Land of Oz

Indy 500

I watch the Indy 500 yesterday. This used to be my favorite race in the world. At least until all the millionaires decided to ruin it for the common folk. It's just not the same. Greed ruins another special day. I can remember when growing up all the hype about Indy - Memorial Day was part and parcel of the event. Even Jim Nabors singing that moldy Back Home in Indiana fit. Then, and I don't the whats or whys, the owners and drivers decided to split up and turn it into some hack of a race.

I can't really tell you why it no longer excites me like it did. There's still a bunch of hype and fast cars -- although I have no idea who most of the drivers are anymore. I put that more to my age, than anything else. NASCAR seems to be all you hear about these days - much more than Indy open wheels.

I must admit I was impressed by Danica. I first heard about her in the pre-race interview and thought she sounded like she was much too full of herself. She may still be, but she seems to be able to drive - and then some. Even with the minor goofs of a stall and a spin, she came back to damn near win. Recovering after mistakes like that is what separates veterans from rookies. Another couple of gallons of methanol and she might just have done it. Congratulations to her and Rahal racing. By the way, Bobby Rahal was one of my favorite drivers in his day. Bald, a little paunchy and best of all, wearing glasses - he was a driver who I could aspire to. Good job all around.

2fers: Rahal Racing and Indy 500

Rare??

I don't think so - one day later. This is also from the Detroit News. I bet they wish that guy with a gun was nearby.

Wed May 25, 7:26 PM ET

The boy was playing with a 3-year-old friend behind a home in the area of Tireman and Livernois on Detroit's west side when two dogs, believed to be Rottweilers, came at him and knocked him down, the station reported. The dogs may have entered the back yard through a nearby alley.

The victim's friend ran into the home for help and some adults fought off the dogs with a bat.

The boy was taken to Children's Hospital, where he's reported in serious condition. The 4-year-old is conscious, but is expected to undergo surgery, the station reported.

Authorities do not know who owns the dogs. They continue to search for the animals.

This Sucks

A 46-year-old man was walking near the Pier 1 Imports store at the strip mall on Michigan Avenue when he encountered the animal, police said. ... The man, who said he felt threatened by the nearly 80-pound Rotweiller-mix, pulled out his gun and fired a shot at the dog, striking it in the leg, police said. ... Police said prior to the shooting, the dog's owner had contacted animal control to report that it had somehow escaped from the yard. ...The 46-year-old man, from Southfield, was detained by police. ... Authorities said the man does have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but they are seeking charges for unlawful discharge of a firearm causing harm to an animal.

And probably not for the reason it sucks for you. Some idiot let their 80 Rotweiller (not hardly known as the cuddly little puppy type) wander around. So this guy, who seems to be minding his own business, sees this hulking canine and pulls out his legal weapon and fires a round at the mutt. Why is this a problem? Supposedly some others in the area said the dog didn't seem dangerous. A dog is always dangerous - it's a carnivore looking for dinner. Perhaps from across the street or from inside a store it seems harmless, but up close and personal, it's dangerous.

People are always saying, "ah, he won't bite," usually just before Rover takes a chunk out of your thigh. The worse thing about this episode is that the guy was a piss poor shot and only wounded the attack dog. (Notice how I slyly segue from puppy to hulking canine to carnivore to attack dog?) I suppose your point of view depends entirely on if your owner or dinner - having been dinner in the past, the only good loose dog is a dead loose dog.

You see

I see

In general, I hate law suits, but this is the case that makes the exception. So owners - if you don't want a dead dog, how about keeping it under control? I promise that if you keep its teeth and claws inside your lawn, I'll keep my pepper spray and double-O buckshot inside mine.

2fers: Bit?=Sue! and "best friend" bites more than 4.7 million people a year

P.S. If you want to see some gruesome crap, try an image google for "dog bite"

Headlines We Don't Need Anymore

Pardon my insensitivities, but the following subjects no longer constitute a headline. They're just everyday events that are much, too much commonplace.

Bomb explodes in Baghdad

Sports figure denies steroid use

NASA delays

Blank causes privacy concerns

Chinese dead in coal mine explosion

Drug related shooting in

GIs killed by roadside bomb

Pensions cancelled as company X goes bankrupt

Gas prices change

X is bad for your health

X is good for your health

Company making X involved in coverup

Government official involved in ethics issue

Blank joins endangered species list

// posted by Jim-of-oz @ 5/23/2005 03:17:00 PM

What Happened?

I don't get it. Things are supposed to be getting better. I'm talking about religious fanatics. And I don't mean just the Muslims. The damn christians are getting just as bad. Did you see in Texas that they want to stop cheerleaders from being sexy - duh - that's what cheerleaders do. And of course good old Kansas - they want to redo the Scopes trial and start teaching - "intelligent creation" - and I'm guessing they will be using a bible for the textbook. We've got catholic priests who won't give the sacraments to people who aren't damning gays to hell and gone. As if the catholic priests have the high road in sex.

I don't even need to get into the Muslim world. They will blow you up just as soon as they'd say hi. Why is that so many religions are based on hate? I just don't get that. Even our president is using god's name to blow up countries and people. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a religious scholar, but I really don't seem to recall all those profits and gods preaching so much hate. Actually, I guess the old testament god did his share of killing and rampaging across the earth. Sodom and Gomorroh, Noah and his flood, burning bushes and killing sons, and on and on and on. So I guess maybe the gods do like to kill and hate and destroy.

And people wonder why I have such a low opinion of mainstream religions.

How Stupid Do They Think...

I read this a few days ago:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army will allow recruits to sign up for just 15 months of active-duty service, rather than the typical four-year enlistment, as it struggles to lure new soldiers amid the Iraq war, a general said on Thursday.
Do they really think nobody has listened or read the news for the past couple of years? They are dragging folks back into Iraq who got out in the 90s! Stop Loss is in effect which means you're basically in for the duration. Even me, after 20 years in the Cold War military, got caught by a stop loss like situation and needed to spend another 2 years before they'd let me go.

At least in the Vietnam draft, you'd put your time in and then you'd get out. One year incountry and then it was back to the land of the big BX (PX for you army guys). Now, you enlist and you may never be let go. I was in Saudi for a short time and that was no fun at all - and I didn't even get shot at (or bombed or strafed or whatever). Now you go over there, dodge IEUs (big ass bombs without the PC acronym) and mufti dressed terrorists, come back and go over again - and again.

15 months active duty?? I doubt it. Oh, it just dawned on me. My mistake, I can believe it's only 15 months active duty. Then you're relegated to the Guard or Reserve and - oops - back to the Middle East again dodging bombs and camels. But you're not active duty so it's cool now.

2fers: US Army and Quakers

Who? Me?

Here's my johnnie-come-lately comment. It seems the US has stuck its foot in again. I guess Newsweek published some story about the Koran being mistreated and the Muslim world went berserk - again. Not to fan the fires, but after all that's gone on in the Bagram and Abu Gharib (I know they're misspelled) prisons, does this really sound so far-fetched? We've beaten, sicced dogs, wired up genitals, leashed and piled naked prisoners like so many lincoln logs, would mistreating a book (I know some think it's more than a book - like some think the same about a bible) be such a stretch. Below are a couple of quotes I found online. Note that no one comes out and says, "Nope - nobody did that." Just hasn't been he policy and hasn't been proved. It reminds of when I was a kid and some guy would take another kid's hat and give to me to hold. I'd say "I didn't take it" and he'd say "I don't have it" and we'd both not be lying.

The State Department has cabled its embassies to spread the word that "disrespect of the holy Koran is not, has not been and will never be the policy of the United States," according to the Associated Press.

and last week Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pointedly remarked that any desecration of the Qur'an would not be "tolerated" by the United States.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers told reporters that so far no allegations had been proven.

// posted by Jim-of-oz @ 5/18/2005 12:45:00 PM

Spam - again...

Yeah - it's about spam again. Today I read a column about some person who occasionally reads through the spam that gets through his spam blockers. He had some interesting things to say, but basically says the same thing I've been saying. (I suppose that's why I think it's interesting) One is the same thing I ask - why would anyone buy from someplace that can't even come close to spelling what they are selling. Why would you trust something, especially drugs from someone who spells rolex with a >< instead of an X?

But then there's the spam with no content what so ever. I still don't figure those out. They don't even have a subject line. Just a blank post with no subject to my email address. I don't get it. You must admit though, at least the content isn't misspelled. And once again, I really want everyone to quit buying crap or even responding to spam! Cut it out. You idiots are that smidgen of a percent who make the spammers lives profitable.

Instead of buying something, how about just beat your head against the wall and let me know when you're done. I'll feel happier and you'll probably have less damage done to you than if you buy from the spammer.

And let's face it. You've got to give Hormel credit for putting up with SPAM(r).

Why - Why

I do it, and so do most why. But why? ATM machines - Automated Teller Machine Machines; PIN number = Personal Identification Number Number; SSAN Number = Social Security Account Number Number; VIN Number = Vehicle Identification Number Number.

On another note, why do people do this? We were coming through customs over the Canadian border the other day and this kid - maybe in his twenties comes in. Bad attitude written all over him. He looks at the inspectors, throws down his referral note, and mumbles something to the extent that they had to do some inspecting and they'd better not break anything and if they did, it wasn't his problem, etc. etc. Well, you could tell the inspectors just loved that. One asked him for proof of citizenship and the kid throws down his driver's license and mumbles some more.

The inspector took the ID (a driver's license isn't proof of citizenship by the way) and tells the kid to have a seat and they'll get to him. He mumbled a couple more answers to questions before we left - I almost wanted to hang around and see just how long that kid would be sitting there. I have the feeling it was going to be a long night for him.

Never give an attitude to folks like guards and cops and other officials. They got a job a to do, and if you give them a hard time, you're probably going to get a worse time in return. Just be nice and get it over with.

That's Why!

I hope you read the letters to the editor in the newspaper. There are some that are well-written and understandable. There are those that thank or bitch at the local cops, and those young ones who gripe at the old ones and the old ones who gripe at the young ones. Some folks thank their next door neighbor and others curse the day the neighbor ever moved in.

And then there's the wackos. You know the ones, the conspiracists, those who are sure the government is behind every possible problem that might ever have happened. There are the religious fanatics from any side for any god. Even the atheists have their fanatics who feel if you do believe, you're doomed.

There's one this week that takes the cake however. This guy knows why the Twin Towers collapsed after the 9/11 attack. There's no mention of terrorists or aircraft packed full of aviation fuel. Nothing about a multi-ton burning container of fuel running into a building. The actual reason for the collapse are the environmentalists! Yes, because of the environmentalists, the asbestos wasn't sprayed onto the steel framework and allowed the building to collapse. How about that. All this time, money and lives we've wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan for nothing. We should have been bombing the local Greenpeace offices.

2fers: Greenpeace and Earth First

Irrational Fears

How many do you have? One of mine has to do with traveling. It drives other people nuts. I hate to get to a terminal shortly before departure. And to me shortly can be measured in hours. I have no problem getting to a terminal a couple of hours before departure and then chill out reading or watching while I wait for transport. I've had friends who get there just before it's due to leave and that drives me crazy.

While I used to fly a lot, I haven't been airborne since the 9/11 excuse came into being. It's nothing about fear of flying or anything, just haven't had a desire to fly to anyplace. I'm mostly a stay at home kinda guy. I've been on a few trains and buses and have picked people up from those places. Usually I'm a couple of hours early to pick them up. No problem for me, since I just grab a book or two and relax.

This came up because I'm taking a 10 hour bus trip and had to pick up the ticket today. I need a ride to the terminal (and we all know how appetizing bus terminals are) and hesitate to ask to be taken there as early as I'd like to be. So, I'll have to bury my fears for awhile and fidget and fuss while I have visions of the bus pulling out as I pull in.

And if they are wondering why bus travel isn't more popular in the US, it's because it will take me 10 hours to travel 300 miles. Granted it's cheap - $55, but slow. I guess that's the tradeoff.

However, I just checked the airlines and the same trip via air ranges from $372 and up up up and takes 3 - 6 hours - that's 3 - 6 flying. I don't even want to think how much extra travel time that entails. And while I'm going from Michigan to Toronto, the flights from one airline all connect in Chicago or Milwaukee and for another they connect in Columbus.

Oh well, the bus is sounding better and better - as long I get to the terminal early, that is.

2fers: Greyhound and priceline.com

Fundamentalists

Seeing how my last post was about a crime that I was happy to see prosecuted, I decided to show my prejudice by posting one about a crime I don't want to see prosecuted.

The Miss Bangladesh contest was canceled in 1998 after Islamic groups protested. The prospect of a Miss World pageant in Nigeria led to riots sparked by Muslims that killed at least 215 people in 2002. An Afghan-American woman who wore a red bikini in the Miss Earth contest in 2003 was threatened with criminal prosecution if she ever returned to her homeland.

And don't take it that I mean to decry only Muslims here. I hate fundamentalism in any creed - that includes Christians and atheists as well.

Yes!!

(AP) ALEXANDRIA, La. - A judge has ordered a teenager who blasted his pickup truck stereo to remove all non-factory installed sound equipment for violating a noise ordinance.

Calvin Bennett Jr., 18, got the loud-music ticket in 2004 but missed his initial court appearance. Last Monday, he was arrested for contempt of court and spent the night in jail. He appeared Tuesday before district Judge Thomas Yeager on the loud-music citation.

Saturday

Got up. Got my hair cut; bought a 1/2 price polo shirt, some magazines and a book about John Wayne, some cheap tools and groceries; ate barbecue beef, hot fudge sunday, cheese tortelini, toasted bagels with mozzarella, and a blueberry muffin; built a small box, and fixed a broken wood project; watched the movie Unforgiven; made lemonade; checked on a friend's cats; watered plants; prepared 2 pounds of strawberries; read a couple of magazines; watched a TV show about ice cream; went to bed.

Sigh.........