Race or ruse?

Preface:

Let me state that I’ve been unjustly arrested in the past for disorderly conduct because I was a smart-ass to a police officer.  The charges were dropped because they were clearly bogus but I learned a lesson from the encounter.  I was 17.  Henry Louis Gates Jr. is 58.

I’m quite disappointed in our President and the tenor by which the news of the arrest of Henry Gates has been reported.

Firstly, the President shouldn’t have commented on the event without knowing the facts.  His comment about Cambridge police acting stupidly paints law enforcement in a poor color and potentially endangers them.  Secondly his comments on this event amazed me…without any facts he’s saying that “Gates’ arrest shows that racism still haunts us.”  It shows me that if you don’t cooperate with a policeman until he’s satisfied the situation is resolved you’re bound for trouble.

So let me understand this…Our President doesn’t know the facts but is so eager to believe that “whatever happened” shows America is still racist solely based on his friendship with this guy?  That’s troublesome, and I’m an Obama supporter.

Kudos to the Cambridge Police Department for sticking up for their Officer.  This guy followed the rules and tried to do what he could to secure the scene, his saftey and the saftey of Mr. Gates.

Race was brought into this discussion by Mr. Gates during the incident as a vehicle for attention and I think it’s a secondary issue with for him.  Mr. Gates chose to use the race card to bring even more attention to himself.  So, his real fault, besides being an asshole, is vanity.

Gates states,”This isn’t about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America.”  Already with the martyr speak…c’mon, this incident just DOUBLED his fee for lecturing.   He saw this as an opportunity to market himself as person of historical importance.  How better to comment on the social injustices during lectures than to claim to be an example?

On Thursday Officer Crowley told a local TV station that Gates verbally assailed him. The police report says Crowley asked Gates to talk outside, to which he responded “Yeah, I’ll speak with your mama outside.”  I don’t care WHERE you’re from you don’t act like that to ANYONE, much less a Policeman.

“There was a lot of yelling, there was references to my mother, something you wouldn’t expect from anybody that should be grateful that you’re there investigating a report of a crime in progress let alone a Harvard University professor,” Crowley said.  Listen to Sgt. Crowley’s interview with WEEI here.

I guess that I’m just upset that even today when someone does something stupid, like speak poorly of the matriarcal lineage of a policeman, they cry foul when they’re treated like anyone else on the street.  You don’t do that in my neighborhood…why is it ok in yours?

This guy thought he was above having to answer to this policeman.  ”Don’t you realize who you’re messing with?” he exclaimed, which never leads to anything good.  So besides being a repugnant exploiter of his own quasi-heritage he’s above the common man.

I cry foul!

Monday morning ramblings.

Wow…the Wedding is getting close.

It’s about 32 days away and counting.  I’m starting to get anxious because we’re coming down to the wire and wrapping things up.  We’re still waiting on a few invitation responses so as soon as those are in we’ll only have a few music choices to figure out.  I’ve never been really good at being the center of attention and being the groom at your own wedding puts me in the spotlight.  Fortunately I’ve got Sweets, who is going to be in the biggest spotlight.  It’s our wedding but in reality, it’s her day…so I best not spoil it.  Another thing that’s on my mind is that we’re waiting for a couple of weeks before we go on our honeymoon.  That means I’m coming back to work right after my wedding which is kind of a bummer.  I was thinking it would be nice to visit Virginia the week after the wedding, show Jean around my hometown there.  Who knows?  Whatever we decide to do we’ll be married, so I’ll be over the “center of attention” hump. =)

Speaking of being the center of attention, my birthday is coming up very shortly.  Thankfully it’s on Saturday, so I won’t have my work friends cooking up a 40th birthday cake.  I’ve took very little ribbing about turning 40 so far…most of my friends turned 40 before me so I was able to dish it out.  I don’t feel 40.  I’m actually in pretty good shape physically, with more definition that I’ve had in a long time.  My belly is still fat so I’m still working it.  I’ve been “working it” for the past 3 months and while it’s clear that I’m building muscle I don’t appear to losing bodyfat.  I burn 1000 calories each day for at least 4 days a week but I’m still pudgy.  I’ll keep at it though.  The best birthday present I could give to myself is continued committment to being physically fit.  Oh, and a Carvel ice cream roll with crunchies.

I was saddened to hear that a friend of mine lost his Grandmother.  It sounds as if he was particularly close to her and he’s got my condolences.  From reading his posts it sounds as if they were genuinely friends, apart from being blood related, which is nice.  I’ve got some relatives I love but don’t like very much, so his posting was particularly poignant.   All of myGrandparents have passed and it bothers me to think of my Parents passing away.  I’m sure they’ll be missed, just like my Grandparents but it will also mean that I’m more alone.  Yeah, I’ll have Sweets and Alex and who knows if I’ll have more children…but the people that came before occupy a place in my psyche that fill me with comfort and security because they’ve always been there and to imagine that reserve being vacant is frightening.  Anyhoo, my condolences to Dan, who lost a beloved family member.

All of my old high school friends had a reunion this past weekend and it was quite interesting.  Nostalgia has a way (for me) of sweetening past experiences that perhaps weren’t actually so sweet.  I loved seeing these people again but it’s clear to me that 20 years is a long time.  Several people that I wanted to see weren’t there but the core of the old group was there, which was nice.  John, Chris, Jeff, Dennis, Matt, Sean, Kevin, Maureen, Dave, Karen, Steve, Mark…it was great seeing them.  Some of those guys were in cub scouts with me…I’m glad they’re alive and well.  I also got to meet the wives and girlfriends, which was great.  Sean’s wife Lindsay who was very animated and engaging.  Perhaps I shouldn’t wait another 20 years to see some of these people again.  I was disappointed that I didn’t reach out to some of the people I didn’t know so well who were in attendance, but then again…they didn’t seek me out, so whatever.  Maureen and Kevin deserve kudos for putting all that work into the party.  From the tent, to the food they really did a great job, thanks Kevin and Maureen!

On the gaming front I’ve been a bit stymied.  I’ve not been devoting time to World of Warcraft simply because it’s tough for me to stay up until 11:30 now considering I’m getting up so early for work.  I just spent $20 bucks on the old Starcraft package, which sounded great until I installed it and realized how completely irrelevant it is these days.  The graphics and gameplay certainly don’t hold up in any way.  I also spent $20.00 on Resident Evil 4 for the Wii, which is ok I guess…probably worth the $20 bucks.  Controlling the character and the weapon aren’t easy…I constantly found myself looking up at the ceiling everytime I had to fire…it’s a weird combination of buttons, triggers and joysticks and it will take some time to get right.  I’m still totally digging to zombie levels in Call of Duty, World at War.  I’m also still enjoying skirmishes on Red Alert 3…quite fun.  I’ll be reinvesting in gaming once the wedding and honeymoon are over and real life descends upon me once again.

I’ve also been meaning to participate in and plug a friends gaming website called GamerDNA.com.  It’s pretty cool and I’m sure to get involved after the wedding.  Good luck guys!

Wow…I can ramble on while writing just was well as I do while talking!

F_M

Bring back Musclecar goodness!

Saw this on the way home tonight.  I’m not particularly fond of the El Camino, but it speaks to the 18 year old in me.

I could go for some V8.

F_M

Hey Stranger!

There is an event coming up this weekend that I’m excited about.  My old high school friends are getting together after 20 years!  Sure, some of us have stayed in touch over the years but this is the first time in a LONG time that we’ll all be together again.

I’m excited, but also a bit nervous.  It was nice to find out that some couples are still together and have large families, and some people, that I thought would be married, haven’t.  My 18 year old son will be there and I’ll be proudly showing him off.  Interestingly enough the event is at Kevin and Maureen’s house, and my ex will be there with me and Sweets.  They get along great, which worries me.  =)

It puzzles me when I think back to that 18 year old dufus I used to be.  The long journey from there to here was quite amazing.  I’ve been places and done things both good and bad that have shaped me.  I’ve learned and re-learned lessons countless times in those 20 years.   So I guess one of the reasons I’m nervous about this coming weekend is that it may remind me of who I used to be.

No sense worrying about something that hasn’t even happened though.  I’m just glad I’ll get to see my friends after so long.  They’re part of what shaped me and I’ve missed them.  People are coming in from all over the country for this event, from Florida to Nevada to Minnesota!  This promises to be a fun time full of food, old stories, new stories and a renewed sense of friendship.  I’m particularly interested in seeing Mike Curly, John and Chris Mailo, Scott McDonald and Rob Scullin, who were like brothers to me, Jeff, Sean, Matt…heck, EVERYONE!  I’ve yet to figure out what to bring…probably some food, and some chairs for sure.  Not sure how much drinking I’ll be doing as it’s about a 45 minute drive home, but we’ll have fun.  A special thanks to Kevin and Maureen for hosting this shindig, I’m sure it’s cost them a bit, not only money but time to prepare.

22 years to catch up on in an afternoon…wow.

F_M

Micky Ward – Still running on the streets of Lowell, thankfully.

I have either lived in Lowell or in the surrounding towns for most of my life.  There are many celebrities from Lowell, most of whom are dead, including Ed McMahon, Jack Kerouac, and Bette Davis, but they left to pursue their careers and it seemed Lowell was but a footnote in their story.

I was driving in Lowell yesterday looking to get my oil changed and who do I see running on the side of the road but Micky Ward.  Being a fight fan I recognized him immediately but I resisted the urge to stop and bother him simply because he was working out.  I’ve had the pleasure of briefly meeting him in the past when I was an EMT in the city, never long enough for him to remember who I am surely.

Boxing is one of those sports where character is on display.  Micky Ward wasn’t always the best fighter in the ring but I’ve always been AMAZED at his tenacity. This guy would sit in close and take the best of what the opponent had to dish out…just because he didn’t want to go down.  His fights aren’t alway pretty, in fact some are quite painful to watch…moreso because I relate to him because he’s a home-town guy.  He’s drank at the same holes I have…He’s been in the same DD’s that I have.  He’s walked the same streets as I have and taken the same buses.  I’ve seen him take shots that hurt ME through the television and you could see it hurt him but he kept going, often times coming back in the later rounds to miraculously finish his opponents.  He’s been profiled in all the major magazines, been on Sportscenter and in highlight reels, there is even a movie being made about his life…but he’s still running in Lowell, dodging traffic and potholes while he runs.

I want his drive and his tenacity.  He’s from the same place I am and if he can do what he’s done then there must be some part of me that’s been influenced by the same things he’s been influenced by.  I can’t express the pride I felt when I saw him fight, or when I drive by him while he’s running.  It’s too be the Highland Tap is closed because I sure would like to buy him a drink.
Micky, thanks for being a role model.  I’m proud of you!  If I can buy you a drink please let me know!  Keep running and keep swinging!

As a side note, Arturo Gatti was killed by his wife over the weekend, which I didn’t realize until last night, after I saw Micky running.  Some people say that Gatti was the perfect foil for Micky and those fights helped both fighter’s careers.  R.I.P. Arturo.

F_M

More discipline…

I need more discipline in regards to my diet. I’m doing well during the week but all bets are off over the weekend. Between eating out and grilling it’s almost impossible for me to maintain calorie restrictions.

Oh, and late at night, when I’m not supposed to eat anything? Forget it…I’ve been bad. Last night at 11pm I at a piece of pizza. WTF is that? Why do I have less will power later at night? Skinny Cow ice cream treats are no good for you when you eat 2…or even 3. I’m putting in all this work, getting up before the crack of dawn, spending all this time doing cardio and I blow it at night and on the weekends. Frustrating to say the least.

I guess I’m also a little let down that I’ve not lost any weight even after working out for over 2 months. I will say that I’ve gotten a bit bigger muscularly, but not a ton. I’m looking to lose some of this fat around my belly, sides, and haunches…SOMEONE GIVE ME A CARVING KNIFE!

If only it were that easy. I’ll keep plugging along though and maybe something will click in my body and start it will start responding to this work.

F_M

Watch!

Ok, for the record I wear a watch, but it’s a cheap $50.00 Armitron. While I’ve owned nice watches in the past I’m not a watch junkie by any stretch. My watch is functional and when it stops working in a few years I’ll spend another $50.00 for another one.

This video, besides being a cool video, shows a new type of watch. This watch is powered, not by a battery, but by air pressure and sports a unique interface never seen before.

I just know I’d scratch the jewel before I got home from the store.

I think I’ll wait for my OLED watch, thank you very much. Dick Tracy had that shyte 60 years ago!

Faithfully…

My First Video Blog post!

This is a swiveling chair tour of my office!

Happy 4th!

I would personally like to thank those that conceived of and fought for American Independence.  Over the years the 4th of July has become more about fireworks and cookouts than for recognition of our independence from Britain and our fight for self-determination.  Independence, liberty, and the freedoms we fought for are not only American values but values ALL humans struggle for. 

So please remember those that have fought, died, and LIVED for these values all over the world.

I am a very proud American and I salute her today, on her birthday!  God Bless America!
… See my Tabblo>

Struck a blow for “Personal Space” today!

I know I use my blog to complain about a lot of things…some of them gereral complaints and some are more esoteric than others.  I’ve finally got something on my mind that I think bugs EVERYONE.

Have you ever noticed that there are some people out there that don’t know how to respect your personal space?  Seinfeld made fun of it in the “Close Talker” episode, where Judge Reinhold would get WAY to close and talk to them as if he was a normal distance away.  I, like most people, have a healthy respect for ‘personal space.’ 

There is this guy (a sweaty, stinky guy) that decides that even in an EMPTY gym he needs to get REALLY close to me and do his calf stretches.  I’m working on my cardio, minding my own business and 40 minutes into my hour and he decides to hang his heel off the side of the machine right next to me and lean back.  I felt this dude’s HEAT he was so close…WTF is that shyte?  The whole place is empty and this guy has to stand right on top of me?  He does this inside the locker room too…the entire room is empty and he’s got towel off in my space, which aggravates the bejeezies out me.

This happens quite often and today I said something to him about it.  “Hey bud, do you mind not crowding me?  This place is empty so why don’t you stretch over there.”

You would have thought I punched his mother.  He huffed and puffed and finally moved down.  Now don’t get me wrong…I don’t feel badly at all, in fact I’m glad I did it.  But apparently he didn’t realize that he was too close for comfort…which I find unbelievable.  Final word…I don’t know this guy and I’m not in the gym to make friends.  Maybe I tought him a lesson on personal boundaries, maybe I just pissed him off…I don’t care.

And what’s with the guy who comes into a crowded gym and grabs the circulating fan and puts it right on himself?  Ok, that’s another gripe for another day.

Happy 4th!

Don’t touch that dial.

So, it’s Tuesday.

A few people have died in the past week or so. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcette, Billy Mays, and M.J. Of course many other people died in that time but the news media doesn’t cover those.

Many Iranian protesters have been detained, killed or injured in the past week but it seems that media outlets are relieved that they’re able to STOP covering that story. It felt to me that CNN and other vampiric outlets feel they’ve bled that story dry…so fresh meat for the sensationalizing had to be found. The fickle nature of our information consumption embarasses me and I wonder what the world thinks of us because of it.

The Iranian uprising must have hit it’s 140 character limit because for the past week I’ve seen nary a story regarding the continuing struggle.

Oh yeah, that North Korean ship that we dispatched war vessels to investigate that was suspected of carrying fuel and supplies for nuclear reaction? Aww, forget about it…it’s old news…didn’t you hear…M.J. died.

I don’t think that our attention spans are so short that we, as a nation, need to move on. I think that the news outlets are all about the dollar and feel the need feed us something new to keep us interested. Shame on you for not understanding what Americans are really all about. We, as Americans, are ALLOWING this by watching the inane coverage, buying the gossip rags, and not demanding that REAL NEWS be reported.

It sickens me to think that the struggle for democracy persists for these people and we’re more interested in what happens to all the crap Michael Jackson foolishly spent his money on. We WERE witnessing a monumental change in philosophy in the Middle East…that is, until we decided to change the channel.

Rhode Island Air Show 2009

See my Tabblo>

Apparently not…

My work PC is such a piece of crap that I won’t be posting those photos until I get home tonight.

It’s pretty sad when it barfs for 20 mins trying to open 45 photos.

Pisses me off…

I spent some time in Lowell last night waiting for Jean’s dress fitting.  It had been some times since I’ve spent any time in Lowell and to be honest I miss the grit.  Working for the municpal EMS was probably one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve had outside of my time on the Seneca.

I really enjoyed driving around waiting for an emergency, which sounds a bit weird, but it’s true.  Nothing would please me more that to walk into a chaotic scene and take control, providing order and a solution.  I loved being the person that people looked to and I loved being able to help people that otherwise couldn’t help themselves.  I guess there’s also the component of being able to help me classify my status…if I was helping these people, the indigent and needy, then I COULDN’T be one of them.

Of course, for all the things I loved about that job there were plenty of things I didn’t.  The pay…it was horrible, even for the mid 90’s.  The hours weren’t great either, and there is that whole “people dying” thing to get over…but I really dug the challenge.

There is nothing like resuscitating someone.  I’m not a particularly religious person, but it was like God coming through my hands.  ”Not Today,” I would repeat in my mind, and sometimes, inadvertantly,  out loud.

Anyhoo…this was about Lowell, so where was I?  Oh yes, last night I took some decent photos of the particular area I was in.  Here they are…

Ok…having problems uploading the photos…so I’ll put them in later tonight when I’m on a decent PC.

F_M

My Mind.

I feel like I’m completely unable to focus on anything in particular…

and I’m starting to think other people are taking notice.  I’m also afraid that it’s not getting better.
Am I losing any edge that I might have had?  I went from being very sharp a few years ago to needing to focus intently in order to be able to function normally.  Very curious indeed.

Faithfully…Mookie.

OMG OMG OMG OMG

Band of Brothers was AMAZING. My Grandfather fought in the Pacific and I had always hoped that the producers of BoB would make this mini-series…and they have. I can’t wait to see it.

Working on it…

I’m now burning about 1100-1300 calories each morning due to my lengthening my aerobic workout an extra 15 minutes.  Doing the elliptical for 45 minutes burns me almost 900 calories and, the weight circuit is at least 300 calories. 

I finally feel like I’m going to start being able to burn more calories than I take in.

I’ve been working out consistently for almost 2 months now and my weight hasn’t really fluctuated at all.  I’m still around 215lbs.  I’m building muscle for sure, I can see it so the trade off of form for weight is in full effect.  I don’t care if I weight 215 as long as my body fat is lower, which should start happening soon.  Protein is still a key component to my diet and I”m starting to get used to the reduced portions, although the weekends are still a problem for me. 

I have felt more tired recently, but I chaulk that up the exertion I’m going through.  Everyone always tells me that soon it will feel great to excerise, but there is serious question in my mind whether that will actually happen.  I hate working out…I’d much rather sit on the couch and eat potato chips and watch TV, but ultimately I know I would die there…which chips in mouth.  That’s no way be found, you know?  =)

I’m also trying to expand my horizons in regards to work.  I’m taking on more responsibility than in the past and I’m a tad intimidated.  Part of me doesn’t want that responsibility…I like answering email and providing great customer support.  The other part of me wants to do what I was originally hired for, which is designing support paths for our projects.  So, with that in mind I’m immersing myself in usability and trying to understand, interpret and generate metrics based on the feedback email.  Fun stuff.

Complancency is something I need to guard against because I’m prone to it.  So, this extra load is welcome.  It’s challenging me, which is something I sorely need.  We’ll see how that goes. =)

I’m working out to get my body into shape…I also need to get my mind in shape.  Yeah Challenge!

 

MiH

عبّاسه ماده شير

I am angered.

There are a few times in my life that I’ve gotten very angry over something I’ve seen.  The David Pearl assasination was one of those times, and it took me a long time to put those images in the right place in my head.

I watched the grainy cell phone video of a young Iranian woman assasinated in front of her father.  In this video she clutches her chest and is lowered down to the ground by her father, you can see the surprised look in her eyes.  Then those same eyes roll back in her head and blood starts oozing out of her mouth and then her nose as her father pleads with her to hang on.

Her name was Neda.

She had been killed by an unseen gunman from a rooftop in front of my eyes.

I almost started crying right there in the gym as I watched this horrific video on CNN.  I wasn’t thinking “Who could have done this?”  I wasn’t thinking about injustice, I wasn’t thinking about democracy. 

I was thinking that I had to do something.  I think of myself as a peaceful man but how can one remain peaceful when such crimes are committed?

It’s an incredibly difficult thing to watch.  Her death is graphic and tragic.  I hope this woman died for a reason.  I hope that her death is exploited so that everyone can see the struggle these people are going through to be free.  I guess we don’t have a choice in who pays the price for freedom, but we’ve all got a choice when it comes to action.  I urge everyone to support these people and their struggle for freedom from oppression.

I’ve got to get me one of these!

Obviously edited, but cute none-the-less!  They are cool little robots and this one is completing each little task you see, but it’s being programmed for each.

 

Faithfully,

Mookie

Iran and Twitter

I’m not a huge fan of either but they’ve both had me glued to my monitor recently.

I have a several twitter accounts for customer support reasons.  We broadcast changes and other things to our members via Twitter.  I’ve got my own twitter account as well, but I’m following people from TV’s shows I like such as LOST and Heroes…I”m not a broadcaster, more of a lurker.

With all the political unrest in Iran it’s hard not to pay attention. Firstly let me say that I’ve got nothing against the Iranian people, unless of course they want to burn my flag and kill me. I know that the majority of Iranians are peace loving, responsible and intelligent people with the capacity for great caring.

During this recent election there appears to have been gross improprieties in the tabulation of the votes…perhaps even a purposeful disregard process and outright lying…which doesn’t surprise me.  They’re even restricting texting, phone calls, and the Internet in order to restrict the flow of information.  Many people are risking their lives to get information out of Iran and many of them are clandestinely hacking proxies to use Twitter.  I am following several of them, some of whom I know are Government Stooges posing as civilians to destabilize the reporting.

I’m following one person in particular and his tweets really seem to convey the peril.

Students & people fighting back a large group of police & Basij right now at university of physics! I’m going to join them.

There is nothing we can do right now, police & basij forces are waiting outside blocking anyone from getting in or out IRG threaten to open fire at people if they try to participate in Mousavi’s rally.

Bastards just attacked us for no reason, I lost count of how much tear gas they launched at us! They used some kind of riot control gun in their last attack, never seen it before.

This isn’t the police! police is still outside! we’re under attack by Ansar-Hezbolah.

Unfortunately the entrance door is completely destroyed and there is no way of barricading it. University of Esfahan was also under attack last night, I got some pictures from students over there but they are terrifying.

Masood came to say Police forces are moving outside of complex! we’re going to take the chance & run to other buildings. State TV right now: rally is illegal and Police will use iron fist against law breakers.

There are now rumors of mousavi’s site being hacked and the whole rally is IRG’s trap. gun placements at azadi square confirmed.

Government is now playing a masterpiece mind game, all people here are so confused about what is real and who to trust.

Kasra is dead & I don’t know where is masood, lost him in the crowd yesterday. Thanks to someone (probably gov) we’re are now also spies of israel! and to be shoot on sight.

Ashora platoon 117, 5 killed by this man alone

 

I’m going to leave here & join with masood, as always wish all of us a giant amount of luck!

 

They are now arresting human rights activists in large scale. where is UN watchdog?!

I’m fearing for this person and I hope everyone stays safe.  I’m reminded of something my Grandfather said to me once when I asked him about his experience in World War 2.  When I asked him people had to die in war he told me “Freedom is never free.”  So, with that thought I encourage all the people of Iran to stand up for freedom!