Niles, Michigan Main Street Bridge

A couple months ago, the Main Street Bridge in Niles, Michigan was closed for demolition and replacement. The project is expected to take a year. I took the opportunity on Oct. 5th and took pictures of the bridge. I came back later on Nov. 30th to shoot a couple updates.

From what I heard and understand, the bridge isn't in any immediate danger however it has deteriorated to the point that any attempt to repair the bridge would not be as economical as tearing it down and building a new one.

This is the second bridge. Its replacement, from what I understand, is going to be modeled on the original, first, bridge. Given the town's drive to restoring its turn of the century architecture, I am hopeful that the new bridge will fit right in.

Screw the McGangbang, I'll take the Meat Mountain

While browsing through Facebook, I saw that my friend, Brian, posted that Arby's was coming out with a sandwich called the Meat Mountain. At first glance it reminded me of an Onion article that claimed that Arby's had an all-you-can-grab promotion. For a set price, you could grab all the roast beef you can. It's one of those ideas where it is too ridiculous to be true but would be awesome if it was. All I can grab roast beef for $2.99? I'd be at Arby's every single day. The actual article seemed to be true. It was coming from the Washington Post and not the Onion so that that was a plus. I then checked on Twitter to see if anyone had gotten the sandwich. Most tweets about the Meat Mountain were just links to the article or reactions. I found two. That was proof enough for me.

After work I went to Arby's in Niles and asked the lady at the counter if I could have the Meat Mountain and she didn't know about it. So I pulled out my phone and showed her the article. She found it amusing and took my phone to the back and got the manager. They both came back and apparently the manager had only recently found out about it as she had some paperwork with her. I was the first person to ask for it and the manager had to modify the register and give the people in the back the instructions on how to make the sandwich which is bacon, roast beef, angus steak, brisket, corned beef, ham, turkey, chicken tenders, cheddar, and swiss.

Being the first there, and one of the first in the country, I had to share this. So I took a couple of pictures and shared them on Facebook and Twitter before I tucked in.

If you are wondering if I was able to eat all of that in one sitting, the answer is no. Not that I didn't want to or couldn't but I was pressed for time as I had to make a drive to Mishawaka to make the 7 o'clock showing of the Doctor Who at Movies 14.

After posting that picture on social media, I was getting notifications though the show and into the night about people liking it, commenting on it, or retweeting it. It was great. I have never posted anything that reached that size of an audience. It was also sad, as I didn't want my claim to fame to be a ridiculously huge sandwich but you know, gotta go with the flow. Early the next morning, woke up to a twitter notification from a guy asking if a TV station out in LA could use my tweet on a news segment that they were going to show.  That was pretty cool that a picture I took was now going to be viewed by thousands more so I said that it was OK.

For $10, I'm not sure I would get one again. The idea of taking one on, and being one of the first to do so, was more appealing than the actual taste. I only have two complaints and none of them are the fault of Arby's.  1.) My hatred of ham.  2.) My dislike of cold meats mixed with warm meats.  But...if any of my friends want to tackle one, I'd be more than happy to come with them and do it again.

Atheist Ass

I had two interesting encounters with Christians at the fair last week. While walking by the various commercial booths, I came across one that had a display with three doors that you could open. The claim was that behind those doors you could see three things that God cannot do. I forget what all the third one said but the other two said that God can not change and that God can not lie. I laughed as I don't believe those statements.  The guy saw me laugh and asked, "do you believe you will go to heaven?"

I knew where he was going with that question and it pushed my button. I said, "no." I could tell that he was taken aback by what I said but after a he collected himself, he said, "would you like to know how."  I said, "No, but thanks," and walked away. I have a low tolerance for people who make judgement on who can go to heaven and believe they know what criteria is needed to be met to get there.  I wasn't about to have a conversation with a fundamentalist because I already know that I do not meet his requirements. I will not go to his heaven.

A while later I came across another Christian booth. They had a display that had Bible trivia on it with true or false choices. You would choose with a stylus that would activate a green or red light depending if the choice was correct. I went through the questions and got most of it right.  (Did you know that there was a female Noah?).  The guy was not pushy and the environment was more inviting.  He was pretty cool and he even gave me a book after I completed the trivia board.

Later on after I had left the fair, I was thinking on the interactions I had between the two men and why I had reactions that were quite different even though they represent the same faith and my thought was this: the first guy was telling me what I should know and the second was inviting me to know more.  It occurred to me that how I view Christians--is shaped by similar attitudes. Of course it's a lot easier to get along with someone that doesn't condemn you to hell than someone who does.

Galien River Park

It has been a stressful couple of weeks at work and I wanted to get away. I thought that I would check out the Galien River Park near New Buffalo. I had read earlier in the year that a canopy walkway was built and was supposed to provide a great view.

Renting a kayak seems like a really great idea!

It's not a very big park and you can cover over all of it in less than an hour but I think it would be nice to come to and see it as the seasons change.  Construction is still going on to make it more wheelchair accessible. The trails are there but it looks like they are going to put in more wooden planks.

Day Trip to Chicago for the Pride Parade

Today I got up early and drove to Michigan City to catch the South Shore train to Chicago. This was a day trip to see the Pride Parade. I would have liked to have been there for more but I am short on money and I wanted to keep it as cheap as possible. I swear that train picked up every queer person from South Bend to Chicago. It was a crowded, loud, but exciting trip. A rainbow, hooting and hollering, came out of that train at Millennium Station.

I met up with my friend, Kevin, and his boyfriend, William. After getting my transit card, we rode the L to North Avenue Beach.  The plan was to fly a pirate kite. Kevin also tried to talk me into jumping into the lake with him. Lake Michigan in June? Lol, I don't think so. I knew that water was too cold and judging by how quickly Kevin and William went in and came back out, I was found out that I was right.

We didn't have much time at the beach and we had to make our way quickly to the parade route. I whipped out my phone and had google give me transit directions. First time ever used it and it worked... up until the driver announced that the route was being detoured. I don't know Chicago so I couldn't keep up with the alternative route information that he was giving out. Fortunately William got the driver to drop us off at a good place that we could walk from to get to the parade route. Much thanks to the unknown CTA bus driver.

After a bit of a walk we got to where we needed to be and met up with two friends of William's. We were now all set to watch the parade:

The political nerd inside of me was happy to get a chance to see Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and Gov. Quinn. Not that I like them personally.  It's just neat to be close to people who wield power and are known nationally. Indeed, sometimes it felt like a Democrat Party parade but you know... I get why that is.  I don't see the Republicans ever getting the trust of gays as a bloc and for good reason.

This parade went far longer than I ever guessed.  Three hours maybe?  I hadn't eaten at all that day and I just had some water so by the end of it, I was dying to get some food and drink in me. We went to a sushi restaurant. It wouldn't have been my first choice except that it wasn't crowded so ding ding ding, we had a winner.  Lunch/Dinner was good.  I had a terriyaki beef bento box. Way too expensive but I wanted a sample of everything,

We left William's friend's and boarded the L back to the loop to catch the blue line to Logan Square where they lived but as we were making the loop, I noticed that I would have caught the 6:22 back to Michigan City if I got off.  Otherwise I'd have to go all the way to Logan Square and come back to catch the next train at 9:15.  I didn't feel like it was worth it so I quickly made a decision to say my thanks and goodbyes and got off at the Randolf stop.

I had some good eye candy on my way back home. Apparently this short guy with dark hair and a bit of scruff on his face had marched in the parade.  I think he was a Sears worker. Pity he seemed to be attached to a taller guy but I stole some glances every chance I got.  There was also this one...MTF?  Anyways, she reminded me of Xerxes from the movie 300.  The facial structure was there and so was the excessive amounts of jewelry.  The difference was that Xerxes in the movie was balled.  She had a tight bun on the top.  Then there was this crass girl who kept talking about her vagina and her "seven thousand dollar boobies."  The conductor had to shut her up a couple times.

It was a good day. I think I shall try to do more next year.

Red, White, and Blue Moon

Stacey, her son, and I went to Three Oaks. They had some events for Flag Day. While there, this little guy got his first taste of Blue Moon ice cream. One of the best things about living in the Midwest!

Make It Short and Simple

I've been dealing with a huge headache for most of the day so I wasn't probably in the most patient of moods.

I thought that I would check out the Belmont Stakes coverage on NBC. There has been some buzz on my social feeds about the possibility of a horse named California Chrome to win the Triple Crown. I probably should have consulted the internet for the exact race time instead of using the program guide. I wouldn't have had do deal with extensive coverage for a race that lasts two minutes.

Later on I was checking out my rewards program that comes with my credit card.  I've got about 20,000 "miles."  I don't know why Capital One bothers with the word.  Miles do not meet miles. Instead, they are connected to the dollar cost of travel. When I checked it out, a "mile" was more like a "penny." Perhaps Capital One should change their rewards miles to rewards pennies.

Charlie in Charge

My parents are currently on vacation in Florida. I've been house-sitting and taking care of their dog, Charlie, while they have been away. It's been pretty boring. Their internet is slow, YouTube barely works. For entertainment, I've been watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture through Start Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country on bluray with the commentaries on. I've also been playing with Charlie as much as his attention span allows me.

Let me tell you, this dog can be a royal pain in the butt. He has been good about doing his business in the morning and evening so I decided to trust him and let him out on his own and watch him from the house. It was going so well until last night when he spotted a rabbit and off he went.  That meant I had to go after him. Unfortunately, I was only wearing boxers and a shirt at the time. Hopefully none of my neighbors were up and looking out their windows as I chased him around their yards.

Charlie isn't well traveled. Aside from the family farm in Benton Harbor where he was born and the vet's office, he's only been here at home. He gets excited easily and my Mom hasn't trained him to heel. She's afraid of him pulling away from her.  I decided that I would take Charlie out to the Riverfront Park. I figured that he might like to go up to the river and see the ducks and he did.  While I was there, I tried breaking him of the habit of trying to lead. I can only imagine what the other people at the park were thinking when they would see me constantly changing my walking direction every time Charlie tried to pull forward. Charlie has gotten better. He's not quite there yet but I still have a couple days with him.

If the weather holds tomorrow, I am thinking of taking him to Warren Dunes. It'll be a new experience for him to walk on a sandy beach. Maybe he'll be bold enough to test out the waters.

Behind the Wall to Death

I remember stepping back in fear.  Nanay (my Grandmother) wailed as my dead mother was carried up and out of the house where she had been kept for some time before the funeral.  She was my mother but I felt little of what Nanay was belting out.  She would have her daughter stay in that house for one moment more if she could but it was time.  A crowd had formed outside the house and we slowly followed my mother’s coffin as it was transported to the Catholic Church.  I remember walking near my grandfather and, in one of the few fond memories I have of him, I could feel some commiseration with him as we both mourned.  He for his daughter.  Me for my mother.  I held in my emotions though.

I only cried for my mother once-when my father came into my hospital room.  I was in the bed waiting to be transported to the hospital at Clark.  He came to my left side and told me she had died.  He removed his glasses, put his head down, and began to weep.  My mom was gone and my dad, who had been a statue of a man was now breaking before me.  With a few tears of my own, all I could do—all I felt I could possibly do--was to put my hand on his head.

Now we were in the church.  My relatives were all up there next to coffin as the priest did something with smoke and water.  I looked at all of them.  Aside from my cousin, Jessica, who only looked back at me, I was angry at all of them.  I loved them, but I was so angry as well.

You see my mother was kept at my grandparent’s house.  My dad wanted her cremated but my grandmother wouldn’t have it.  He relented to a Catholic ceremony and burial.  I think that in his Protestant way, his memories of my mother were all he needed and to insist on cremation would not help his position,  only hurt her family’s.  So she lay in her coffin—for how long I can remember—days at least.  People would come by and look.  They would offer their condolences.  I dreaded it.

What made me angry was when they brought God into it.  They all did.  Inevitably I would get an “It’s God’s plan,” or “Your mother’s in heaven and watching over you.”  It’s not that I hated God.  Actually, I took comfort in my religious beliefs back then but I never made the leap to claim to know that God did this or to know that my mother was in heaven.  How could they possibly even claim to know any of that was true when her own son didn’t?  I knew they didn’t know but I felt that I couldn’t call them out on it because I understood that what was being said did come from a sympathetic heart.  I just wish they could have seen that it wasn’t bringing me comfort.  It actually brought me even more pain.

My cousin, Jessica, was the only one that I remember not being angry with.  She made no claims to make me feel better.  It was her eyes which conveyed sympathy.  For my father, it was my hand.  They are expressions that convey more than words ever can.  I am awkward when it comes to offering my sympathies to others who have lost loved ones.  I have no doubt that I always will.  So please know that if we should ever meet, know that behind my few short words, a touch, or even a hug, my heart does go out to you.  We are all on this road of hurt together and I want to be there when you start moving again.

Reject Easter Eggs

My friend Stacey and I dyed Easter eggs yesterday. I used to like doing it when I was a kid and I can't even remember when I did it last. Last year we spent Easter at my Aunt Julie's house and my three youngest cousins went looking for plastic eggs that had candy in it. I thought it would be nice to have real Easter eggs this year. I was wrong.  Here's what happened today:

They were not very enthused about the idea of real eggs and despite the initial instinct to just leave the eggs where they were, all were eventually found. I can't say if they were actually consumed, however.

I should be out drinking instead of writing.

Let's do some catch up shall we?

Late last month I was called up for jury duty.  Unlike many people, I was actually looking forward to serving.  I made it through voir dire and sat for a criminal case basically involving the possession of marijuana and felony possession of a hand gun.  I could write a whole long post about the case.  I have my notes about it in an email that I wrote out.  Maybe someday I will revisit.  Suffice to say that the trial ended in a dead lock.  Two out of jurors didn't believe that it was proven that the defendant knew about drugs and gun in the back of his car.  Personally, the evidence was clear that he was guilty.  It is frustrating how the same set of facts that we are exposed to can lead us to different conclusions.  Humans really are funny creatures.  Anyways, the prosecutor said that he would retry the case again.  I hope he gets a better jury next time.

Work has become more frustrating as they are cracking down on overtime.  I been regularly getting a few hours every week for the past few months due to my new position.  It demands a heavy workload at the beginning and end of my shifts  Anything left not done simply carries over to the next day and if I'm not on top of it, it just piles up.  I have tried to offload as much as I can but there is a limit to what I can do given the structure of operations.  My immediate supervisors know this and I think they sympathize but there really isn't much they can do either unless they want to hire a new person and or create a new position.  Lately I have been at my wits end and am beginning to get get cold-hearted about the situation.

After weeks of bitter cold, we've finally crossed back into above-freezing temps.  It has been so cold that the Great Lakes were nearly covered over in ice.  I took the following picture in which all I could see to the horizon was ice.

Click to enlarge.

I have been giving some thought to about unfriending Jon- a friend from facebook. He died last year and although I would like to maintain some kind of connection with his virtual memorial of sorts, I also think that facebook is really for the living.  It seems so odd that social connections are now going from dead people to dead people.  I'm not sure I am close to a decision yet.

Here's my facebook look back.  I don't think it was half bad.

You're not even close.

I was at my desk this morning clicking my way through my job when one of my coworkers, who is black, was talking to other people nearby that she's wearing the Confederate Flag.  My ears perked up at that.  A black woman in the north saying something like that is not an every day occurrence.  So looked over because I had to see this.  I saw that she was wearing what you see pictured and I immediately busted up laughing.  After I was done, I lamented over our obviously failing education system.

I have told this woman that she is my "project."  Lesson 1: Understanding the Union Flag of the United Kingdom.  So rest assured, that she now understands that this is not one of the flags of the Confederate States of America nor is it flag of the Union forces that the CSA was fighting against.  She also understands that it is the incorporation of three flags into one.  I decided to leave it at that because her head was about to explode from the rush of new knowledge.  A little bit at a time, people.

Lesson 2:  High-heeled boots are not the best footwear choice for working in a warehouse.

What You Do When It’s -20 Out -- STAY IN!

Late last week I noticed that the weather forecast was predicting a massive drop in temps.  In all the years that I’ve lived in southwest Michigan, days spent below zero is rare.  We were heading into double digits.  I didn’t make any preparations for this as I figured that this would end up like our last winter storm where everyone freaked out and in the end it wasn’t a big deal.  Well… that was a mistake.

Sunday night it was clear that things were going to be ugly when St. Joe/South Bend declared an emergency and placed travel restrictions  A little later on in the night, my coworkers on facebook were spreading the news that our employer was going to be shut down.  Yay!  Snow Day!  Yeah, so that was pretty cool but when you factor in the food issue, it wasn’t so great.

This is what my fridge looked like.  I had some frozen chicken fingers  and some non-perishables but it was going to be rough meals.  By then, I was pretty much snowed in and even if I could make it to a supermarket, I’m sure it would have been picked clean.  News reports of the milk, eggs, and bread run confirmed this.  (What is it about disasters that cause people to want to make French toast?)

Kraig offered to pick me up yesterday afternoon to do a run to Meijer.  He wanted to get food too.  Technically we were in an ordinance violation by going there but Kraig justified feeding his family as an emergency.  You really can’t argue that on face value.  Really, though, the road were passable and as long as you could get out to a main road, you were fine.  Actually as you can see... it was a nice sunny day.  Bone chilling cold but sunny.

The travel restriction were due to expire on Tuesday noon, so I think that may have been a good reason why us employees were allowed another day off.  There is a warning though that we may be working extended shifts and maybe even Saturday.  Despite that, I am definitely glad to have an extended weekend off.  With the exception of the run to the store, I have been able to do nothing but sit around all day, watch some netflix, and clean just an itty bit.  What I am not looking forward to is digging out my car tomorrow morning and the possibility of it not starting. Cross your fingers.

Last Minute Shopping & Wrapping

It has been a somewhat stressful morning as I have been running around looking for gifts at the last minute. I needed to get my mom a couple more things. I went to Target to see if they had any Bazinga shirts since my dad has recently become a big Big Bang Theory fan. I also had to find something for my brother in law whose likes and tastes are I am totally clueless on.

I never would have thought it but Barnes & Noble turned out to be the best place to get stuff.  I would have liked to got more but I was already past budget and Sailor Moon and Dragonball Z action figures were just a bit too expensive.  I'll definitely keep that place in mind for next year.

I'm not much of a wrapper but I don't think that I did so bad this year, even with the fancy ribbon. Still, all that you see here took me about an hour and a half.  Lots of paper and tape were sacrificed.  So much effort to be undone in seconds.  Now they are all done and are set to go.  I am somewhat excited for tomorrow.  I miss my younger self that couldn't even sleep on Christmas Eve.  That kid would probably shake his head if he knew that I am planning to sleep in.  I'll head to Mom and Dad's around 10 AM.

Christmas Drive

Kevin and I went driving around looking for Christmas decorations last night.  It seemed, to us, that the number of people decorating their houses seem to be dwindling.  Sill we found some decent homes.

Saturday With the Brothers

I spent yesterday with Kraig and his brother Kevin--but separately.

Kraig is my main movie buddy and we saw The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug.  Although I found the movie interesting, it did leave me unsatisfied.  It didn't feel like it had a beginning (because that was shown last year) or an end (because that will be shown next year). That sound like a statement to roll your eyes but the second film of the LOTR trilogy didn't feel that way.  The cliffhangers for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers were felt like great ending while still making me look forward the next installment.

After the movie and I was leaving the park, I got a call from Kraig.  Turned out that his truck wouldn't start. His truck died from leaving on the headlights. I didn't think that a couple hours would be enough to drain a battery but what do I know?  While waiting for the jump, I got a call from his brother Kevin. He was wondering if I wanted to hang out and that he was on his way to my apartment.  I had to tell him that I was preoccupied at the time but that I was open to meeting up later that night.

Fast forward to the evening and he picked me up to go to a local bar that was putting on a drag show.  There wasn't anything really remarkable about the show itself but I did have fun running into some coworkers.  But damn, after a couple drinks and tips to the servers and performers, I was broke way faster than I thought.

I have the flag tattooed to my forehead.

I was a kid living in the Philippines. My white American father met my mother here in San Fernando during his first assignment.  This particular story occurs during his second assignment there.  Most of the time I was out in town, I either with my mother, grandmother, or aunt.  I have very few memories of my father being with me in town.

One day--it had to have been shortly before his assignment was up--he took me into town to get some errands done.  He parked the car and I grabbed a pin.  I want to say that the pin was of an American flag.  More likely, I think it was off one of my dad's uniforms.  The point is that whatever it depicted, it drew attention to the fact that I was an American.  He told me that it was not safe to wear and that I would have to leave it.

At the time I complied.  I had heard some hazy conversations about some threats.  Something do with a service member getting stabbed and attacked.  Whether that was actually true, I don't know--it was just something I had gone with at the time.  Yet the fact that I couldn't wear this pin because it would identify me as an American and make me a target was laughable.

I was well known in that town.  Even with an American military installation, American kids running around was plenty odd.  In fact, I don't ever recall seeing another American kid there.  Clark, sure.  Wallace, no.  Plus there was this really tall white guy right accompanying me.  I think that any bandit or communist rebel would have me pegged straight out.

I knew that I was different but it dawned on me then that being known as an American could be dangerous.  When we left, it was made even more clear as we had to take a helicopter to Clark which was locked down.  My dad had to get special permission to leave the base, get to Manila, and fly back to America.

Let me say though, that I feel very comfortable in San Fernando.  It doesn't take long for the locals to figure out I'm an American.  It doesn't bother me... there. There are other places though that give me pause about visiting and that kind of depresses me.

I don't want to go into space anymore.

...Okay, really, I still do.

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure to watch Gravity.  I found myself on the edge of my seat for most of the movie as it was so intense.  It was visually stimulating and a real emotional driver, especially at the end of it. Even if it does seem like another simple survival story punctured with factual errors, I join the ever growing chorus of netizens  and recommend you see this movie.

***SPOILER ALERT***

There are essentially two characters in this movie: astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney).  Disaster strikes when their space shuttle is destroyed, contact with Houston is cut off, and they must find a way to get back home.

It's a very intense movie. Within the first few minutes we see the shuttle destroyed. Ryan is flung off into space. (If it was me, I'd have already lost all hope and resigned myself to death.) You might have wondered if we were about to watch 80 more minutes of her tumbling out into space.  No, but you will see her face the grim situation as she locates her dead crew members. This movie doesn't let you catch your breath for long for the mission to get home by any means possible starts right up.With the shuttle destroyed, an attempt is made to get to the International Space Station.  That's a scary proposition in any event, much less with a jet pack and another person in tow.  The two astronauts do make it to the ISS but their momentum is so fast that they can't manage to grab and latch onto the station. The two are just about to have blown their chance when Stone's foot gets tangled in some lines.  Kowalski is at the other end of their tether and decides to sacrifice himself to prevent Stone's tenuous connection to the ISS from breaking and dooming them both.  Without Kowalski, Stone is now on her own to try an make it back to Earth.  Unfortunately the ISS's Soyuz capsule can't get her to Earth but it could get her to the Chinese station, Tiangong, and its Shenzhou capsule.  So the rest of the movie is seeing her taking on this seemingly insurmountable challenge for if she can get into that Shenzhou capsule, she'll be able to get down to Earth.

Visually speaking, the movie is spectacular. I purposefully sat up closer in the theater than I do usually because I knew shots of Earth were going to be jaw dropping. It wasn't just that but the long interior shots of the space stations and capsules give you perspective that still photography just doesn't. So when you go see it, see it up close and in 3D. 

What I liked about this movie was that it touches you on a most basic emotional level.  It reminded me a lot of Alfonso Cuarón's previous work, Children of Men. Ryan's child died and as a result she has also died in a sense. She is a shell of a woman performing her duties and letting the rest of the world go by.  As she tries to survive though, we see her come back to life. Death is absolute and scary but Kowalksi embraced it for the small chance of saving the life of another. I think that his act, and Stone's final appreciation for life generally as well as her own, should all make us want to enjoy and make the most of our own for however long that may be. The best part of the movie is where she has made a decision that will lead to one of two things: survival or death.  Whichever consequence she encounters she is at peace and as an audience member, I was actually at peace as well. In that moment, she did the best she could and no matter what happened, you can respect and be inspired by what she had done.

Initially, I wasn't interested in seeing this as I thought would be another survival tale and that there wasn't possibly enough plot to keep me interested. Word of mouth, though, was strongly positive and I thought I'd give it go. I am definitely glad I did.  

When it comes to sci-fi, I always like to nit-pick and this movie did not escape notice.  First I was annoyed by the fact that they were in a shuttle (which have been retired) working on the Hubble telescope which is nearing the end of its service life.  Also, there was the suggestion that Hubble orbits at the same altitude of the ISS or that communications satellites were even lower orbits when in actuality it is the ISS in lower orbit with Hubble in a higher orbit, and communications satellites in a even higher orbit.  I think I scoffed too loudly when I heard that Stone was a medical doctor and that she was up there with only 6 months of training.  When the debris hit, I knew it was wrong for it to becoming in like stampede.  Later on when Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted about the actually science inaccuracies I learned a few additional ones like the direction of the debris was coming at the wrong direction during the ISS scene.  But hell, I was more stoked that I had the same observations as Tyson.  I feel more intelligent as a result.

Anyways this has been long enough.  Go see Gravity.

Phew!

Just before leaving for work, I got a text message from one of my coworkers.  Getting messages from him is unusual so I went ahead and opened it and he was asking me if I was at home and if I lived in a certain area.  I figured something was up immediately.  Who opens a conversation with something other than, "sup?"  I figured that there was an apartment fire at my complex but the details were sketchy. I started shutting down my work station and I got another text message from my friend Season, then a call from my sister, then another text from my friend Erin.

I was able to make it home and I found out that it was a building across the street from me that caught on fire.  I joined the crowd for a bit.  You can't see the building here because of its position and the smoke... and my camera sucks but if you were there, you had a pretty good view of what was going on.

From what I've gathered, someone was cooking dinner and a grease fire started and spread.  The entire building went up affecting some 35 residents.  Firefighters from here and the surrounding communities all showed up, shutting down the main road going by.

I'm not sure how my complex is going to react yet.  I'm not expecting my rent to stay the same when my lease is up for renewal though.

We Saw More Than Rides

I met up with my sister at the Berrien County Youth Fair.  She brought along her friend, Mike.  They both work together and they were--or perhaps still are--going on a tour of county fairs.  We walked around for a short while looking at arts and crafts and we also went on the midway.

I loved this "ride" when I was a kid.  It only helps facilitate what kids to best--run around and climb on things. It's a simple course but when you are five or six, it's awesome.  ...Well, I don't know if that holds true for today's youth.

I've never seen this one before.  I wonder if they paid a Kraft a fee for this?

I'm betting CBS and/or Paramount weren't paid a fee for this one.

Kris and Mike had to leave to make it back to Ann Arbor but I was meeting up with Stacey and her son, Logan.  We went to the animal barns and Logan was allowed into one of the sheep pens.  For a something-month old, new to walking, he wanted to go up to these animal all on his own and touch them.  It was cute--at least until the point where his fingers get bitten off by a pissed off pig or something.  Fortunately, that didn't happen.

Finally--The Dig.

See also: “The Redcoats are Back!” & “Seeing People Fight Spaniards, Cancer, and Comic Book Villains All in One Day.”

While I’ve been to the Fort St. Joseph open house before, I have never been to the actual site. They would have plenty of stuff to do in the public park area but the actual site was further up the river a bit. The last time I was there, they wanted a donation. It was a suggested donation but I didn’t have any money and I didn’t want to embarrass myself and go in without offering anything. This year, I came prepared.

Here is the entrance to the site which is only a few hundred feed up from the dam.  The fort used to be lost to history until a few years ago when the site was found at the old dump near the paper mill.  There are no recognizable structures and what is left, you'd probably need an expert eye.

Students from Western Michigan University were stationed around to give visitors information as to what they were looking at.  Again, notice just how close this structure is to the river.  The toxicity of the dump and the presence of the river are two big constraints on the scope of this site.

It was all very fascinating and I wish I had devoted more time and taken advantage of what was offered.  I'd go again.  Unfortunately, if I heard right, the professor in charge of this project is going on sabbatical and the open house wont happen next year.  Again--if I heard right.  I'm not certain of that.

Missed the Elephant Ear Again!

I met up with my friend Stacey and her son, Logan, to attend the Riverfest in Niles.  I haven't had one in years and Stacey has wanted one since Independence Day when she missed her opportunity.  She ended up getting something called a walking taco.  I got a Philly steak sandwich.  *Shrugs shoulders* Next opportunity: the BCYF.


The three of us went down to the banks of the St. Joseph and two dragon boats race while we ate lunch. I was glad to see Logan was interested in the boats. You can even hear him say bye as the racers went by.

Upriver we saw the rafts that were going to be participating in the Anything that Floats race.  A couple years ago, I saw one that looked like the Mystery Machine from the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You cartoon. This year, I see one team has got the Flintstone's car.

If I Was on the Jury

I’ve been following the trial of George Zimmerman over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin with some interest ever since the news first broke over a year ago. The subjects of racial profiling, concealed carry, and the stand-your-ground law, all thrown together made for an interesting story.

Shortly after the shooting and while Zimmerman had yet to be arrested, there was growing outcry by the Martin family and their supporters to hold Zimmerman responsible for Martin’s death. While I could certainly see and believe a story that Zimmerman would have been overzealous in his pursuit of Martin because of racial prejudice, I had more difficulty believing that that was sufficient reason to shoot Martin dead. Follow? Yes. Confront? Okay, sure. Shoot? No.

George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin

So I had to boil it down to a self-defense issue. Who was the aggressor here? If it was Zimmerman that came barging on Martin and being a little more than threatening, then Martin had a right to self-defense. I mean, I’d be pretty fearful for my life if a man was coming at me in the middle of the night in aggressive manner. If it was as Zimmerman said, Martin attacking him, well then stand-your-ground would seem to be on his side.

It was argued that Zimmerman was the aggressor because he had followed Martin, ignoring a dispatcher’s suggestion* that he remain where he was. Well, that is not illegal. Even Zimmerman confronting Martin as he said he did, was not illegal. So that gets us to the fight.

The fight lasted at least 45 seconds as recorded by a phone recording from the time screaming began to when the shot occurred. Who was the aggressor was not clearly established based on the eye witnesses who were uncertain and whose conclusions were differing. Forensic evidence established that Martin was on top of Zimmerman when he was shot. This is in line with Zimmerman’s story claiming that he was in fear for his life and had no way to retreat even if he wanted to. (45 seconds of fighting, lying on the ground, being beaten by Trayvon who was on top.) So with this evidence, it suggests that at the point of the shooting, it was Martin who was aggressing and it was Zimmerman that was defending.

Originally, Zimmerman was charged with 2nd Degree Murder which in Florida law is when Zimmerman did not plan to kill Martin but acted with malice, ill-will, a “depraved mind,” or regard for human life. Interestingly, the law requires that this be in commission of a felony which to my understanding, Zimmerman was not committing. The prosecutors, in their case, could not establish—beyond a reasonable doubt—that Zimmerman was guilty of any of that. Most news and legal analysts openly acknowledged that. Even the prosecution knew that so they hoped that they could get him at the last minute by adding a manslaughter charge that the jury could consider if they couldn’t find him guilty of the 2nd Degree Murder charge.

Even with the manslaughter charge, I’m not sure they could have found him guilty of that either. Remember, the burden of proof—beyond a reasonable doubt is the same for manslaughter. I think we can safely say that this case is not a voluntary manslaughter otherwise the “intent” would have transferred also to a 1st Degree Murder charge. So that leaves us with involuntary manslaughter. Was it a constructive manslaughter? No again, Zimmerman did not kill Martin in the commission of a crime. Was it criminally negligent manslaughter? I think that this is the more probable but it would require proof of a high degree of recklessness. We can’t say for certain that Zimmerman’s confrontation met that kind of recklessness so again—we can’t meet the burden of proof.

If I was on the jury, I think I would have come to the same conclusions. The state could not prove its case and there is a good degree of doubt. The defense that Zimmerman defended himself is reasonable based on the evidence. That said, I don’t believe that Zimmerman is completely innocent here. I do believe that he escalated the situation unnecessarily at the point where he got out of his truck to follow Martin. He set in motion the events that led to an altercation between Martin and himself.


*Dispatcher in his own testimony said that it was not an order and that they do not give orders due to liability.

That Was a Dud

Right now, I should be up in St. Joe waiting for their fireworks to begin but I'm not.  I'm at home and it's not like I am entirely surprised.

Kevin called me up earlier today and asked if I would like to go see some fireworks tonight since he had the day off of work.  I was amenable as I had no plans for the day except to take care of a big pile of dishes that needed to be washed.  However, I chose not get my hopes up so to say.  I've learned from experience that planning things with friends is a lot easier said than done.

So I agreed to go and pick him up at 8PM and just as I'm driving down the road my apartment is on, I get a message from him that says that he was called in to work.  Swell.  So I drove on a bit more, bought a pop and went right back home.

I'm not even mad.  It's just that I spend most of my days either alone or with coworkers.  Being social with friends in almost any capacity is like a freakin' luxury so I'm a little disappointed when the opportunity for it is missed.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I went to a baseball game at the Cove this past Sunday.  It's been a few years since the last time I went with Erin.  The improvements to the facility since I saw it last have been remarkable.  It does not surprise me then when I hear that attendance has been up.

As always, click on the picture to enlarge.

If taller than 6', get an isle seat!

It was a double header this day.  After the first game ended, there was an intermission and the audience was invited out onto the field to catch marshmallows being thrown out of a helicopter.  It was for a chance to win prizes.  Unfortunately, not many people had patience or follow directions.

Moving On

It's been a rough week and I am so glad for it to be over.

Earlier this week, I got text messages from my friends Season and Sara within seconds of each other.  One of our classmates, Jon, had died.  The news was broken to our friendship group via the condolences left on his facebook page.  At the time, based on facebook posts, he hadn't been feeling well and went the hospital. They sent him home and he suffered with his illness for a few days even though they couldn't pin down what was wrong with him.  A roommate found him Monday in his bed.  Initial rumors was that it had something to do with his lungs.  Bronchitis and pneumonia were mentioned.  One of his relatives said yesterday that it was viral pneumonia.  

Any longtime reader will recognize Jon as someone who I have complained about in the past.  He creeped me out with his crush on me.  I wasn't very charitable when it came to his academic knowledge.  Death, tends to soften people's judgments.  There were things that I admired about Jon and that was his bravery and persistence.  He knew what he wanted and he took steps to make it happen.  The first time I saw him do drag, he was god awful but he kept with it. In the last show, he was still pretty bad but the improvement was very remarkable.  Like one facebook commenter said, his passion to perform were undoubted and respected.  He even pursued me with directness and bravado that I have no hope of emulating.  After throwing off the shackles of high school, he found himself and as far as I could see he was finally happy.  I wish more of us could say the same.

Sara and Jon

Jon was cremated.  No viewing was made available nor will a memorial service be given.  Our last meetings with him will have to be our comfort.  The picture here was the last at the last shows of his that I attended.  Next to him is our friend and classmate, Sara, with whom he had a special relationship.  I've stared at this dark, fuzzy, and crappy picture.  It's just one little moment in time we shared with him... and it was good.

*   *   *

Back: Me, C.W.; Front; K.P., C.G.

Yesterday, one of the company's supervisors was fired.  C.W. used to be my boss until I transferred out of her department.  Still I got to sit next to her in this foursome cubicle with K.P. and C.G.  It was a blast.  I eventually moved to another building.  K.P. and C.G. moved on to other, better, places.  

A few weeks ago C.W. had a complaint filed against her by one of her workers.  Something along the line of her being an unreasonable supervisor.  C.W. drove her workers hard but I never thought of her as being a bad person.  She just expected her workers to meet their productivity goals.  She was suspended and then fired a few days after she got back.

When I asked her why, she had told me that the reason that they gave her was that she wasn't leading people.  I suppose it takes them five years to realize this.  I suspect that it was office politics once again.

*   *   *

The band is breaking up!  For about two years, I've been working with pretty much the same crew.  I know them we work very well since we used to each others' work habits and eccentricities.  Major things are happening and requiring a shuffling of personnel.  A few of us will be leaving for another part of the campus and those that are staying are taking on additional duties.  It's fairly common here.  In the five years I've been here, I've worked in four departments, in three buildings, at eight desks.  It's actually been quite remarkable who stable it had been this past couple of years.  Now, I think we're making up for lost time.

I will be one of those people leaving although my departure has been delayed for a couple months, or so I hear.  I will be "promoted" to a more supervising position.  Except my "promotion" doesn't come with any real authority, any real title, or any additional money.  At least I can say it'll only make my resume look better.

Here, Lee V. is teaching these two ladies how to operate the postage machine.  As I said, the people left behind are taking on expanded roles.  I don't think that this craziness is going to settle down until the new year.  

Who's "we?"

So this lady I know was having a conversation with me and she lamented that "we" were soon going to be in the minority.  I was a little shocked that she was telling me this and I asked her, "who's 'we?'"  She pinched her skin, "you know, white people."

...I'm not white.

Sometimes I just have to wonder what it is about me that makes people think I am white.  She isn't the only one.  My friend Sara once said that she thinks of me as being white.  My dad has flat out told me I was white.  I suppose the answer came from one of my sister's professors who would probably label me an acculturated white.  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before and how offended I was.

I'm no superman.

This past week has been pretty darn stressful.  One of my coworkers left for another company location so I had to deal with her workload.  She and I do different thing when it comes to the inventory system but I used to cover her years back so I do have some experience in what she does.  The problem is that I haven't done what she does in years.  Considering how often procedures change around here, I think it is safe to say I was beyond just a "little rusty."  Fortunately with a little help, I have muddled through the week... or so I thought.

I've been notified that I will be transferring across campus.  New business is coming in and the workload for the existing crew there is going to increase.  In a way I've sort of been promoted.  You know, more responsibility without the title.  There may be a nickle or two thrown at me in terms of a pay raise but I'm not holding my breath.  The company already said they weren't giving out raises this year.  When I will finally make it over there, I don't know but I would guess by July when the new client comes online.  Wish me luck.