Auld Lang Syne

According to this page, a good translation of the words "auld lang syne" is "times gone by."

Play the tune.

Well, another year is gone and I must say, "Good Riddance!". This has been a year of many disappointments and shortcomings... mostly mine.

I suppose I should have known what the year would be like when I went to the doctor 3 times before the middle of February. I had been to the doctor, maybe 3 times in the previous ten years. I should have seen it for the portent that it was.

It hasn't been all bad. If you get past the miserable first 5 months that I was sick and the traffic stop that nearly turned into a COPS episode on Easter Sunday; forget the home invasion, the murder of my brand new camera and the vandalism of my car all in May and June and gloss over the joke that my job has become since July; if you can look past all that plus my car being totaled last month, well the rest was just an average year.

Above Average

I suppose it sounds like I'm having a pity party and no one else is invited but the truth is, despite all of the hardships and heartache of 2008, I am happy to have come out the other side. I may be bloodied and bruised, but I am still standing, still moving forward (or at least scratching and clawing to keep from sliding backward).

Some days I think, "how did I get so old and what the hell do I have to show for it". Most days, I wonder what the hell I am doing, or at least why. I am not so naive as to think I am the first or the only person to feel inadequate, ineffectual or unsuccessful. (It just feels that way sometimes.)

I was able to make it back 'home' to Columbus for Christmas and be with my family, My mom, my sister, her husband and their four kids. I got to play the favorite uncle, my favorite role. I love spending holidays with the whole family and especially the kids. Kids add magic to Christmas; it is hard to deny. Still, after a couple of days of four kids hooping and hollering and generally vying for attention, I am reminded why I love other people's kids.

So, with the passing of one year and the promise of another, I wish for all my friends, good luck, good health and prosperity.

FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR

Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.

Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

- copied from http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm

The Fickle Finger of Fate...

The Wreck

Last month, November 18th, I was driving to work like any other Tuesday. I was yielding to oncoming traffic, as per the sign, at a major intersection, as I do five days a week minimum, when my car was rear-ended. Now, obviously, I am fine but my car was seriously damaged. Don't get me wrong, I have been driving it for nearly a month, albeit with my teeth clenched and my fingers crossed, waiting for the rear end to fall off. Finally today, after nearly a month of telephone tag with the insurance agent, I got an estimate, $3,145.97. Sounds bad. Gets worse.

[See Pics Here]

According to the nice fellow who gave my car a cursory exam which amounted to the equivalent of "turn your head and cough" and lasted all of three and a half minutes, this is probably enough to total my car.

Yea!

A Total Loss

I spoke with the insurance agent, finally, and it appears his assesment mirrors that of 'Bubba' the body jock. Apparently a ten year old car with over 160,000 miles is not worth much... unless it is your only means of transportation to work on the other side of town.

For now, I am to continue on with my life until somebody figures out how much a large hunk of metal, plastic and rubber is worth on paper. So, like my bumper, I am hanging on.

For those of you who do not know... when repairing a car is 75% (or more) of the 'value' of the car, it is a total loss. This means that rather than pay the repair bill, the insurance company will essentially buy the car from you for the value of the car (before the accident).

Maybe I'm being a little 'glass half empty' but I asked the insurance guy, "How does this help me get to work", to which he replied, "Oh, we're gonna pay you. We are buying the car."

Again, I asked,"How does this help me get to work". If, as he said, they take possession of the car that they purchase from me, I still have no vehicle. I also have no money and horrible credit. Do I even have to mention the fact that I still have bills, it is a week before Christmas and, oh yeah, I am supposed to go out of town next week.

On The Limp

What would happen if I took my busted ride and went on the lam? Let's face it, the car is doing what I want it to do. The insurance company wants to take it away. How is this beneficial to me?

I understand that they are offering to pay book value for a car that is, well, less than, but with lousy credit and no transportation, I will be forced to take the first P.O.S. (used vehicle) that I can find, for whatever amount the insurance company deems my car worthy.

If I thought driving the ten year old Oldsmobile that I originally bought for my ex eight years ago was a drag, well I can hardly wait to roll up in my 'new' twenty year old Yugo.

Hands, Word Salad, and the Mad Cow...

Last night I watched the last ever new episode of Boston Legal. It is a strange and wonderful show with a merry band of misfits, an odd and well disguised sense of morality and the balls to take on timely issues when the people we expect to take them on, tend to gloss over them with well-planned and superbly executed soundbites.

I will miss the antics and the camaraderie, the silliness and the politics (is that redundant), the absurdity and the unexpected.

In all its wondrous absurdity, it usually poked fun at real problems, real issues or realistic cases. It did so as one might poke a bear with a stick, with little thought of consequence or repercussions.

Perhaps it was the bear that finally caught up with them, or maybe just the intelligent arguments became too much for the advertisers. Let's face it, advertisers need sheep and intelligence is counterproductive to the cause. Intelligent broadcasting attracts intelligent audiences and intelligent audiences are not as easily distracted by shiny objects.

My fear is, that in its place, I will, instead, find another insane 'reality' show; (they make me want to puke - not once, but twice), or another equally insane game show (most likely from another country). Of course it only makes sense, after dumbing down our schools to the lowest common denominator that we would have to actually lower the standards of broadcasting (God, is that possible?).

I think a really good show can run the gamut of emotions. This show usually made me laugh, really laugh out loud several times in an episode. It occasionally made me sad, almost to tears.

I have a special sensitivity to Alzheimer's Disease because it slowly and unrelentingly stole my Grandfather away from me over a period of about 8-10 years. Anytime I see it portrayed, it brings out real emotion, even in the most ridiculously funny show where it isn't referred to by its real name but by its bovine equivalent as a parody or a means of coping or perhaps just another victim of the censors.

Goodbye and Goodnight

In a way, this is better. As someone once said, "Always leave them wanting more." That certainly is the case here. Too often, a really good show goes on long after it should.

Still, for my part, I will miss Denny, Alan, Jerry, Shirley, and the rest of the group...

Now that Denny and Alan are married, perhaps a spin-off... Would it be Crane and Crane?

No, as much as I hate to see it end - know when to say when.

Say goodnight, Gracie.

Goodnight, Gracie.

Rerun: Giving Thanks

This was originally posted at myspace.com/imanetjunkie HERE. (On Thanksgiving)


It is so easy to forget what Thanksgiving is all about or to become so self-involved as to forget what we have to be thankful for.

I haven't forgotten that the economy is bad. I haven't forgotten that we are in the middle of a war with no real end in sight. I haven't forgotten that people are starving and homeless here at home and abroad. I haven't forgotten Aids or Alzheimer's. I haven't forgotten that in the same year of change that we elected the first black President of the US, we also categorically and intentionally denied the freedom and rights of a growing portion of the population to enjoy the same privileges to share their lives and declare their love in front of God and man, to secure the same benefits as a traditional married couple. In essence, we haven't stepped forward, only sideways.

I seem to have forgotten my point momentarily, however.

I expected to be working on Thanksgiving. I had planned or not planned accordingly, so when on Wednesday it was finally confirmed that I would not have to, I resigned myself to the fact that I would spend "just another Thursday" in front of the computer and TV, alone again. Don't get me wrong, solitude is not always bad and quite often welcome, but Thanksgiving well...

Back to my original point - It is easy to forget the truly important things when we allow the daily minutiae to overwhelm us. I am often guilty of that. Today was a reminder of some of the things for which I should be more grateful. I thought it a perfect day to make a short list.

Family - most people will put this on their list but how often do we overlook or take them for granted. How easy to focus on the little things that peeve us.

Friends - Another one most people will list. I have said on more than one occasion that I don't have many friends and that is basically true, but the ones I do are the best around. I know I am not a warm, fuzzy type who makes friends easy. That doesn't even bother me. I am grateful to be reminded of how great the few people who have chosen to tolerate me really are.

Needs Met - I may not have every little thing that I want, but I truly have every thing I need. I have shelter. I may not live in the grandest manor but it serves its function. I have food. I don't recall ever wondering if or how I was going to eat. I may not eat steak and lobster and caviar (ick) but I can normally stock my freezer with frozen dinners and my fridge with bologna or ham. We have all recently experienced the $4 gallon of gas (or close). As much as I might have resented it, I never worried that I wouldn't be able to fill up and make it to work every day.

It is important to note here that I sidetracked a little from at least part of my point. When I woke this morning, I had nothing to look forward to but TV (mind you I do not watch sports and it is Thanksgiving) and Internet and maybe a turkey sandwich (the lunch meat variety). But something happened to change all that.

First, my ex-gf brought me a plateful of food, a Thanksgiving feast she had been up all night preparing. How nice is that? (Who else has en ex like that?)

Second, I got a text message from another friend inviting me to Thanksgiving lunch with her family. Thank you, Sonja.

I respectfully declined, explaining that it was a family holiday and I would see her on Saturday. I also asked her to express my thanks to her mom. About 2 minutes later, my phone rings.

Her mom.

Reluctantly, I answer.

"Hello"

"Get your ass over to my house, right now!"

"Er, um, ok."

Now, for those of you who don't know Ms. Priscilla and think I edited out the pleasantries and cut to the chase, let me assure you, this was the beginning of the conversation (and almost the sum total). So while I missed my family and the antics that are uniquely ours, I got to spend a nice few hours with a wonderful (and nearly as dysfunctional) surrogate family. I was treated and mistreated just like any other brother/uncle. For that, I am truly thankful.

So to all of my family and friends:

A day that will live on...

I am appalled and offended today. I am a big fan of Google and most of its services. One of the things I enjoy is what has become known as Google's Doodles - the little drawings that adorn their logo on holidays and days of note.

Today apparently does not meet the criteria.

Today is supposed to be the day that lives on in infamy.

From FDR's speech to Congress on Dec 8 1941...
The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor -

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Interestingly, we did not jump into war so quickly then...

The world had been at war since 1938 yet we remained uninvolved until it was brought to our front steps in Hawaii on a quiet Sunday morning, much like today, 67 years ago.

Its infamy seems to be fading - nearly forgotten.

Almost 2400 were killed and nearly 1200 were injured that day...

It should be remembered. They should be remembered.

See more here:
historymatters
Wikipedia - Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
fdrspeech12-8-41

- P.S.
If you can find a way to contact Google, let them know this date should be at least as important as the Persian New Year.