Thursday, September 29, 2005

Maybe I Ride, Maybe You Walk

I've been thinking about this one for quite awhile now, so I apologize in advance if I get a bit long winded here. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way and I lost half of my 12 readers, onto the topic of the day.

This year I am doing a considerable amount more driving around campus. This is mainly due to the fact that this year I am in a parking lot that is across the street versus a lot that is a solid 25 minute walk away. During my various travels across campus I have noticed 3 very-obvious and very-distinct populations -- the walkers, the drivers, and the bicyclists. Of course there is that guy on the Segway I see occaisionally but we'll ignore him for this discussion. Each has their own pros and cons. I will now offer a brief treatise/manifesto on these various populations.

The Walkers.
These people are the masses. They control who goes where and when. They are most powerful in numbers and crossing the street against a light. A lone motorist (or group of them) is powerless when their numbers thrown caution to the wind and cross when they most feel like it. Within the walkers there are two subgroups. You've got the fraidy cat walkers and the balls out walkers. The fraidy cat walks stop at every crossing and wait for traffic to clear to cross the street. These people have no will and no guts. These are the pacifists of the campus transportation groups. A driver will also look for these, often lone, individuals as the FCW will not impede the progress of any driver. On the other end of the spectrum you've got the BOWs. These folks (of which I am a pround member) follow the mantra that is posted on the yellow traffic signs that say "Yield to Pedestrians in Crosswalk." These folks have no fear and will not miss a step to enter a crosswalk. A car 10 feet away going 30 mph? Pshaw! Like I"m gonna stop! And yet they have a right to. That little yellow sign gives them all the freedom to cross and forces the drivers to slow down.

The Drivers
These are the most unpredictable of the 3 groups. Being a member of this group (yeah, I've got dual membership, I rock!) I have gained insight into the disharmony that they present into the system. Speed Limits are merely a recommendation. This is especially true in parking lots and parking garages. There are so many blind spots there I don't understand why there are not more accidents. Then there is the whole driver/walker interactions. The drivers like the FCWs ans the driver stays in power. Drivers need to be especially aware of the BOWs. There are several locations on campus (traffic circles) where there are multiple crosswalks in a close vicinity. BOWs have stopped multiple cars before and even when traffic clears, another one may quickly enter and continue to hold up a driver's progress. And since parking spots are like caviar when one is spotted a driver will take all risks to get to that spot ASAP.

The Bicyclists
This crew are the fewest in number but probably take the most risks out of the three groups. They constantly try to fit themselves through the narrowest of openings between people, trees, buildings, etc. They also travel at a higher then recommended speed which leads to problems. I've seen several accidents between fellow cyclists and between cyclists and walkers. It is usally due to too high of a speed and bad decision making. These people also think that it is a good idea to try and ride their bike while talking on their cell phone. SERIOUSLY dude, the call can wait. People think drivers with cell phones are bad...no...bicyclists are far worse.

The three of these groups come together at certain peak hours of the day to create a perfect storms of sort. I seriously fear for my life during these times when I'm out. There is so much unpredictability and chaos going on. I just try to drive slow and keep it safe for myself. If I get through this year without any sort of car accident...well I deserve something.

This post wasn't nearly as funny as it was in my head, but I commend anyone that makes it this far.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Come On Aboard

ESPN.com's Page 2 Daily Quickie is hopping onto the Spartan bandwagon.
The Spartan's a top 5 team? Um...not quite yet. The season is still young and the Spartans still have a lot to prove. They still have to get past a reeling Michigan team this week (my pick -- the Spartans will ROLL over the inept Wolverine defense). And then have 2 weeks to prepare for the sickness that is the Buckeye's defense. I will comment more on that game as it approaches but to seriously consider the Spartan's a Top-5 team they will have to beat both UM and OSU. I'm looking forward to how the Spartan O handles the OSU D and vice versa. Like it or not, OSU is still the team to beat in the Big Ten and should be up there in the top-5.

I did laundry yesterday and I think I set a new personal record. After everything was folded I was left with, count 'em, SIX solo socks (Marv Albert voice: alliteration! yes!). How does that happen? Usually I have one or 2 left over who's mates did not make it into that load but SIX? Damn...

Monday, September 26, 2005

So I Dive Into a Pool

So guess what I did today? Something I haven't done in quite awhile. Well since most of my readership demograpics either have multiple degrees or are working their way toward's one, you probably have figured out that I went swimming. As one of the perks of working at the Runner's World Shoe Testing Lab (besides a multitude of free shoes) is a membership at the M.A.C. Today was my first time using the facilities. I got in a nice 1600 meters. Yes, the pool is a 25-meter pool. Can't say I've ever used one of these on a regular basis. One key was that when I was doing some 50s my fastest (time wise, not effort wise) time was :40. Even though I've swum minimally since I retired in Feb 02 I know I can muster better then :40 for a 50-yd swim. So David Whitbeck (aka the purveyor of all swimming knowledge) if you ever read this, maybe you can let me know if that is a decent time or not. Just like riding a bike...except that you're in a pool using no equipment...so really its NOTHING like riding a bike, but you know what I mean.

The M.A.C. is probably the nicest health club I've been a part of. After the swim I went into the locker room and soaked in the hot tub for a few minutes to relax my aching muscles (my legs are still a bit sore from yesterday's run). A couple things I noticed in the locker room -- old men like just walk around naked and chill out naked. I don't mind nakedness per se...but it might take some adjusting too. It might be a generational thing. I mean even when I swam the majority of us just showered in our suits and then changed at our lockers. Also most of the lockers have name plates on them and are reserved for members. One question -- what do I need to do to get my very own vanity locker? So my plan is to try and get in and swim 2-3 days a week. Just a little something to get back into it. One thing -- it felt REALLY great to swim again. Its a whole evisceral experience that involves the physical and the mental to create my very own special place. Yeah, swimming (or as the Germans would say, Schvimmen) rocks.

So a few days ago I posted some comment like "I got wasted last night and woke up hand-cuffed to some girl..." Just to let you all know, this 1) did not happen, and 2) I hope never happens. I think the majority of my readers know me well enough to realize that this is not something I would do. It was also meant as a comment to kinda poke fun at other bloggers out there that do post about all aspects of their lives. I rarely post personal stuff here that involves other people. And the "personal" stuff I do post is very focused on my self and the views/opinions/feelings I have. So yeah, I apologize for any misunderstands about this. I can see my parents talking about it now "I KNEW we raised him to be better then that."

What else? I was thinking earlier today (while folding laundry) about how my life is going pretty darn good right now. Yes I have a lot of work and jobs...but I'm managing and I'm a lot happier then I have been in quite awhile. Most people realize I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky guy, but now I"m happier-go-lucky.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

We Shall Hide Together Here

Its been awhile since I last posted something here.

First off, the new season of Lost premiered this past wednesday. Music for Robots posted an mp3 of the song (Mama Cass Elliot - Make Your Own Kind of Music) that lead off the new season. It was a very anachronistic (one of my favorite words) beginning as you heard this very poppy/happy song and had absoultely NO idea how it fell into the context of the show (a flashback? a new character? the others? the boat? a commercial?). Then we quickly found out it came from underneath the bunker/hatch and at the end we find a mysterious visitor from Jack's past. How about Matthew Fox and that sweet-ass early 90s hair? MFR also links to Flight 815 which then links to other Lost fan sites. My particularly favorite one is The Lost Numbers...I mean where do these people find the time for this? Anyway I meant to do a live-blogging of the premier episode but I had some company over and thought that may be a bit rude. Perhaps later on in the season.

Lets see...I ran the Capital City River Run 10-mile race earlier this morning. My final time was 1:04:10...I would've been happy with 1:07ish and thought that 1:05 (6:30 per mile pace) would be really good. Considering I would not define me as being in total running shape, this was a very successful run. I also like how I paced it -- I kept it nice and even throughout. This bodes well for Boston in the spring. I also finished 12th I believe. I thought I counted around 20 but looking at the results post-race it said 12th overall. The real kick-in-the-nuts though is that 1:04:10 was only good for 4th in my age division which meant I finished out of the awards. BASTARDS!

The MSU Spartans literally rolled over the not-so-fighting Illini of Illinois yesterday. Seriously, the Illini laid down on the field and all the MSU players rolled over them. Quite a bizarre incident I must say. The MSU offense is a juggernaut and just clicking on all cylinders. We're now #11 in the AP poll and have a big game at home next week against Michigan. Actually I'm thinking the Spartans should win that game. The Wolverines are just not..very...good this year. Somehow they were ranked #3 at the beginning of the year. They could have a very bad season. MSU should beat them and right now they only way they will beat OSU is if Lloyd Carr is fired and the team rallies around the coach to beat OSU (a la Earl Bruce in 1987). Ohio State is one of the most physical teams I can remember in recent years.

Lastly I got me some Indians playoff tickets yesterday. I've got 4 tickets to the first game (ie game 3) and 2 to the second game (game 4). They just need to hang on this last week of the season.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

A Number of Irrational Fears

First off, I've been meaning to get this in here for awhile now. So awhile back I watched most of my Seinfeld DVDs in the span of a week or so. One of the early episodes has Elaine getting a job for George at Pendant Publishing. George, working late one night, makes a little eye contact with the cleaning lady (sweet Lupe!). The two proceed to...um...get it on at the office. Elaine's (and technically George's) boss, Mr. Lippman (played wonderfully by Richard Fancy) becomes aware of the situation and confronts George about it. The dialogue goes something like this:

Mr. Lippman -- It has been brought to my attention that you have had relations with the cleaning lady.
George, in a complete deadpan -- Was that wrong? Should I have not done that? I tell you I gotta plead ignorance on this thing, because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing was frowned upon . . ."

That was one of the early classic George Costanza lines. It is slowly prying the door open to the dysfunctionality and neuroticism that we would come to love and enjoy and what would ultimately define the character of George Costanza. Like it or not, we all have a little (or a lot) George Costanza in us.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I started thishere blog way back in January. I did it on a lark and was mainly inspired by one Erin Greer. I didn't really expect anyone to read the drivel that I put here. Or if they did, it would only be a few choice people. Well slowly my readership has grown. It is still mainly my friends, but that has grown from my close friends to those that may not be as close. My family (mom, dad, both sisters) also read this. While I am no Stephanie Klein (nor desire to be), it seems that my readership is growing, which is a good thing.

As I get more readers, I've started to self-censor what I put up here. This blog is by no means a tell all of my dirty little secrets and sweet follies of youth...but on the same token you never know how people are going to react to words that may or may not be about them. Or even what details of my life you would rather not know. There are some out there that would argue that self-censorship is wrong and I should be able to write whatever I want. I can do that. I just choose not to. If I was willing to deal with those consequences, by all means I'd write every detail of my life on here, but I also realize that the words I write here can have an impact beyond my everyday readers.

I've read a few articles about how blogging has affected people's professional lives. People have not been hired based on what they write on blogs. I try to keep this fun and I mostly comment on the mundane minute of everyday life. Every once in a while I do offer a valid social/political commentary along the evolution posts I just did. But do I want a sentence that I wrote 6 months ago in some pointless post to affect whether or not I get a job when I get my degree in the spring? Heck no. I mean I did get totally hammered last night, woke up this morning naked in a pile of my own vomit handcuffed to some skanky looking girl and there was a used condom on the floor....

There is also the fact that I find it very uncomfortable and somewhat embarassing to admit that, yes, I do blog. I feel like...I dunno...I just feel that people will look down upon me when I say that. I think that their opinon of me will change from 1) the fact that I do blog and more importantly 2) what I write on here. I am very hesitant to admit to people that I do blog. I know that the interent has grown to be a big part of our everyday lives and that if you participate in online forums, postings, bloggings, etc this doesn't mean you are a "single unkempt non-hygenic single male" or such stereotypes that existed during the infancy of the internet. Yes somehow I still perceive (really this is unjustified) people will see me this way. Really MOL is an extension of myself & my personality and if anything I should be proud of the writings and work I put up here.

Hey its September. Looks like I'm getting called up to the majors. Time to show management what I've got.

I Crawled the Earth, But Now I'm Higher

I've been having a hard time sleeping lately...that is one reason I'm posting this at the time I am. I've got nothing better to do until I leave for work at 7:30 or so.

Anyway I wanted to do a follow up to my previous comments on ID and Evolution. One thing that I failed to mention is regarding the theory of evolution. If this theory is true and does hold up it means that we, as humans, are still evolving. We have yet to reach perfection. In another million years the humans that are around (provided we haven't killed ourselves through our direct actions or through destroying the environment or we are out of resources, etc) will not be the same humans that we have now. They will be a form of Super-Humans who are physically and mentally superior then we are today. Of course maybe we have reached our evolutionary peak. But I seriously doubt that as good as we are, we can still use some improvement.

Lastly, I got the following item from my mom. Hope you enjoy.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News Number 131: September 12, 2005

Holt, Scientific Societies Oppose Teaching Intelligent Design as Science

"When the tenets of critical thinking and scientific investigation are weakened in our classrooms, we are weakening our nation." - Rep.
Rush Holt

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), a physicist, spoke out this month against teaching intelligent design as science in the nation's classrooms.
"A scientifically literate nation would not permit intelligent design to be presented and treated as a scientific theory," Holt wrote in an article appearing on the Internet. "Public school science classes are not the place to teach concepts that cannot be
backed up by evidence and tested experimentally," he added.

Holt's article followed comments by President George Bush on August 1, in answer to a reporter's question about whether both evolution and intelligent design should be taught in public schools. "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. Recalling his response as Texas governor to the question of teaching creationism, he said he "felt like both sides ought to be properly taught...so people can understand what the debate is about." John Marburger, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who has repeatedly stated that intelligent design is not a scientific concept, said in an interview with the New York Times that Bush meant intelligent design could be addressed as part of the "social context" of science.

Two Member Societies of the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), issued responses to Bush's remarks. APS President Marvin Cohen stated that "only scientifically validated theories, such as evolution, should be taught in the nation's science classes" (see http://www.aps.org/media/pressreleases/080405.cfm for the complete APS response). AGU Executive Director Fred Spilhaus declared that "ideas that are based on faith, including 'intelligent design,'
operate in a different sphere and should not be confused with science" (see here for the complete AGU response).

Holt's article, entitled "Intelligent Design: It's Not Even Wrong,"
originally appeared in the September 8 "Talking Points Memo"
Internet blog, and can be found at
here. Selected portions of the article follow:

"As a research scientist and a member of the House Education Committee, I was appalled when President Bush signaled his support for the teaching of 'intelligent design' alongside evolution in public K-12 science classes. Though I respect and consistently protect the rights of persons of faith and the curricula of religious schools, public school science classes are not the place to teach concepts that cannot be backed up by evidence and tested experimentally.

"Science, by definition, is a method of learning about the physical universe by asking questions in a way that they can be answered empirically and verifiably. If a question cannot be framed so that the answer is testable by looking at physical evidence and by allowing other people to repeat and replicate one's test, then it is not science. The term science also refers to the organized body of knowledge that results from scientific study. Intelligent design offers no way to investigate design scientifically. Intelligent design explains complicated phenomena of the natural world by involving a designer. This way of thinking says things behave the way they do because God makes them behave that way. This treads not into science but into the realm of faith. A prominent physicist, W.
Pauli, used to say about such a theory 'It is not even wrong'.
There is no testable hypothesis or prediction for intelligent design.

"It is irresponsible for President Bush to cast intelligent design - a repackaged version of creationism - as the 'other side' of the evolution 'debate.' Creationists and others who denigrate the concept of evolution call it a theory, with a dismissive tone. They say that, as a theory, it is up for debate. Sure, evolution is a theory, just as gravitation is a theory. The mechanisms of evolution are indeed up for debate, just as the details of gravitation and its mathematical relationship with other forces of nature are up for debate. Some people once believed that we are held on the ground by invisible angels above us beating their wings and pushing us against the earth. If angels always adjusted their beating wings to exert force that diminished as the square of the distance between attracting bodies, it would be just like our idea of gravitation. The existence of those angels, undetected by any
measurements, would not be the subject of science. Such an idea of
gravity is 'not even wrong'. It is beyond the realm of science. So, too, is intelligent design.

"Colloquially, a theory is an idea. Scientifically, a theory is an accepted synthesis of a large body of knowledge, consisting of well-tested hypotheses, laws, and scientific facts, which concurrently describe and connect natural phenomena. There are actually very few theories in science, including atomic theory, the theory of gravity, the theory of evolution, and the theory of the standard model of particle physics. Without the ability to test the hypotheses of intelligent design, it cannot be considered a theory in the scientific sense.

"So who cares? What difference does it make if schools spend time on unscientific ideas? This raises the role of science education in the United States. A scientifically literate nation would not permit intelligent design to be presented and treated as a scientific theory. Science education is necessary for all students, especially for those who are not going to become professional scientists. We must not lose the important American characteristic
- hard, practical thinking.

"Traditionally, Americans are a faithful people. Most say they are guided by their faith in their God. Also, Americans are an intellectually lively people. Our forbearers did not lapse into lazy thinking. Sometimes it has been called Yankee ingenuity or good old American know-how. Whatever you call it, it has been a source of our prosperity and quality of life. Throughout our history, every farmer, every business owner, every manufacturer, continuously has been thinking how things work and how to make them better. Americans have thought like scientists. Not just those in lab coats, but many Americans, even most Americans. We must not allow this American intellectual habit to be replaced with wishful thinking or lazy thinking. Intelligent design is lazy thinking."

"Our weakened state of science and mathematics education reverberates throughout national and even global issues, and this should be the focus of our school systems rather than a 'debate'
that only diverts attention away from the challenges at hand. The United States must prepare for the changing global economy through fundamental scientific research fueling technological innovation.
When the tenets of critical thinking and scientific investigation
are weakened in our classrooms, we are weakening our nation. That
is why I think the President's off-hand comment about intelligent design as the other side of the debate over evolution is such a great disservice to Americans."

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Monkey to Man

Quick follow-up on my last post....the Big Ten laid a big egg this weekend. At least OSU kept it competitive. Thoughts -- Vince Young is a tough kid and one hell of a QB. This weekend MSU visits Notre Dame. Before you all jump on the ND bandwagon remember these things: of all opponents, ND has gotten beat by MSU the most (that includes Navy, Michigan, and USC), MSU has won at ND the past 4 times they have been there, and lastly, MSU has a high-powered offense and a vastly improved defense.

Now onto more pressing issues.

This week The Daily Show is presenting a theme week titled "Evolution Schmevoluion." Basically they are addressing how "Intelligent Design," a PC-term for creationism is increasingly being reintroduced into school science curriculums over the theory of evolution. To avoid getting on a soapbox (ha ha), what is going on in this country? I don't get it. Are we moving backwards? We, as a society, are supposed to be be moving forward into the 21st centruy not backward into the 19th century. Great use of italics there, eh? This country is becoming increasingly right-wing Christian, and I don't like. Mark, you say, are you both not right-wing and Christian? Yes. My religion (Go RC!) is an important part of my life and I am a registered Republican. I'll tackle these topics more in-depth in future postings, but not today. Although I am both of these things, I am by no-means the monster beast that is the Right-Wing Christian (from here-on out to be denoted RWC). RWCs live their life with blinders and live in a Puritanical and very Footloose way. These people seem to support Dubs no matter what and fail to see his short comings.

In contrast to RWCs, there are people such as me who are both right-wing and Christian but are able to put both in perspective and are able to make sane and rational decisions. There is a difference here folks. I believe in both Creationism...oops..I mean "Intelligent Design" and Evolution. As a somewhate devout Catholic I believe in a higher power that created this world of ours...as a novice researcher and through my various studies I also believe in the scientific process. RWCs read this and don't believe the two can go together. I say that they can. I realize the limitations in the creation story presented in the Bible; this doesn't mean I reject my faith and what it stands for. There is much more to religion, specifically Catholicism then the story of Adam & Eve...from what I'm told the emphais is on Jesus and his works and the writings surrounding him. We focus much more on that then how the world was created. Yes it is important, but really how often is it addresed at church? There is the discrepency between the Biblical time table and the evolutionary time table. I find it fascinating that constant discoveries of these fossils that are millions & millions of years old. I find it equally fascinating that the fossil record from monkey to man is still incomplete. We have yet to find thae infamous "missing link" It makes me wonder how many valuable fossils are buried under modern day civilizations. Oh yeah a few years back PJPII (RIP) announced that the theory of evolution could be accepted by Catholics. Good to know I won't be going to hell for that.

So these schools are teaching ID and there is no problem with this? It seems to be pretty obvious that ID is religion-based (where's the scientific proof?) and from what I remember there is this little thing called Separation of Church and State (SOCAS for those who like acronyms). This just bugs me. Since when has ID been a proven fact? While evolution is not without its holes, its a bit more scientifically valid then ID. I'm trying to think of an original witty analogy for this, but its too late. Anyway, hopefull this nation will get its heads out of its collective rears and realize the big mistake we're headed toward. Oh yeah, in conjunction with this and all the other crap going on, the GOP is gonna lose big next year (thanks mom for that tip-off).

On the lighter side of things, ever have a Pseudo-Date? Nick Miller turned me onto this phenomena once and it has struck a chord with me all day. That was in May of 2002 and that link is from August 2001. I would add another definition to the one that author lists: when one person has romantic intentions toward another and the two go out. The first person is unaware of the 2nd person's feelings so the whole time they are stitting there thinking "is this just a friend thing or is there a possiblity of us being naked at the end of the night." It is a great term to use....not necessarily a great thing to do.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Now It's On

Good times with T & A.

Let's go over some results thus far....
Notre Dame @ University of Michigan...Check.
Hawaii @ MSU....Check

And now THE BIG GAME will be starting in less then an hour.
Quick prediction before heading out with T & A: Texas in a close one, but after the above two scores, I'm feeling very confident for OSU. We'll see what happens. If you are anywhere near a TV, WATCH THIS GAME!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Dance Ten, Looks Three


The Infamous Prom Date

Happy 27th birthday to one Katie Laskey. She can be an odd one at times, but we love her nonetheless. She's actually one of my best female friends. She's actually one of the few people left that I want to hang out with when I'm in Lakewood. KL, you rock.
An aside, it seems every picture of me I post I'm dressed up. Damn, I'm dapper folks.

I got the Rents coming into town for a visit this weekend. I like nicknames. I have more nicknames for my dad then my mom...Big Guy, Old Man, the seed from which I sprung (OK, I just made that last one up). But awhile back, I came up with a new one for them, and its a doozy. Since they are Terrence & Adrienne I have come up with the oh-so-original (drumroll please)....T & A. And yes I have used this to reference them in coversation before. Like "Oh, I'd love to tailgate with you on saturday, but I've got to entertain T & A."

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

I Walk Right Through the Door

Every week or two, ESPN.com offers Uni Watch from Paul Lukas. He details trends & changes in uniform designs. All the links open up in a 2nd window so you can just alt-tab back and forth between the two. It's one of my favorite columns that ESPN.com offers. Speaking of ESPN, they recently sacked everyone's not-so-favorite College GameDay commentator, Trev Alberts. We cry for you Trev, we oh most certainly do.

So I was over at the M.A.C. earlier today as my first day working in the shoe lab. I've got a part-time position working at the Runner's World Shoe Testing Lab which is located here in East Lansing. Basically I'll drawing from my two fields of study -- the mechanical testing I learned in my Materials Science & Engineering degree and the Biomechanics/Kinesiology degree I'm getting here at MSU. The building contains the M.A.C. along with medical facilities. Entering the building there are signs that say to use the revolving doors. It is not a big deal to me and I feel no need to disrupt authority so I go through the revolving doors. Fast-forward to later when I am leaving. There are no signs saying which is the preferred door to use upon exiting. I see people approaching the revolving doors coming in, so I head for the manual doors. There is an older gentleman getting dropped off outside. I'm about to open the doors when they open up automatically. Apparently they are motion-activated. Cool deal. So I head out and pass the older man and he says to me "You don't look like a cripple."

WTF? Seriously, WTF dude? I'm just walking out the door man, chill out. I'm not trying to show you up. Although if I knew ahead of time he was going to comment to me, I would have proudly displayed my awesome physical prowessness when it comes to bipedal motion. I know I can walk with the best of them, and unfortunately from the looks of it old man, you can't. Your days are well behind you. So the doors have the little Handicapped symbol on them. Does that mean we discriminate and only let you "cripples" (from what I'm told they don't like that term. But maybe it's like with other minority groups where those within the group can address themselves by terms that would otherwise be considered offensive. i.e. blacks calling each other nigger, gays calling each other fag...but that's a topic for another day). Listen fella, I have as much right to that door as you do. One thing I've learned throughout the years is that we all need to be inclusive. To me means letting in people from outside of your demograpic group. The street goes both ways. We want non-tradional populations to be incorporated into traditional ones AND we want traditional populations incorporated into non-traditional ones. Do you follow old man, or are you just old and cantankerous? Although I shouldn't blame him. My goal is to be as cranky & crotchety as possible when I'm in my golden years.

And to end on a completely unrelated note, I can't get enough of the new Stellastarr* song, Sweet Troubled Soul. Good stuff. And for whatever reason (good or bad has yet to be decided) I'm digging on the new Franz Ferdinand song, Do You Want To? It's nice to have a band (i.e. guitar, drum, bass) that can make you dance!

Monday, September 05, 2005

They Were Cheering & Waving

Happy Labor Day Everyone. Click here for a brief history of the day.

Bonus points to anyone who can find the link to today's lyric & the topics discussed below.

R.I.P. William Rehnquist.
Dubs announced earlier today that he is nominating John Roberts to be Chief Justice. I first found this odd, as he [Roberts] isn't even on the court yet. Shouldn't the President nominate a standing judge to rise to CJ? Let's look at who's left: Breyer, Ginsburg, Thomas, Souter, Kennedy, Scalia, & Stevens. Obviously Dubs wants a conservative judge. Of those left, the two most likely candidates are Thomas & Scalia. These two, however, are two of the most polarizing and conservative judges. I do see a big cat fight from the left coming if he nominated either of these two for CJ. Roberts is fairly young and will be able to set a legacy of 20-30 years (depending on how long he serves) of the "Roberts Court." Add to the fact that the talk is that his nomination should have minimal difficulites getting through, and it becomes a more obvious choice & a smart decision by the President. And people say he's dumb! That leaves Dubs with another nomination. I could see him going with a more conservative nomination and maybe (hopefully) one of the women that was discussed when Sandy retired earlier this summer. Maybe one of you Law students (or lawyers) that read this could comment?

Well the opening weekend of college football is all but over (save for Miami/FSU tonight). It was quite the successful weekend I must say. I started the day on saturday by going out for a nice 12 mile run at 9:30 am (averaged 7:52/mile fyi). The KSU/MSU game was at 12, so tailgating was in full swing when I went out. What a beautiful day it was! As I ran through campus, I was joined for a few steps with a tailgater offering me some...um...liquid encouragement? 3:00 into an hour and a half plus run, I didn't think it was a good idea to guzzle down some beer. It was nice to see the sea of green & white around campus. I unfortunately had to work at 2:00 so I only got to see most of the 1st half of the game. My mum taught me well as I settled in my room with the MSU game on the radio and the TV switching back-and-forth between the MSU/KSU game and the OSU/Miami game.

My reactions: The MSU offense was on a roll! They rang up 685 yards of total offense including 354 on the ground. That's 2nd most in school history folks. To go with my comments from friday, KSU was Kent Defend. The MSU defense, which will decide how good of a year we will have, held KSU to only 14 yds on the ground. Next week we've got Hawaii at home then head into South Bend to battle with a Notre Dame team who were quite successful in Charlie Weiss's debut as head coach. That may be a high scoring affair. From what I saw of OSU, they looked pretty good. They've got Texas coming into the Horseshoe next saturday night for what will easily be one of the biggest games of the year. The beauty (or ugliness) of the BCS is that if you do lose, you want to lose early. So whoever loses (read: UT) isn't totally out of it. And if both teams win the rest of their games it bodes well for both teams (quality wins, only loss is to a top-5 opponent). One thing I like about OSU is that Tressel knows how to get his team up for the big games. He's found a way to beat Michigan 3 out of 4 years and upsetting a heavily-favored Miami team in the aught-three Fiesta Bowl.

Friday, September 02, 2005

They Say Its Your Birthday


Liz and some disturbingly handsome fella

A very special happy birthday to my friend Liz. She has now officially joined the ranks of us 26-yr-olds and is now closer to 30 then 20. At least I think its her birthday. I'll need confirmation for that one. Anyway, she's a great friend of mine and I'm glad to have known her throughout the years. Cheers!

So it's Labor Day weekend. Nothing special going on with me. Actually I'm working at Kohl's most of the weekend -- tonight, tomorrow afternoon/night, and most of sunday. That leaves monday for work/fun. On the fun side of things, tomorrow MSU opens its football season against Kent Read, Kent Write, Kent State. I'm not expecting that much from our Spartans. A bowl game will mean a successful season.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

This Ain't No Mudd Club

CBGB's lease won't be renewed
For those of you not in the know, this issue has been around for awhile. CBGB, the seminal club that helped launch Punk Rock in the 1970s owes months in back rent. The club which, coincidentally stands for Country Blue Grass and Blues featured bands such as the Ramones, the Talking Heads, Blondie, and Television. Hopefully all interested parties will be able to work things out, but right now things look pretty glim.

I've taken a step to alleviate the amount of spam left on my comments. If you want to leave a comment you now have to do a word verification. Yes, its one more step for you my faithful readers, but this is war and a you're either with me or with the spammers.