Number 2

In another forum I have been discussing child raising with a few friends. I am not a parent but having 4 younger brothers gave me a lot of insight into the process. It all made me think about how my early childhood influenced who I am.

A topic that came up is that parents learn different things with each child and therefor treat them differently. The first child is rarely left unattended. Number 1 is the child parents are worried to death will die if not constantly tended to. Good parents will eventually figure out that kids are made of rubber and have remarkable healing powers and stop fussing too much over the little one's every move. Hopefully, not too much damage has been done by the time they figure it out.

I was number 2. Parents have learned through the first child (unless something terrible happened to number 1) that kids are pretty rugged things and can take lumps and recover pretty well. As number 2, I was given more time to myslef and left to do what I wanted (often whatever my older sister wanted) and I assumed the role of kid who fought for attention. Number 1 already had trained my folks that she needed constant praise and attention. I am the one who is always going to be OK. I was given the role of the independent one from a very early age. I did not like that role.

I fought for attention constantly. When my sister learned to read, I learned to read better. When my sister brought an art project home from school, I would work madly to copy a picture from a real artist so that it could go up on the fridge. I had to out do my sister. She was not competitive and at some point she gave up. She was held back a year in school and I was advanced so that we ended up in the same grade. This lead to even more attention being given to my sister's problems and having a younger brother at home just made it harder for me.

More kids came and as time went on I did all sorts of things. Instead of remaining competitve ,since I assumed the role of eldest child once I had been in the same grade as my sister, I started acting up and getting into trouble. Not only did I get attention that made me feel important but it was fun to be bad. A lot of fun.

Now that I am older (I hope wiser) I wonder how much of my personality and the way I act is influenced by my younger years. I know I am not the same person but I know that I still try to "out do" people and do things I know are wrong from time to time. How are we all affected by our early development and how does that affect how we view the world?

Bye For Now

For a lot of reasons, I am leaving Fargo for now. My wife and I are going our separate ways but I don't want anyone to think poorly of her or her family. They are all great people. My wife is still the best one and she knows it. I know it.

I hope that she will be my best friend until the day I die. Her folks are great too, and though it has been disappointing to them, I want them to know that I have loved them very much and will always think of them well. They are my family now and I hope they will continue to be. I know that they need to protect Laura now but let's hope we can understand each other in the future.

Jerry, I love you like a father. You and I were great companions at family gatherings when most other fellas wanted to speak of golf. I also liked that you appreciated the simple things. Nothing is better than a plate filled with your ribs and a story. I hope you can understand that this was not my plan. I really love you. You mean a lot to me.

Kathi, I love your odd sense of humor. You would laugh at jokes that noone else would laugh at and also jokes noone intended. That takes a keen ear. Also, your pride in not eating fruit seemed odd to me but also made me like you since I grew up as an odd duck. You are sweet and odd and that is a winning combination to me. A unique person with strength and humor. You charmed me.

Laura's brother, Jim, deserves special respect for everything he has done for me. He has been the one person I have been able to have unbiased conversations with since this all has started. He is the best man I have ever met and I want him to know that I will respect him always.

I want everyone to help make this as painless as possible.

I will return soon and I don't know where. Until then, keep watching out for our neighborhood, It is bigger than me and my wife even if I can't see that right now.

Love,

Michael

Guilty! Will they hear an appeal?

George Ryan found guilty on all counts:

http://tinyurl.com/j9hsp

My guess is, "Yes." This case just barely avoided a mistrial after the tainted juror controversy. Even though it seems such a conclusive verdict, I doubt it can be avoided. Should the states attornwey's office bother to carry on with the trial of an elderly man? What do you think?

Tah-Dah!

This is where the van that occupied much of my waking moments once rested. After nearly a year of work and nonstop complaining/cojoling it is finally gone! I am so happy I could spit. Thanks to everyone who put pressure on the owners to have it removed. I was satrting to think it was going to be a permanent resident in the neighborhood. I am hoping this is part of an effort by the owner to improve the property. Maybe they will plant grass in front of the building that is currently bare dirt? I can dream can't I?

A Well Job Done

There's an old joke that asks, "What's blue and sleeps four?" Answer: A city truck. Anyway, they woke up long enough to come out one day last week to address our sink hole problem and here's the result.

















They moved the hole. But don't worry. We'll put a board over it. See? Good as new! I wasn't going to complain thinking they would come back out and finish the job in a timely fashion but it has been over a week and we haven't heard a peep. What a mess.

Shooting Death at Ashland and Fargo

This is a photo of the sidewalk where a young man's body lay last night. It's hard to make out but this is a faint blood stain with a few puddles of blood near the building. The colorful splotches are from candles that were laid out in tribute to the victim. The shooting occured sometime after 8 pm about 3 doors down from my building. From what I could gather from the crowd, he was 19 and probably the victim of gang activity. I tried to learn more this morning but it appears that the murder of a young man in this neighborhood does not warrant much press. Here is a link to the only news I could find:

http://tinyurl.com/qo8k6

Anyone with any additional information are encouraged to post here. Thank you.

Moussaoui

I am listening to news of Zacarias Moussauoi's trial on NPR right now and
it is making me angry. Why is it that the prosecutors in this asshole's trial don't
understand that by pursuing the death penalty we are martyring the
bastard and doing exactly what he wants? He admitted that had he not
been picked up on immigration violations he'd already be dead after
flying a plane into a building. He doesn't want to live in jail. He
wants to die for his cause and the prosecution is going to give him
just what he wants. Are we a nation of vindictive 6 year olds who
don't understand the consequences of our actions? I am so pissed off
right now I want to go outside and just start slapping people for no
reason.

A Return to the Hole

After getting no response from 311 after several calls and being told, "We'll put in a report." I decided to contact the ward office in regards to the matter. I have posted the content below.

Good Evening,

This past week a sink hole in the parkway in front of my building appeared. It is approximately 8 inches wide and goes back under the sidewalk. The washout under the walk appears to be extensive. I have contacted 311 on the matter several times but have not seen any action thus far.

I put a small wire fence around it since it presents a serious tripping hazard.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Kaszynski

A Bone to Pick... Up

The smiling man you see above is the most recognized purveyor of fried chicken in the world. I love fried chicken and just about anything else that can be battered and fried. Who (unless you're a vegetarian) doesn't? Problem is, in this neighborhood people seem to be under the impression that walking down the street eating chicken and simply flinging the stripped bones wherever they may fall is perfectly acceptable behavior. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a dog away from chicken bones? Hell, even I am tempted by the prospect of free fried chicken.

This is indicative of a larger problem in RP and many other neighborhoods. There are a large number of people who don't care if their neighborhood looks like crap. Cheetos bags, juice containers, beer bottles and an endless array of junk. I've seen TV parts in the park. I've seen doll houses in the street. Last week my dog almost got her mouth on an untouched baloney sandwich laying on the sidewalk. A week before that, an entire loaf of bread stuffed in some bushes. What are these people thinking? Forget about the rats and pigeons that feed on the discarded food. Forget about the safety hazard of broken glass in the sand at the beach. Why does it seem that so many people are hell bent on destroying anything of value? Are they all nihilists? Do they like the way their street looks when they look out the window?

If someone can help me understand the impetus behind this behavior, I'd love to hear from you. Until then, I'll be outside picking up the leavings of the day.

Parkway Cave In

This is a hole that suddenly appeared on the parkway in front of my building. I did not put the cigarette butt in the frame for scale but it does the trick. It's about 7 or 8 inches wide and goes down several feet and back under the sidewalk. The wash out under the walk looks fairly extensive. I have contacted 311 3 times and have been told they'd make a report. So far I have seen no response. I put a bit of garden fencing around it to keep people from stepping in it. If noone comes to investigate soon, I will try contacting the ward office.

Something I think is funny

I was looking over the 49th ward's website today and I happened to notice something a little odd about the alderman's photo. If you look closely, you'll see that the post he is leaning against is tagged. Kind of a bad choice. I could touch up this pic in iPhoto if he wants. I wonder if noone has noticed til now. I know I've seen the pic several times and this is the first time I noticed it.

The Fox is Tending the Hen House... Again

Before After

Can someone please explain how it is that Tom DeLay, currently under indictment for conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, landed a seat on the House Appropriations Committee? The spot was made vacant after Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from defense contractors. I understand that many Republicans have a history of standing by their guy no matter what, but this is a slap in the face to people looking to get America out of the mire of scandal after scandal.

He also got a seat on a subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department's investigation into the Jack Abramoff scandal. That is friggin' hilarious. You might as well congratulate Jack on his acquittal now.

Zing!

During Coretta Scott King's funeral services yesterday, many speakers paid tribute to not only Coretta but also to her husband and others who gave their lives to the civil rights movement. One such speaker was Rev. Joseph Lowery. In a long rhyme he stated, "We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here -- millions without health insurance, poverty abounds. For war, billions more, but no more for the poor." Although I think his position is correct, I wonder if it can be stated that using a funeral as a platform to launch a political attack is maybe in poor taste. I must admit that watching the look on the Bush's faces (seated directly behind the podium) made me giggle a little. Giggling during a funeral is probably inappropriate too.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I've decided to make a few changes to this blog to make it more accessible to people that don't live near me. I want to be able to communicate about all things of interest to me and how I feel about things. I will still post about community issues but on slow news days I want to be able to post about other things. Hopefully, this will not be a snooze-fest for everyone who reads this.

Last night's meeting concerning the re-zoning of 1791 W Howard street was boring to say the least. Most folks seemed most concerned with parking issues. I thought this was a non-issue considering that there is a huge parking garage a block away where people can easily rent parking. I really can't believe that people are worried about increses in residences on Howard . A few years back, it was a ghost town.

I did voice a few concers with the historic preservation of the building but, to tell the truth, I was really just trying to make sure it was on people's radar and not really that concerned that it would ever become an issue.

Sorry for such a boring entry but not a lot to report. There were a few folks who seemed more concerend with complaining than the effort at hand. Hell, I think I would have enjoyed a few more fireworks just to justify the fact that the meeting went on so long. I left before it was all over so maybe there was something I missed.

The van that has occupied so much of this blog still sits in the driveway on flats. A not was recently attached to the wiper asking if the owner would be interested in selling it. If anyoune out there has contact with the owner could you let them know the note is there? I think it might be from a realtor who would be willing to pay a few hundred bucks to take it off their hands if it means the hood will look nicer to prospective buyers.

You may have noticed a group of men pruning trees in the neighborhood over the last few days. I am glad for the work as it helps keep the trees healthy but they didn't take the branches away. They left them where they fell and it doesn't appear that they have any intention to come back for them. I saw a few green trucks but forget the name of the company. Did anyone else happen to catch the name? I wold like to contact them about the mess they made.

Everyone has seen the scrap metal collectors driving around with their trucks piled high with all manner of things. Old appliances, computer shells, and bed frames stacked 10 feet high. I worry that this is dangerous but don't report it because I know these folks need to make a living. Making the life of someone (who obviously is having a hard time already) more difficult is not something I will readily do. Problem is, I have seen questionable merchandise tossed up in the back of these trucks. I saw what looked like a few brand new ovens in a truck today that I fear were stolen from a construction site. In the past I have seen a bike rack in a truck with bikes still locked to it. On another occasion, I saw a truck stacked high with wheel chairs. I called the police on my cell phone when I saw that one. Stealing from building sites is one thing but stealing from a hospital is low.

My question is, "Should I call the police when I see these things?" Am I risking sending a person to jail and ruining a family? I wish I could approach the drivers and ask but worry that I will end up in a fight or worse. If anyone else has had any experience in these matters, your comments are very welcome.

There has been a lot of activity in Jarvis square recently. They have been putting in new flooring and installed a counter at what will soon be a coffee shop and are painting the walls in the storefront to the north. The new grocery has new windows and I have seen that they're bringing in coolers and other equipment already. The sound of construction in what will soon be a restaurant in the old liquor store space has also been heard. Rogers Bark pet salon seems to be doing good business and the new theater space is also coming together. All this new business makes feel very good about the economic health of the neighborhood. Most people I know around here have been complaining for years that we need new businesses that people can go to. New buisiness means more tax dollars and hopefully continued improvement. Nothing attracts money like money.

Idle hands are the barber's playground. Or something like that. Since I am no longer looking for a job and I have a few weeks before I start my new job, I have decided to grow a beard. I will document its progress by photographing it each day. On the day before I start work, I will shave it off in increments and create as many different facial hair fashions as possible. Once the project is complete, I'll post the photos for all to see. Unfortunately, I will be shaving my neck so I will not be able to demonstrate the Grady from Sanford and Son full neck beard. Keep in mind that this project is only going to last a few weeks so it might not get that long. More soon.