores I knew as a kid. As my mother would likely have said, "Should we be enjoying quantity or quality?")
I'll also post the link on the left-hand column as time goes on.
So far, responses to my viewpoint are positive, as well they should be. Any supporter of this man, after what he's done to the city, the taxpayers, and his own family would probably be hiding their signs of support after what we've read the past two weeks.
------------------------------------
(LATE NOTE: Add this to my entry of the 14th: Olympic Bar-B-Que in Southgate just closed its doors as well. Olympic was once a one-of-a-kind barbeque restaurant in the area. Proof positive that the chain restaurants are actively alive & well, and still killing off the old mom-and-pop stores I knew as a kid. As my mother would likely have said, "Should we be enjoying quantity or quality?")
February 16, 2008
Minus the shelter and the safety
It's impossible for one to know and understand the plight of the homeless unless they were once homeless themselves.
The misunderstanding has sunk to new lows in places around the country: one report yesterday stated that homeless people are now being attacked & robbed by other people who have more, and are worth more, than the person they are robbing.
If you rob me of my possession while I'm out walking, okay; I've lost those possessions. But I can go home and get more. Take my clothes; Lord knows I've got more in storage. The homeless are already victims, and may be wearing the only possessions to their name. These possessions are their livelihood. These possessions are not throw-aways. But to these thieves, anything can be considered a throw-away item, and don't even think about the person who had it before.
The homeless are the people, I believe, who are respected the least. Misfortune is often not their own blame. The politicians are the biggest ridiculers of them all.
Orders to put the homeless in jail for tresspassing? That makes no sense at all! There's no place to put them, because the politicians are always saying they have no building space. So it appears they cover their own hides by doing a quick-reflex action to save them from their inaction.
I may have mentioned this before, but during Super Bowl week in Detroit a couple years ago, one news article asked, "What about the homeless?" The response was, basically, "We gotta get them out of sight so they don't cast a spell on the Super Bowl festivities."
There's that annoying thinking again: Out of sight, out of mind.
Did they even think about long-term solutions to the homeless plight in Detroit and other urban areas? Or, in our case, did any thoughts of them stop once the Super Bowl train headed out of town?
Among us, there's bound to be misunderstandings about people. Someone may have broken their arm, but I cannot tell them "I know how you feel," because I've never had a broken arm. A child may tell me their big brother stole their favorite toy. I can say I sympathize, but that doesn't make me understand it fully, since I am an only child.
A person has to be in the shoes of the victim to fully understand the victim's plight.
But in the case of the homeless, it doesn't need to start with complete understanding & comprehension. It needs to start with respect, attention, and action. These recent incidents show none of the three.
Shame on these crooks who mistreated those on the street. Their level of thinking is lower than the homeless' thoughts will ever, EVER be.
The misunderstanding has sunk to new lows in places around the country: one report yesterday stated that homeless people are now being attacked & robbed by other people who have more, and are worth more, than the person they are robbing.
If you rob me of my possession while I'm out walking, okay; I've lost those possessions. But I can go home and get more. Take my clothes; Lord knows I've got more in storage. The homeless are already victims, and may be wearing the only possessions to their name. These possessions are their livelihood. These possessions are not throw-aways. But to these thieves, anything can be considered a throw-away item, and don't even think about the person who had it before.
The homeless are the people, I believe, who are respected the least. Misfortune is often not their own blame. The politicians are the biggest ridiculers of them all.
Orders to put the homeless in jail for tresspassing? That makes no sense at all! There's no place to put them, because the politicians are always saying they have no building space. So it appears they cover their own hides by doing a quick-reflex action to save them from their inaction.
I may have mentioned this before, but during Super Bowl week in Detroit a couple years ago, one news article asked, "What about the homeless?" The response was, basically, "We gotta get them out of sight so they don't cast a spell on the Super Bowl festivities."
There's that annoying thinking again: Out of sight, out of mind.
Did they even think about long-term solutions to the homeless plight in Detroit and other urban areas? Or, in our case, did any thoughts of them stop once the Super Bowl train headed out of town?
Among us, there's bound to be misunderstandings about people. Someone may have broken their arm, but I cannot tell them "I know how you feel," because I've never had a broken arm. A child may tell me their big brother stole their favorite toy. I can say I sympathize, but that doesn't make me understand it fully, since I am an only child.
A person has to be in the shoes of the victim to fully understand the victim's plight.
But in the case of the homeless, it doesn't need to start with complete understanding & comprehension. It needs to start with respect, attention, and action. These recent incidents show none of the three.
Shame on these crooks who mistreated those on the street. Their level of thinking is lower than the homeless' thoughts will ever, EVER be.
February 15, 2008
Winter weather hazard: Who are you?
People are getting surprised this winter.
We're in the midst of what can finally be called a "traditional Michigan winter." This is how winter used to be like in the days before I came along, every year. This hasn't been a real cold winter, or a real snowy one, but it's been extreme, and we've been getting one condition or another more consistently than we have in years.
Figures... winter as we once knew it had to wait until the year I drive a cab to unearth itself. I've been witness to traffic conditions I've not driven through since I was in my 20s. So I'm seeing some real interesting things on the roads.
One I've noticed in increasing abundance is the number of vehicles on the road whose license plates are covered with snow. This month, the State Police has beefed up road enforcement. I wonder how many people were pulled over so far for snow-covered license plates.
People brush off their windshields and all their windows; they brush off the headlights & taillights. Why aren't they cleaning off their plates? The plates show that a vehicle is road-worthy. Without it, the vehicle is as good as stolen to the authorities. Visible plates are as important as working headlights & taillights... even more important from a legal sense.
How this can be missed is unexplainable. Though winter's not been "traditional" around here for over ten years, it's not as if we've not had snow throughout. Brushing down a license plate should be common sense.
There's also an increasing number of cars who have metal borders around their plates, which cover up the plates' state of origin. What is especially perplexing is that some of these borders come from the dealer of purchase. My plate is licensed to Michigan, not some off-brand used car dealer.
There are borders sold that will not cover up important state information. Folks, buy those and save yourselves a ticket.
We're in the midst of what can finally be called a "traditional Michigan winter." This is how winter used to be like in the days before I came along, every year. This hasn't been a real cold winter, or a real snowy one, but it's been extreme, and we've been getting one condition or another more consistently than we have in years.
Figures... winter as we once knew it had to wait until the year I drive a cab to unearth itself. I've been witness to traffic conditions I've not driven through since I was in my 20s. So I'm seeing some real interesting things on the roads.
One I've noticed in increasing abundance is the number of vehicles on the road whose license plates are covered with snow. This month, the State Police has beefed up road enforcement. I wonder how many people were pulled over so far for snow-covered license plates.
People brush off their windshields and all their windows; they brush off the headlights & taillights. Why aren't they cleaning off their plates? The plates show that a vehicle is road-worthy. Without it, the vehicle is as good as stolen to the authorities. Visible plates are as important as working headlights & taillights... even more important from a legal sense.
How this can be missed is unexplainable. Though winter's not been "traditional" around here for over ten years, it's not as if we've not had snow throughout. Brushing down a license plate should be common sense.
There's also an increasing number of cars who have metal borders around their plates, which cover up the plates' state of origin. What is especially perplexing is that some of these borders come from the dealer of purchase. My plate is licensed to Michigan, not some off-brand used car dealer.
There are borders sold that will not cover up important state information. Folks, buy those and save yourselves a ticket.
February 14, 2008
The changing times of business
Valentine's greetings, everyone. It's nice for me not to need worry about buying candy & stuff on a day like this.
It's amazing -- and utterly pathetic at the same time -- to see Michigan's economy as it is now. And the ripple effects are now being felt all over the country. With President Bush scared to his wits to mention the "R" word (recession), most of us working-class types have been seeing the signs coming for the greater part of a year.
Recession aside, times may be changing in the business industry anyway, in much the same way the old five & ten stores (witness Neisner, Kresge) were replaced by the conglomorate chains; the way the mom & pop corner stores were replaced by big-boxers.
Just this week, I saw a golf cart distribution facility shutter. Ironically, that cart distributor was located across Michigan Avenue from Inkster Valley Golf Course. Although the Lincoln Park Plaza is slated for demolition, it was still interesting to note that President Tuxedo was closed... and another dollar store was in its place. And the venerable Cardinal Fabric Care drycleaner in Southgate, complete with its 1950s neon sign, finally closed down almost two months ago after they limited their business to second-hand work clothing sales.
What does that say about the needs & tastes of people today? I'm not criticizing how or where we spend our lives and money these days... but it's nothing like my parents witnessed when they were my age.
One of my cab fares this week needed a watch battery. There was only one place (PCP watch repair) that could fix his problem. The passenger told me a specialty store was the only place he could trust to have the battery he needed. "Take it to Meijer's or Wal-Mart," he said, "and first, you'd be lucky to have (a salesperson) pay attention to you." Then, "they wouldn't even know what type of battery you want. I wouldn't trust..." the people at the big box stores.
That is true today, again without criticism. People used to specialize in one area of knowledge; watch repairs were a specialty and would take up an entire store (my dad would remember Southgate's Campbell's Jewelers). PCP was a rare exception; Ehrlich's in Wyandotte is another example. But that's about all we have. There's no choice BUT to take it to a place which sells thousands of other, unrelated items.
Back in the day, we abounded in specialty stores or businesses. If an entrepreneur from those days had an idea for a business, he or she added it to the growing list of variety. If you needed anything that wouldn't be sold commercially at a regular store, those other storefronts would sell the specific items.
Now the whole business climate has been watered down. Odds and ends (such as watch batteries) are relegated to the caverns of a superstore. And your typical salesperson today is trained to know about everything & every department in the store, not just one or two things. It makes the salesperson more productive, but what's lost is the intimacy in knowing that one person can help solve minor, specific problems.
President Tuxedo's closing is not a surprise, either. The chain no longer exists in Michigan. In fact, there were several formal wear places not too long ago. Formal wear is getting harder to find in a specific, formal atmosphere. Would I go to Meijer's for a suit? Would that salesperson even know how to measure me properly? Very doubtful.
The fast-food complex now affects all business. People want one-stop shopping, and what they want, they want fast. It's almost as if quality of the product or service is a dying art -- if it hasn't died already.
---------------------------------------
Anita Rose, from whom I got the inspiration to do this blog in the first place, co-runs a website, deadmalls.com, which profiles dormant, shuttered malls. She would be pleased (?) to know that the old Southtown Crossing shopping mall in Southgate is completely vacant now. Co-Op Optical moved out last month, so nearly 500,000 square feet of mall frontage in a prime intersection now sits unused.
I remember the mall's construction in the mid-1980s. I howled with protest at the demolition of the Michigan Drive-In that anchored the site for almost 50 years. Now the howls of "I told you so" echo. Drive-in's were another specialty service back in the day. Now, if we want a movie, we have to share it with 19 others in a stadium-type venue which is overwhelming to some.
"Keep America Beautiful" didn't only refer to litter in the landscape, I guess.
It's amazing -- and utterly pathetic at the same time -- to see Michigan's economy as it is now. And the ripple effects are now being felt all over the country. With President Bush scared to his wits to mention the "R" word (recession), most of us working-class types have been seeing the signs coming for the greater part of a year.
Recession aside, times may be changing in the business industry anyway, in much the same way the old five & ten stores (witness Neisner, Kresge) were replaced by the conglomorate chains; the way the mom & pop corner stores were replaced by big-boxers.
Just this week, I saw a golf cart distribution facility shutter. Ironically, that cart distributor was located across Michigan Avenue from Inkster Valley Golf Course. Although the Lincoln Park Plaza is slated for demolition, it was still interesting to note that President Tuxedo was closed... and another dollar store was in its place. And the venerable Cardinal Fabric Care drycleaner in Southgate, complete with its 1950s neon sign, finally closed down almost two months ago after they limited their business to second-hand work clothing sales.
What does that say about the needs & tastes of people today? I'm not criticizing how or where we spend our lives and money these days... but it's nothing like my parents witnessed when they were my age.
One of my cab fares this week needed a watch battery. There was only one place (PCP watch repair) that could fix his problem. The passenger told me a specialty store was the only place he could trust to have the battery he needed. "Take it to Meijer's or Wal-Mart," he said, "and first, you'd be lucky to have (a salesperson) pay attention to you." Then, "they wouldn't even know what type of battery you want. I wouldn't trust..." the people at the big box stores.
That is true today, again without criticism. People used to specialize in one area of knowledge; watch repairs were a specialty and would take up an entire store (my dad would remember Southgate's Campbell's Jewelers). PCP was a rare exception; Ehrlich's in Wyandotte is another example. But that's about all we have. There's no choice BUT to take it to a place which sells thousands of other, unrelated items.
Back in the day, we abounded in specialty stores or businesses. If an entrepreneur from those days had an idea for a business, he or she added it to the growing list of variety. If you needed anything that wouldn't be sold commercially at a regular store, those other storefronts would sell the specific items.
Now the whole business climate has been watered down. Odds and ends (such as watch batteries) are relegated to the caverns of a superstore. And your typical salesperson today is trained to know about everything & every department in the store, not just one or two things. It makes the salesperson more productive, but what's lost is the intimacy in knowing that one person can help solve minor, specific problems.
President Tuxedo's closing is not a surprise, either. The chain no longer exists in Michigan. In fact, there were several formal wear places not too long ago. Formal wear is getting harder to find in a specific, formal atmosphere. Would I go to Meijer's for a suit? Would that salesperson even know how to measure me properly? Very doubtful.
The fast-food complex now affects all business. People want one-stop shopping, and what they want, they want fast. It's almost as if quality of the product or service is a dying art -- if it hasn't died already.
---------------------------------------
Anita Rose, from whom I got the inspiration to do this blog in the first place, co-runs a website, deadmalls.com, which profiles dormant, shuttered malls. She would be pleased (?) to know that the old Southtown Crossing shopping mall in Southgate is completely vacant now. Co-Op Optical moved out last month, so nearly 500,000 square feet of mall frontage in a prime intersection now sits unused.
I remember the mall's construction in the mid-1980s. I howled with protest at the demolition of the Michigan Drive-In that anchored the site for almost 50 years. Now the howls of "I told you so" echo. Drive-in's were another specialty service back in the day. Now, if we want a movie, we have to share it with 19 others in a stadium-type venue which is overwhelming to some.
"Keep America Beautiful" didn't only refer to litter in the landscape, I guess.
February 13, 2008
"Cuff 'em and Stuff 'em!"
When Roscoe P. Coltrane from Dukes of Hazzard said this line, we know he would never catch the Duke boys, but we'd be in for a lot of comedy.
The line is said by me, still with a laugh behind it, but a laugh complete with head shake & eye roll.
I only heard snippets on the news station about Roger Clemens' testimony on Capitol Hill today about his alleged HGH usage. The evidence is becoming damning.
Clemens' so-called "best friend", Andy Pettite, said Clemens did talk about using HGH and other steroids. That's more damning than what the ex-Mets clubhouse attendant, as well as Clemens' former personal trainer, have said.
The judge in the case actually may have caught Clemens red-handed as I listened to some of the exchange, which went something like this:
Judge: So you've never used steroids?
Clemens: No, I have not.
Judge: But Andy Pettite said you used steroids... awhile ago you said he was a very honest man.
Clemens: He (Pettite) is a very honest man.
Do you forsee a big "oopsie" on this one? We've heard of selective memory, or even selective hearing. Do we have a definition for selective truth-telling?
Somebody on that stand, like in Detroit's whistle-blower & text-message scandal, has lied under oath, deliberately I may add. In this case, it's hard to say who's wrong.
But Clemens is painting himself into a corner. I think all that jury on Capitol Hill needs is Exhibits A and B: Photos of Clemens in 1997 and in 2004, in-between the alleged use. You could have used the same for Barry Bonds; that fact was indeed mentioned in Bonds' case -- whether or not it was used during his time on the stand is unknown to me.
But wouldn't it be something: the most prolific home run hitter of all time, and the best pitcher of this generation getting nabbed by the law and doing time? And what if all their stats are rubbed out, like they should be if they're proven guilty?
A caller into a sportstalk radio show asked what the kids who look up to them would think. One wore an old Texas college baseball jersey during the '05 All-Star Game in Detroit. Clemens, in a parade, stopped so he could personally autograph the jersey of his old alma mater. What thoughts are going through this person's mind tonight as they hear the news? Will that autograph still bring back pleasant memories tomorrow?
One person complained that baseball is just rehashing the past by putting all this through trial. I believe baseball is not only cleansing itself of its past, but is trying to send a message to the new generation of stars.
It would personally be easy for me now to say that Greg Maddux & Tony Gwynn are the best pitcher and hitter, respectively, of their era. And they never made front-page headlines. Yet experts will still rank them among the best... and rightfully so.
Black eye or not... baseball needs this time now to hammer home a mighty important point.
The line is said by me, still with a laugh behind it, but a laugh complete with head shake & eye roll.
I only heard snippets on the news station about Roger Clemens' testimony on Capitol Hill today about his alleged HGH usage. The evidence is becoming damning.
Clemens' so-called "best friend", Andy Pettite, said Clemens did talk about using HGH and other steroids. That's more damning than what the ex-Mets clubhouse attendant, as well as Clemens' former personal trainer, have said.
The judge in the case actually may have caught Clemens red-handed as I listened to some of the exchange, which went something like this:
Judge: So you've never used steroids?
Clemens: No, I have not.
Judge: But Andy Pettite said you used steroids... awhile ago you said he was a very honest man.
Clemens: He (Pettite) is a very honest man.
Do you forsee a big "oopsie" on this one? We've heard of selective memory, or even selective hearing. Do we have a definition for selective truth-telling?
Somebody on that stand, like in Detroit's whistle-blower & text-message scandal, has lied under oath, deliberately I may add. In this case, it's hard to say who's wrong.
But Clemens is painting himself into a corner. I think all that jury on Capitol Hill needs is Exhibits A and B: Photos of Clemens in 1997 and in 2004, in-between the alleged use. You could have used the same for Barry Bonds; that fact was indeed mentioned in Bonds' case -- whether or not it was used during his time on the stand is unknown to me.
But wouldn't it be something: the most prolific home run hitter of all time, and the best pitcher of this generation getting nabbed by the law and doing time? And what if all their stats are rubbed out, like they should be if they're proven guilty?
A caller into a sportstalk radio show asked what the kids who look up to them would think. One wore an old Texas college baseball jersey during the '05 All-Star Game in Detroit. Clemens, in a parade, stopped so he could personally autograph the jersey of his old alma mater. What thoughts are going through this person's mind tonight as they hear the news? Will that autograph still bring back pleasant memories tomorrow?
One person complained that baseball is just rehashing the past by putting all this through trial. I believe baseball is not only cleansing itself of its past, but is trying to send a message to the new generation of stars.
It would personally be easy for me now to say that Greg Maddux & Tony Gwynn are the best pitcher and hitter, respectively, of their era. And they never made front-page headlines. Yet experts will still rank them among the best... and rightfully so.
Black eye or not... baseball needs this time now to hammer home a mighty important point.
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