Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a resounding success this year. Hannah (the fairy above) had her school party on Friday (no school today due to inservice of staff/teachers) and Esme had her parade and party this morning. Since Hannah was off, she got to go to Esme's party. I came home early from work to get the kids all ready. Hannah could not decide what she wanted to be, and had a hissy fit. What do they call it? It's a stage, yes, a stage (whatever the heck that is). Esme was perfectly happy being a fairy, what with the wonderful costume Granny got for her this year. Esme is 2nd from the left, dressed also as a fairy. We went to a party at the Strenski's house. Lotsa neighbors came, we at pizza, and then we went trick or treating around the neighborhood. It was a blast! The woman in the back on the left is married to the light bulb. I bought my house from them! Thanks Liz and Paul!!! Strenski is on the right dressed up as a computer. Though he has the appearance of an outdoorsy type, Dave Strenski is a computer software engineer at Cray Computers. Yep, that Cray. He may as well be a rocket scientist!! We came home and handed out our own candy after that. The kids had a total blast!! We now have several pounds of candy in the house. Anybody have any tips on how to make a fortune unloading it on eBay?

MASB Conference redux

I spent a long weekend, Thursday through Sunday, commuting to Lansing, MI for the annual Michigan Association of School Boards Conference. Though generally a boring topic for the public, these conferences are an outstanding opportunity to meet other school board members from all over the state, share ideas, and undergo professional development as board members. Our district received a special honorable mention for having five board members attend. Only a handful of districts had such a good turnout. Amy and I carpooled on Thursday, which began with classes for me. The first class was on Policy. I've been a member of our Policy Committee since I started on the Board, so the class was not quite as informative and interesting as I had hoped. Later on Thursday, I also took a class on Labor Relations and learned a great deal about some of the details behind why we do the things we do. Though I have some experience in this area as someone who was on the negotiation team and attended all the sidebars while negotiating with our chief union, the class was invaluable. Lotsa details and a preview of what to expect when negotiations begin later this year. On Friday, Amy and I carpooled once again. I attended two clinics, one on employee benefits and strategies to help save money on them. The other clinic was on depression in school age children, which was excellent. Amy, right before lunch, at the very last minute, called her sister and brother for lunch. They dropped what they were doing, and we all went out to a wonderful Mexican place in Lansing. On Saturday, I attended a speech by Eric Chester, who explored interesting attributes of Generation Y (I'm a Gen X'er, myself). Only, he calls it Generation Why. There was too much to explain here, so if you like, simply visit his web site here. I also got to see former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders, M.D. give a wonderful talk on health issues in our schools. Though I doubt she will ever live down her masturbation advocacy under former President Clinton, I haveta say that she was a dynamic, entertaining and informative speaker. Saturday night, I went to see Spoon at St. Andrew's Hall in downtown Detroit. You can read about that on Eric's blog. Sunday, I attended two more classes, one on budgeting and school finance, and the other school law. Since I'm a lawyer, the latter was somewhat duplicative, but I'm glad I attended it. The budgeting presentation was interesting and informative. Unfortunately, it was also kind of depressing, as Michigan has pretty much become reliant on sales tax and income tax for 70% of its school funding. Since economic downturns cause these taxes to wane in leaner times, this method of funding is unreliable and unstable. We have essentially built into our funding scheme serious challenges and difficulties. If the economy does not turn around, we will be in serious trouble. I'm exhausted, and I'm going to hang out with my children until bedtime. Then, I'm going to bed early tonight. I can't wait for Halloween tomorrow!!!

The Fires That Burn

The day's end draws near The sun sets behind the hills over here The late afternoon clouds clear I have been thinking about you It's been a difficult year Off in the distance, I can hear the echo Of a whistle of a train As it puts all the miles behind it It runs away and on through the night Carelessly leaves all behind A train pushes on through the night As the summer's end draws near I feel a chill in the breeze blowing here I shudder from the cold So I pull you closer beside me I latch on and hold you tight I'll never let you go again I'll hang on to you through the Night turns to day turns to night Turns to day again as the cycle completes There are times when all we see is the night But the light will break free in the end As the end of the year draws near The autumn leaves, they fall from the trees like tears There's nothing I can do to stop them We can arrange all the leaves Into piles and set them on fire We can warm ourselves up by the fires The coals and embers glow bright in the fires Our souls reflect the lights of the fires that burn The fires that burn in us all by trusty getto Click here to listen.

The spirit of rock and roll was alive and well in Detroit last night

I grew up listening to U2. I can still recall the night when I first heard New Year's Day. I was either in middle school or just started high school, and the radio was having one of these "tell us which song is better" call-in evenings. New Year's Day was up for the first time, it won, and it subsequently broke the record for most weeks picked as the best song. When I was in a band in high school, we played I Will Follow. I vividly recall the power of the Sunday, Bloody Sunday video, which was shot at Red Rocks in Colorado. I remember how pretty much everyone I knew was bowled over when Achtung Baby came out. We heard The Fly and Mysterious Ways, and couldn't believe our ears it was so good. Since that time, I have purchased each of their records as they have been released. When I got my iPod, I got the U2 iPod, used the coupon that came with it, and downloaded The Complete U2 (over 460 songs). All in all, there is no other band I listen to who is still making records, touring, re-inventing themselves, and pulling it off after all these years. Each record they come out with seems as fresh and alive as New Year's Day did back when I first heard it ('cept perhaps for Pop and Zooropa ! ). I have tremendous respect for them. Last night, for the very first time, I saw U2 live. Wow! I had never seen them in concert before, so I was really, really looking forward to it. I was not disappointed. They started with of City of Blinding Lights. Beautiful rendition of that song. Then they broke into Vertigo and brought the house down. They had these screens made of large beads with images either projected on them on emanating from a source inside the beads. They had a rectangular screen above the stage with a single camera on each band member throughout most of the concert. The image was in black and white, which was striking. The stage had a large circle that extended into the audience quite a distance. The lights were incredible, and extremely hi-tech. The set was fantastic. They included I Will Follow, Gloria, One, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Miracle Drug, Wild Horses, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, and more, much more. Love and Peace or Else is the only song I don't like on the new record, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. But last night, it totally rocked. I loved it! I actually got shivers down my back when they played Beautiful Day and The Streets Have No Name. I can't recall ever having had that happen at a concert. I'm not sure there is a better song to play live than Streets. Bono was in top form. He is the quintessential rockstar. He is also the epitome of positive thinking. He plugged his One organization. (Go there right now and sign the declaration if you haven't already, it'll just take a minute). He spoke eloquently of Rosa Parks and the inspiration she handed down to millions. He spoke of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He spoke of his father. He was insipiring. The Edge had the best tone I've ever heard at a concert. He is one of the most unique and creative guitarists of our time, perhaps ever. If I had to pick my favorite guitarist, he's it, even though I don't play anything like him. He was at the top of his game last night. I loved the way each band member thanked the audience one by one at the end, walking separately up the microphone. It was a great concert. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to see them live. Any, yes, for those wondering, I went with Crazy Dave. He loved it to. And, YJ, I do think that rock hasn't died quite yet. It's spirit is alive and well, with U2 currently carrying it's torch.

Thankful Today

As I drove into work today, grey clouds covered a background of blue sky. The sun lit up the trees underneath, and the fall colors illuminated the countryside. I jammed to Coheed and Cambria, a prog-rock band whose newest CD I recently downloaded off of iTunes. I reflected on the 4+ hour Board of Education meeting last night. And I was thankful. I was mostly thankful that people: did not throw things used nice words like disappointed and upset (rather than say what they perhaps *really* wanted to say) You can read about it here. Q: What do you get when 3 days before bringing the community in for the first time on a proposal for a new bus garage, some jackass puts up signs saying we are bulldozing a huge chunk of woods (which was, btw, *never* considered or part of the plan)? A: An angry mob. Well, at least I can say I'm the only person elected to anything in Washtenaw County who listens to Coheed and Cambria. A dubious distinction, I'm sure.

The Harriet Miers nomination is having an odd effect on the country

For once, there are legions of liberals nodding their heads in agreement with George Will's recent column. I gotta tell you, I can't remember the last time I agreed with George Will. I'm not even certain that I ever have. I have a tendency to think he's a jackass much of the time. Not today, though. My hat's off to George. Will has a couple of blockbusters in this one, which begins: Such is the perfect perversity of the nomination of Harriet Miers, it discredits, and even degrades, all who toil at justifying it. Will hits the nail right on the head with a crucial distinction that many seem to be missing: In their unseemly eagerness to assure Miers' conservative detractors that she will reach the "right" results, her advocates betray complete incomprehension of this: Thoughtful conservatives' highest aim is not to achieve this or that particular outcome concerning this or that controversy. Rather, their aim for the Supreme Court is to replace semi-legislative reasoning with genuine constitutional reasoning about the Constitution's meaning as derived from close consideration of its text and structure. I believe that regardless of how liberal or conservative someone is, the principles behind the political philosophy rather than he actual philosphy are what's important. Not surprisingly, many disagree with me. Along these lines, I've concluded that principled Republicans and principled Democrats are far more similar to one another in their views and speak more of a common language than do moralist Democrats and moralist Republicans. Moralists seem reach the conclusion first, and principlists (is that a word?) seem to be more interested in finding a rational and consistent way in which to reach repeated valid conclusions. Because moralists tend to start at the end, they come across as being self-righteous (whether they are or not), and principlists tend to appear meticulous and thoughtful. What are your thoughts on this distinction? Is the distinction real or crafted? Is it accurate or does it miss the mark? If you buy it, what kind are you?

Elected officials with blogs

The goings on of the past couple of weeks have caused me to think an awful lot about blogging, with an emphasis on the awful. Awful boring, that is. In fact, I've spent more time thinking about it than actually doing it of late. My conclusion is pretty much a resounding, overly large yawn. We got far more important things to worry about, folks, than the utterly scintillating and fascinating nose-hair plucking session I'm likely to have posted about on any given day. What is it that's inappropriate, anyway? That I didn't shave today? I did shower and brush my teeth. I did take my children to the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum, of which we are members. We go there a lot. Is it inappropriate to blog about this, or just plain boring? One of the criticisms I've received of late has to do with using the word "hot" to refer to a female blogger. Hmmmmm. Hot can mean "not cold." Hot can mean "smokin'." Hot can mean a great many things, not one of them unsavory or inappropriate. It's a compliment, for pete's sake. Well, at least on the planet I live on. And no, I did not refer to Harriet Miers as hot. Well, not that I recall anyway. Here's something inappropriate for you: If you think there's something wrong with describing an attractive woman as "hot," then you may be suffering from what I refer to as "Generational Gap Syndrome." Don't worry, it's not fatal, and it's usually curable, but it does cause people to think of you as old and perhaps refer to you behind your back as a "fuddy duddy." Okay people, the code word for hot shall now be frumpy. Whenever I refer to someone as frumpy, what I really mean is that they are hot. But please don't tell anyone. I don't want the secret to get out that I think there are hot women out there in real life. The scandal might plague me for decades. Not that I need to prove anything (other than perhaps my sanity for asking the community to vote me on the school board and then having the gumption to start a blog), but some of this thinking (mine that is) has been directed toward elected officials who have blogs. There are plenty. Just 15 minutes on Google gave me the following: Michigan's Democratic U.S. Rep. John Conyers Vermont's Indepenent U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders Greensboro, NC City Councilman Tom Phillips(and guess whose template he's plagiarizing !!) Guilford County, NC Register of Deeds Jeff Thigpen (with links to over 45 elected officials throughout the country who maintain blogs) Indiana's Republican U.S. Rep Mike Pence Florida's Republican U.S. Rep Katherine Harris Illinios' Republican U.S. Rep Mark Kirk Senator Evan Bayh (D. Indiana), Senator Russ Feingold (D. Wisconsin), Rep John Conyers (d. Michigan), Rep. Barney Frank (D. Massachusetts), Rep. Ed Markey (D. Masachusetts), Rep Diane Watson (D. California), Rep John Tierney (D. Massachusetts), Rep Ellen Tauscher (D. California), Rep Louise Slaughter (D. New York), and many more elected officials all post on the Huffington Post's blog. All the major parties have blogs: Republican Party Democratic Party Libertarian Party Detroit Green Party Oh, and I almost forgot. Harriet Miers has a blog. Some of the blogs are more personal than political in nature. Others are exclusively political. Liberals have blogs. Conservatives have blogs. And yes, people who are utterly uninterested in politics have blogs. Mine is so small. It's just a drop in the ocean of zeros and ones we call the Internet. It's a speck of dust in the blogosphere. I can't believe I'm still talking about this. Anyone seen Angelina Jolie recently? She's lookin' extraordinarly frumpy, don't you think?

My good friend is no longer in a funk

Thank to all you kind folks who lent that helping hand. :)

To blog or not to blog, that is the question

Lots of people have blogs. Lots of lawyers have blogs. Lots of elected officials have blogs. I have a blog. Now, I'm not so naive to think that nobody would visit. I'm not so naive as to think that nobody would comment. I'm not so naive to think that nobody would say snarky things behind my back or on other people's blogs, perhaps just so that I would come across them and read them. (I'm a trial lawyer for pete's sake. I've got a thick skin. It doesn't matter to me. Get over it!) What I apparently *have* been naive about is that anybody would think my blog was noteworthy or newsworthy enough to actually raise the issue in mixed company. Because, for all practical purposes, it's neither noteworthy or newsworthy. It is something new to many people, interesting because it's new, but not because it's all that interesting. It's the online equivalent of watching me engage in a cocktail party discussion. It's worth your time if like me, want to hang out, or if you're in on the conversation -- light or heavy as it may be -- but pretty much boring for everyone else. I've heard many things in the last week that had faded to the back of my mind over time. "You're an attorney." "You won the election by a landslide." "You stood up to the establishment and won." "People see you as someone who will run for higher office." "People are watching to see what you'll do next." Well, I don't mean to disappoint, but people can see my however they want to see me. I don't see me that way, and I'm the only one with control over where I'm headed. I'm just an ordinary guy. I'm not all that ambitious, despite the assumptions people make. The *only* reason I ran for something was because I saw what I perceived to be a problem, and I thought that I might be in a position to make a contribution toward addressing it. So I did. Nothing more, nothing less. Will I run for another office? I don't know. I have no idea. I haven't even thought much about whether I'll run for another term in 2008 when my current term is up. It's a long time away. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I can't predict the future any better than anyone else, and my crystal ball is a little fogged up right this minute. Having put the question out (both online and off) about whether it's appropriate to have a blog, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. If you like me and are interested in my blog, feel free to visit and hang out. Comment if you like. Lurk if you prefer. It's all fine with me. If you *don't* like me or are uninterested in my blog, feel free to visit and hang out anyway. Comment if you like. Lurk if you prefer. Again, it's all fine with me. If you think I'm a jackass, so be it. You are not alone. If you think there's something to be gained, lurk all you like, and print out my posts on a daily basis so you can hammer me with them the next time I run for something (assuming I do, of course). One of the things I value most, but that has been largely absent on my blog, is dissent. I've learned more in my life from disagreement than from agreement. I've learned much more from debate than I have from silence. I have learned more from my failures than I have from my successes. It's not the people who agree with me that have contributed most to what I know. It is those that disagree with me, who have a different perspective, who have had different experiences than I have had that have brought me as far as I've come in my life. If you think my personal meanderings, scribblings, opinions, thoughts, typos, pictures, experiences, et al are undignified, well, feel free to not read them. Feel free to not vote for me next time around. Feel free to vote for the person who doesn't have a blog, who doesn't have a record for you to scrutinize, who you know very little about, and then trust them to handle some of the biggest challenges our community has ever faced. Feel free to trust that they will have decent judgment and value transparency and inclusion, despite the fact that all you know about them is from a couple of questionnaires and a debate or two. It has occurred to me that perhaps our state would be in better economic shape today if we knew who our elected officials actually are as people instead of judging them purely on the things that they say when others are watching. It's easy to talk the talk. It's not as easy to walk the walk. I've followed through on the commitments I've made -- whether public, private or professional. People may not like the decisions I've made, the resolutions I've introduced, the votes I've cast. People may not like the fact that I'm a trial lawyer. People may not like the fact that I'm a Democrat or that I'm a moderate instead of a bleeding-heart liberal. But nobody can say that I haven't done what I said I'd do. Nobody can say I told people one thing and did another. Nobody can accuse me of hiding who it is I am and what it is I stand for -- like it or not. So, I'm keeping the blog. Do with it what you will . . .

Proof that the WSJ knows nothing about Michigan

An opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (reg req'd) has praised the Michigan Supreme Court as the best supreme court in the nation. WTF? On Michigan Lawyers Weekly, there is a poll asking if people agree with that assessment. As of the time of this post, 95% of voters in the poll (presumably lawyers) disagree with the WSJ. Which means they agree with me. When we talk about the ole pendulum swinging back and forth, the MI Supreme Court's pendulum has broken out of the clock tower, and is stuck as high as it will go to the right. The conservative right, that is. The Court has been a disaster for the citizens of the State of Michigan, and it has been all but a license to print money for the insurance industry and big business. So, I guess the WSJ is correct. The Michigan Supreme Court is the best in the nation, if you happen to be the owner of an insurance company.

The Answers

The moment of truth (ouch - sorry for the bad pun): 1. I write songs and play several instruments. Okay, that's an easy one. Just gettin' you warmed up. [cracks knuckles] 2. I won my first solo trial. True - car crash case in Kalamazoo, MI. 3. The first time I ran for an elected office, I lost. FALSE! I won! [does a little happy dance] 4. The largest jury verdict I've won was for $300,000. FALSE! You can pick this one up by Googling me. My father and I [Hi dad! I know you're reading!] obtained a $500K jury verdict in Lansing, MI for two botched surgeries on a child's kidney (wrong kidney -- no kidding). 5. I've lived in Southeastern Michigan, Ohio, California, Colorado, Germany and New York. True, 'nother easy one. 6. I'm divorced, and I have two daughters. FALSE! Trick question. Not final yet. 7. My marriage broke down because of an online affair I had with another blogger. FALSE! Get your mind out the gutter -- you know who I'm talkin' to! 8. I was once arrested for DUI, and I now refer to it as a "youthful indiscretion." FALSE! I don't drive drunk, and I've never been arrested. I must admit my surprise at the considerable number of people who thought this was true! Oh ye of little faith. 9. I listen to Enrique Iglesias. [while shakin' my booty] "You can run, you can hide, but you can't escape my love . . ." 10. I have a credit on a Dwight Yoakum album. And it reads: Lyrical Typist, Chief Editor, Gourmet Consultant, Medic and Future CEO of Capitol Records: Cameron Getto ("Young Running Dog") [from If There Was A Way - 1990] 11. I dated Tori Amos when she was a teenager. FALSE! I did work on the 1st version of her "Little Earthquakes" record, though. 12. My 20th high school reunion is this year, and I'm seriously considering going. Just got the notice a couple weeks ago :) 13. I went to college with Liz Phair. Didn't know her tho -- we socialized in completely different circles. 14. Representing the ACLU, I won a case against the Governor of the State of Michigan. Gotta tell you, there are few things quite as satisfying to a Democratic lawyer than telling a Republican governor he can't implement one of his jackass, mean-sprited, anti-poor people, anti-woman pilot programs. 15. I once went to a party at Whitley Strieber's house where he played tapes of people under hypnosis who had claimed to have been abducted by aliens. Fall of 1986. I didn't even know he was famous at the time, and yes, it was creepy -- nobody warned me ahead of time. Never went back, and no, I'm not buyin' it. And thank you DeputysWife *snort*, I literally fell out of my chair laughing !!! You think it sounds weird? Shoulda been there . . . 16. I love roller coasters, bungie jumping, and have gone skydiving before. No brainer. 17. I mow my own lawn. It's not like it's difficult. In fact, I mowed on Sunday. :) 18. I once won an online songwriting contest. Yep. Original Compo10. And if you'd like to hear it, click here and push the play button. 19. The harmonica player on the song "American Dream" off my CD "American Dream" was killed by a drunk driver. Sad but true. Coming home from picking up one of his children at college, he was broadsided by a drunk driver fleeing the police. Nobody else was seriously injured. He was one of the finest appellate attorneys in the state, the captain of the Sommers Schwartz bowling team, and he had an enormous framed poster of Nirvana in his office. I used to jam with him all the time. I still miss him. 20. I had rheumatic fever as a child, but I didn't suffer any long-term complications. FALSE! I have adult onset rheumatoid arthritis, controlled by prescription drugs. Lu, Emily and Keb all won, with 5 correct each. Email your snailmail addresses (or anonymous post office boxes) to cambolah@yahoo.com and I'll send you your CD! Thanks, all, for playing!

Out of the Bag 2: The Horse is Officially Out of the Barn

So I'm at the NAACP's Freedom Banquet last night. Great event, but the speaker (though inspiring when talking about race) has a reputation as an anti-gay bigot, which has a tendency to turn me off. If you're not already a member, btw, you should join the NAACP. Or just donate money to them, at least. They really do make a difference, and they are hands-on. But I digress. Well, at any rate, I show up, and we have literally the best table in the house, what with U.S. Rep. John Dingell, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, and State Senator Liz Brater at the table right next to us. Don't ask me why, but they seated the school board closer than the sponsors, closer than the city gov't people, closer than the township board people, you name it. Usually we're way in the back, but not this time. Now that is certainly a first. Must've been some kind of oversight -- I'm sure it won't happen again ;^) So, I haven't even taken my seat yet, and a buddy walks up to me and tells me that my blog (yes this blog -- the one you're reading right now) was one of the topics of discussion at the Ypsilanti Republican Party breakfast at the VFW yesterday. Huh? You've got to be kidding me. This weekly b'fast get together is one of the coolest things that happens in Ypsi, I'm told (and I believe), but I've never been able to go b/c of my unique situation being home every Saturday morning with my children while Liz teaches in Chicago. State officials, national officials, and many, many important locals have attended and do attend regularly. Many look forward to the candid discussion of topics, and it attracts people from all party affiliations and walks of life. Now that I'm talking about it, I really ought to get off my duff, get a sitter for my kids, and go sometime. Of course, the discussion about my blog was extraordinarily short, I'm told, because nobody had actually been to it. Apparently the question before the group was whether it was appropriate for someone on the school board to have a blog. Tho it's not quite clear to me exactly what would be inappropriate about it, what do you think? Would you have a problem if any of your local officials had blogs? More importantly, where do I go from here? I can: Delete the blog and disappear from cyberspace altogether. Delete the blog and create a secret anonymous blog where I refer to people by nicknames or initials and keep doing what I'm doing. Continue with the blog, adding inappropriate lampoons of local officials, personalities, particularly those who attend the b'fast (think self-fulfilling prophecy here). Continue with the blog as if I don't give a crap, and get used to the idea of being a one-termer since there is plenty of stuff here that when taken out of context and twisted probably would make for a good headline or two during 'lection season (this is my personal favorite). Okay, now it's your turn. What do you think I should do?

Ok, I'm in on the meme

It's been sooooooooooo much fun playing this with other bloggers, that I just can't resist doin' it myself . . . Of the 20 things below, 7 are false. Can you guess what they are? Answers to be posted Monday or Tuesday. 1. I write songs and play several instruments. 2. I won my first solo trial. 3. The first time I ran for an elected office, I lost. 4. The largest jury verdict I've won was for $300,000. 5. I've lived in Southeastern Michigan, Ohio, California, Colorado, Germany and New York. 6. I'm divorced, and I have two daughters. 7. My marriage broke down because of an online affair I had with another blogger. 8. I was once arrested for DUI, and I now refer to it as a "youthful indiscretion." 9. I listen to Enrique Iglesias. 10. I have a credit on a Dwight Yoakum album. 11. I dated Tori Amos when she was a teenager. 12. My 20th high school reunion is this year, and I'm seriously considering going. 13. I went to college with Liz Phair. 14. Representing the ACLU, I won a case against the Governor of the State of Michigan. 15. I once went to a party at Whitley Strieber's house where he played tapes of people under hypnosis who had claimed to have been abducted by aliens. 16. I love roller coasters, bungie jumping, and have gone skydiving before. 17. I mow my own lawn. 18. I once won an online songwriting contest. 19. The harmonica player on the song "American Dream" off my CD "American Dream" was killed by a drunk driver. 20. I had rheumatic fever as a child, but I didn't suffer any long-term complications. The winner gets a copy of my "American Dream" CD. Don't everyone all jump up and down at once, now. As was done by others, I'm not tagging this time, unless of course you want to be tagged, in which case, you are hereby tagged . . . Have a great weekend all!

The very best way to reach my site . . .

As I was trolling through some data from my Internet hosting service, I noticed that someone reached my (now obsolete) "About me" page with a very cool Yahoo search. The search was for: Jimmy Page tattoo I must say, I'm far more proud of this than I really ought to be. I'm sure you're thinking, who the heck cares? Well, alrighty then! Interestingly, if you do the same search on Google, I never come up anwhere. Hmmmmm. Since I'm playing Loaded Questions IV, over at Lu's blog, I've taken this opportunity to update my "About me" page, and move it so that it's no longer hosted off my blog. It's now set up as a post backdated to a time near when I originally wrote it. And some of the info is more up-to-date now.

The Cat is Out of the Bag

Dr. James Hawkins is Interim Sup't of the School District of Ypsilanti. He is the BOE's only employee. The Board unanimously voted to hire him after his interview last May. I cast one of those seven votes, and couldn't be happier that I did. Dr. Hawkins is the best thing that has happened to our schools in quite some time. Though he won't admit it and prefers to shower praise on those around him, he has made a difference -- a big difference. Trouble is, he's found my blog. My own personal blog. The blog on which I converse with others, say silly things, leave typographical errors uncorrected, embarrass myself unabashedly and, oh, I almost forgot, the blog on which I never speak for or on behalf of the Board of Eduction. BTW, someone in the district pointed it out to him, so the problem is bigger than I thought. Which means The Cat is Out of the Bag. So, the question arises: who the heck is out there is lurking? Are there really district personnel secretly reading my blog? I know at least one reporter who checks in now and then (but your online identity is safe with me). I know a mayoral candidate who looks at my site. I know another school board member who visits frequently. Anyone else? Well, if you're lurking (whether near or far), this is your big chance to leave a comment. Tell me who you are. Tell me why you're here. Let me know if you find my personal scribblings interesting or if you are bored to death by it all. Don't worry, I have a sense of humor (twisted and irreverent as it may be), so you can feel perfectly free to be honest. And most importantly, tell me if you have a blog or website so I may visit. I'm dying to know . . .

Guilty Pleasures

Courtney got me thinking about musical guilty pleasures after I read her recent post on Musical Chairs. Gotta tell you, some of mine are pretty embarrassing. Please don't tell anyone. :) As I disclosed on Musical Chairs, yes, I listen to Kelly Clarkson. Don't ask me why, but I just love her songs. I even downloaded her Since You've Been Gone remixes from iTunes. My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion still gets me weepy now and then. Am I a sucker, or what? Guess what else I listen to on occasion? Enrique Iglesias. No kidding. I particularly like Hero and Escape, but they're not on my iPod. Maybe they should be? Guess what record I bought just over a year ago. Yep, Def Leppard's X. Now if Long Way to Go isn't "adult contemporary" then I don't know what is. It is on my iPod. And I listen to it! I have just about everything the Pet Shop Boys have done in one form or another. I'm a total sucker for Mandy by Barry Manilow. And yes, I even have a record or two of his. I have two Enya CD's. Probably all of Madonna's. And Journey's Escape (but it's not on my iPod). Yet. How about you. Do you have any musical guilty pleasures? Your secret's safe with me . . .

Reliable info on Harriet Miers

The most reliable source of info on Harriet Miers (Bush's most recent appointee to SCOTUS) is her own blog. You really should check it out. Check out the very first entry -- it's the best.

Motley Crue redux

I have a vice. I love metal. I can't help myself. I go to hard rock and metal concerts compulsively. I am frequently one of the older dudes there, but it doesn't bother me -- not an iota. When I was in Albuquerque, Crazy Dave, who I hasten to add is a true party animal, was kind enough to accompany me to see Motley Crue at the Journal Pavilion. It was a spectacle! It was rockin'! It was a gazillion times better than I expected! First, let's get the negativity out of the way. There is a serious design flaw with the Journal Pavilion. There is this two lane road, like 6 miles long, and it's the only way in and out. It took an hour-and-a-half to get from the highway into the venue. We actually missed the first few songs, along with a bazillion other people who were inadvertently late. Once we got there, we were surprised to discover that we had seats in the 13th row, right in front of Nikki Sixx. Since the venue was unfamiliar to us, and I just got the tix a couple weeks in advance of the concert, we were utterly delighted with the view. The concert was downright sinful. Perhaps that's why they call it the Carnival of Sin Tour. There were scantily clad women doing all sorts of stunts on wires and with hoops. There were dwarves in dog collars led around the stage by (you guessed it) scantily clad women. There were video screens with some of the most disgusting, gory, creepy and bizarre images I've ever seen all at one time. I know, I'm a bad boy, but one of the highlights (particularly given my current, uh, situation) was the Tommy Lee "ti**y cam." He hooked a camcorder up to the enormous video screens and asked the hottest women in the crowd to show him their, ahem, well you know. This went on for a good 15 minutes. I must admit that I, for one, was entertained. There was a hugely long guitar solo. Tommy Lee flew on a wire up to platforms high above the stage and played percussion setups during his drum solo. There wasn't a single dull moment all night (if you ignore the drive in that is). The Crue ROCKED! Given their days as bad boys and the abundance of video footage of them performing in a, shall we say, less than virtuoustic manner, I had low expectations. In reality, the band was tight, they were clearly enjoying themselves, and they were at the top of their game. They did all the favorites (though we missed the earliest ones), and they were fantastic! Vince Neil, having broken his leg a couple weeks earlier, was visibly in some pain and was not all that animated. He walked with a cane. But he sang his heart out, and despite his reputation as a marginal performer, he sang better than I've ever heard him sing. We were also surprised by the age of the crowd. I started listening to the Crue when I was in high school more than 20 years ago (I can't believe that much time has gone by)! This crowd had a huge number of 18-25ers, and they knew all the words to all the songs. I had no idea that the Crue was connecting with the younger crowd these days! I'm guessin' there'll be more to come from the Crue. And a great time was had by all! This Friday: Foo Fighters and Weezer in downtown Detroit!

Balloons, Balloons Everywhere

Though hooking up with the hyper-eloquent fellow blogger mean_girl was the the highlight of the Albuquerque trip, there were a couple of things of a more mundane nature that are worth a casual post or two. ;^) Such as, for example, the Balloon Fiesta. Now, many things in life don't live up to the hype that precedes them. Then there are a few things that actually do. It is a rare gem of an experience that actually exceeds the hype. Such as, for example, the Balloon Fiesta. In other words, if you ever get a chance to go to this thing, do not pass it up. You will regret missing this. The Fiesta is rare extraordinary experience, unless of course, you live in the Southwest, in which case, you can probably go almost every year. We had to get up at 4:30 in the morning, travel out to the chilly desert (with what seems like several hundred thousand people), park, and enter the field. The Dawn Patrol launches while it is still dark, and the twelve ballons rise like fireflies, all lit up by their burners. I'm sorry to say that b/c my camera is kinda cheap, those pics didn't come out well, but you can see them on the Balloon Fiesta web site's gallery. As the sun comes up, the balloons begin setting up, filling with air, heating, and then rising. Remarkably, the field is wide open. The crowd may walk wherever it wants, amongst the balloons, sometimes actually bumped by the nylon as the balloons inflate and sway in the wind. As soon as the balloons lift off in waves, their empty spots are replaced by new crews who begin setting up balloons, filling them, and launching. There is this awesome feeling of happiness and joy, as these colorful monsters rise from the desert floor and take flight in a burst of color. This is truly an experience that I cannot find words for. I'm told this even is the most photographed in the world. I wouldn't be a bit surprised. There were balloons of all shapes and sizes. Like the rubber ducky balloon (at the bottom of this post). Or the pink elephant balloon (also below). It's actually a gay balloon (no kidding!) floated by a an LGBT organization! How cool is that pun? Later, we saw balloons landing in the city, in hotel parking lots, in parks, all over the place. On the news, I even caught video of one in a street hooked on a light pole! J told a story about one landing in his neighborhood a few years back, and the owner not letting him and his kids leave until they got a tethered ride. Too cool! The experience was amazing. I will be back, and next time, my children will be in tow! Really, really, this is one you don't want to miss! I'm jealous that m_g lives there and can go every year!

The Queen of the Universe

It's late in the evening. I'm sitting at a table in a smoky bar on Central Ave. in Albuquerque, N.M. She Shook Me All Night Long is playing on the juke box. I nervously sip the last of my Scotch. She walks in. "Hello, I'm m_g," she says confidently with a sultry yet mischievious grin. "Hi, I'm trusty," I stammer, stunned by her utter and complete hotness. "How 'bout a drink," I somehow manage to stutter. "Vodka tonic," she smirks, and looks me directly in the eye. Oh, those eyes . . . So, for the first time, I meet the Queen of the Universe, face to face, sitting together at the same table on a chilly night in a southwestern desert town, no moon to speak of. Everything I've gleaned from her blog is so completely true, but there is, of course, more. Much, much more to this woman. Exquisite beauty -- more than her photograhs reveal. Wisdom far beyond her years. A dizzying intellect, sharp as a razor. Yet, charming and classy all at the same time. 'Twas an honor to meet you, Your Highness. Until next time . . .