Entries from August 2006
Last night I happened to watch the Brian Williams special on NBC… It was a look back at Katrina and he also tracked down some people he met during that week a year ago. I was in tears for a good part of that hour of television..
I have always been disturbed with how the federal government responded to Katrina. Disturbed that in the greatest country in the world people were not being taken care of. Was it because they were poor? Maybe. Black? Maybe. It is the first time and the only time I have doubted the leadership of George W. Bush.
During the special last night, Brian Williams talked about a rumor going among the people who lived in the 9th Ward. That the goverment deliberately bombed the levies to get the poor out of the city. A prof of African-American Studies from UPenn said that in the early 1900s.. this actually did happen during another great flood. I know intellectually this didn’t happen this time around… but how to tell that to thousands of people who feel that the US government forgot them and betrayed them. And it’s just not a feeling… it’s a fact. Our country let them down when they needed help the most.
I visited New Orleans a few years ago for a work conference. I hope I can go back. It’s a wonderful city and it’s worth saving.
Categories: current events
So… I went to PF Changs with one of my friends last night for dinner. I ordered a Guiness.. it was probably my first beer in a little over a year. My friend ordered a Key Lime Martini. I took a taste of her drink. I drank most of my beer. I get up to leave. I feel a little weird. I drive home the whole way praying that I don’t get pulled over because wouldn’t it just be bad news if I did? I don’t think I was at the legal definition of drunk. But I could HAVE been. I just felt not like me. I didn’t feel steady.
Life lesson #243: don’t drive. even when having only 3/4 of one beer. ever.
Categories: Uncategorized
The good guys won in Detroit… 7-5. The game just ended. We are 1/2 game up on Minnesota for the Wild Card.
Ok… now I’m going back to finish watching Law & Order and my Suduko puzzle.. which, are both mildly addicting.
Categories: baseball
So, I was sitting and riding the train to work today… and this thought just hit me: I’m not married. Almost all of my friends are married. Or are dating someone. I know… I have a thing for stating the obvious. It’s just that… that thought made me really sad this morning and I’ve been sad all day because of it. I happened to see someone on the train I knew…but I quickly said “hi” to him and got away as quickly as I could.. basically because if I stopped to talk… I would have burst into tears.
Sorry this post is such a downer.
Oh.. the Sox lost again last night.
Categories: Uncategorized
So… what happens in the life of Les in an average day… not very much. Today was pretty typical except for the stop at the dentist’s office this morning. I got to work around 11am this morning and didn’t really leave my desk all day except to go to the printer and the bathroom… definitely looking forward to August being over and the students starting school… things seem to die down a little bit after Labor Day.
Other tidbits…
1. Sox aren’t looking so hot. Still… I would rather be a Sox fan (or either Red or White variety) than a Yankee fan. They definitely know how to take the fun out of winning.
2. Saw a few movies over the weekend… First, “V for Vendetta”… totally didn’t expect to like this movie… the theme intrigued me… but it wasn’t anything what I thought. For some reason I thought it would be more violent… I guess the blowing up of Parliment isn’t violent enough for me. The second movie I watched was “North Country”… typical woman sees something that isn’t right…she reports it… nothing happens.. there is a big court trial…she wins… she drives off into the sunset all happy.. Actually, it wasn’t bad…it was fairly predictable… but I cried at some of the stuff that happened to the main character. On Sunday afternoon, I went to see “Little Miss Sunshine” and laughed so hard I cried. It was hilarious and touching… very fun movie.
Ok..that’s it. Enjoy your Tuesday.
Categories: randomness
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of it and the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that “cool” or “intellectual” book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
The total effect was dramatic. By 2000, more than two million people were in prison, roughly four times the number as of 1972. Fully half of that increase took place during the 1990s. The evidence linking increased punishment with lower crime rates is very strong.
from: “Freakonomics” by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
In other news… the White Sox swept the Tigers… that’s very good news.
Enjoy your day.
Categories: randomness
To all who care… The White Sox are winning over Detroit in the 7th Inning. It might be a sweep..but anything can change.
Other thoughts…
1. I was noticing the painters at work the other day… and I thought.. why do all painters wear white? I feel like it is sorta counterintuitive.
2. For the first time in a long time… I’m not so worried about boys… I still want to get married more than breathing…but I guess I’ve stopped picking out china patterns.
3. Heard a semi-funny joke the other day… So, an elderly couple was at church… the woman goes to the man… “I just had a silent fart..what do I do?” The husband leans over to his wife and says.. “Dear.. you must change your battery in your hearing aid.” OK… maybe it wasn’t that funny…
4. Still debating whether I want to see “World Trade Center.” I’m not so sure. I keep going back and forth.
5. To my Australian friends… yes, the World Series does not include teams from other countries… maybe it should.
That’s about it for now… you know it’s a good day when the only thing I have to do is sit down and read the Sunday paper.
Categories: randomness
White Sox 6 Yankees 5… I went to bed after Neal Cotts hits a guy with the bases loaded. That nice little play walked in a run to give the Yankees the lead. So… I turned off the TV and said “yep.. they are doomed”… Checked the score this morning… they won??!!!?? It’s so hard being a White Sox fan. Even after winning the World Series… I still think we are chumps most of the time.
Categories: baseball
In the classified ads at the hospital:
“For Sale: Complete human skeleton, mature young adult, perfect condition, imported from India 1968.”
He forgot to add that it would make a PERFECT conversation piece for the living room.
Categories: Uncategorized
Ok…Sorry I didn’t post about my experience at Camden Yards. On Saturday, July 29th, my friend Sharron and I braved the 97 degree heat and went to Baltimore to partake in a little baseball.
Ok… I love Baltimore. Love the town (well… the Inner Harbor… the rest of the city.. that’s another story). We got to Baltimore around 1ish in the afternoon. Before the game, we ate Phillips Crabcakes and I shopped. For anyone who cares… I bought a necklace.
OK.. the game. It was hot. hot. hot. hot. Our tickets were amazing. But then, I pay lots of money to have amazing seats. Thankfully, I was on the Club Level.. so this means that instead of an open concourse… the concourse is enclosed, with air conditioning. The concourse also has sofas, tables & chairs, and big plasma screen TVs so you can sit and watch the action inside. After about the 4th inning..we went inside for food and then tried to cool off because we were in the direct line of the sun.
The game itself: The White Sox won.. but it was a horrible win. I cannot understand how the pitching staff..which was AMAZING last year… has gotten so bad this year. Everything they threw… the O’s hit. The O’s loaded the bases twice in consecutive innings. We won..but as I said… it was all luck… no skill involved in this win.
So… that was my day.
And yea, I ruined my favorite white t-shirt that day.
All in all… a good day…with some minor complaints.
Categories: baseball
