Simple Things.

To quote an Usher song: "It's the simple things in live we forget...you hear her talking, but don't hear what she said. Why do you make something so easy so complicated...searching for what's right in front of your face, but you can't see it."

Something To Ponder...

Financial institutions are failing. The White House is urging swift action to save these companies and our economy. Times are hard. Thank God we have pro sports. If you wanna get away from all the bad financial news about corporations, I suggest visiting your local pro sports stadium or arena. That will make you forget all about the troubles of the economy. If you unsure about which stadium or arena to go to, here is a list of pro stadiums/arenas where you can see a pro sporting event: Chase Field in Arizona, TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, HSBC Arena in Buffalo, Nationwide Arena in Columbus, American Airlines Center in Dallas, Comerica Park in Detroit, American Airlines Arena in Miami, Amway Arena in Orlando, Wachovia Center, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Edward Jones Dome and Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Quicken Loans Arena and Progressive Field in Cleveland, Bank Atlantic Center in Florida, Invesco Field in Denver, PNC Park in Pittsburgh....there are many other fine pro stadiums/arenas where you can see a great pro sporting event as well. So forget about all the troubles of corporate america and get out there and see a pro sporting event!

Bits And Pieces.

On Friday, I stopped by the grocery store near where my Mom lives. I don't go there too often, but I wanted to grab a few things. While I was there, I saw a former co-worker of mine named Pinkow. She is a woman from Laos I worked with about 7-8 years ago. I became friends with her and 2 other woman at work who were also from Laos. A lot of times, the 4 of us worked together. They were fun to work with because they all got along well and they were a lot more open and relaxed when they were working together. Pinkow said she works at the Lakewood plant now. That's part of JCI as well, just seperate from us now. I asked her about the other two women from Laos, Lai and Vi. She said that Lai moved back to California. She had many family members who lived just north of San Fransisco. The other woman, Vi, owns of all things, a donut shop in Holland. I didn't know that. So yesterday, I decided to look for it. Oddly enough, it's in the same plaza as the place where I get my hair cut. It's called "V's Donuts". I stopped in yesterday, but she wasn't working. I also went shopping downtown yesterday. One of the mens clothing stores "Lokker Rutgers" is closing. They've been having a major sale for awhile. Entire suits on sale for under $100. Yesterday, I bought two ties that supposedly retailed for nearly $100 combined, for $10. Yesterday afternoon, I also visited the MySpace page of singer Robin Thicke. As expected, he had his entire new album up so his fans could listen to all of it before it comes out on Tuesday. I also checked out the MySpace page of singer Rahsaan Patterson. He recently wrote a blog entry about troubled UK singer Amy Winehouse. He was in the UK performing at a show that she was also scheduled to perform at. He said that he could not believe how "filthy" she was when she took the stage! He said that his mouth was open the whole time she was on stage. He couldn't believe how dirty she looked. He said that she obviously doesn't have anyone in her life who gives a "crap" about her. Somebody needs to tell her to take a shower! Another singer named Esthero also wrote a blog entry about Amy Winehouse earlier this year. She roughly said what he said. She needs to someone to step up and forcibly take control of her life, before she ends up dead from a drug overdose. In happier news, Michigan beat Wisconsin 27-25 yesterday. They played horrible in the first half and for part of the 3rd quarter. However, they rallied from a 19-0 deficit to take a 27-19 in the 4th quarter. Wisconsin scored a late touchdown and converted a 2 point conversation to tie the game at 27-27, but the 2 point conversation was nullified by a Wisconsin penalty. They had to attempt the 2 point conversation again, but failed on the 2nd attempt and Michigan won 27-25.

Welcome To The Real World.

I made my decision about which department I would like to work in next. I chose the department that makes the door panel for the Jeep Liberty. I was then informed that I will be laid off for the next two weeks, because Chrysler is shutting down for a few weeks. Amazing luck I have. There's nothing positive for me to say about work right now. I will re-iterate the conclusion I have come to: Most people don't care about anything bad unless it directly affects them. A friend of mine used to say, "I'm not trying to rule the world, I'm just trying to maintain!" Nowadays, most people can't even maintain. It's very hard to stay positive in times like this. I only have a few things right now that let me know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's just that the tunnel seems so very long right now. Of course, I imagine there are quite a few people who feel the same way about life right now. The key is to hold onto the small things that keep me going each day. Sometimes, these things come from unexpected sources. There are friends out there. Sometimes, I just need to remind myself of that. I am still trying to stay away from all things negative, be it cyber-world or elsewhere.

Keeping It Real.

Last night we had our monthly meeting at work. They told us how much we have sucked over the last 3 months. They said that next month they would go into detail about how bad the automotive industry is right now. If you watch the news or read the news, you already know how bad things are. There had been a scuttlebutt over McCain and how many foreign cars he owns. I must say that I have worked at an automotive interiors supplier for the past 13 years and over those 13 years I have seen how many foreign automakers we supply parts for. Foreign automakers are as big a part of the business for us as domestic automakers are. So, I don't put a lot of thought into whether or not somebody drives an American made car or not. Hell, my car is a GM car and it was assembled in Mexico! My Monte Carlo was assembled in Ontario. Seriously, look at the driver's side door panel of your car and see where the final assembly point was. You might be surprised at what you find out.

Looking For Guidance.

I was told last night that I had jobs in 4 different departments to choose from concerning my future at work. However, before the night was over I was told that one department, a "overhead console" line didn't have any openings. So, I have to decide between 3 departments at work. One department is a "Cargo" line, but it will only be around until December. If I took that job, I'd be looking for another job again in December. I'm working on that line right now. The hours are the same as what I work now, except they work daily overtime. Another choice is a "Door Panel" line. The hours would be 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. I talked to a friend of mine tonight and she advised me to stay away from this line. She recommended the "overhead console" line to me. However, an hour after I talked to her I found out the overhead console line doesn't have any openings. You see, I currently work from 10:15-6:45, so the thought of working a straight 8 hour shift is attractive, not to mention starting work at 11:00 instead 10:15 every night. Finally, the last choice is a "floor console" line. The hours would be the same as what I currently work. However, not many people enjoy working on that line, at least the people I've talked to about it. So, as you can see, I have a big decision to make. I need to make it by Monday.

Whaaa?????

Sometimes, I hear news that shakes me to my very core. News that leaves me speechless and just wanting to curl up in a corner and cry. News that when I first hear it I scream inside of myself "THAT'S NOT TRUE!!! YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF DAMN LIARS!!!" But, then I find out the shocking news is from a reputable source, so it HAS to be true. It is with profound shock/disbelief that I must accept the just revealed news from People Magazine that Clay Aiken is indeed gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just that it was kind of unexpected news.

In Search Of...

If I was on a quest for inner peace and happiness, I'd be about a million miles away from it right now. There just isn't a lot of good news to spread around here. I've often felt that there is no use in complaining because it never seems to do any good. Usually, it just makes things worse. I was proven right about that again this week. What I've learned is that you care a lot more about what happens in this world when something happens and it directly affects you. I really don't have any control over what is happening right now. Hopefully, I will find happiness one of these days.

Gone.

I went to Saugatuck this afternoon. My favorite store (Swell Times) closed for good. It was a pop nostalgia store. Lots of cool retro stuff. The sign in the store's window read: "Went to live by the ocean! Thanks for 13 great years!" I'll miss that place

Good Moaning!

I went downtown last night. The sidewalks on both sides of the street were packed with people. I had no clue as to what was going on. It turns out they were having a competition last night. Various stores last night had people posing as mannequins in their store windows and they were allowing all the people who were downtown to pick which "mannequin" they thought was the best. So, there were a lot of of pretty women acting like mannequins last night. I guess that would make them "poseable" if you know what I mean. LOL! I wanted to play Fred Sanford and walk around saying "Hello, dummy!" I needed to get out awhile last night. I got to talk some things out yesterday, which was good. I haven't felt like talking much lately, but I have a paid professional to listen to me, so I might as well talk. I'm trying to avoid all things negative. Well, at least things I can avoid. Work isn't one of them. I'm back to spending my internet time capping, making fun of the world. It's good to have a website to go to for that and people to enjoy doing it with. I was awakened at 3:30 a.m. this morning by the sound of some guy in another apartment moaning. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!" I am going to assume that he wasn't having a heart attack, unless it was caused by something enjoyable. No Michigan football game today, so nothing to watch and complain about today. That's all for now.

You Dropped A Bomb On Me.

They announced last night that they are eliminating 3rd shift in my department, effective immediately. I have no idea where I will be working or what I will be doing when I go to work on Sunday night. Good times.

Down To Earth.

We were told to be nice to each other at work. Sometimes, it takes just one person to derail the peace and harmony. I'm not worried about it, though. I've been in a mellow mood this week. It seems as though I have a lot to say, but I don't really wanna say anything at all. Sometimes it's just easier to keep things inside. Music has been my outlet this week. 3 artists that I like released albums this week: Ne-Yo, Raphael Saadiq and Jem. I downloaded about half of Ne-Yo's album on iTunes and I downloaded all of Raphael Saadiq's album. Ne-Yo is hot artist of contemporary R&B. Raphael Saadiq's album is a throwback to the R&B of the 60's/ early 70's. Think of the Chi-Lites, The Stylistics, The Temptations etc... Jem is a singer from Wales. Her album is called "Down To Earth". I bought a physical copy of her cd last night. I had to have the lyrics. She covers a wide range of topics on the album. But, most of it deals with the current state of the world. The lack of love between human beings, racism, spirituality and the loss of loved ones as well. It's good to listen to music every so often that makes you think.

Playing Politics.

Last night I watched a E60 on ESPN. They had a segment on the NY Yankees new stadium. I'm not gonna go into all that was discussed, but they interviewed NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg during this segment. When the interviewer asked him if he could ask him a few questions Bloomberg responded by saying, "That depends on what you wanna ask me about." When the interviewer said it was about the new Yankee Stadium, Bloomberg agreed to be interviewed. However, the questions he was asked concerned the displeasure of the local Bronx residents who were against the stadium project. Bloomberg got very defensive and had some defiant answers to the questions he was asked. Sometimes when I hear politicians talk business I lose faith in government leadership.

Is It Festivus Season Already?

Well, it sure seemed like it last night. If you remember the infamous "Festivus" episode from Seinfeld, you may remember Frank Costanza announcing that at the Festivus dinner you gather around the table and have "The Airing of Grievances". He began with, "I have a lot of problems with you people!" Well, someone at work decided to have "The Airing of Grievances" last night. He threw two people under the bus while doing so. Sometimes when people go into rants at work I just stand there listening to them and I shake my head. Other times, I tune them out completely after a few minutes of listening to their nonsense. Last night I think I did all of that.

More Swine Humor!

There is a story on the Detroit Free Press website about wild pigs menacing farmers and joggers across the state of Michigan. The directive: Shoot to kill! Anyway a commenter asked this question: "What the heck am I supposed to do if I'm jogging and I run across one of these things? Anyone have any suggestions?" One person responded with: "Carry a tube of lipstick just in case."

Open Mind.

I had a talk with my sister and brother-in-law about politics the other night. I agreed with them on what we talked about. I'm looking at the political candidates with an open mind...or at least I'm trying to. I'm sure that people who support Obama feel they have many valid reasons for supporting him, just as I am sure that people who are supporting McCain feel that they also have many valid reasons for supporting him. I am okay with the Obama supporters supporting their candidate just as much as I am okay with McCain supporters supporting their candidate. I drove through my sister's subdivision a few days ago. I saw three houses in a row that Had "McCain-Palin '08" campaign signs in their front yard. I've also seen that neighbors of my Mom have put "McCain-Palin" campaigns in the front windows of their condos. But along with those campaign signs, I've seen many people driving with Obama '08 bumper stickers on the backs of their cars. I even saw a woman standing next to a booth at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor last week. She was wearing a t-shirt that said, "Ask Me About Obama!" Anyway, this all points to the fact that I don't care who people support in this campaign anymore. That is why I am staying away from the arguing about it as much as possible.

You Can Put Lipstick On A Pig....

The Top 10 Sentence-Finishings of the "You Can Put Lipstick On A Pig..." Line

#10. You can put lipstick on a pig...but not on a chicken, because chickens don't have lips.
# 9. You can put lipstick on a pig...but you can't make it squeal like Ned Beatty.
# 8. You can put lipstick on a pig...but you can't get David Spade so drunk that he'll try to screw it.
# 7. You can put lipstick on a pig...but a pineapple glaze would make it much tastier.
# 6. You can put lipstick on a pig...but you can't call TMZ and try to convince them you have recent vacation photos of Kirstie Alley.
# 5. You can put lipstick on a pig...but it still won't be as sexy as Miss Piggy.
# 4. You can put lipstick on a pig...but PETA would be all over your ass if you did.
# 3. You can put lipstick on a pig...but you can't make it do stupid tricks on Letterman.
# 2. You can put lipstick on a pig...but if you take it to a football tailgate party, somebody will cover it in barbeque sauce and put it in a giant smoker.
# 1. You can put lipstick on a pig...but you'll never get me to believe that Arnold Ziffle is a cross-dresser.

9-11....7 Years Later.

There were a few world events that I remember from my youth. The first being the Iran Hostage Crisis, mainly because it began on my 10th birthday (November 4th, 1979).The second major world event I remember is President Reagan being shot on March 30th, 1981. My 5th grade music teacher was given the news by another teacher who had interrupted our class. We didn't know what the other teacher had told our music teacher, but whatever she said caused our teacher to look VERY worried. When we asked our teacher what was wrong, she told us to ask our parents when we got home from school. I do believe I heard the news as I was walking home from school that day. The next major world event I remember was the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28th, 1986. I was in 10th grade when that happened. But, the first thing I vividly remember seeing happen on tv was the O.J. Simpson "white bronco chase". I know that's sad. At the time it happened, it was the most surreal thing I'd ever watched. I do remember back in 1997 staying up for most of the night watching tv and waiting for some good news about Princess Diana who had been involved in a deadly car crash in Paris. The good news I was waiting for never came. That brings us to the morning of September 11th, 2001. I had played tennis with a friend after work that morning. I got home and I turned on my tv shortly before 9:00. The Today Show was showing live footage of one of the World Trade Center towers. It was on fire. A plane had crashed into it. I quickly called my parents. They were watching the news as well. While I was on the phone with my Mom another plane hit the other tower. I saw that live on tv, I couldn't believe it. I said to my Mom, "Another plane just hit the other tower!" After talking to my parents, I called my friend who I had played tennis with to ask her if she was watching the news. She was. I called a few more people and then I e-mailed a friend who was at work. Thankfully all my friends on-line who lived in the NYC area were safe and sound. It was all overwhelming to me. I know that I live far from New York and Washington D.C. but that morning made our country seem a lot smaller to me. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I spent the day on my couch watching tv, instead of sleeping like I was supposed to be doing. I will never forget that day, nor will I ever understand why those people who flew those planes on that day did what they did. It was all just a day of senseless acts of violence. A year later, I was afraid of 9-11 approaching again. I prayed that nothing would happen on that day. Thankfully, that prayer was answered. Today marks the 7 year anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Keep all those who lost their lives or those who lost family members or friends on that day in your thoughts.

Same Time Tomorrow, Knuckleheads.

If you've ever watched "PTI" on ESPN, you know that is Michael Wilbon's signature signoff each night. I used to think that was a slam to all the viewer's of "PTI". Why are we knuckleheads? Imagine Walter Kronkite signing off by saying "Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads!" I realize that this world is full of knuckleheads. Avoidance of them is the key to maintaining some degree of sanity. Some guy at work asked me last night, "Am I annoying you?" He was asking me questions and assumed that after a couple of questions I hit the "ignore" button. There are people in this world who make me shake my head when I talk to them or rather when they talk to me. But, we need people like that in our lives. I'm not always sure why, but we do. Another good line I heard was from a song. The line was "They say absence makes the heart grow fonder...but it ain't working for me and I wonder..." I'm still not ready. Well, I'm getting sleepy...

More Zoo Pics.

Toledo Zoo Pics.

12 Angry Men.

I watched the last 40 minutes of the movie "12 Angry Men" last night on tv. I watched that movie in high school. I wanna say it was for my government class. We had acted out that play in class. I was juror #9. Juror #9 was the elderly man in the movie. No such luck of having juror #9 be Jack Klugman, Henry Fonda, E.G. Marshall or Jack Warden. It was a good, albeit simple movie. I also watched some of "The Sound Of Music" on Sunday night. I had not watched that since I was a kid.