Political Venting - Before I Go Crazy

Thunderstorms knock out our cable. Given it is so ugly outside, we aren't going out tonight. So, I'm going to just give some random thoughts which were bouncing around my head a chance to see the light of the internet.

Autism and testosterone do not mix. My eldest son is mildly autistic. Meeting him for the first time, you'd never have a clue. But he is fully in the throes of puberty. Hence, he can have a meltdown with testosterone, and when he does, it really isn't fun. It's really not fun to see a 12 year old nuts like that. I highly suggest avoiding it.

During the 2004 election, everyone ignored the what effect re-electing Bush might have on the Supreme Court. Well, let me introduce you to the new, amazingly right-wing court. Where Brown vs. Board of Education is a precedent which can be footnoted and ignored. So, let's just all re segregate and allow separate but unequal to be the law of the land. Only a short-sighted and intellectually bankrupt person (this time Chief Justice John Roberts) can say in an opinion "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." Such words are inane in the real world.

One of our favorite shows of all-time was the wonderful "Picket Fences". We've been without it for years as no cable network was showing it (sad given some of the absolute crap that makes it on basic cable). Well, the first season finally came out on DVD. We had pre-ordered it months ago. We are now working our way through the entire season, show by superb show. I am so enjoying seeing the Frog Man, Jenny, Max, Kenny and the Brock family again. And Lauren Holly in her underwear is quite nice indeed (the episode of "Bad Moon Rising).

The swimming season is finally over. No more Wednesday nights spent sweating and sitting as I wait for my boys to swim in their events. I love watching them, I hate the actual meets. And the food sold at these meets generally sucks.

Tomorrow is my last official day as a Board member of Temple Kol Emeth. A deep breath will be released as I turn over my duties next week. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, it's just that with everything else I'm doing I can't give it the time which is needed. I'll just serve on a whole bunch of committees now.

The Braves don't score a run for a week. Now they can't stop scoring. Baseball is a weird game.

Time for a list...my 10 favorite songs of all time:

1 - "It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)" by R.E.M. It is a wonderfully strange song from my favorite group ever. I have made Tracey promise to play this song at my funeral.
2 - "I want you to want me" by Cheap Trick. If this song had been recorded in a studio, it just wouldn't have worked. But singing this song live in front of a huge gathering of Japanese girls just made this song fly.
3 - "I don't like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats. "and the silicone chip inside her head gets switched to overload...oh...and nobody going to go to school today she's going to make them stay at home" It's just a great song.
4 - "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats. Is there a better dance song from the 80's?
5 - "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles. Suzanna Hoffs beautiful soft voice was absolutely perfect in this wonderful love song. I could listen to it 1000 times in a row.
6 - "Vacation" by The Go-Go's. My favorite song by my favorite girl group ever.
7 - The Opening Overture to "Tommy" by the Who. Rock music made amazingly classical. Just listening to it is uplifting.
8 - "Epic" by Blind Faith. One of the first marriages of punk rock and rap. If your head doesn't bang during this song, you are dead.
9 - "What a wonderful world" by Louis Armstrong. When you think that life sucks, listen to this song.
10 - "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. It took me years to finally figure out that they were talking about masturbation. Made the song even better.

So, our least favorite VP, Dick Cheney basically has stated for all to hear that he is above the law. He has tried to find a loophole in the Constitution which thrusts him from the Executive Branch to the Legislative Branch. Hence, he doesn't have to obey any Executive Orders regarding oversight.

OK, that's fine with me.

Not only is it fine, I think it is great!!!!

Because if he is part of the Legislative Branch, that means that he is under the direction of the House and Senate. So, I think the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate can now bring Mr. Cheney to whatever hearings they want and he cannot claim Executive Privilege.

I mean, he really can't have it both ways. He can't claim Executive Privilege if he is not a part of the Executive Branch.

So let the fun begin. Let's start with his knowledge of the use of intelligence in the run-up to the stupidest war ever. We can then move to the corporate executives who he asked the opinion of as he created the Energy Bill in 2001. He can also answer about torture, warrant-less wiretaps and Gitmo. He will have no choice.

It's that, or Contempt of Congress!!!! Let's send this Political Scum to jail!!!!!!

I decided that this Father's Day, I'd like to take a road trip. I really, really wanted to go see the "Paper Clips" exhibit in Whitwell, TN. So we decided to combine that with a trip to those two icons of tourist stuff, Ruby Falls and Rock City.

First, the "Paper Clips" exhibit. I saw the documentary on the subject over a year ago, and it moved me. I knew I'd be touched by this exhibit. But my preconceived notion on that was not even close to reality. This is the second most moving holocaust memorial I've ever visited (Boston's being the winner there). That the children of this small, Southern town (smaller than my home town of Milan, MI) came up with this thoughtful way of making the holocaust real to this and future generations is extraordinary. The old cattle-car which was brought over from Germany (which had been used to transport hundreds of Jews at a time during WWII) to house this exhibit was amazing. This train car, which was an instrument of evil, is now an example of what is best in humans. This made the day a winner right off the bat. I just want to remember this place, and I honor the place as sacred.

Then it was off to the tourist stuff. I have been to Ruby Falls before, but it has been 20 years since that trip. It was still really cool after all these years. It is amazing what is 1000 feet inside the belly of a large mountain. Is is even more amazing that it was found and made available to the public. So the day continued to be great.

Off to Rock City. Now, this is a tourist area which is really a tourist area. It has been made into something worth seeing, but it's grandeur has been lost in all the ketch. It's too bad it can't be restored to a less commercial attraction and the natural beauty of the place allowed to stand on its own.

From there I decided that we would take a more scenic (and what I thought would be a less round about) way home. Ummm, I was wrong.

I am going to preface what I'm about to say with one truth...I am one of the best at finding my way around an area that I am unfamiliar with. I've usually been able to get through cities which are confusing without much of a problem, and back roads are no match for my sterling abilities.

That is, until today.

I wanted to take the scenic route. I thought we'd go from Rock City (in Lookout Mountain, GA) down the mountain and into a small town called LaFayette (named after a famous French general, I think). I thought we'd then find a nice homey restaurant to have dinner in and then go from there home.

But fate, and the amazingly confusing signage in the area, conspired against me. The trip along the crest of the mountain and down one side was without incident, except that my wife freaked every time the road was next to the mountain rim. But as we moved down the mountain, and roads either ran together or forked, I became more and more confused. I kept thinking that as long as I was moving to the south or southeast (or east for that matter), I'd be OK. But I was becoming less and less certain of that until I fully realized I had NO idea what road we were on and where the hell we were.

Now, there was no way in hell I was going to admit this. Not with my wife and both sons complaining that we were in the middle of nowhere (which was not the case, we were east of the middle of nowhere). I just kept my mouth shut and kept hoping that I'd finally find where I wanted to go.

But just as I was about to admit my error....G_d gave me a gift. A sign which said to turn left to find I-75. I took it like I had just found a pot of gold.

In the next few days, I shall look at a map and carefully try to find out where the hell I went today. If for no other reason, to make sure I don't go there EVER again.

Of course, we now must assess today based on all the available evidence. The events we went to graded out at an A+, A, and B-. The food (and we found a pretty good BBQ place in TN) graded out at a C+ (lost a lot when we ate at Shoney's in Calhoun, GA....peach cobbler without peaches is worthless). Family enjoyment and time spent together, A-, points being taken off for Jacob's losing it over there being bees at the "Paper Clips" exhibit.

In other words, a GREAT Father's Day.

Here I am, 45 years of age. I am OLD!!! You might be asking, how do I know this fact? Let's review the truth of the matter.

- I remember the days that I could be up 48 straight hours without much of a problem. When the boys were babies, I could easily exist on 3 hours of sleep. Now, I'm falling over tired if I don't get at least 6 straight hours of sleep. SAD.

- Ooh, the days when I could eat anything. I'd get off work at midnight, and head to the Varsity for 2 chili dogs, a chili burger, onion rings and a large coke. Start eating at around 1am, go to bed at 3am and sleep like a baby. Now, I eat a taco and I risk a blowout (think of the opposite end from my mouth) and a night of heartburn. SAD.

- The weekends were not quite one big party, but they certainly wouldn't have been spent going to grocery stores, dollar stores and really bad pizza places. And all of them were basically my idea. SAD.

- Multi-tasking was no big deal. Had to do 3 things at once, great. Let me at it. Now, one at a time...and I better hope I've had enough caffeine to keep me focused. SAD.

- My eyes worked so well that I considered them marvels. I could see the smallest print on the planet. I could see long distances without a problem. No blurring here. Now, I have to wear computer glasses. If I don't, by the end of a work week, I'm basically blind. SAD.

- Even though I was never the most in shape person on the planet, if a pick-up basketball game came up, I could play well enough and long enough to not be embarrassing. Now, if I have to walk up and down my driveway I consider it exercise. SAD.

- When younger, I was fluffy, maybe even considered a teddy bear. Now, I'm just fat. SAD.

- Little to nothing would anger me. Life would just roll off my back, no reason to get upset. Now, when my sons argue I can feel my blood pressure rising. And all they are arguing about is the remote control for the TV. They are boys, after all. SAD.

So, let's all raise our hands if I am old as shit. Yup, that's what I thought. All hands are up. Hell, a few of you have both hands raised.

SAD.