The Dolomite Monologues

Ow, ow, ow, ow

2009-06-05T11:25:00.001-04:00

I *hate* needles. So, what would be the most fun thing I could do? Survey says....Allergy Testing!

Yes, that's right, here's twenty small "scratches" we will do on your back. Ok, a "scratch" is something that grazes the skin, kind of mildly. What I had done was a friggin nail gun going machine gun into my back.

Ok, now we will wait 20 minutes to see what happens. If any of those start to itch, or burn, then we will know what you are allergic to. The more you react to now, the fewer intradermal tests we will have to do next.

Now, for those of you that aren't half-nurse, like I am, interadermal is a fancy word for shot. Thanks for letting me know about the possiblity if more fun shots, and, better yet, letting me stew about those for the next twenty minutes. Did the Marquis de Sade give you the day off today to work here?

Twenty minutes, no itching, no burning, no nothing. Jane, come in here, will you look at this? Gee, I've never seen that before, he didn't react to any of those.

Just my luck, I shoulda bought a lottery ticket.

Well, sorry about that, but now let's do twenty shots of more fun, this time with real needles. Let's pick somewhere fleshy, how bout the triceps of each arm? Great, 10 on the left, 10 on the right. And, when I do these, I have to inject a bit of allergen (translated = something nasty) under the skin. So these aren't nail guns like the ones on the back, these are full fledgers.

Ok, so that's 40 needles and the results..... One. Only one damn thing caused a reaction. Gee, good thing you didn't do these one at a time and then stop when you found it. That would have taken all the fun out of it.

So, I'm allergic to mold. In the air, on stuff, maybe even in foods. Here's some pills, there's some nasal spray. When do you want to come in for the next round of tests?

Gee, the 3rd of Never is good for me, but in lieu of that, how about after Thanksgiving. That way I can be thankful for not being another human pincushion for the next month or so.

(Originally posted on myspace, October 2005)

Happy New Year from Maddie

2009-01-01T19:49:00.004-05:00

Madilyn is wishing everyone a Happy 2009 from Tennessee. So it's another state for her to cross off her list as she celebrates her very first New Year's Day. And she's wearing a snazzy new outfit from Aunt Shelley.

Insert Tab A into Slot B...hey, wait a minute

2008-11-26T09:19:00.004-05:00

Zoo solves mystery of celibate polar bears (cnn.com)

Ok, I'm thinking that even those meddling kids from Scooby Doo wouldn't have taken three years to figure out this "mystery".

I'm thinking the Japanese zoo must have called in those experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Dave and George. You may remember them from such blog postings as "Where do you hide 125,000 gorillas?" Let's tune in for another exciting episode, shall we?

Dave: Wow, Japan. This is really exciting. Do you think we'll get to see Godzilla?

George: Um, sure. No, wait... I heard on the plane that he was going to be at Disney World for Thanksgiving this year.

Dave: Darn it, I come all this way... hey, quit pulling my chain, George. I'm smart enough to know that the there no Thanksgiving in Japan.

George: *rolling his eyes* Geez, you caught me.

Dave: So I wonder why these two polar bears haven't started getting it on. Maybe they need some atmosphere.

George: Atmosphere? Please, enlighten me.

Dave: You know... soft music, candles, a romantic dinner.

George: Um, why don't we start with something a little more basic. How about the old Noah's Ark test?

Dave: C'mon, do you really think they would have flown us all the way from New York if they hadn't already checked to make sure they have one boy bear and one girl bear?

George: Dude, I'm not going in there. Those are full grown polar bears. They could rip me apart and have me for dinner.

Dave: *under his breath* Well, I'm sure that'd be romantic for them.

George: And even if they are two girl bears, that's fine by me.

Dave: I'm going to go in there... Wait a second, what?!?

George: Hey, I'm hip with what's going on today. I've watched the L Word.

Dave: *stunned, with jaw open*

George: I mean really, if that aging rocker chick and her partner had a kid, these two hot young bears should be no problem. I'll go find an older, drunk, fading stud, you find the turkey baster.

Dave: I knew I should have waited until Sam came back from vacation.

George: Hurry up, I'm going to be hungry in a hour.

George: C'mon, I want to get this done so I can see Mothra as she comes out of her cocoon.

Dave: If you kill someone with a turkey baster in another country, and they are dumber than a rock, can you hear it?

Good Luck, Marauders!

2008-11-22T22:43:00.002-05:00

The Ovid-Elsie Marauders, which is my cousins' alma mater, destroyed the Standish-Sterling Panthers in prep football this weekend, 55-20. This means O-E will play, for the first time, in the state championships after Thanksgiving. They will play Muskegon Oakridge, the number one ranked team in Division 5, at Ford Field on Nov. 29th at 4:30 p.m. Link to the playoff tree.

Speeding Tickets

2008-11-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

The Detroit News has an interesting article about speeding ticket quotas, as well as an interactive map of each city/village/township in the tri-county area which shows yearly ticket numbers as well as lists speed traps.

Personality Type?

2008-11-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

The famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is shown as a four character shorthand notation for each of the personality types. I've taken several of these tests and the my results are almost always the same: ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging).

The website http://www.typealyzer.com lets you enter a website, say this blog, and then determines which type you are.

Based on the postings I have made to my blog, typealyzer decided to mark me as ESTP (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving).

Well, 2 out of 4 ain't bad. If you are the Detroit Lions, 50% would be a massive and unexpected upgrade. Even if you are a Detroit Tigers batter that isn't too shabby. But, as with all things on the web, your mileage may vary. :)

At the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month...

2008-11-11T11:11:00.003-05:00

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

For all veterans, including our cousin Viktor Scherbinksi (Find a Grave), a Russian by birth, Polish by ancestry, American by choice. With thanks for your service and sacrifice for your new country.

Madilyn at 9 months old

2008-10-30T10:56:00.000-04:00

Check me out - not only can I sit in my rocking chair, but I can read too!

Enjoy!

Lots of Love,
Madilyn @ 9 months old

Mary is cheering for the Tigers!

2008-10-29T11:25:00.002-04:00

Maddie is rockin' the pink beret!

2008-10-29T11:24:00.001-04:00

RIP Dolemite

2008-10-21T17:24:00.002-04:00

Comedic actor Rudy Ray Moore (1927-2008), best known to blaxploitation fans as kung fu pimp "Dolemite", died Sunday at an Akron nursing home from complications of diabetes, according to media reports. He was 81. (link)

Wikipedia links:

Mopar at the 2008 SEMA show

2008-10-15T16:50:00.005-04:00

Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop (link) 5.7L HEMI with Mopar cat-back dual exhaust and cold air intake kit, along with a six-speed manual transmission.
Dodge Challenger Targa (link) 540HP, 490 lb. ft. of torque, 392 HEMI V8 Mopar crate motor mated to a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox
Dodge Challenger SRT10 (link) the Viper's 8.4-liter all-aluminum V10 engine that pumps out 600 horsepower and 560 lb. ft. of torque. The 'halo' concept car features a new coat of vibrant Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber deck lid and a functional shaker hood inspired from the 1970s HEMI Cuda.
Super Challenger and Super Cuda (link) with up to 900HP
2009 Dodge Ram TRXtreme (link)
2009 Dodge Ram R/T (link)
2009 Dodge Ram Sportsman (link)
Aftermarket convertible available for Dodge Challenger (link)

Cousins' First Halloween, October 2008

2008-10-15T14:33:00.004-04:00

Mary the Bear

Madilyn the Ladybug

Mary the Banana and Madilyn the Ladybug.

Mary and her Little Lamb

2008-10-10T02:36:00.003-04:00

Legally, her name wouldn't be Mary if she didn't have her Little Lamb.

Top Ten rejected captions:

Mom, is it still there?
Creepy Sheep.
Two Words: Lamb Chops.
Somebody's Watching Me.
Dooby Dooby Do.
As soon as I can crawl, I'll wipe that smile off yer face.
Him? He's a cardigan in training.
I could have had a pony, but noooo.
Mmmm... veal.
I'm three months old, you are lucky I could count to nine!

Mary's 3 month photos

2008-10-10T02:23:00.003-04:00

And the only thing that can make a baby's picture even cuter is to have it in black & white or sepia tones.

Hee, if you or I stick out our tongue in a picture, we get yelled at. When a baby does it, everyone says "awwwwhhhh". :)

States I have visited = 22 + D.C

2008-10-06T14:52:00.002-04:00

Visited US States Map from TravelBlog

Windows Annoyances: Pivot Table formatting

2008-10-06T11:04:00.001-04:00

PivotTables provide a great way to analyze large amounts of data and pull out the summarizations that you need. Once you have the PivotTable displaying the values you need, you can then format the table to make the data presentable--for a while. You see, when you update the data on which the PivotTable is based, and then refresh the PivotTable, all your formatting work may go away.

The way around this is to follow these steps:

1. Make sure that your PivotTable displays the values you want.
2. Format the PivotTable in whatever way desired.
3. On the PivotTable toolbar, choose Table Options from the PivotTable menu. Excel displays the PivotTable Options dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Make sure the Preserve Formatting check box is selected.
5. Click OK.

Now, when you refresh the PivotTable, your previously applied formatting should remain on rows and columns previously in the PivotTable. If the refresh results in new rows being added to the PivotTable, then you will still need to format those.

From Allen Wyatt's Excel Tips

If you've ever had a crazy dog

2008-09-19T10:04:00.007-04:00

Then you will recognize this right away.

I'm not a big spider fan, so if I posted this, you know it's not about a Scary Spider.

http://www.vectorpark.com/etc/spider.html

It is not a game, it is just a WasteOfTime, which sometimes we all need.

I love the reaction of the animated dog. Be sure to move the spider around under the feet and hold the mouse button to make it jump. Not to mention the way it tracks the little guy's every move.

And it will definitely bring a smile to your face.

Just like Mur & Syd, and Comet, and Spence, and my childhood pet and friend, Taffy.

startwearingpurple.yahoo.com

2008-09-19T10:04:00.002-04:00

http://startwearingpurple.yahoo.com

I've always worn purple, and even had to pick up a few new ties.

Thanks, Kohl's Klearance!

Why the Economy Sucks

2008-09-18T12:15:00.007-04:00

...or more properly titled, two stories of how it got into the shape it is today.

That is, if you agree that a collapsing, sucking void is a shape. I haven't been in elementary school in a long time, so I am not current on all of the "new geometry". Circle, square, triangle...void. Hmm, now I'm not sure, I'll have to check out my nieces' toys.

"Commentary: How we got into this money mess" by Glenn Beck.

Glenn tells it like it is, and regardless of your political leanings, I think everyone can understand a story that includes a Tickle Me Elmo.

Personal favorite - the Elmo disclaimer.

"A layman's guide to sub prime mortgages" a stick figure google docs slideshow.

So easy, even a Junior Accounting Monkey can follow along!

Note - not that I have little kids reading my blog aloud, but there is some profanity involved in the text of the slideshow. But then, anyone who has ever worked in Accounting just takes that for granted. :)

Personal favorites - slide 29 and the conversation in slides 35 to 44.

All of which support MrDolomite's First Rule of Accounting, which he proclaimed back in the mid 1990's:

"Don't Dick with the Money"

Maddie Rocks!

2008-09-16T16:10:00.004-04:00

No, really, she's rocking in the chair. It's new to her, but old enough to have a story.

You'll have to check with Grammie for the official story, but if I listened to her correctly it was her chair when she was a little girl like me and it's was from her Grammie.

So here I am rocking in a chair from my Great-Great-Grammie D.

Lots of Love!
Madilyn

Mary turns 2 months old

2008-09-11T07:23:00.002-04:00

little smiles sitting on the couch

Mom's Caption - still sitting on the couch
My Caption - Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?

sticking her tongue out.

Big smiles since she's 2 months old now.

Maddie's 1st Coney

2008-09-07T22:48:00.003-04:00

Don't worry Grammie - it wasn't crawling, you didn't miss it...she is close, not quite there yet and I'm a little hesitant of the hard wood floors. She'll have to come practice at your house again real soon - let's us know when you want company)

But she did have her first experience in a high chair restaurant during our impromptu trip to Coney Island earlier today. So impromptu, I didn't have my handy high chair cover with us (it's now going in the car so we don't have this problem again) - not to worry, I used lots of wipes to clean everything first.

She did really good - she sat like a big girl. She was wanting to eat in her high chair, but we didn't think she was quite ready for a Coney Dog yet.

You murdered five people? Sure, you can leave prison

2008-08-29T11:25:00.003-04:00

Michigan driver who killed 5 Taylor University students in crash to leave prison

A suburban Detroit truck driver convicted in a 2006 crash that killed four Taylor University students and a staff member could be free soon, a newspaper says.
Robert F. Spencer of Wayne County's Canton Township is being released about a year after his sentencing on charges of reckless homicide and criminal recklessness, the News-Times of Hartford City reported.
A coroner misidentified one of the students killed -- Laura VanRyn, 22, of Caledonia, Mich. -- as one of the injured survivors, then-19-year-old Whitney Cerak, of Gaylord, Mich.
An official at Westville Correctional Facility could not confirm Thursday night whether Spencer was being released and said more information would be available Friday morning.
Investigators said Spencer had fallen asleep at the wheel after he had driven at least nine hours more than allowed under federal rules.
Spencer pleaded guilty last year and was given an eight-year prison sentence with four years suspended. (Detroit News link)

So the Cliff's Notes version of the story goes like this...

Violate a federal safety standard - check
Murder five people, injure several others, cause thousands of dollars worth of damage - check
Plead guilty to the crimes - check
Receive an eight year prison sentence - check
Take a one year, all expenses paid vacation, including meals, cable TV and probably a paying job too - check
Walk out of prison after about a year, returning to your life while five people are still dead and families throughout the MidWest have been shattered by your gross criminal negligence - sad, but true.

And people say there is nothing wrong with the American judicial system. Doh!

Maybe the Bible had it right after all

2008-08-26T12:35:00.003-04:00

While many items in the Bible, like any text, can be taken out of context or slanted to meet a particular point of view, here is an example where "an eye for an eye" could be appropriate.

A teen who pleaded guilty to two felony charges in connection with a mob attack in Mount Clemens in May that left one victim hospitalized with severe head injuries was sentenced this morning to 19 months in a youth prison.

...under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, a state law that allows [the currently convicted felon] to have no public criminal record if he succeeds at the youth prison for offenders ages 17 to 21.

[the judge] also ordered [the convicted felon] to earn his GED while in the youth home.

[The convicted felon] admitted last month to throwing a brick through a side passenger window of a passing vehicle on North River Road near the Gibraltar Trade Center on May 31.
A review date is set for March 2010 to determine whether [the convicted felon] will be released from the youth home.
Kauffman's wife, Angela Kauffman, cried openly as she addressed the courtroom.
"May 31 plays in my head over and over again. This was just a random act of violence," she said. "I would never have thought that driving down North River Road that it would've changed my life forever. I miss the Andy I used to know."
Angela Kauffman told the court that Andy has suffered brain injuries as a result to the beating he received when he got out of the car the night of the incident. She said their three boys, ages 9, 7, and 3, are upset that their dad can't do the things he once did with them.
"[The convicted felon] sentenced Andy to his confinement ... his brain injury," she said. "No one knows when that sentence will end."
From the Detroit News (link)

While I'm not suggesting that the American justice system should sentence [the convicted felon] to having a brick thrown at his skull, it certainly seems more fair than getting one's GED and an expunged criminal record by 2010.

Because in 2010, when Andy Kaufman's children are 11, 9, and 5 years old, they still will have lost years with the father they knew on May 30, 2008. And future years as well.

My new roommate

2008-08-21T15:03:00.005-04:00

I had been thinking about it for a while and decided to get a new roommate. I am so glad I did and wish I would have done it earlier.

Everything you could want in a roommate:

She. Yep, her name is Rosie.
Quiet.
Doesn't need much attention.
All curves.
Likes it when I flip her on her back and tickle her.
Very tidy.
Sucks like a pro.
Kind of shy, but I got her to stand still for a minute to so I could snap this picture.
This weekend we might get adventurous and attack the bedroom, but we only got to play in the kitchen and dining room on her first day. Check out this picture to see what a great job she is doing.
She even has her own official website.

Feel free to leave any comments here on my blog about what you think of her. If you like, I can probably hook you up with one of her sisters.

Followup: Why waving a shotgun at cops is a Bad Idea (tm)

2008-08-20T03:30:00.003-04:00

Followup to Why waving a shotgun at cops is a Bad Idea (tm).

It was determined, as it should have been, that the "...the officers' use of deadly force was justified..." in the fatal shooting of a 12-gauge shotgun wielding man. "...[the man] refused to obey the officers' commands to drop the weapon and raised the shotgun at the two officers, who fired several shots, fatally wounding him." (link)

My rule of thumb would be that if a police officer, with weapon drawn, gives you a command to drop your double cheeseburger, it'd be a good idea to comply. Quickly, if not immediately. If you are wielding anything more lethal than something off of the McDonald's value menu and decide to hesitate, then you are about to have a very bad day. The upside? It will probably be the last bad day you ever have.

Plum Crazy for 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise

2008-08-15T12:27:00.002-04:00

All the pics will be posted at http://flickr.com/photos/mrdolomite/tags/2008woodward/

1971 Dodge Challenger R/T and 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 in Plum Crazy

Windows Annoyances - Restart your computer

2008-08-13T11:50:00.001-04:00

If you have the Pro version of Windows XP, here’s what you do.

Enter the Group Policy Editor.

Click the START button.
Click “Run.”
Type “gpedit.msc” and hit Enter.

Once in there, navigate to…

Local Computer Policy
Computer Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Components
Windows Update

Here you’ll find the setting Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations. This will be equal to the number of minutes until nemesis pops up and reminds you again. You can set it as high as 1440, so that you only get reminded once every 24 hours.

You can also enable No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations. If your computer has been restarting itself without a by-your-leave from you, this’ll put a stop to it.

(link)

Mary comes to visit her uncle

2008-08-08T10:11:00.003-04:00

Someone sure was tired after all that walking. Ok, Mary was rolling, but still, that's a long way for such a little elf.

She woke up long enough to show us those big, bright eyes.

Then she went back to napping to rest up for the long journey back home.

Maddie is ready for some football!

2008-08-08T02:46:00.007-04:00

Madilyn and Mom at Ford Field watching the Lions defeat the 2007 SuperBowl Champion New York Giants in the first preseason game of 2008 by a score of 13 to 10.

Maddie doesn't look impressed. Cute? Yes. Impressed? Not so much.

Just a word of advice about those Lions from your godfather:

Get used to it, kid.

No matter what your Dad tries to tell you. :)

Where do you hide 125,00 gorillas?

2008-08-05T17:00:00.005-04:00

Shades of the old joke:

Q: Where does a 300 pound gorilla sleep?

A: Anywhere he wants to!

And the answer to, "Where do 125,000 gorillas sleep?" is clearly "in a swamp, in the Republic of Congo." (cnn.com)

This answer is not to be confused with "in the library, with the candlestick", though it may be added to a future African version of the game.

"It's pretty astonishing," Hugo Rainey, one of the researchers who conducted the survey for the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society, told CNN Tuesday.

Back in the 80s, the gorilla census was 100,000, and now estimates were down in the 50,000 range. And now someone managed to find 125,000 gorillas. Astonishing!?! No kidding, Kojak.

Hmm, my guess is that things must have gone down something like this...

Dave: Would you look at this, another frigging memo from management about wildlife counts?!?

George: Um, Dave, this _is_ the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Dave: Oh, right.

George: *sigh* I hope Sam comes back from vacation soon.

Dave: I'm just gonna use last year's count. Really, how much could it have changed?

George: Don't you think you should actually count them?

Dave: I'm not going to Africa over the 4th of July. I'll miss all the fireworks. Besides we're the _U.S.-based_ Wildlife Conservation Society. Let those guys over in the Africa division count their own monkeys.

George: *for the hundreth time* Gorillas aren't monkeys...

Dave: Ok, ok. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, yada, yada, yada.

Dave heads out of the office for a minute and then returns.

Dave: *writing furiously* Fifty thousand monkey, er, gorillas.

George: You counted them?

Dave: Yeah, I ducked out into the parking lot and didn't see any. I mean, gorillas are big suckers. You should be able to spot them easy.

George: Um...we're in New York City.

Dave: I'm not stupid. I made sure I looked east towards Africa. Didn't see any.

George: *begins bouncing head on desk*

Dave: Have a good weekend, see ya Monday!

Cousins: The Next Generation

2008-08-04T15:29:00.008-04:00

I don't think there were this many kids at my 6th Birthday Party.

But a good time was had by all, young and old alike.

From left to right:

Alexander
Bryanna
Nicholas
Calvin
Samuel
Madilyn
Emily
Mary

And this pic has the Big Cousin, yours truly, with all the little ones.
This is just the "under 12 months crowd"

Mary
Samuel
Madilyn
Emily

07/31/1999 12:34 AM

2008-07-31T00:34:00.000-04:00

The sky was cloudless as the heat of the day seeped away into the darkness. The fullness of the moon lit the lake with its silvery glow. They stood near the shoreline to share a quiet moment before the whirlwind that would be the events of the day which had been planned over a year and a half.

Events set in motion over two years ago by a then one hundred and four year old silver bowl, a skinny kid from Cranbrook, B.C., and a city looking to end a forty-two year old championship drought. Events of a day they had been dreaming about their entire lives.

And so they enjoyed the quietness of the moment and the warmth of each other's company as a ripple crept across the lake. She said it was probably a rat, he said let's say it's a beaver--it definitely wasn't the liger which had been "terrorizing" the area.

A great adventure would begin tomorrow and it was getting late. They walked back to the door of their apartment. He kissed her one last time under the porch light, very 1950's.

Nine years. Over seven hundred and fifty million heartbeats ago. Seems like yesterday. Seems like forever.

Windows Annoyances - No sound in Office Communicator

2008-07-29T12:20:00.002-04:00

The notification sound does not play in Communicator 2007 when you change the notification sound to a .wav file that resides in the Media folder (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945545)

Summer TV Premiers

2008-07-19T01:04:00.007-04:00

Mark your calendars for Sunday, 7/27 at 10pm on AMC, for the premier of Season Two of Mad Men. And don't just take my word for it that it is a great show, it has been nominated for sixteen, yes 16, awards for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards which will air at 9 p.m. Sept. 21 on ABC.(link).

Get ready for the second season of this under-the-radar drama set in 1960 New York’s ruthless advertising world. The series follows Don Draper, the biggest ad man — and ladies man — in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. Political correctness? Smoke-free offices? Sexual harassment awareness? None of it existed back then ... making this one juicy series.

And even though you missed the Season Four premier of The Closer earlier this week, TNT repeats episodes often enough that you can catch up without any problems.

Each episode of The Closer deals with an aspect of the Los Angeles culture as it interfaces with law enforcement in the mega-city. The show deals with complex and subtle issues of public policy ethics, personal integrity, and profound questions of good and evil. The rather large character ensemble is sophisticated in its own exploration of the human condition, touching on individual faiths, traditional religious influences in the lives and communities of contemporary society, and the breakdown and dysfunction of family systems, work teaming, and government responsibility.

Name this bear

2008-07-19T00:42:00.003-04:00

You either have to be really old, have a really good memory, or most likely both, to be able to name the bear which fell asleep with my cousin's son, "The Joe".

Dogs 1, Drugs 0

2008-07-18T17:01:00.002-04:00

Dogs work 'magic' on kids with autism. (CNN)

I could have told you that, anyone who spends time with a dog just feels better. It doesn't matter if you have autism, a cold or just a bad day.

Fuzzy + Unconditional Love = Better

Kudos to 4 Paws for Ability (http://www.4pawsforability.org/), an organization whose mission is "Providing canine miracles for people with disabilities worldwide".

And if you manage to read through the stories of the various types of service dogs without bawling like a baby, you should head to a doctor immediately. You are clearly missing a heart.

Another episode from "What's Wrong with the American Justice System?"

2008-07-18T17:00:00.002-04:00

Someone may want to check the Constitution this one, but I'm pretty sure our founding fathers didn't think that you had a right to Internet access and blog posting after you have been convicted of a double murder and sentenced to life in prison. (CNN)

Why waving a gun at cops is a Bad Idea (tm) Part 2

2008-07-18T10:56:00.002-04:00

Officers killed a 35-year-old man they said pulled a gun on them about 3:30 a.m. this morning on the city's west side.

The officers responded to reports of a man with a gun riding a bicycle on Buena Vista, Detroit Police Second Deputy Chief James Tate said.

Officers saw the man and approached him, Tate said. The man, who had a book bag with him, pulled a gun and the officers fatally shot the man, he said.

A gun was recovered at the scene, Tate said. (Detroit News)

Looks like the gene pool weeds another one out of the shallow end. Maybe there should be a public service announcement advertising campaign. "If you pull a gun on a cop, you are going to get shot."

Life in prison? Somehow I doubt it

2008-07-16T19:53:00.008-04:00

I'm sure the American Legal System will somehow screw this up and these two alledged felons will either receive a lesser sentence or end ups walking on a technicality. But it would sure be nice to see them get what they deserve.

Police have arrested two men, Timothy Burg, 20, of Clinton Township, and Duane Sain, 18, of Redford, suspected of an armed robbery of a car wash at Hall Road and Romeo Plank.

Both were each charged with a count of armed robbery and a count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery. The charges each carry a penalty of life in prison.

Shrouded by hooded sweatshirts and cut-off shirt sleeves over their noses and mouths, the two men entered the carwash, brandished a handgun and stole about $1,900 dollars from the manager on Monday, [Macomb County Sheriff Mark] Hackel said. The crime happed just before 7 a.m.

Police responded to a 911 call and a witness provided a description of the car in which the thieves fled. Investigators later located a vehicle matching the description at a nearby apartment complex.

Police tracked down the owner of the vehicle, got a search warrant and then interviewed the suspects. Authorities also interviewed a 20-year-old woman who they learned was Sain's sister and Burg's girlfriend, Hackel said. The woman is not currently facing any charges, he said.

During the search of the apartment, police found $1,900 in cash, cut up shirt sleeves and a cell phone which the suspects used to take pictures of themselves with a weapon. (comment - These two clowns should get life in prison for stupidity alone.) They also found a BB gun with a laser target site hidden inside a vacuum cleaner.

Authorities also suspect the men are responsible for at least two other armed robberies -- one at a fast-food restaurant June 23 and another at gas station in the area July 3. The thieves used the same tactics -- entering at early morning hours, wearing hooded sweatshirts and brandishing a weapon, Hackel said.

"If we can connect them to the other crimes, then there will be additional charges," he said.(excerpts from Detroit News)

Oh, and by the way, with the way Mark Hackel has handled crime in Macomb County, including the Murder of Tara Lynn Grant, you bet I'm voting for him. It's not often you get to vote for someone who actually does a good job.

Another episode from "What's Wrong with the American Legal System?"

2008-07-16T19:02:00.008-04:00

After over two years, "Rackham must remain a golf course, appeals court rules" (Detroit News).

Seriously, it took more than 700 days, a court case, and then an appeal of that court case, along with who knows how many thousands and thousands of dollars of legal fees and court costs to figure this out?

Anyone who can read should have been able to solve this in 30 seconds, just by reading the original deed restrictions:

Q: What are the underlying deed restrictions on Rackham?

A: There are two deed restrictions in place on the Rackham property.

The first was put in place in 1922 by the Baker Land Company. Baker developed the Bronx subdivision within Huntington Woods (the land between 10 and 11 mile and Scotia and Wyoming). Its deed states Rackham must be used “only as a public park or golf course or for other similar purposes.” It wanted a golf course here because it wisely understood that a golf course makes a city more attractive to potential residents.
The second deed restriction was put in place in 1924 by Horace and Mary Rackham. This deed restriction says that the property must be used as a “public golf course for the use of the public…” If the parameters in the deed restriction are not upheld, then the property is to revert to the control of the Rackham heirs. If the Rackham heirs take back the golf course, we believe the Baker Land Company Deed restriction remains in place although this issue is currently the subject of litigation.

This all started because the clowns known as the Detroit City Council wanted to sell the golf course back in July, 2006. (ref) But that didn't stop Detroit from putting it up for sale, asking for a minimum of $6.25 million with the restriction that it must remain a golf course. If the buyer does not keep it a golf course, the price increases to over $11 million. (ref)

Oh, and in the cash strapped city of Huntington Woods, "City Manager Alex Allie said the city has spent $175,000 on legal and administrative costs to block attempts by the city of Detroit to sell Rackham to developers." (Detroit News article det27612135) This was back in December, 2006. I'm sure they have wasted away even more money by now.

And don't think the heirs of Horace and Mary Rackham weren't above whoreing themselves out for money either. "The Rackham heirs may lift their family's development ban on the Rackham Golf Course -- for the right price." (Detroit News article det24273400 of June 22, 2006).

In fairness, some of the heirs did do the right thing, including the Rackhams' great-great-nephew, R. Leigh Frackelton Jr., and Zera Patterson, who said "It's very simple: We would like the golf course to stay the way it is and be available to everybody," (Detroit News Article det22648050 of July 11, 2008)

Wedding Humor

2008-07-14T14:34:00.001-04:00

I'm sick of hearing bridesmaids endlessly bitch and moan about their dresses. Just think of it like Halloween - you're gonna dress up in something ridiculous, everyone will take pictures, and even if you look halfway decent the only chance you'd wear that outfit again is at a party where no one saw you the first time. (Ruminations #135 at collegehumor.com)

Telephone Etiquette

2008-07-14T12:54:00.007-04:00

This shouldn't be rocket science, but it amazes me how many people just don't get it.

Should the telephone connection between two callers be disconnected, whomever initiated the original call is the one to call back. Otherwise, both people are sent to a special section of hell reserved for the Call-Busy-Voicemail Vicious Circle, as described on the TV show Sports Night at wikiquote.

Casey: It's a vicious circle.

Dan: It is.

Casey: It's a never-ending circle.

Dan: It just keeps going round and round.

Casey: It never ends.

Dan: That's what makes it vicious.

Casey: And a circle.

When you are calling someone "just to chat", do not leave a voicemail message. I will use my superhero power known as "Caller ID" to notice your call, including its date and time, and use that information to call you back. Or not, depending on my mood. If you leave a voicemail message, it had better contain relevant information like "Meet me at 7PM" or "If I wanted to buy you an expensive gift, and need to know what your size your wrist is".

Why waving a shotgun at cops is a Bad Idea (tm)

2008-07-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

The officers shot the man, about 6:45 a.m. Saturday, while responding to a domestic dispute call from his girlfriend, Sterling Heights Police Lt. Michael Reese said.
Officers were talking to the girlfriend when the man came out of an apartment in the 37000 block of the Durham, near 16 ½ Mile, east of Van Dyke, Reese said. The woman told officers the man threatened to shoot her cats, Reese said.
When officers saw the 30-year-old man was armed, they ordered him to put down the shotgun, but he refused and continued to walk toward them, Reese said. The man raised the shotgun and two Sterling Heights officers fired several shots at him, killing the man, Reese said. (Detroit News link)

Some journalists still have class

2008-07-13T21:54:00.003-04:00

Keith Olbermann, and indeed all of NBC News, did the right thing regarding the announcement of the passing of Tim Russert.

“We wanted to be sure, absolutely certain, that every member of Tim’s family who needed to be told in person in private had that opportunity, was given that small piece of grace today. Other organizations did not do that.” - Keith Olbermann (NY Times link)

Godzilla meets Peanut

2008-07-11T11:58:00.000-04:00

Madilyn just loved meeting her new cousin, Mary. Of course, Madilyn was ready to play and Mary not so much - I think sleeping is more of her thing these days.

Give her some time Madilyn and in no time, you two will be playing together non-stop.

Puppa Denny and his GrandDaughters

2008-07-11T11:57:00.003-04:00

Proud Daddy and his Little Princess

2008-07-11T11:57:00.002-04:00

The new mommies of 2008 and their little girls

2008-07-11T11:54:00.001-04:00

Guess which one is 4 days old and which one is 5 1/2 months.

Well, there was a backbone after all

2008-07-11T00:24:00.004-04:00

Following the continuing saga of Mount Clemens High School students, see here for my previous post. It turns out that 41-B District Court Judge Sebastian Lucido has a backbone and here is what 18 of those kids get to write about in their "What I did on my summer vacation" essay: (Detroit News article)

yearlong, non-reporting probation for the defendants. (lame)
Each of the teens will have to pay a fine of $290 for the charge of breaking and entering. (good)
Each must pay a $290 fine for destruction of property. (good)
Defendants who were represented by court-appointed attorneys must reimburse the court $175 to cover those costs. (good)
Each must perform 30 hours of community service by Sept. 1. (lame)
Each is under a 10 p.m. curfew. They may be allowed to stay out of their homes beyond the curfew only for work and school. (good, but doubt if this will be enforced)
The teens must pay restitution to the school district; the cost will be divided among the group. The vandals caused more than $4,000 in damage. (good)

So, get out your checkbooks, because you are on the hook for $977.22.

Mary's In-Hospital Pictures

2008-07-08T22:14:00.004-04:00

Mary's in-hospital baby pictures from www.our365.com with 2 pictures and a place to leave comments.

Mary Goes Home

2008-07-08T19:10:00.005-04:00

Just hanging out - wide awake - in the hospital while her mommy gets ready and her daddy loads the car before they all head for home...

all strapped in her car seat and ready to break out of the hospital and head for home...

Everyone is all buckled in (yes - there really is a baby in that big truck) and ready to head for home to get all settled in as a family.

Mary, The Adventure Continues, Day 2

2008-07-07T01:22:00.007-04:00

Maybe it's not a big deal for the rest of you, but when you roll over from hour 24 into hour 25, it's a big deal. Especially when small things are new and exciting. Small things that us adults see, like a new baby. Small things that a baby sees, like everything and everyone. Especially Mom and Dad.

In between visitors, Mary continues her strong suit -- napping. She gets that from her Dad.

Mary smiles for the camera after her nap.

I believe Mary has her Daddy already wrapped another her finger - can you say "Daddy's Little Girl?" Now after all these years, he will now fully understand that expression :)

It's a Girl!

2008-07-05T11:04:00.007-04:00

Congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law on the birth of their first child!

Mary Elizabeth, born on July 5, 2008 at 8:51am. 7 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches in Room 8, 3rd floor, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan, USA.

Mother and Mary are doing fine. Dad was a little weepy, but he is better now. :)

Mom went into labor very early Saturday when she woke up Dad-to-be and said those ominous words: "It's time."

They were able to talk to their OB, (I know, what are the odds of talking to your own doctor before sunrise over a holiday weekend?!?), and timed the contractions at about 5 minutes. That meant it was time to head to the hospital about 3:30am. Comet the Wonder Dog wishes them well and promptly goes back to sleep.

They had the Ready Bag...um....ready, so they headed out.

Dad was calm, until Mom's contractions got a little stronger and seemed closer together. There may have been a red light or two which was "proceeded thru safely, after checking both ways", but definitely not "ran". It was still oh-dark-hundred and traffic was light. They arrived safely without incident and didn't even have to get to use the "But she's having a baby, officer!" excuse. Maybe next time.

Arrival at the hospital was ok, after playing the ever popular "And why are we here this morning?" game with the guard. This was followed by the "You may want to move your truck so it doesn't get towed" game. If I know my brother, and I do, the next game was probably gonna be "Baby. Badge. Bullets-are-cheap." But Dad stayed with Mom thru triage registration in 10 minutes and was able to move the truck, again without incident. Two-for-two? Maybe he's not really my brother, we never have that kind of luck.

Dad calls Grandma-and-Grandpa-to-be on both sides and lets them know, "It's time." All the G'rents are rolling to hospital for the big arrival. G'rents: that's hip lingo for Grandparents in case you aren't down with that.

Dad buzzes his Brother next. Before answering the phone Brother thinks "Sheesh, it's quarter after five and I'm not even going to get to shoot something. This better be The Call." Well, it was The Call, along with instructions to visit Comet and grab toothbrushes, the only thing forgotten from the Ready Bag. Comet was unimpressed by my visit and wasn't even waiting at the door with the toothbrushes. She musters up enough energy to beg for an animal cracker and then promptly goes back to sleep.

Mom's Brother isn't a big hospital fan so he, or most likely Mrs. Mom's Brother, will get the call after the big arrival.

Dad's Sister is celebrating the 4th at the Soo, where cell phone coverage is spottier than...than... well, it just sucks. She'll get her call after the big arrival as well. Hopefully sunshine will help reception.

Two pairs of g'rents and an uncle arrive at the hospital to occupy uncomfortable chairs in a waiting room with two windows. But one of the windows looks onto the back of a wall, so that one probably doesn't count.

Meanwhile, in the LDRP room, Mom has already had her epidural and by 8am the word is passed to the waiting room that she is "2 minutes and pushing." Waiters cannot agree on a delivery time, weighing "first babies always have a long labor" vs. "2 minutes".

I got called for work, how rude, don't they know we're having a baby here?!? So I had stepped out of the waiting room to use my cell and missed the big moment.

When I came back, everyone was standing and hugging and my brother turned.

"It's a girl," he said, eyes bleary with happiness for his wife and new daughter.

A big hug from my little brother. Who is now a Dad. Wow.

"Her name is Mary Elizabeth," he announced, "you can all go back and see her and Mom."

More on the origins of the names on another post, but it has ties to both sides of the family. And without even knowing it, the Y Chain of names continues into another generation.

Mary has dark hair like Dad and fair skin like Mom. Eyes of blue, but all babies start that way, so stay tuned for updates.

Mom and Mary and Dad are all doing fine and are on their way up to their regular room.

Calls, text messages, cell phone pictures, emails and yes, even this blog posting, helped announce Mary Elizabeth's arrival.

Congratulations to the new, growing family as they begin their great adventure.

And so, when you wonder, as we all do, and all should, "What's the point of all this?" Just remember the first time you saw a loved one's newborn baby. Someone all tiny and pink and not even an hour old. Someone whose life is just beginning and will surely be a grand adventure.

"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on."
by Carl Sandburg

Another episode from "What's Wrong with the American Economy?"

2008-06-29T20:11:00.006-04:00

The [American] Axle board has awarded [CEO Dick] Dauch with a whopping $8.5 million bonus -- double what he got last round - bringing his total compensation to $15.7 million for the year.

The board justified the raise by citing Dauch and other managers for their "accomplishments and commitment during a period of significant change in our industry."

from "Pay Cuts Earn Axle CEO Mega-$Million Bonus" by Paul Eisenstein, June 28th, 2008

And these "accomplishments" <--- these are my "sarcastic air quotes" and not my "attribution to an actual source quotes". Anyway, these "accomplishments" include gems like these:

Letting the strike linger for 87 days (link)
Cutting 2000 workers thru buyouts or layoffs (link)
Forcing a 33% pay cut onto the remaining workers (link)
And then those remaining, now lower paid workers will see some holidays eliminated and the most senior workers lose one week's vacation (link)
GM loses 100,000 production units in the first quarter, which had an estimated pretax loss of $800 million. (link)
GM loses 230,000 production units in the second quarter to the tune of a pretax loss of about $1.8 billion (link) after more than 30 plants were affected (link)

If a company can't make a go of things, let them go bankrupt. I admit that the UAW has worked for years to get underworked blue collar workers overpaid and milk the Big Three for all they could. That's why the UAW works for its members and doesn't run the companies.

But, after the pendulum has finished swinging the other way in the automotive world, when no other supplier can be found to provide product at sweat-shop wages, I guess people will figure out you can only get so much blood out of a rock before you end up with a handful of dust.

RIP Kermit Love, aka Big Bird's Father

2008-06-26T06:30:00.003-04:00

Kermit Love, the costume designer who helped puppeteer Jim Henson create Big Bird and other "Sesame Street" characters, has died. He was 91.

[Jim] Henson designed the original sketches of Big Bird, and Love then built the 8-foot, 2-inch yellow-feathered costume.

It was Love's idea to add a few feathers designed to fall off, to create a more realistic feel.

Love also helped design costumes and puppets for Mr. Snuffleupagus, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster, among other characters. He even appeared on the show himself as Willy, the fantasy neighborhood's resident hot dog vendor.

But Love always insisted Henson's famous frog wasn't named for him, according to The New York Times. (link)

If life is a game, living to 91 and creating an American icon definitely meets my criteria for winning.

Rest In Peace, Kermit Love. And thanks.

Why hockey is the classiest sport

2008-06-24T10:19:00.005-04:00

Let's say you are an 18 year old defenseman who has been playing hockey your whole life. And your big brother is a Hobey Baker Award winner and has made it to the NHL.

You're headed to a first rate university, one which has won the Frozen Four seven times. And you've been awarded a scholarship to attend college starting this fall.

You've been invited to the NHL Scouting Combine held this year in Toronto. You are ranked 60th overall among North American skaters eligible for the draft, and there were indications he might be drafted as high as the second round.

And then you are diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart that has been cited in the sudden death of young athletes. This diagnosis is confirmed at the Mayo Clinic.

So instead of hiding the results, you "immediately informed [the hockey team's head coach of your] condition." (link)

And the school, instead of saying "too bad, so sad, you lose, see ya bye." and revoking the hockey scholarship, the head coach "...quickly told the [you] the school would honor [your] scholarship and also make him part of its hockey program." (link)

And you are thinking, "Wow, here I have this devastating news and I will probably never play hockey again, and then someone actually steps up and does the right thing so I have an opportunity to go college and get a degree and still be part of the game I love."

And then comes the day of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, which was going to be one of your greatest days. After the medical news, I certainly wouldn't have blamed you for going on a three day bender. Because you are such a stand up guy you, "informed NHL teams that [you were] removing his name from draft consideration because of his diagnosis."

Instead, the owner-to-be of an NHL franchise, says to himself "The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL. I didn't see a reason why he shouldn't be." And so, with the last of the team's eight picks, in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, you become the 203rd overall pick. (link)

"[You] will always know [you] got drafted in the National Hockey League," [the owner] said. "I almost get choked up. He worked too hard not to be drafted." (link)

There is a chance that more tests will show a less-dangerous condition he called "athlete's heart," in which the heart's lining thickens and grows because of exercise. But it will be six to eight weeks results are known, and another three months, if the results are good, to see if the heart reduces. If it does, it could mean a renewed athletic career.

"But it's almost a false hope," [you] said. "It's less than a 1 percent chance, so unless there's a miracle, I don't see it changing."

And so, it's a hat trick of class actions brought to you by the following cast of characters:

David Carle, of Anchorage, Alaska, 2008 graduate of Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota
George Gwozdecky, head coach of the Pioneer's hockey team at the University of Denver
Oren Koules, prospective owner of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightining

How to Americans to watch soccer according to Sports Illustrated

2008-06-23T18:14:00.008-04:00

Now I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but putting a hot girl front and center into sports coverage will definitely boost ratings.

Tennis

Racing

Danica Patrick

Snowboarding

Jamie Anderson
Hannah Teter (2006 Olympic Gold Medalist)

And apparently, Sports Illustrated isn't too proud to drum up interest in Women's Soccer, as seen in the article "Solo named to U.S. Olympic women's team, Scurry dropped" (link)

Oh, look, there's a hot soccer chick.

Ok, I cheated, the above image is a cropped version of the original.

Here is what Sports Illustrated felt was an appropriate picture for the article.

And in a shameless pun, I hereby dub this as soccer's attempt at a "Two Point Conversion".

What's wrong with the American economy in 31 seconds

2008-06-23T18:01:00.004-04:00

Q : Can you tell me in 30 seconds or less what Compuware does for a living?

A : Compuware is a leader in information technology performance, so if chief information officers are looking to deliver more business value or best practices in value to their business, they would typically engage Compuware to help them do that through a combination of services and information technology performance tools. (Actual time: 31 seconds)

From the Detroit News article "Compuware COO praises simplicity", an interview with Bob Paul (link).

Um, I am in the "information technology" field and have been listening to Corporate America doubletalk for 15 years and I _still_ have no idea what the hell he was talking about.

MrDolomite's ToolBox

2008-06-22T00:12:00.000-04:00

http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/

Wikipedia has more music dorks than space dorks

2008-06-20T19:19:00.003-04:00

The wikipedia entry for 4 Minutes to Save the World, a song first played on December 16, 2007, has 72, yes seventy-two, footnoted references.

And Freedom 7, the name of Alan Shepherd's Mercury capsule which carried him to become the first American in space back on May 5, 1961, has but 5 references, none of which are footnoted.

While I logically recognize that there are more people with online access and the technical savvy to edit a wikipedia article who care about Madonna than those who care about the early days of the manned space program, this is pathetic to me.

Not that WP itself is pathetic, thought it has its moments, just that "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit" cares more about a song with no historical significance instead of an important milestone of man's journey to walk on the moon.

Thanks for the help, but FYI you are not a hero.

2008-06-20T19:10:00.004-04:00

"Teens rush to help on front line of flooding" was the headline on the main page of CNN.com (article link). And the first thing I thought of was:

"Damn right they should be helping. School is out for the summer, and your house is about to end up downstream in the Gulf of Mexico."

So don't act all 4 Minutes to Save the World on me. Show some responsibility, put down your Xbox controller and lend a hand. When you start rescuing people off of the roofs of their houses, then I'll be the first in line to recognize your efforts.

Followup to "Grow a backbone"

2008-06-20T11:09:00.003-04:00

From my "Grow a backbone" posting, at least there is a chance these accused felons (at least I hope the crime qualifies as a felony) could actually owe some cash and do some time for the damages they caused. On the upside, they got to participate in the graduation ceremony. And I'm sure Bubba and the other inmates will just be thrilled to hear all about the cap and gown hijinx.

17 Mount Clemens High students arraigned for vandalizing school

[Court Magistrate Daniel] Goulette entered not guilty pleas for each of the teens and set a personal bond of $2,000. Each of the defendants faces up to three months in jail for breaking and entering charge as well as up to 93 days in jail for property destruction. In addition, they could be given fines of as much as $600. (link)

Summer birthdays suck

2008-06-16T12:37:00.003-04:00

If your birthday is in the summer, prepare for a lifetime of disappointment. No cupcakes in elementary school. No parties in your honor in college. And after graduation, even the best-laid birthday plans are constantly disrupted by a never-ending string of engagement parties and weddings. All I want for my birthday this year is to have been born in March.

From "Ruminations #134: Twenty-Nine Rules" at http://www.CollegeHumor.com

I've been saying for years that summer birthdays suck.

At least yours fit in the overhead bin

2008-06-11T15:59:00.001-04:00

Nice carry on baggage

2008-06-11T15:58:00.000-04:00

The LONG Scientific Personality Test

2008-06-11T10:24:00.002-04:00

Your Score: ISTJ - The Inspector

You scored 27% I to E, 73% N to S, 57% F to T, and 15% J to P!

Your type is known as the inspector, and the single word that describes your is superdependable. You also belong to the larger group of guardians. You look carefully at the people and institutions around you and notice every last detail. You feel it is up to you to make sure those around you uphold certain standards of attitude and conduct. You are down to earth, with a distaste for fanciful things. You prefer things practical to new-fangled. Your word is your bond. You have no problem with detail. You share your type with 10% of the population.

As a romantic partner, you are dependable and predictable. You usually like things done in very specific ways. You tend to appreciate tradition, and you work hard to achieve goals. You have trouble sharing your feelings, though. In your eagerness to be organized and productive, you can also be unwilling to examine or embrace alternative points of view. You like to be appreciated for your practical contributions, your common sense, and the efforts you make to keep your life on track. You like to be thanked often, both informally and formally and are most likely to be upset when your partner forgets a tradition you hold dear, such as an anniversary.

Your group summary: Guardians (SJ)

Your Type Summary: ISTJ

Link: The LONG Scientific Personality Test written by unpretentious2 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile

RIP Jim McKay

2008-06-07T12:09:00.011-04:00

Jim McKay, the longtime sportscaster for ABC, died today at age 86.

To me, Jim McKay was the voice of the Olympics. He covered 12 Games during his career and while I wasn't around for all of them, these are the ones I specifically remember:

1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo
1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary

In addition, he was the voice of the Kentucky Derby and the Indianapolis 500 while I was growing up.

And he will probably best be remembered as the voice of ABC's Wide World of Sports, and the lines, "...the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat..." as Vinko Bogataj crashed off the end of that ski jump every Saturday afternoon.

Grr, this video was the best one there was, and now the link doesn't work.

30th Anniversary of Wide World of Sports. Volume on this video is extremely low, so you'll have to turn your speakers up to hear it. And no, this isn't a 7th grade joke to scare you. Geez.

Thanks Jim, for all the years of coverage and for showing us all about the "...human drama of athletic competition." RIP, you've earned your place in history.

Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Parade 2008

2008-06-06T22:42:00.002-04:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrdolomite/tags/stanleycupparade2008/

And our "official" parade pics from fanfoto: Pic 1 Link and Pic 2 Link.

Ryan Malone, now _that's_ a hockey player

2008-06-03T16:18:00.002-04:00

He gets gunned in the face with a puck at the end of the second period.

And then he comes back to play, broken nose and all.

And he plays all six periods. (TOI report by player)

No Panic

2008-06-03T16:14:00.002-04:00

"Larionov confident Wings will win", (link), and so am I.

Larionov knows about three-overtime games. He scored the Wings' winning goal on June 8, 2002, in a Game 3 of The Finals against Carolina.

Monday's Game 5 against the Penguins was the fifth longest in Finals history and took nearly 110 minutes to decide.

Hey, where's the hockey players?

2008-06-03T16:08:00.002-04:00

"Ranking the 50 highest-earning athletes in the U.S." from Sports Illustrated (link)

Grow a backbone

2008-06-03T10:16:00.004-04:00

A sign of everything that is wrong with dealing with today's youth.

Mount Clemens: Graduation ban lifted

More than 20 Mount Clemens High School students accused of vandalizing the school last month were expected to participate in Monday night's graduation ceremony after the Board of Education reversed an earlier decision banning them from commencement. The council held a special meeting on Saturday to discuss the matter and voted 5-2 to allow the students to graduate along with their classmates, said Gregory Murray, the board's president. District officials had banned the students -- who reportedly caused more than $4,000 in damage -- from the ceremony held at the high school on Monday night, but an uproar from parents and the students prompted the Board to reconsider. The students remain suspended from school. (link)

Wow, one wouldn't have imagined that suspected felons would be high on the invitation list to a graduation. But then again, people invite Bill Clinton to graduations.

Go Wings!

2008-06-02T14:03:00.003-04:00

Plum Crazy about grille lighting!

2008-05-21T10:33:00.005-04:00

More pics at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrdolomite/tags/grille/

How to cover your butt in the hospital

2008-05-15T12:26:00.005-04:00

At least you can now, if it is a DMC hospital.

New Patient-Wear for Detroit Medical Center Patients
Gone are the days of the backless patient gowns that reveal a little more than one would like. The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) has recently created and purchased new patient-wear which consists of two pieces that cover the entire body.
Unlike the backless gowns patients traditionally wear, the new outfits consist of light blue colored tops and bottoms. The tops are specially designed with buttons starting from the neckline that run down the sleeve for quick release in case of a medical emergency. The bottoms have draw strings which allow comfort for all, and have ‘DMC Wear’ written down the right leg.
“Over the years, patients have sacrificed their dignity walking the hallways in a backless gown,” stated Michael Duggan, President and CEO, Detroit Medical Center. “It is for this reason that the DMC created this new patient-wear. Now patients can walk where they choose without feeling embarrassed. It is tough enough being a patient, hospitalized, away from home; we’re just trying to make it a little more comfortable.”
The new patient-wear will be implemented throughout the Detroit Medical Center. (link)

test pic and blog posting

2008-05-15T10:26:00.001-04:00

test pic and blog posting
Originally uploaded by MrDolomite25

dunno if this is actually going to work or not.

Interesting data visualizations

2008-05-15T10:21:00.001-04:00

Why hockey players can kick your ass

2008-05-13T08:03:00.007-04:00

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn is doubtful for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals after taking a puck in the face on Sunday night, a cut that required over 50 stitches to close. Coburn’s flight home Sunday night was quite unpleasant. The defenseman had lightheadedness and vomited, but had gotten over that by Monday.

He will still be listed as doubtful for the game on Tuesday. (link)

Doubtful?!? Really, just Doubtful?

Heck, if I take a puck to my face while I'm wearing a full cage I would be listed as...

"Misty-Eyed and Watching from the Skybox."

And for anything requiring double-digit stitches, you can just put me down as...

"Retired, Golfing."

Put a fork in them

2008-05-13T07:58:00.003-04:00

This series ended the minute Doc Emerick finished this sentence, “Richards is back on defense.” A blink of an eye later, even quicker, and Zetterberg had twisted him, flashed to his left, deked and roofed it. And Marty Turco slid on his ass toward the golf course. (link)

Yep, it's all over but the crying now. And watching Richards was like watching a NASCAR wreck. You knew it was coming, but you couldn't look away.

Even a broken watch is right twice a day

2008-05-06T00:34:00.001-04:00

But 12:34 and 11:11, or as it was known "muh-leven, muh-leven", will always remind me of better times.

Chrysler will pay for your gas...maybe

2008-05-06T00:30:00.007-04:00

"$2.99 a gallon? Yes, if you buy a Chrysler" by Christine Tierney of The Detroit News (link)

Forget gas tax holidays. Chrysler LLC is offering buyers of most of its products an opportunity to lock in to $2.99 a gallon for three years.

The Auburn Hills automaker late Monday unveiled a program called "Let's Refuel America" which allows most Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep new vehicle buyers to sign up for a program that lowers the price of gasoline to below $3 a gallon at eligible gas stations using a gas card they get after registering their new vehicle purchase on a dedicated Web site or toll-free telephone number that Chrysler has set up.

New vehicle leases are included, too, said Stuart Schorr, senior manager for sales, Mopar and dealer communications at Chrysler.

But, there is a catch. Isn't there always?

Chrysler's offer is good for gasoline with up to 87 octane regular unleaded fuel, E85 fuel or diesel fuel only.

The following vehicles are not eligible for the program, according to Chrysler: All SRT models, Dodge Viper, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Ram Chassis Cab, Chrysler Crossfire, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Sprinter.

I guess anything is an improvement over the high cost of fuel right now. Hopefully this new incentive will increase sales, which will boost some confidence into the economy.

More info (link)

Chrysler's new program begins Wednesday and covers leases, as well as purchases. It is available at 3,521 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealerships across the country through June 2. It provides an annual allotment based on the vehicle's mileage and 12,000 miles' driving for each of the three years.

Customers who are not interested in the plan can opt for traditional incentives. For instance, on the Dodge Ram pickup, customers have a choice between a $5,500 rebate or the gas plan plus a $3,000 cash bonus.

Updated May 8, 2008: Yahoo News link

Here’s how it will work: The new-car buyer who chooses to take the gas offer instead of a straight cash rebate will register for a special gas card that is linked to their own Visa or MasterCard. They then pay at the pump and swipe their card. The total cost of the fill-up (it can be up to 87 octane regular unleaded gasoline, E85, or diesel) is sent to a third party that splits up the bill: $2.99 a gallon is charged to the customer, the additional 66 cents ($3.65 per gallon currently prevails in many large U.S. cities) is charged back to Chrysler, explains Steve Landry, Chrysler executive vice president of North American sales.

There are some provisos: mid-grade or premium unleaded costs the consumer 15 cents and 30 cents more, respectively; grades higher than 94 octane are not covered; and you cannot use a gasoline card for diesel and vice versa.

The program is limited to 12,000 miles of driving annually based on the EPA combined city and highway fuel economy rating (lead foots may find they don’t get a full 12,000 miles in real-world driving) on the Chrysler vehicle purchased under the program, Landry said.. Thus, if the vehicle gets 28 miles per gallon, the customer will be able to purchase 428.5 gallons of gasoline at the program price, Chrysler said. Another unique wrinkle is that once the card is in the customer’s hands, it can be used by other family members and to fill-up other vehicles.

The end of Drew and Mike (audio)

2008-04-30T22:28:00.002-04:00

Mike talks Drew’s Departure on the air
Mike W. Clark addressed Drew’s end at WRIF and also the tragic events surrounding the death of their good friend and WRIF general sales manger person Bob Kozaitis. The segment is over 40 minutes long and explains a lot.

From http://electjeff.wordpress.com/

Mike W. Clark's first day on the air with Drew Lane was December 8, 1991.

I am so smart! S-M-R-T! doh!

2008-04-30T22:21:00.001-04:00

Homer Simpson: "I am so smart! I am so smart! I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean, S-M-A-R-T!"

MP3 link

Read the feed on your Palm

2008-04-30T13:30:00.006-04:00

Finally got it working so I can read a blogspot.com blog on my Palm using the free http://www.avantgo.com software

One trick was to use "Create RSS Channel" and to add "?alt=rss" to the end of the feed URL.

Feed URL: http://mrdolomite.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

AvantGo Feed URL: http://mrdolomite.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

The other trick was to change some of the settings under "Channel Size". I probably could have decreased the size and/or the link depth, but I was getting frustrated so I just hit it with a great big hammer and it worked. :)

Maximum Channel Size: 520 k
Link Depth: 4
Follow Off-Site Links: Yes
Include Images: Yes

Paging Dr. Feelgood: 25 Best TV Doctors

2008-04-28T22:55:00.003-04:00

From Entertainment Weekly's EW.com site (link)

"What would you prefer —
a doctor who holds your hand while you die
or
one who ignores you while you get better?"

-Dr. Gregory House

Hey, where are all the baby posts?

2008-04-28T11:46:00.002-04:00

Well, to make room for the new baby, I reorganized things a bit.

See http://mrdolomite.blogspot.com/search/label/madilyn

Maddie goes to Florida

2008-04-28T11:40:00.005-04:00

You can see more of my adventure to the Sunshine State at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrdolomite/tags/florida/

Love,
Madilyn

Absolut Ownage

2008-04-27T17:38:00.004-04:00

Source: Image by Team Dub from "After 2….Absolut" posting at Abel to Yzerman (A2Y) at Kukla's Korner

Take a stand

2008-04-22T01:43:00.004-04:00

People in positions of authority need to stand up and say, "We need to do this, this, and this, or we're going to fail. Trust my judgement and let me do my job, or accept my resignation." <ref>

Interesting, I was just relaying the story of when I did this at one point in my career. I wasn't in a position of authority, but I was the one with the skills and abilities who was actually going to have to do things to have the project be a success. The manager backed down and I got the project completed successfully. And I ended up resigning anyway, though later on and in not such a dramatic fashion.

Looking back, I am proud of myself that I took a stand. Of course, it is easy to do that when you think you are right, and after all the "Customer Service" training I've had, I knew that making a paying customer upset isn't the way to get ahead in business. And it has served me well knowing that I can take that stand.

Lazy and Proud of It

2008-04-22T01:41:00.003-04:00

LAZINESS: The quality that makes you go to great effort to reduce overall energy expenditure. It makes you write labor-saving programs that other people will find useful, and document what you wrote so you don't have to answer so many questions about it. Hence, the first great virtue of a programmer. <ref>

I've been telling people I'm a lazy programmer for years and it has served me pretty well.

Introvert vs. Extrovert

2008-04-22T01:34:00.003-04:00

I heard an interesting definition of "introvert" and "extrovert" once. I don't remember where. The definition went like this:

For an extrovert, socializing with strangers boosts their energy.

For an introvert, socializing with strangers drains their energy.

Sounds right to me. <ref>

Sounds right to me as well.

What's a classic?

2008-04-04T11:40:00.004-04:00

Hi Uncle Brian,

Look what I am wearing - Grammie says it was yours and that it's a classic...it's from Hudson's.

What is a classic - does it mean you are old?

It kept me nice and warm during my impromptu sleepover at Grammie's the other night.

Love,
Madilyn

Madilyn's First Dress

2008-04-04T11:36:00.004-04:00

Check me out wearing my first dress and tights too!

Guess I need to learn how to sit a little bit more like a lady, but then again, it's hard to sit like a lady and smile too :)

Love,
Madilyn

Happy 7th Birthday, Mur & Syd!

2008-03-31T02:04:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday, Mur.
Happy Birthday, Syd.
Dad loves you.

Born: Saturday, April 7, 2001

Happy Birthday, Sydney!

2008-03-31T01:35:00.000-04:00

Subject: Happy Birthday, Sydney!

Dear Sydney,

We heard a rumor that someone very special is having a birthday this month -- you! We hope it's a memorable one, full of fun and hugs from your favorite humans.

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy birthday and many more to come. Oh, and one more thing -- let your favorite human handle the birthday candles!

Sincerely,
The Doctors and Staff at XXX

Happy Birthday, Murray!

2008-03-31T01:34:00.001-04:00

Subject: Happy Birthday, Murray!

Dear Murray,

We heard a rumor that someone very special is having a birthday this month -- you! We hope it's a memorable one, full of fun and hugs from your favorite humans.

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy birthday and many more to come. Oh, and one more thing -- let your favorite human handle the birthday candles!

Sincerely,
The Doctors and Staff at XXX

15 Chrysler corp vehicles and counting!

2008-03-27T10:25:00.004-04:00

Our family bleeds Mopar blue, Dad retired last summer just shy of 40 years.

1987? Dodge Daytona (black) - 2nd generation - pop-up headlights
1988? Dodge Daytona (white) - 2nd generation - pop-up headlights
1991/92? Plymouth Sundance America 4-door (red)
1992/93? Dodge Daytona ES (white) - 3rd generation - flush mounted headlights
1995 Chrysler LHS (black) - 1st generation
1996 Chrysler LHS (white) - 1st generation
1998 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Limited (bright platinum) - 1st generation
1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic (red) - 2nd generation
2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic (patriot blue) - 2nd generation
2000 Dodge Durango SLT+ (bright platinum) - 1st generation
2003 Jeep Laredo (stone white) - 2nd generation
2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT (electric blue) - 1st generation
2005 Dodge Dakota ST Club Cab (mineral gray) - 3rd generation
2006 Chrysler Crossfire Coupe SRT-6 (aero blue) <-- that's actually my car on wikipedia
2007 Dodge Charger SRT-8 (plum crazy) - 1st generation LX

What American accent do you have?

2008-03-27T09:04:00.001-04:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Northeast
The South
The Midland
Philadelphia
North Central
The West
Boston
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz