Bad Luck or a Smiting?

This is one of those stories that give me more questions and smart-ass answers than any single person should have:

Story is here. Basically, in short form, 18-year-old Corey Williams left the pole vault pit at Carbondale Community High School, Illinois, and was struck by lightning and died at the scene.

Witness said there were no dark clouds, just a light rain. With no previous thunder or lightning. Just a big ol' boom and a kid on the ground.

The obvious statements before the questions:

Pole vaulting involves fiberglass poles, so they bend. I'm ruling out the lightning rod issue, because of the fiberglass *and* the fact the story doesn't mention if he had a pole in his hand.

And he was referred to as a runner, not a pole vaulter.

However, he was near the pole vault pit.

I've seen a pole vault setup. All the framework is metal. That's a lightning rod if ever there was one. So the practical tall thing in storm + metal = lightning attraction is true, again. Don't fool with Mother Nature.

Now the questions:

Knowing the whole pole vault metal structure thing ... has this ever happened before?

Was it just a freak of nature?

Or, is this, perhaps, a smiting?

Is running or jogging really *that* good for you?

Here's an 18-year-old kid who would disagree. Same with the dude remembered for inventing jogging as a sport - Bill Ficks. He died, of a heart attack, while jogging. DOH!

These are the things that keep me awake at night.

At least someone got it right

Heh heh. I'm moving to Texas. At least one state in this union still believes in the rights of the individual:

From Yahoo News:

DALLAS (Reuters) - Criminals in Texas beware: if you threaten someone in their car or office, the citizens of this state where guns are ubiquitous have the right to shoot you dead.

Governor Rick Perry's office said on Tuesday that he had signed a new law that expands Texans' existing right to use deadly force to defend themselves "without retreat" in their homes, cars and workplaces.

"The right to defend oneself from an imminent act of harm should not only be clearly defined in Texas law, but is intuitive to human nature," Perry said on his Web site.

The new law, which takes affect on September 1, extends an exception to a statute that required a person to retreat in the face of a criminal attack. The exception was in the case of an intruder unlawfully entering a person's home.

The law extends a person's right to stand their ground beyond the home to vehicles and workplaces, allowing the reasonable use of deadly force, the governor's office said.

The reasonable use of lethal force will be allowed if an intruder is:

- Committing certain violent crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, or is attempting to commit such crimes

- Unlawfully trying to enter a protected place

- Unlawfully trying to remove a person from a protected place.

The law also provides civil immunity for a person who lawfully slays an intruder or attacker in such situations.

Texas joins several other states including Florida that have or are considering similar laws.

Sympathy for violent offenders and criminals in general runs low in Texas, underscored by its busy death row. The state leads the United States in executions with 388 since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Remember - Gun Control means using both hands.

Song of the Day

Wrong Man
~ Henry Rollins

You say we're all the same.
You don't even know my name.
Sometime somewhere someone once hurt you
and I'm one of them
So I take all the blame?
You think you know about me?
You don't know a damn thing about me!

I'm not all men
I'm not all men
I'm just one man
I'm not that man!

Here's one subject that everyone enjoys.
I heard the boys talk the talk to the boys
I heard the girls say the same thing to the girls
Oh man... It's all the same, neither one's worse
I didn't always tell the truth
But then again. neither did you!

I'm not all men
I'm not all men
I'm just one man
I'm not that man!

Get away and leave me well alone,
Take your damage and take it on back home
I'm not the blame for your misery
Take your threats away from me
Take that damage and leave me all alone!

I won't try to patronize you
and say, "I know everything that you've been through."
You know... it just might be
You got no problems with me!
I'm not a rapist in waiting
I'm not the one you should be hatin'
Check it out...

I'm not all men
I'm not all men
I'm just one man
I'm not that man!

You take your fear and you pull it inside
It builds up and the rage starts to rise
You push it out and your anger is blind
And you see me as an enemy
That's not the way it oughta be

You generalize and tell me lies
Like all I want's between your thighs
All the things that I put you through
And all the things that I might do
Don't wonder why I run away
When you show me it's my time to pay
For all the tears and all the pain
And all those terrible things I never did

Ya better look deep inside
And check out your mind
Take a good long look at what you're looking at
When you're looking at me!
I'm not that man!

There can be only one

Well, looks like I was wrong, again.

UFC just bought PrideFC for about $70 million. Story here.

On one hand, that means all the best fighters belong to the UFC.

On the other hand, I'd so much prefer a ring to a cage.

Then again, I liked Betamax, too.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(Nothing to read here people. Just a spacer for the blog workshop I'm doing. Move along.)

I’m not in such a hurry to call you girlfriend

I'm not in such a hurry to call anyone girlfriend.

Because, if you know me, you know my past tendency to rush into things. As a friend once said, "You seem to fall, fast."

In my life, I've had a few relationships. While they've started, and ended, both for various reasons, some better than others, I still call most of them are successful.

Because I've been able to learn, and grow from them.

Which is why, in the last two relationships, I've been very slow and hesitant to move forward into making it a relationship. I guess I'd rather wait and see what internal and external pressures exist in the dynamic and make sure that getting involved is the right idea, the right woman, the right time, the right situation.

I'm not hesitant in life.

I live my life with a "Why the fuck not" attitude.

I'm not the guy to ask why. If you do, I'll turn that back on you. Because I'm the guy who will ask you "Why not?"

I like to do things. A lot of things:

• If I want to go somewhere, I just take off and go.
• A band I want to see? I'm there.
• A movie? I'll drive to the theater I like, not the theater that's close.
• An event I want to go to? Buh-bye. I'll see you there.

Because I just tend to do what I want when I want, with anyone that wants to go along for the ride.

I'm not hesitant in life.

However, I've learned to be hesitant in love.

I used to fall in love with any woman who gave me any kind of attention at all, like Joel Barrish. That's changed.

Like a lot of other things.

While we all have our rules, our standards, our wants, our likes, I think there are times where you have to chuck those out the window, reboot and start over. So now I'm taking the approach that whatever rules I've stood by in the past obviously haven't worked ... so why keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Isn't that the definition of insanity?

So yeah, I'm not in such a hurry to call anyone girlfriend.

And I'm not in such a hurry for anything, at all.

An unsung hero

Unsung Hero
Written by Tina Arena / Performed by Tina Arena, Also performed by Terri Clark

You sit in silence in the shadows
You don't complain or criticize
And while the world may see me as a fool
They're not looking through your eyes
No questions asked, you're there when I need you
With a love that inspires me to be everything you deserve

Cause you're my unsung hero
And I know it's not easy to walk in your shoes
Day after day you continue to amaze
Now I sing this song of love for you

While others long to steal the spotlight
You work your magic quietly
Cause you're not in it for the glory
The love you give comes naturally
I may not have much but what I have I give it to you
This song that I sing is my gift
And I swear that I mean every word

Cause you're my unsung hero
And I know it's not easy to walk in your shoes
Day after day you continue to amaze me
Now I sing this song of love for you

Life is this radio

Life is so not the radio of today. Back in the day, yeah, life was a radio. I remember finding a good radio station and just listening, over and over again. Today, I listen to Bob & Tom and little else on the radio - mostly have the iTunes going at home, the MP3 CD's in the car. Because I hate modern radio.

One of the reasons I hate the radio is the generalized crap they play. The Clear Channel / Infinity powerplay of the 90's gave us a lot of radio stations that all sound the same.

McRadio, for lack of a better term.

Every major city has same flavors of corporate radio, playing corporate bands, and corporate DJ's (if they exist) shill corporate objectives.

Even in your major markets where independent stations still exist (CD-101 in Columbus), but the dumbing down of the radio listener has forced them to change, too.

CD-101 plays a lot of hip-hop and electronica that, to me, isn't alternative.

And they won't play the good alternative / indie stuff that's available to them.

Case in point: Last year, Autumn Under Echoes had the 9 p.m. Main Stage slot at Comfest. Mark introduced them as the best new band he'd seen in Columbus. The week leading up to ComFest, CD-101 was playing all the local bands that had legit releases to help boost the show.

Except Autumn Under Echoes.

Why?

Depends on who tells the story, like all things, but it comes down to the fact that there are bands who get radio play, and bands that don't. And it all depends on the one person who approves the records, the program director.

Now don't think this is an attack on Andy. I love Andy. In fact, I spent about 30 minutes talking to him Friday at the excellent Two Cow Garage show in Columbus.

It's just part of that problem of corporate radio - even in the indie radio leagues. Used to be that indie radio played what they wanted. Now with the internet, they see what other indie radio stations are playing and add that.

And add what's popular cause they need the listeners to attract the advertisers.

And the advertisers kill the indie spirit.

So while I will always love CD-101, they lost their edge a long time ago.

I'll stick to college radio. Much easier to play music that matters when profits don't.

I am reflecting on suitcases

I am reflecting on suitcases ... and moving boxes.

I've been on the road a lot this month. And last month. And the months before that. In a year, I've put nearly 40,000 miles on my car. I drive.

A lot.

I like it. The solitude is nice. It's a welcome part of me - the aloneness, the simplicity of driving, the road, the music. The sights, the scenes. I'm the guy who'll drive six hours to see something he likes, then drive six hours home (hello Swigtooth at "The Garage" in Winston-Salem, NC, in October).

I like being alone because I've spent most of my life on the outside.

Originally because we moved around a lot when I was a kid. I went to five school systems in 13 years (one twice; half of kindergarten, then half of 6th, 7th, 8th, and part of 9th). All told, I went to school in 9 different buildings, the longest - three years, 10th-12th grade, so making friends and keeping friends was hard.

Now I find myself on the outside by choice.

I like it there. I have a few close friends ... and the distance they live from me makes no difference in my life. Because that nomadic spirit never left me. I've lived a lot of places. While I've lived most of my life in Ohio, I have lived in three other states (Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania), and lived in the Virgin Islands for a bit.

In Ohio, I've lived in or around Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh. The longest stay at one address was when I was married - that was five years.

I've more than made up for that in the past 25 months. I've moved FIVE times since September 2004.

Seriously. Twice for work, three times for personal reasons (read: Love, or the lack thereof!)

• 2004-09-03 - moved from New Castle to Leetsdale. (Personal)
• 2005-01-09 - moved from Leetsdale to the near east side of Columbus. (Job)
• 2005-04-15 - moved from the near east side of Columbus to Reynoldsburg. (Personal)
• 2005-10-30 - moved from Reynoldsburg to the north side of Columbus. (Personal)
• 2006-10-18 - moved from Columbus to Niles. (Job)
  

As I'm creeping closer to 40, and realize my life is a third over (thank you Drew Hastings.), as I said to a dear friend the other day, I starting to think I'm ready to sell my camels.

I just don't feel up to starting over again, again.

There are endings to all things

There are endings to all things ... including my week here in Columbus. Training has been quite informative, educational and frustrating at the same time. This could totally be a three day class. But it's five. So there's downtime and drag in the class, and inefficiency drives me crazy.

Anyway ... tonight I'm heading out to see Two Cow Garage at Andyman's Treehouse, which, to me, is the perfect way to end the week, and a grand finale to my final week in Columbus. Tomorrow morning I wake up, put Columbus in my rear view mirror (again) and head north to Norwalk to help my mom move back to Niles.

Don't get me wrong ... I've enjoyed my week in Columbus. It was nice hanging out with old friends, meeting some new friends, hunting midgets with Brian and making two trips to both the Funny Bone (Drew Hastings, Jake Johannsen) and Andyman's Treehouse (Ryan Cox, Two Cow Garage).

But as I said earlier this week, the love I used to feel for this city is gone. Just gone. I spent a lot of time driving around this week, old neighborhoods, new neighborhoods, uptown, downtown, east and west. And I just wasn't feeling it. I don't see myself spending any more long weekends here hanging out. Coming down for shows, yes (Aaron Tashjian, April 6th, at the Treehouse; Cinco de Mayo with Watershed [that's on May 5th for you Gringos] if they have it, and they better; Comfest, June 22-24, for sure!)

It wasn't all bad ... I had a couple of great offers to do photography ... one wedding, two albums and three personal shoots. And yeah, I'm not a big fan of wedding photography, but these two crazy kids are worth the work. Granted, I'll have to drive to Tiffin in June of 2008 ... and while I'm a busy guy, I'm not too busy to schedule that far out.

But yeah, weddings aside, quite possibly, coming soon to a wrecka sto near you (shout out to my Prince "Under The Cherry Moon" fans), me fulfilling one of my life-long dreams - having a credited photo in an album. I don't care if it's the cover, or the inside shot ... I've always wanted a photo credit on an album. That could possibly happen this year! With one or both musicians who asked.

So on Saturday, I'll be back in Niles. Ready to find things to do there. And stop looking 183 miles southwest.

Endings to all things, indeed.

And beginnings of secrets to tell

Hmmmm ... beginnings of secrets to tell.

Well, my blog is pretty much an open book when it comes to most of my life, so there aren't all that many secrets to tell.

And those that aren't told, probably won't be told.

But in the spirit of the song, and in my blog, I'll list my top 10 guilty artists - the ones you know you love and hate to tell people because, well, of who they are.

And before you wonder, no boy bands, no sexy girl groups (well, one, but you've not heard of them), and remember, I do love me some 70's music.

So here are my top 10 guilty artists:

1. John Denver
2. Barry Manilow (no, I'm not gay)
3. Elton John (really, I'm. Not. Gay.)
4. The Kinks (their 70's stuff = best decade ever)
5. Duran Duran
   
6. Night Ranger
   
7. REO Speedwagon (again, their 70's stuff, upto Hi Infidelity, 1979. After that, meh.)
8. Whitney Houston (pre-Bobby Brown)
   
9. Alabama
10. The Carpenters

A train is the gospel

Your Every Color
~ Train

I can see the red, white and free in you
You light the night up like the moon
And underneath your clouds, I see the blue

You're hopeless 'cause you tell the truth
The stars are jealous of your shine
If you were mine
There's not a thing I wouldn't do

You're black and beautiful, yellow, tan
You're white as light and soft as sand
With greens and greys and oh for days
A silver lining on the way you cover everyone
Just like a morning sun
You turn me into someone I would rather be

I love your every color
I love your everything
You wear the day around you
Like it's yours to stay around you
Maybe I could stay around you too
If that's alright with you

You're coffee brown and bubble gum pink
And oh I think the shade of you is on the brink
Of changing all the ways I see the world
I could drown inside a single drop
Of all the kinds of things you got
And all the kinds of things I'm not

Might just give me a chance to see
From way up where you are
Above the silent stars
Just dancing in the sky

You're better than any rainbow
You're brighter than the sun
You look like my first day of summer
When my spring is on the run
You're gold and more gold
And you're platinum too
With snow toned, copper attitude
I don't know what I'd do without you
I don't know what I'll do about you

She thinks this is bitter to feel

So once again I'm forced to send my 2005 taxes to the University of Lost Paperwork (I mean, Phoenix) for Financial Aid, because the previous six times I sent them, despite four acknowledgments from them, they don't have them. Again.

After the last email beatdown, my adviser told me my financial aid counselor said I was bitter.

I'm bitter? Because someone can't - or won't - do their job? HA!

So if she thinks this is bitter to feel that way, I bet she'll love this: Basically, I fired her. Here's the email:

---

Jessica,

I hate to sound like a bad guy ... but how many copies of my 2005 taxes do you need?

I've faxed it six times.

Due to various issues from my previous attendance on campus in Pittsburgh, and my duplicate IRN and duplicate info in your systems, some of my records live in the campus world, some of my records live in the online world.

It took several weeks for someone (that being me) to start asking why the forms I'm being given to fax aren't going to the right locations. After the 4th fax, I started making phone calls, wondering why I'm doing what I'm asked to do and you keep asking me for the same stuff. I realized the form I printed from your FAW website had me faxing things to the campus side of the FA house.

So I tried to contact you. That's been as successful as my serial faxing.

Since you have yet to return a single phone call I've made, I ended up calling and my admissions counselor, she had her supervisor and their FA rep at the Pittsburgh location help me figure things out.

I finally faxed my 2005 tax returns to the right number. Twice.

And called you to verify that they were received nearly a month ago.

Again, I have yet to have a phone call from you.

So I called and spoke to someone else in FA who verified the FA office had all the information needed. Why you don't have that is a mystery to me, as are several other things.

I understand that in order to get financial aid I have to fill out the forms and dot the I's and cross the T's and sit, beg and roll over on your command, and I'm going to do it, but really, I'm starting to wonder what's going on with you when you constantly ask me for the same stuff over and over and over, I send it over and over again, and when I try to call you to find out if you've received it, you won't even give me the courtesy of a call back.

Seriously. What's going on? Why is this such a difficult process?

And since I'm asking questions, why do you give me 48 hours to complete a task? If UoP is an education built for busy working adults, perhaps giving me more than 48 hours to complete a task should be taken into consideration, or did you just realize you still don't have this info that's been floating around for the better part of two months now.

I'm sorry to say your 48 hour deadline won't be met. I'm not at home this week. I'm traveling for business. I don't have access to my 2005 taxes to fax you, even though I've done that six previous times, and your office has verified they have at least one copy.

So I ask, again, why is this such a difficult process?

And yes, based on our history, that is probably a rhetorical question. I don't expect an answer. really don't care to hear your answer, either.

In fact, if possible, I'd like a new FA Counselor.

When I'm back at work on Monday, I'll fax my forms, again. But it won't be by 3/23 because I won't be home until 3/25.

And it's obvious you don't have them. Or a clue.

---

For the record, and by some bizarre twist of fate, I did happen to have my portfolio, with my tax return, and the six previous confirmation sheets from the six previous faxes. But being the nice guy I am, I just sent her the tax forms. And an email requesting a reply that she has received them.

Yeah, I'm not holding my breath on that ding in my inbox.

Because it's 11:36 p.m. I still don't have it. I'm not surprised.

And you have your right of ways

One of the first lessons I learned while driving was about having the right of way.

And how little that really matters.

Really.

And you can have your right of ways ... because the right of way is a good concept. However, if someone blows a stop sign, and kills you, trying to argue that you had the right of way is a minor detail, really.

It makes no difference, if you're dead wrong.

Much like prolonging arguments. I stopped caring who's right or wrong. If you need to be right, that's your issue. I'd rather forget the argument, fix the issue, and move on.

And if we agree to disagree, that's cool, too. Just respect my point of view. You don't have to agree with it, but don't belittle it, either.

It's just a point of view. Opinion is not worth fighting over. Regardless of who has the right of way.

Clean streets on your dirty days

This is, perhaps, the most interesting line in the song for me - "Clean streets on your dirty days" ... because that's my how life is, some days.

No matter what's going on, there are days where you're feeling clean and you step in a puddle, spill your coffee, drip your breakfast on your tie, have a kid leave monster tracks on you, etc.

Or it's just the opposite - you're wearing the worn-out, ripped jeans, beat up t-shirt, or the sweat-pants ... and you realize that everyone around you is well dressed, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping. Yep, clean streets on your dirty days.

And not dirty in a good way.

The dichotomy of this line is what draws me to this song.

Much like this photo.



It's just wrong to look at a computer lab full of iMac's and see Windows XP running on them. iMac's with Windows apps, desktops, and screen savers.

Yeah, I understand Parallels. In fact, back in the late 90's I was running Windows 98 on my PowerPC through an OrangeMicro PC card on a Cyrix 233MHz with 128mb RAM all running on a 7" PCI card. So the concept of PC on Mac isn't new, or surprising to me.

However, this isn't Paralles. This is Windows XP running natively on iMacs. Using BootCamp. And the tech guy here at the training center says the iMacs run XP and VISTA better than any other machines in the building.

While I'm not surprised, cause I'm old-school Mac, still, I gape and shudder (with a shout out to Two Cow Garage and their new album, III, out April 27th) .

And, I say in my best Eric Cartman voice:

"It's wrong. Wrong I say."

Clean sheets of iMacs running Windows XP for dirty days. Ugh.