RIP: Terri Schiavo

ABC News: Terri Schiavo Dies at 41

Hopefully she is more at peace.

S&P cuts C&A rating; bankruptcy possible

At least they are not C&A.

Delphi hits the bottom of S&P 500 companies

Delphi hits the bottom of S&P 500 companies

Let's hope I can find a way to say some money for them, eh!?!

Detroit's Catch-22

GM swerves with dull lineup

The problem goes back a long way and generations have grown accustomed to the Detroit "Big-Three" producing exciting looking cars while lagging with quality, or perceived quality, as compared to Japanese manufactures. The Japanese manufactures have generally had rather dull designs and changes from model generation to the next have been subtle and slow. I'm sure this in part helps with their quality formula, but does little to excite brand image. It would seem that GM has tried to adopt the dull but quality model. That is fine if you have the demand to support it but for the time being I think they need to have both exciting designs and excellent quality. Yes, it is a more difficult position to be in but forget one and soon the other won't matter.

Please stand by...

I think Blogger has been experiences some difficulties lately as a few of my post from the last few days didn't actually post. Inasmuch as I haven't had problems with other sites on-line I have to conclude that it was a Blogger.com issue.

Oh well...

Photography

Starry night

It is kind of amazing what you can do with a camera. I could only dream of not only having the talent and the equipement (which these days isn't to hard to do, so long as you don't break your camera), and of course the opportunity. I don't know that abandoned buildings are the Detroit equivialent of the Sonoran Dessert but it's the best we've got.

Welcome to Michigan

Choose your doctor carefully

It is scary to think that anyone could possibly think that this law doesn't have far reaching problems with it. Check back latter under unforseen consequences.

Spring

I did some shopping at English Gardens just to get my mind going. It was nice to see all of the flowers in bloom, with the Sun out it was a rather relaxing time.

I still do not know what I will do with regard to additional landscaping this year. Obviously spending a lot of money on plants isn't a priority. I would love to be able to get some things started to block a few views but we'll see.

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?"

In what had to have only been the darkest hours of his entire life, doing what could be nothing less than the most supreme sacrifice for one he loved more than himself, at that very moment while completing his purpose in life for this other, that one turns his back on him. Abandoned and in pain he cries out and there is no peace. He suffers and is alone.

The Good Friday Debacle

Six years ago today I started the up-stairs renovation. The clock keeps ticking...

Green Lantern

Green Lantern

Again wandering... The above is from a blog that I read from time to time. It is a pretty cool picture and reminds me of days gone by, in my childhood and more recently. It could be embarrassing (not to be confused with bare assing - which it was) but let's be real. I did it, it was kind of funny, and I was plenty drunk at the time. Does that absolve me of anything, I don't think so but nevertheless it is done so don't expect an apology from me.

So there. Besides there are so many other things for me to worry about, should I feel the need, playing the role of the green lantern - albeit one with a twisted gay theme - is the least of my concerns.

I'm straight acting?!?

OK stop laughing...

So in reading through the blogosphere I came across an entry that referred to our group as frat types.

A group of cute, straight-acting frat-boy types came in. One introduced himself as what sounded like Tim 'with a P', so I was calling him 'Ptim,' until he showed me his license. His last name was 'Withipey.' He was a cutie.

We are many things but girl, straight acting, really?!? Anyway it is hilarious to see a reference to yourself in someone else's blog that you never even met. I came up with "Withipey" from Ptim. The "p" is silent but how was I to know?

The cast from last Saturday's Big Bash Whodunit Mystery

Wheels in my Head

OK, so I cannot sleep. Trust me, I tried and I definitely feel tired but when push comes to shove my mind just keeps chugging along. I had a coffee in the afternoon but that should have worn off well before now. A* is already halfway to Never-Never Land and all I can do is try to find a pattern in his snoring. I think of this, then that – the past, the present and the future, however imperfect it may be. Should I continue to lay there or no? Should I balance my checkbook or re-read my resume. What to do, what to do?

In between reading news and listening to some calming music I have been looking at job postings on Monster, and I have been thinking. I guess I have a lot of things to think about. There are plenty of things in my life that right now at this moment aren’t so great but there are just as many that are. It isn’t that I am unhappy, it's that I am discontented. The difference, I suppose, has much to do with where I think I could be and does not focus on where I am. I’ve always had this problem. There are always lists of tasks I should do, places I should go, and things I should learn. What I need to learn is to be content with what I have while striving to have more. Can that be balanced or acheived?

Know that you're loved,

D

"Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." -Unknown

Happy Birthday

So much for product placement...

Life, the World and Everything Thereafter

Lawmakers should back off, say those with similar stories

The ongoing saga of Terri Schiavo has got me to thinking. It can be either a simple decision between terra and her husband Michael; or a complex one that may make one rethink their own arrangements in life for death.

It is commonly joked among a close circle of friends that we would not want to be on life support. What is really said is that were any one of us in the hospital and were to be unable to go to the bathroom ourselves that we would be OK with pulling the plug. The fear of needing the help of another or of having to wear a diaper being too much for us pretentious and shallow gay men. The truth is I don't know that any of us have really thought it through to its end. Would we want to have "life" continue if we were in that condition? If not then what condition would be OK and what wouldn't? Would we want the hospital to go to heroic measures or no? Where again is the line. Would anyone want to be brought back to life only to potentially suffer debilitating effects for our trauma? It is all a risk game.

Does Michael Schiavo have the right to continue as Terri's legal guardian if he has, for all intensive purposes, already moved on. He has a girlfriend and children by her. The apparent reason he has not married her is to retain custody of Terri as her legal husband. I would believe that he has been by her side and has not abandoned her because he feels that he is doing what Terri would have wanted. If he wanted to give you on that marriage so as to move on he could have done so long ago without fighting for what he believes are Terri's wishes. But that does put some speculation into the equation.

Is Terri still alive now?!? I mean her body is still functioning as a body, save that she cannot feed herself, nevertheless it does otherwise work as a body, or a vehicle if you will. The argument to have her feeding tube removed is that in her persistent vegetative state the cognitive part of her brain is damaged and will not return. Is the cognitive part of ones brain the seat of the soul? Is the driver of this vehicle gone? or is the soul still inside? and if so what has become of it? Is the soul aware of what is going on but unable to communicate through its vehicle? or is it too broken (unconscious, asleep, what have you...)? Will we ever know?

Is it our right to intervene in the private matters of other private individuals? What happened to the Republican party that so champions states rights? What ever happened to the rule of law? In the past year we have heard increasingly of activist judges overruling legislation now we have activist legislators. The hypocrisy of it all bothers me. People seem to have forgotten that there are three branches of government for a reason and that the courts system is not merely that pesky little brother but is supposed to have equal share with the other two. Let's not forget that.

In any event this should be enough of a wake up call to begin planning for a living trust and durable power of attorney. That all would be easier of course were same-sex marriage easier but not impossible (except for Virginia)

Big Bash 2005

Oops, oh yeah the dinner went well. We had over 500 people attended and raised a ton of money for the center. Thanks for joining. See you next year...

Why men earn more than women

An interesting read. I would be curious to learn how the statistics stack up given the above considerations. I for one cannot see how women get paid less than men these days. The only consideration is that while there are salary bands for any job and everyone of that band must fit within, there is little keeping the employers from trying to push some to the low end to balance others at the big end. If a man is more assertive or requests a higher salary it would be to the employer's benefit to have someone at the low end and if that happens to be a women then so be it. I know that I have the bias of being male but I do not think that an employer would intentionally single out a woman for lower income. These days that just doesn't make good business. There are always victims and you can make a statistic say whatever you wish. Let's hope soon we can get past these issues and on to other more pressing matters.

Two years, huh!?!

So two years ago I fell in love. I know it is cliche but it is true. Like they say, when and where you least expect it...

Technology you gotta love it

See. Not just for red-eye anymore.

Love

Interesting, very interesting...

Delphi accounting woes rattle through industry

Delphi accounting woes rattle through industry So what you're saying is maybe taking a job with Delphi where my primary function would be to try and save them money might not be the best move, or the brightest?!?

That's the thing about guilt

So I'm none too pleased about the sentence I've received. I admit that what I did was wrong and that I expect that I should be punished in some form. It is just that I don't believe in AA and I know that this very judge has generally given out much lighter sentences (in the area or AA to others) . So here it is 50 hours or community service, w/ 10 hours granted for appearing in his dog-n-pony road show, 12 months probation, fines and AA three times a week. That's right three times a week. Now I don't know about you but that is just over the top. What the hell am I supposed to get out of wasting my time three times a week sitting through this bogus mambo-jumbo? I freely admit that I have a problem w/ alcohol. Let's move on.

the unknown

It is interesting how much power nothing can have. The unknown, that which is not, can have a tremendous power over us all. It isn't death that we fear but dying. We are unsure what may happen, we hope there is little pain. It is the unknown that keeps people apart. Misunderstanding, created buy the unknown could be said to be the root of discrimination, homophobia, or racism. It is an unsure self conscinious, brought on by the unknowning of ones own ablity that prevents us from moreing forward or moving on.

So what will come next?

I don't know...

Photographs of Detroit

I had the chance to wander around downtown Detroit this past Friday afternoon. I had to stop by Ilitch Holdings to pick up their contribution to this year's Big Bash Live Auction.

Afterwards since I didn't have anything else compelling to do I wandered around for a while taking pictures.

Huh?!?

I even managed to take one picture that I submitted to the Mirror Project. I've forgotten how relaxing it can be to just wander without direction and just take in the world around you. (Although one could argue that is what I have been doing for the last few weeks.)

Cash strapped my ass!

Apparently buying a stone is more important than keeping people employed...

Big Bash 2005

Have you bought your ticket?

So now what?!?

Good question!

I really don't know what it is that I am supposed to be doing right now in my life. I mean, I know I need to try to find a job and once that is taken care of that could be that. Let's face it though, I do not honestly believe that it will be that simple. Let's assume that I do get a job in the next few weeks, and let's assume that I make as much money (if not more - I can hope) as my last job. What then??? Do I like this job or is it more of the same? Do I know what it is that I want to do? Do I struggle through life like the rest of the cattle, trying to make ends meet, never really making an impact on the world as a whole and never truly being happy because I neither work in a job that I find fulfilling or I do not make enough money to compensate for the former? Do I go back to school and if so for what? Do I go full time or nights? Do I move from here or do I stick it out? When will I know? When will it be too late? Do I change my career? Can I accept a pay cut to do something that I would rather do? What is it that I want to do again? Am I happy? Could someone please let me know when I am? Do I want too much or is it that I have my sights set too low? Should I take my chances with a multi-level marketing scheme, I mean business, or do I run for the hills and do something different? Could I be successful as an eBay reseller? Should I start a new business or franchise with a current one? What? When? Where? How? And Why? (does Which go in there?)

Of course I could put the same question to this blog. What is it's purpose again? Does anyone read this? Does anyone care? Am I entertaining myself or do yawl get a kick out of my pedantic psychobabble? Can I be truly honest or do I censor myself for fear that others may read what I write? Am I even conscience of whether or not I censor what I write? Have I already said too much, or do you want more? Where is the line? Does this make sense to you? Have I run on enough for today or should I keep going? Are you still there? Is this thing on? Hello?

Delight rouge

Scary huh?!?

Looks like I could use some of that L' Oreal.

Magic make-up

Hey if it makes me look that good I'm in.

We interrupt this blog

Umm... Silicon Valley we have a problem.

Actually I have had quite a few problems with just about everything on-line lately. Nothing in great measure but it all adds up to being a pain in the buttocks. Apparently a portion of yesterdays blog was omitted. I know it was there because I added links to text that was a part of the missing. Corrections seen below in darker blue (we queers would call it periwinkle.)

I've also had some problems with my website, which I had hoped would be a good place to post many of the photos taken from last summer. Sure there are other ways but this should not be any more difficult. The garbage that is there right not is only because I have been testing to see if I could get it to work. No success yet. Stay tuned.

It would also appear that the application I have been using to add the photos to my blog is now giving me fits and starts. I suspect some of all of my problems lay in the fact that I currently have multiple pop-up blocker/spamware blocker/spyware blocker/firewalls going right now. Some come with the browser. Some with the computer and some are after the fact. Regardless I am overloaded and now feel trapped by the very thing that was supposed to set me free... There is a metaphor in there to be sure.

Keep you fingers crossed for me, eh!?!

Therapy

So it is amazing how things happen. I was mudding and sanding drywall all day Saturday and though it is fairly mindless work my noggin was getting real traction. I thought about a lot of things - what has happened in my recent past, where I am presently and where my future may lead me. More so now than ever I need someone to talk to that can understand where I'm at and provide some guidance. Anyway, as I'm sanding an old soliloquy comes to my mind. It deals with life and the world around you and has always helped me refocus when things get rough. As I was kicking around on-line I noticed that one guy on Out in Chicago had the same poem on his own personal blog. It brought a smile to my face. On Monday while talking with my therapist he used a phase from the poem and I mentioned it's name. Ironically he had never heard of the poem before the previous evening when a colleague handed him his business card which has the single word "Desiderata" on the back of it. The coincidence was amusing. Clearly the universe is unfolding as it should.

There was some more here but frankly after the technical difficulties it was enough to recompile the last part of this first paragraph. Suffice to say that I know I need to have patience to see myself through the next phase of my life.

Know that you're loved,

D