No Habla Bullshit

I watched our Commander in Chief bullshit his way through yet another presidential address. The most important thing on America's mind today is the war in Iraq and potential violations of privacy via the collection of phone records. So what did he talk about? Immigration reform. It's a "hot button" issue. Not really, but we can pretend it is to avoid dealing with real issues in the mid-term elections Republicans are going to look weak on.

This is a game meant to distract us from a war and a failing economy as well as a policy of deception from this administration.

I keep hearing things from morons like, "The majority who voted should be able to choose what is right and wrong." Uhhhh, wrong. There are three branches to our government for a reason. To prevent the executive and legislative from doing whatever the people (who are not always that sharp in let's say 60's Mississippi) want.

The people have a right to voice their opinion but popular opinion does not and should not direct the judicial body from doing anything other than interpret the constitution and it's ammendments. A fundamentalist or a liberal movement is kept in check by the ideals of our charter. Our charter prevents a religious sect or any other faction from taking our consitution and manhandling however they see fit.

In this case, I see the ideals of our constitution being eroded by the ideals of both parties that want to "protect our borders." This means our southern border with Mexico. The terrorists of 9/11 all came in via Canada if not through legal channels. Those minute/minute men might want to take a minute to decide if they are protecting ourselves from a cheap source of labor that pumps billions into the economy each year or if they are simply afraid that the percentage of white to brown skin is being challenged somehow. It all makes me sick to my stomach. When Bushy spoke that only the learning of English would allow people to go from picking crops to growing them or cleaning rooms to owning them, I wanted to slap him. Where does he get off. There are entire communities in my city that have fewer than 10% English speaking. Those folks own businesses and function just fine.

There is a perception in America that you cannot function without learning the "American Language" which is supposed to be English. Much of the American lexicon is not English at all. It is a language in itself. It has been added to by immigrants throughout history and will continue to evolve. H. L. Mencken's The American Language is proof that the king's english is a joke and that American's have survived and understood each other quite well without a unified language. How the hell did we get along to begin with? We slowly learned and adapted to the ways of the land. Why should that change now?

In Defense of Michael McDonald

In another forum today, a person made a crack about Michael McDonald of Doobie Brothers fame. Often accused of draining away any amount of rock left in the band, I found myself defending the guy. Now, he probably was guilty of said charges but I often associate certain songs and sounds with certain times in my life. When I hear "What A Fool Believes" I get drawn in. Actually, I get sucked in anytime I hear that keyboard sound. It's mostly nostalgia. When I hear those songs I am 7 years old again and it is early summer. I am laying on the carpet with those big headphones on in front of the record player and the sun is shining through the windows. My dad is making fried chicken. The world was perfect then. I was perfect then. At least that's how I like to remember it.

There is a particularly good rant about this topic in the movie Diner. Shrevie (Daniel Stern) is a music fanatic and after his wife wrongly categorizes his records, he launches into a tirade about how each one of them takes him back to a special time and place. He knows exactly where he was when he heard each of them for the first time. The scene is really about the disconnect between he and his wife and his pining for his lost youth but it really spoke to me. Great buddy movie with stellar performances by guys no longer associated with good acting. Check it out.

Anyway, I may curse the radio for Michael's later atrocities but he gets a pass from me for the stuff he made with the Doobie's. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go download that album and tune the way-back machine to 1978. Where's my ELO records?

Who is Persecuting the Christians?

A friend of mine has been complaining that the Christians are being persecuted and that it is time they fight back. He claims that America was founded on Christian ideals as seen in many of the documents our founding fathers drafted, including the Declaration of Independence. He believes that the separation of church and state was not an intention of our founding fathers even though they intentionally left out any mention of a creator from the constitution.

He also believes the first amendment should not prevent a Christian version of the preamble from being instituted. It is something that has been tried several times since the Civil War, when Lutheran pastors petitioned the government to change our preamble with the belief that our neglecting to have God in our constitution was why we were being punished with the war. It was rejected but a consolation prize of having "In God We Trust" put on our money was given.

There is a rather large movement going on right now that wants to "stop the persecution." WTF? Don't we all get Christmas off and spring break covers Easter? Mail isn't delivered on Sundays and Catholic kids are excused on Good Friday to go and get ash smeared on their foreheads.

I know there are a few PC zealots who freak out every time that anything remotely religious pops up in a government funded institution but those few instances hardly create an attack on Christianity. Let's face it, if I don't want the 10 commandments on display in a major public building, that's a real case. If I am mad that my co-worker at the post office is hanging up Xmas cards in her cubicle, I'm a dick.

Why does everything have to turn into a polarizing battle? Why must there be a line drawn in which you are evil on that side and good on this side? Isn't it more probable that the people spewing this shit to divide us all into goups are simply serving their own interests? The people who poison us with hate for one another are the real enemy. I have learned to respect my friends' faiths so I wish it would come around that they will respect my need to keep their Jesus out of my government while I keep my government out of their Jesus.

School Pride

While riding my bike down Madison today I was passed by an old station wagon spewing all kinds of filth and noxious gases into the air. Rusted out wheel wells and duck tape on the bumper. A real piece of crap. In the rear window there was a sticker for Illinois State University. I went to ISU and I thought to myself, "This is not a good omen for alumni of ISU. One guy in an old jallopy and me on a friggin' bike." At least my bike doesn't emit noxious gases.

Moussaoui Gets Life, Life.

I was delighted to hear that the jury decided not to sentence Moussaoui to death today. Not only am I happy that we chose not give this fella the martyrdom he wanted, but it proves the people of this country have the character and courage to do the right thing.

I am against the death penalty for lots of reasons but my biggest one is that I believe that the law should protect us from our lesser selves, our vindictive selves. I am no saint and may in a rage one day want someone, who has wronged me or my family, dead as a doornail. I don't want it to be an option because if one day I am able to forgive the person, it's too fuckin' late when they're pushing up the daisies.

I was raised Catholic and though I am not a believer anymore, the message of forgiveness that was instilled in me is still with me. Forgiveness and opportunity for redeeming ones self is something that I think we all should cherish.

I am thrilled by this decision and it really made me feel better about my country and the people in it. Maybe we can use this as a springboard to launch a movement to abolish the death penalty completely.

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.