"Retired" Blogger Weds-Film at 11
If you've followed us for any amount of time, you'd know that our former lead blogger was ready to have himself married off. Well, last night was the big night. And yours truly had the honor of serving in the wedding party.

As weddings go, this one certainly aimed big. Big cathedral. Big limos. Big reception with band, speeches and (ahem) a really sweet video! But where many big weddings make the mistake of being all about the trappings of ceremony, this one never wavered from what it was supposed to be about. Like a blockbuster, special effects laden film with a great plot, this party dazzled on many levels. Style was backed up significantly by substance.

It's said that you can measure what a person is like by the company they keep. Of course I've always known what quality people Paul and Anne were, but on this night, 13 members of the bridal party, many of whom had never met each other before, really came together in an amazing way.

Wedding rehearsals tend to be worth very little. Not so much useless; they're a great excuse for a nice dinner and a chance to break the ice, But the term "rehearsal" would imply that significant preparation would be involved. It's probably more accurate to call it a "run-through," because there's no way to make everyone feel 100% comfortable with what their function is when you only go through it once less than 24 hours before carrying it out. So when it came to the actual day, with no one from the church to function as coordinator, we found ourselves fending for ourselves rather quickly.

99% of the time, this is a recipe for disaster. No organization, no cues, no structure. Smaller parties have collapsed under their own weight due to less. But not here and not now. In the face of this, a lot of people who didn't have much in common except for the fact that they were friends of the bride and groom bonded together and made everything happen.

Not everything went exactly right. The priest made the congregation stand for an eternity before we were ready. There was limo confusion. Too much time on our hands while simultaneously not being enough. And an attempt to meet Shaq would never materialize. But these are the things that make an event special and unique. Without them, things are too perfect, not worth talking about.

Yesterday was a moment in time when many paths came to a nexus for one brief day in the name of two people joining together. I had one of the best times of my life, and consider myself lucky to have been there. The optimist in me hopes that there will be another time when we will all get to see each other again, and continue what was started here. The realist, however, knows that I likely will never see some of them again. Their names and faces will become blurred through the mists of time.

Still, no matter where we go from here, we will always be joined by this event. The photographs will always show that we shared this wonderful moment in time. We were there, working it out, laughing, talking, dancing, drinking and even (gasp) singing together.

But all parties end and everyone goes back to their places across town, across the state, across the country, and across the world. Maybe it's best this way. The old adage in show business is to leave them wanting more. Maybe by going on our separate paths, looking back on it can make it better than it might have been had the paths stayed together. But with the start that we had, it deserves to have a chance to live on in more than just memories.

So here's to our former (future?) lead blogger and his new wife. Two people whose lives not only have enriched each others', but also more people than they could ever know.
- posted by Jon @ 10:31 PM

 
So…Now What?
It’s taken me a bit to gather my thoughts about the election results. I easily could have written a book-length diatribe here immediately on November 3, but certainly those were prevalent throughout the blogosphere. But now that I have moved through the 12 steps and gotten mostly to “Acceptance,” I figured I could put together something a little more meaningful to write here, knowing that whatever views I wrote would be closer to my true nature rather than a knee jerk bitch session.

It turns out, my views haven’t changed a whole lot.

There were a number of reasons I can name for wanting John Kerry in office. I had hoped that we would have someone in office who would approach an issue more thoughtfully and who would hopefully temper this “with us/against us” attitude in this country. However, it would seem that there were more people that disagreed with me.

Frankly, it frightens me a bit to think that people have validated this “Speak loudly and swat with your big stick, especially if you don't subscribe to my belief or faith" attitude that Bush personifies. Bush knows it too, saying that he's "earned political capital. And I intend to spend it." To me, that's a very ominous statement.

Our country seems to relish in this “big bully” role we have in the world and, more alarmingly, against each other here at home. And still more crazy is that this validation has come in the guise of “moral values.” I don’t know how any sort of moral system can justify treating someone who thinks, acts and/or worships different from you with hostility.

So off we go for the next four years, or at least two depending on what we can do to make congressional and senatorial changes and reduce the influence that W might have. I just can’t help but think things are just going to get away from us even more. It’s amazing to think we live in times where Americans are seriously considering fleeing this country because they feel so helplessly out of tune with it.

- posted by Jon @ 1:41 PM

 
That's One Hell of a Family Reunion!
I would encourage all who see this webpage to do a little bit of digging to make sure they are who they say they are, but so far I don't see any reason to think otherwise.

Is this election year polarized or what? But then again, I know lots of people who don't like their cousins.
- posted by Jon @ 8:38 AM

 
How Does He Do It?
I just don't get it.

In a warped way, this is almost admirable. Here's the guy saying that voting against him will leave the country vulnerable to terrorist attacks, and yet he accuses John Kerry of using scare tactics? In fact, in this same article, while Bush is talking about the others scaring voters, the evil mastermind is playing up the World Trade Center attacks in the campaign press junkets.

How does he get away so easily with accusing others of doing the things he does so well? How does he get away with blatantly falsifying his opponent's stance to make his look better? How is it people can't see it? Are people really buying this?

Well, if so, then maybe the USA deserves to have a Karl Rove, er, George W. Bush in charge. And while we're at it, maybe we can work Jerry Springer, Geraldo Rivera and the American Idol judges into the cabinet.
- posted by Jon @ 3:13 PM

 
R.I.P. Kal-El
Christopher Reeve died this past weekend.

In some ways, one couldn't be blamed for thinking this would never happen. He had seemingly been so tireless in resuming his life after his accident, in working for finding a cure for paralysis, in pushing others to perform research and supporting the cause. And after all, he had been Superman.

But in the end, life can be cruel and nine years after the accident that not just changed his life, but the world, he finally proved to be mortal. Still, in those nine years, he achieved what many wouldn't achieve in a lifetime. He pushed the boundaries. He gave people in the most hopeless of situations a new hope. And he made things happen that may not have happened without his presence.

Christopher Reeve vowed that he would walk again. It didn't happen, but he did fly. More importantly, he helped other people to fly with the inspiration he gave to them.
- posted by Jon @ 10:27 PM

 
Things Heating Up...Where The Hell Are We?
Yeah, I know...we're smack in the middle of debate season. There's a little over 3 weeks until the presidential electon. The "October Surprise" may have occurred with the latest report on Saddam's WMDs (or lack thereof). Bush says this. Kerry says that. FactCheck.ORG (not com, Mr. Vice President) keeps them in line. So where's all the new entries from us?

Gimme a break, eh? It's a lot to go over!

Or is it really? Although the two presidential debates have been different formats, Bush and Kerry, but mainly Bush, have repeated the same lines ad hoc. But while Kerry's repeated lines are done to deflect Bush's inaccurate attacks, Bush's repeats the same lines and attacks contained in his truth bending political commercials. If I hear him go off about "Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time" anymore, I'm going to have to pull an Elvis and blow up my TV screen.

Still, I do find the charges that Bush and company spin against Kerry to be disturbing. His campaign seems to think they've hit on a foolproof tactic: to use actual Kerry quotations against him. And it would be a great tactic too, if only they weren't taken so far out of context.

The Bush campaigners, and of course Bush himself seeing as he's George W. Bush and he approves these messages, seem to think that Americans will gladly take these things at face value. That when they see John Kerry say, "The winning of the war was brilliant," they won't know or bother to check that the whole quote was "I think they clearly have dropped the ball with respect to the first month in the after -- winning the war. That winning of the war was brilliant and superb, and we all applaud our troops for doing what they did, but you've got to have the capacity to provide law and order on the streets and to provide the fundamentally services, and I believe American troops will be safer and America will pay less money if we have a broader coalition involved in that, including the United Nations." That's a statement well within the boundaries of what Kerry claims his position has been all along.

Oddly and ironically enough, Dick Cheney gave Americans the key to seeing all these distortions by saying that going to factcheck.org will show how his relationship with Halliburton was misrepresented. But the funny thing is, the site will also reveal just how badly they also distorted John Kerry's statements.

Ultimately, there is one thing to consider. If these tactics of misrepresentation and exaggeration are the lengths George W. Bush will go to to achieve re-election, what do you think he might do, or might have done, to testimonies, reports and other documents to push forth an item on his presidential agenda?
- posted by Jon @ 11:53 PM

 
Rumors Of Our Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Yeah, we did lose Paul for a bit. I'm very well aware of the demands on his life right now, and I completely understand his decision. But that doesn't quite mean we're done here. And hopefully, after the big events in his life come to fruition, we'll see our celebrated blog conscience return to the fold. In the meantime, we still have things to futilely bitch about and more interesting reading to call your attention to.

First off, the wonderfully talented Mitch Albom has written a column that sums up a subject that I have tried, and failed, to effectively put into words. That is why he is a famous and wealthy writer and I'm still in my day job writing blogs that no one knows about. Some nice excerpts to tease you with:

In recent issue of Time, I read several letters to the editor. One said, "I love that the president is stubborn enough to stick to his guns . . ."

The letter came from Texas, but it could have come from anywhere. In a world where everything is so fast, so complex, where you don't know who owns the company that owns your company, we cherish simplicity. We want it fast and understandable.

For this, the president has been well coached by his handlers. Say the same thing. Stick by your guns. A certain number will believe you. A certain number will think you're lying.

But an even bigger number will admire you for not changing your mind.

Folks, I don't care what your political persuasion, this is a dangerous quality for us to admire.

And here is a very important piece that should be required reading for anyone registered to vote. It is a very thoughtful dissertation whose writers have placed this in the NY Times. More excerpts to whet the appetite:

History shows decisively that, over the long haul, attacking terrorism increases terrorism. And indeed, that is what is happening right now across the world. As long as they feel aggrieved or attacked, there is nobility and importance in their cause, and their membership rolls increase. When they are no longer aggrieved or attacked, membership declines.
.
.
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We should not preemptively attack. We were right to invade Afghanistan. Al Qaeda had viciously attacked us on 9/11, and a concentration of their financial support and training bases were in Afghanistan. We had asked the Taliban leaders of Afghanistan for assistance in pursuing al Qaeda, which they rebuffed. We were right to invade Afghanistan, but we have been wrong in abandoning Afghanistan and ceding the country back to the Taliban and the warlords. Lawlessness has returned, the Taliban are reestablished and Afghanistan is again the number one producer of opium in the world. It is the most prominent economic resource they know, and we have not been there to provide alternatives.

Iraq, on the other hand, never attacked us. In fact, we have now learned that our sanctions against Iraq had done their work in essentially eliminating Iraq’s capacity for weapons of mass destruction. By attacking Iraq, we increased the perception of our antagonism toward Muslim nations, and we increased poverty — both direct and powerful factors in inciting the terrorist actions we seek to end. And we damage our case for the morality of our cause. Again, we veer from our founding principles: Lincoln wrote “If, today, (anyone) should choose to say he thinks it’s necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us … you may say to him, ‘I see no probability of the British invading us.’ But he will say to you, ‘Be silent; I see it, (even) if you don’t.’” Generals Lee and Grant both struggled with their conscience regarding the U.S. invasion of Mexico in 1847, which they both fought in but thought to be an egregious war and a stain on the honor of the U.S. The only war that a democratic society can ultimately conduct is a true war of self-defense, not a preemptive war under the guise of self-defense.

Yeah, we're back!
- posted by Jon @ 1:13 PM

 
A Public Service Announcement
Despite our best efforts, leukemia is still one of the many diseases that we've haven't yet completely conquered. However, there's always hope as everyday, researchers go after new ways of treating the disease. It all starts with bone marrow transplants, and it's fairly easy to get involved in the donor registry.

Two people that we know of have been affected by this disease. One is a person that my wife used to work with who has had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia since 1997. The other is the mother of someone who's a good friend of one of my friends. She's currently battling leukemia for the third time. Both have reached the point where their best options are to pursue a bone marrow transplant.

My friend's friend has set up a website, www.bmt4cathy.com to help raise more awareness of the need for bone marrow donors. So please take a look and see if you can help out in any way. Even something as simple as just getting the word out will be a huge help.
- posted by Jon @ 10:47 PM

 
Olympic-Sized Thoughts
Well, here we are again at the start of another Olympic Games. I've always enjoyed the Olympics, with their pagentry and spectacle. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that during the games, there's always something on TV, especially if the games are in a European or Asian time zone. You can pretty much turn on the TV anytime and watch part of an Olympic event.

There's such a variety of events, particularly in the Summer Games. Swimming, diving, volleyball, basketball, track and field...the list goes on and on. And then there are some things that you have to wonder how they got considered for Olympic events. Just by virtue of them being "Olympic sports", I've actually found myself watching Table Tennis and Badminton. Granted, I won't for very long, but I usually hang around long enough to see if anyone gets hit by the ball. At this level, you really could legitimately have a Ping Pong injury.

Speaking of "Things I Can't Believe They Have in the Olympics," whoever came up with the idea for making Women's Beach Volleyball an Olympic sport: thank you very, very much! Let's face it-female athletes in amazing physical shape, running around in very tight, very skimpy two piece outfits, hugging after each point? Put that in prime time, baby! I'm there!

*ahem* Did I just say that out loud?

Maybe it's just me, but did anyone else think this games' version of the Olympic Cauldron looked like they were lighting the worst biggest joint?



Earlier today, I saw a medal ceremony for a pistol shooting event, which I didn't even realize they had in the Olympics. The gold medal went to a marksman from China, while the silver and bronze both went to Russian marksmen. Now, speaking as an American, should I be worried that the Chinese and Russians have really good aim?

As I was pondering that semi-serious thought, they began the playing of the Chinese national anthem. Suddenly, the gold medal winner became overwhelmed with emotion. He stood there on the podium absolutely weeping, almost uncontrollably, caught up in the moment as he realized the accomplishment he had achieved. All of his hard work and preparation had paid off in the gold. For himself. For his country.

And that right there is one of the greatest reasons for having the Olympic Games: to show what it is we can ultimately accomplish. To be able to celebrate what we can do as individuals, as a team, as a country, and as a race. In the Olympics, the only real reason to be grouped in countries is to be able to have teams necessary for the competition. Every team is participating in something bigger which brings them...us... all together. The Games become the common ground that the world constantly searches for in order to have a joyous and enjoyable gathering.

Nowhere is that more obvious than in the contrast between the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. At the outset, the teams march in under their country's banner, separate, but all gathered on the stadium floor. By the time of the closing ceremonies, the athletes will be seen mixed together on that same floor without a single territorial or cultural border to be found. They will be talking, dancing, hugging...celebrating together joyously and treating each other as people and not flags.

Maybe someday, it will be more than athletes doing that. Maybe.
- posted by Jon @ 5:03 PM

 
Democrats Grabbing Headlines? How About Issuing A Terror Alert?
I always thought that it seemed like terror alerts would crop up every time something happened that the Bush Administration didn't like. I also figured if I noticed this, there had to have been a lot of other people that did too.

Sure enough, there were other people much more observant that I. On the JuliusBlog is a nice timeline of the coincidences of "bad news" and terror alerts. Kudos to these guys for doing the legwork, complete with sources and all.

- posted by Jon @ 11:08 PM

 
"Blind Faith In Your Leaders Can Get You Killed"
So there's a massive concert tour mobilizing out there. The Vote For Change tour is an unprecedented collaboration of musicians putting on multiple concerts in cities across the so-called swing states with an eye on mobilizing people to vote in the election and hopefully change the direction of the country.

One of the major artists involved is a guy whose musical career is very close to my heart: Bruce Springsteen. Longtime fans of Springsteen know what his political views are. All you really need to do is listen to his anecdotes on his various live albums to get a feel for it. Ironically enough, Springsteen has also been one of the more misquoted and misinterpreted artists. Anyone who has actually read the lyrics to "Born In The USA" knows it's about the hardships of a returning Vietnam veteran...hardly good background music for the Reagan campaign.

Normally one to not be so overtly political, Springsteen has joined up on this tour and has given a few interviews on his views as well as a NY Times Op-Ed piece. As usual, he has some interesting things to say:

"Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt the country's unity. I don't remember anything quite like it. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan and I hoped that the seriousness of the times would bring forth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders. Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war in Iraq, offering up the lives of our young men and women under circumstances that are now discredited. We ran record deficits, while simultaneously cutting and squeezing services like afterschool programs. We granted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporate bigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing the division of wealth that threatens to destroy our social contract with one another and render mute the promise of 'one nation indivisible.'"

"We offered up the lives of the best of our young people under circumstances that have been discredited. I had to live through that when I was young myself, and for any of us that lived through the Vietnam War, it was just very devastating."

"If there was one single thing I’d like to give every high school kid in the United States, it would be a two-month trip through Europe at some point during the formative years. Because it’s very difficult to conjure up a real worldview from within our borders. It’s hard. It’s hard because we’re so big, and the hegemony of American culture is so weighty and so heavy that it’s very difficult without stepping outside and realizing what it’s like to have the next country just a two-hour drive away, to have a certain kind of interdependence that is different than what we have here. It’s just a certain view of the way the world works that is different. So if I could give every young kid one thing, that would be it -- because it would broaden what we listen to, the way we perceive ourselves, the types of leaders we choose. It would change the nation dramatically."

"Through my work, I've always tried to ask hard questions. Why is it that the wealthiest nation in the world finds it so hard to keep its promise and faith with its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to find it so difficult to see beyond the veil of race? How do we conduct ourselves during difficult times without killing the things we hold dear? Why does the fulfillment of our promise as a people always seem to be just within grasp yet forever out of reach?"
- posted by Jon @ 12:32 PM

 
That's funny...
I could have sworn there used to be three bloggers around here...
- posted by Jon @ 10:22 PM

 
Class In the Midst of Championship Fatigue
OK...at the risk of offending my fellow blogger...I'm tired of it all. I'm tired of the Piston overkill in the media right now.

But before I sound off, I will admit why I'm tired of it. Because I'm jealous. I'm jealous of the fact that it's not the Red Wings with another parade in the streets. I'm jealous of the fact that hockey is taking a back seat to hoops in this town.

Is this what we did when the Red Wings won their Stanley Cups? Did we go this insane? Did we go this overboard? Most likely yes, and I totally lapped it up, as evidenced by my extensive collection of Stanley Cup T-shirts and books.

But upon closer inspection, I realize what it is that's ticking me off: the bandwagoners and the unnecessary competition.

First off all, the Pistons won. You know that. Beat the high, mighty (and arrogant) Lakers. Won it all. NBA Champions. Woo-hoo. I am happy. I am happy for the team, for those who worked so hard to get to the summit, and for those die-hard long time fans of the Pistons (like my esteemed colleague and friend Paul). When you get a championship, you celebrate. You party like it's 1999.

But I am NOT happy for the casual fans and the media. I am not happy for the people who jumped on board the train at the end Game 3 of the NBA Finals, who don't know charging from blocking and who don't even realize how significant it is that a zone defense is now legal in the NBA. These, for some reason, tend to be the loudest and most in-your-face fans, who aren't just whooping it up about the superiority of the Pistons in the NBA, but about the superiority of the Pistons among the teams in the area.

Suddenly, it's all about how we're "Hoopstown" and not "Hockeytown" (as we arrogantly called ourselves, but I prefer to look at the reason for that as the culture of hockey that exists in this city, not just because of a single NHL team). Suddenly, as the bandwagoners shout to any reporter's microphone within reach, we don't care about that losing hockey team, much less the baseball team that's currently on the road or the football team that hasn't even done anything (of course, the football team has yet to play this year). Basketball's beeeettttter!

Which is why it is very refreshing to see the actual Piston members conduct themselves in the way they did.

First of all, let's go back to coach Larry Brown, who actually thanked his predecessor, Rick Carlisle, and players who left or were traded away before Brown took over this year, for setting the foundation that he laid the finishing touches on.

Then, as if maybe this organization recognized the same things that I'm railing about, they showed up at the parade and rally honoring the other teams in the area. Brown wore a Detroit Tigers hat, and later changed into a Detroit Lions jersey. Rasheed Wallace wore a Detroit Red Wings jersey, which is quite an amazing feat to wear something like that in the heat and humidity that were present for the parade. They tipped their hats to the other teams, and true to the no ego, team first manner in which this organization operates, shared the spotlight. They demonstrated, not just gave lip service to but demonstrated, that it's not all about them, even in the moment when they rightfully could have claimed it was.

You know, the Red Wings never did that in their Stanley Cup celebrations.

As an aside, it should be interesting to note one other thing. Rasheed Wallace could be a rent a player. He was brought in at the trade deadline and he's going to be a free agent. Larry Brown is a known coaching nomad, and it has been speculated that he might also step away, having achieved what he has desired for 20 odd years in the NBA. Both of these guys could have new addresses by next season.

And yet, these were the two guys who decided to honor to rest of Detroit by acknowledging the other teams. (Note to the rest of league: they like it here. These guys are staying.)

The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately's, who will not remember that this is actually Lindsey Hunter's second tour of duty with the Pistons, will continue to shove it in our (my) face about which sport reigns...at least until someone else wins an championship in this town and/or they put their Ben Wallace wigs in the closet somewhere and pick up a Steve Yzerman, Joey Harrington or Pudge Rodriguez jersey. But for the Piston players, coaches, staff; for the die hard fans who worship at the altar of Bing, Lanier, Thomas and Dumars (most especially Dumars!), who have seen this team play at Cobo, the Silverdome and the Palace and stuck it through the lean years, you have one thing to do.

Party. Party it up, baby!
- posted by Jon @ 10:26 AM

 
Combos Really Cheese Your Hunger Away
Vending machines are evil. How else can you explain their hold on office workers throughout the world? How else can you explain how millions upon millions mindlessly shovel coins into the dispenser slot for a bag of potato chips?

I like to think that I follow a pretty healthy diet these days. When I’m at home, I very rarely snack on the usual suspects. We don’t really keep potato chips around the house. For the most part, our extracurricular eating consists of granola bars, Triscuits and at worst, tortilla chips. We keep soda pop on hand for guests, but only occasionally drink it ourselves. Heck, the bottle of vodka gets pulled out for White Russians more frequently than any Coca-Cola product.

But yet, when I come in to work, somehow I will find myself feeding the machine with a dollar or two to get a bottle of Cherry Coke and some Munchos. I just don’t get it. Is it because I’m stressed or bored and need “comfort” food? Is it peer pressure?

Maybe it’s the presentation. Maybe it’s the delivery method. You know…the ones that turn the little corkscrews to push the bag of the edge of the shelf so that it drops into the bin below. You start wondering which snack food (and I use the term “food” loosely) is going to fall the fastest. Or how about the drink machines that have the little elevator that safely brings your drink down from heights that would easily shatter a soda pop bottle. And then there’s the ice cream machines that open up the individual little coolers and send in an arm with a vacuum nozzle to pick up the popsicle and drop it in the aforementioned bin. They’re like Rube Goldberg machines. Isn’t it worth the extra profit margin you give up willingly to see technology at work?

But what if it doesn’t work? Because you know that in reality, you’re taking part in a form of gambling. What if your bag of chips gets stuck on the way down, or your soda pop bottle breaks, or the vacu-suck arm doesn’t work. You’re betting $0.65 that something will not go wrong, and the reward is akin to a package of 4 week old Hostess Sno-balls!

What is wrong with us?!?! Why are we slaves to these machines? And more puzzlingly, why do we try to force it to take our dollar bills when it obviously doesn’t want to take our money? Take your dollar bill and go home! You’ll be that much healthier, that much lighter, and that much richer!

Well, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I’m kind of hungry. I’m going to go to the vending room and get a chocolate bar.

- posted by Jon @ 3:29 PM

 
More Horsepower
Those of you that know me know that my game is, first and foremost, hockey. So once again, it only makes sense (not) that I be giving props to the local team that's making good right now: the Detroit Pistons.

I've been following it and certainly been pulling for the Pistons, but having not been on the basketball bandwagon since the mid 90's, I can't throw my heart and soul into it the way I would the Detroit Red Wings. Heck, I knew more about what was going on with the Calgary Flames-Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup series than I did the NBA Conference Finals. Plus, I'm not the type of person who goes jumping on the bandwagon of a team or sport that I didn't pay close attention to just because we're winning.

That said, this is more than a basketball series right now. It's now about respect. The respect that glitzy Los Angeles gets and hardworking Detroit does not. That's an ironic statement in itself. One town is all about style, celebrity and plastic surgery. The other about blue collar work, grittiness and every hardship lined in your face. And yet, it's the style, celebrity and plastic surgery that get taken more seriously. LA is the prom queen. Detroit is the geek who gets pointed and laughed at by the jocks and high school princesses.

Maybe not for long though. In the three games of this series, Detroit has shown the ability to dominate this series with defense, much like their Bad Boy ancestors of the late 80's. Showtime has gotten shut down. Shaq looks befuddled, Malone and Payton look old, and the only fight that Kobe might have a chance in may be the legal one that he has coming up.

Still, it's a seven game series and only three have been played. Strange things can happen over the course of a series, but if any team knows there's still work to be done, it's the Pistons.

Go Pistons! Make the legend of Zeke, Dumars, Laimbeer, Vinnie, Salley and the Worm proud.

- posted by Jon @ 6:19 PM

 
If You're Bored...
Try this site out for size. You think of a sitcom character or a dictator and the site will try to guess who it is. It's pretty hard to stump it.
- posted by Jon @ 10:54 PM

 
Funny That I'm Posting This...
...but you gotta give props to the Pistons for just stomping on the Nets in a Game 7 situation. I mean annihilated. And in the sort of irony only found in sports and movies, they move on to play their former coach in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sigh...if only I had something to celebrate with the Red Wings more than the fact that 10 of their players and one coach made their respective national teams for the World Cup of Hockey this August.

Go Flames Go....
- posted by Jon @ 10:05 AM

 
Why Bush Will Win Re-Election
I was reading this article in today's Detroit News and came across this part of the story:

Ken Tippery, a retired executive from Royal Oak, says he’ll vote for Bush again, praising the president on national security issues and accusing the media and Democrats of blowing out of proportion the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.

“I think (Bush) has done the one thing no president was willing to do before, which was to step up to the problem of terrorism and take a proactive stance,” Tippery said.

“What is an atrocity is what happened to the young American who was beheaded, not forcing some (Iraqi) guy to run around bare-bottom.”

Wow.

"Bare bottom?"

And I guess being sodomized with a flashlight is just "tickling" in your book.

I will certainly give you the point that the perception seems like there's more outrage over our treatment of prisoners who were not necessarily guilty or involved than there is over the beheading. I'm glad that Colin Powell is trying to make this point on the world stage.

But that's not actually your point is it? I'm probably giving you too much credit. Your point, and it seems to be a very common and prevalent attitude, is it's ok for us to do something to these people just because they belong to a nationality that has been cast by ignorant people as all being to blame. Didn't you know that many of the prisoners were not actually wrongdoers that were related to insurgency or terrorism? Actually, you probably don't even consider them people, do you? But that's ok, because the people in charge have set the tone that not only validates this belief but makes it popular.

Ken, if you're out there, you're just the patriotic American that'll be running this country for the next few years. Congratulations, but please refrain from calling me a traitor when I disagree with your views.

(Edited for clarification. This is why I would not make a good debator.)
- posted by Jon @ 7:48 PM

 
Technical Update #5278
We've added Trackback capability!

Ok, I admit, I don't really know exactly what it means, but all cool blogs have it. So now we're cool.

Snooch to the nooch.
- posted by Jon @ 8:49 AM

 
Up From The Ashes
Much like how Nigel Tufnel's departure set in motion the dissolution of the band called Spinal Tap, Paul's decision to retire nearly put our humble little blog out of business. I tend to view Paul's entries as the the heart of the blog as he nails the spirit of what we tend to try to put up here. Myself, I tend to vacillate between futility and lighthearted sarcasm while Mark chimes in with unique viewpoints on life in general. So when Paul appeared to call it quits, I came very close to deleting the blog. I didn't even want to put Mark and myself in a position to have to dust off "Jazz Odyssey."

But apparently the fans spoke and Nigel has accepted David St. Hubbins invitation back on stage. So it's good to be back. Now, if I can find some time...
- posted by Jon @ 12:50 PM