tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70099392024-03-12T20:14:04.907-04:00The Lynne ShowMy personal blah blah blahs. Better to be a bore in the blogosphere than to be a bore in real life. That is my motto!Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-6581676356262065022021-12-04T09:25:00.003-05:002021-12-04T09:25:57.336-05:00I have been thinking about reviving the blog I have been on Facebook for the last 10 years but I miss the longer form writing that blogging provides. Also, I just realized that this old blog is still here. :) Will I or won't I? We will see. Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-73838977366695286782011-12-29T10:40:00.001-05:002011-12-29T10:42:16.055-05:00Snow and SolitudeIt is snowing outside. I don't have to work today. I am snug with a couple of snoring dogs, a fake fireplace, and a cup of hot tea. Perfect.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-48503704266866555462011-11-29T11:55:00.003-05:002011-11-29T12:03:43.588-05:00What I go through...Another fat bigot<br /><br />This morning I was listening to the radio. The program had two economists discussing income inequality in our country today and what it means. At some point the dicussion turned to how there isn't just income inequality but life expectancy inequality too. And I swear to god, one of those dudes straight up blamed poor people for dying early because they are more likely to be fat. It was pretty early in the morning and I was half awake but it sounded to me like he was saying that poor people don't die sooner because they don't have the same access to health care. They don't die sooner because their lives are more stressful. They don't die sooner because they don't have the time or access to the kinds of recreation choices that make people healthier. No, they die sooner because they are fat and they are fat because they make bad choices. Which is probably why they are poor too. <br /><br />I fucking hate people sometimes.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-72064368920959674542011-11-17T16:15:00.003-05:002011-11-17T16:28:22.681-05:00The D is the future.I am very worried about the direction our country is going in. I worry about it all of the time. But I am not entirely without hope<br /><br />What makes me hopeful is Detroit. Seriously. Mother F*cking Detroit! What has happened to Detroit could be what happens to the rest of our country. Detroit has a 50% illiteracy rate and probably not coincidentally a 50% unemployment rate (if you count discouraged workers). The government is near collapse. There is decay and crime and every other thing everyone fears.<br /><br />And you know what? It isn't that bad. People do step up. Although people do starve to death there or die of exposure, it isn't exactly common. We could all do better of course but what I am seeing in Detroit is a bunch of people making real policy changes that I suspect are going to result in a huge improvement.<br /><br />Not only that, the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" entrepreneurial spirit that everyone says is part of the American psyche is thriving there. I see it every day. I have a lot of friends who live there and the things they are doing are amazing. They are *farming* there (stick it up your butt big agribusiness!) Others are making things and then selling them and really actually making money in the process. People are starting all kinds of businesses. It turns out that for a lot of people, when they can't get a job, they make a god damn job and it is exciting in ways I can hardly describe. But mostly I see it as proof that the 1% isn't going to have an easy time with their feudalistic intentions.<br /><br />There was a nice article on Huffington Post about just this thing today so I am sure that is why I am feeling that if Detroit can come back, the USA can come back. Here is a link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ned-staebler/detroit-comeback_b_1094924.html?ref=detroit">Why Detroit? Why Now? </a>Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-22274192485030293322011-10-02T09:35:00.001-04:002011-10-02T09:52:28.674-04:00This one is for Bill Hicks: A positive LSD story<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vX1CvW38cHA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br />I just had to think of Bill Hicks when I was reading this positive LSD story:<br /><br /><a href="http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/landmark-clinical-lsd-study-nears-completion">http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/landmark-clinical-lsd-study-nears-completion</a>Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-85182891957354640532011-09-11T11:18:00.004-04:002011-09-11T11:49:59.539-04:00DetroitI love Detroit. I really do. <br /><br />Yesterday, I had quite a nice day there. I got to see all kinds of wonderful folks. First I met up with the Bachers at <a href="http://www.dallyinthealley.com/">Dally in the Alley</a>. Lots of people were there. I actually had a hard time parking and ended up parking all the way up on Seldon and walking. That worked out ok though because I was pretty much right across the street from The Old Miami, where I eventually ended up. <br /><br />The Dally was really fun. I can't believe I've never bothered to attend this event before. *slaps forehead* It is basically the best block party ever! Like one often finds in Detroit, there was amazing live music on multiple stages. Later, I dragged my friend, Brent, to Traffic Jam for dinner. We saw Carl Levin there even! I am such a dork too and I totally pulled my "bus person" maneuver where I'll run into a person I don't know but see on the bus regularly someplace other than the bus and I'll be all like "HI!" like I am greeting an old friend. I totally did that to Carl Levin but he's a good politician so he totally did the same thing back to me. hahaha. He probably gets that all of the time. <br /><br />After that, I walked over the Old Miami. It is really weird to me how that area is gentrifying. I didn't have to step over even one passed out homeless person! Seriously, it looks like a lot of the vacant buildings have been torn down and the older buildings still standing seem to be occupied and in good shape, at least as far as one can tell from the sidewalk. That makes me happy. I hope that neighborhood does well. <br /><br />The Punk Fest benefit for Children's Hospital was pretty fun. I got there around 9:30p but still was able to see four bands. And also, as usual, I found myself a little awestruck at how much musical talent there is in Detroit. These bands were amazing! I always feel so lucky when I am in Detroit that I can, for not very much money, see really great live music in small venues. Even doing that "I'm too cool to run to the front so I am going to stand back here by the bar" thing leaves you within 50ft of the stage. <br /><br />I ended up leaving around 1am and I don't know if it was the Dally or if it was that UofM had a night game that ended late but there were a lot of drunks on the road. :( That isn't something I love about Detroit. I avoided getting hit by someone running a red light on Woodward because I luckily noticed them out of the corner of my eye and stopped even though I had a green light. I had to swerve to miss someone who decided to cut me off on the entrance ramp to I-94. But the really scary part was when I was just in Dearborn and I saw someone get on the freeway going the wrong way. Luckily it was night time so those approaching headlights were very obvious. And also luckily, I and several other drivers, started flashing our lights and honking and the wrong way driver noticed and pulled onto the shoulder. It was pretty scary though and, let me tell you, it woke me right up. Whew.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-15951910654370068882010-09-02T23:41:00.001-04:002010-09-03T00:04:49.004-04:0042(With Thanks to Douglas Adams)<br /><br /><br />On the day of the Great On-Turning two soberly dressed programmers with briefcases arrived. ... Their names were Lunkwill and Fook.<br /><br />For a few moments they sat in respectful silence, then, after exchanging a quiet glance with Fook, Lunkwill leaned forward and touched a small black panel.<br /><br />The subtlest of hums indicated that the massive computer was now in total active mode. After a pause it spoke to them in a voice rich, resonant and deep.<br /><br />It said: "What is this great task for which I, Deep Thought, ... have been called into existence? ...<br /><br />"O Deep Thought computer," Fook said, "the task we have designed you to perform is this. We want you to tell us ..." he paused, "the Answer!"<br /><br />"The Answer?" said Deep Thought. "The Answer to what?"<br /><br />"Life!" urged Fook. "The Universe!" said Lunkwill.<br /><br />"Everything!" they said in chorus.<br /><br />Deep Thought paused for a moment's reflection.<br /><br />"Tricky," he said finally.<br /><br />"But can you do it?"<br /><br />Again, a significant pause.<br /><br />"Yes," said Deep Thought, "I can do it."<br /><br />"There is an answer?" said Fook with breathless excitement. "A simple answer?" added Lunkwill.<br /><br />"Yes" said Deep Thought. "Life, the Universe, and Everything. There is an answer.<br /><br />But," he added, "I'll have to think about it." ...<br /><br />The hum level in the room suddenly increased as several ancillary bass driver units, mounted in sedately carved and varnished cabinet speakers around the room, cut in to give Deep Thought's voice a little more power.<br /><br />"All I wanted to say," bellowed the computer, "is that my circuits are now irrevocably committed to calculating the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything." He paused and satisfied himself that he now had everyone's attention, before continuing more quietly.<br /><br />"But the program will take me a little while to run."<br /><br />Fook glanced impatiently at his watch.<br /><br />"How long?" he said.<br /><br />"Seven and a half million years," said Deep Thought.<br /><br />Lunkwill and Fook blinked at each other. "Seven and a half million years!" they cried in chorus. ...<br /><br />[Seven and a half million years later]<br /><br />[There] was a pretty tree-lined city square, and all around it as far as the eye could see were white concrete buildings of airy spacious design but somewhat the worse for wear ... many were cracked and stained with rain. Today, however, the sun was shining, a fresh breeze danced lightly through the trees, and the odd sensation that all the buildings were quietly humming was probably caused by the fact that the square and all the streets around it were thronged with cheerful excited people. Somewhere a band was playing, brightly colored flags were fluttering in the breeze and the spirit of carnival was in the air. ...<br /><br />A man standing on a brightly dressed dais before the building which clearly dominated the square was addressing the crowd over a tannoy.<br /><br />"O people who wait in the shadow of Deep Thought!" he cried out. "\x{2026}the Time of Waiting is over!"<br /><br />Wild cheers broke out among the crowd. Flags, streamers and wolf whistles sailed through the air. The narrower streets looked rather like centipedes rolled over on their backs and frantically waving their legs in the air.<br /><br />"Seven and a half million years our race has waited for this Great and Hopefully Enlightening Day!" cried the cheerleader. "The Day of the Answer!"<br /><br />Hurrahs burst from the ecstatic crowd. "Never again," cried the man, "never again will we wake up in the morning and think Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Does it really, cosmically speaking, matter if I don't get up and go to work? For today we will finally learn once and for all the plain and simple answer to all these nagging little problems of Life, the Universe and Everything!" ...<br /><br />Two severely dressed men sat respectfully before the terminal and waited.<br /><br />"The time is nearly upon us," said one.<br /><br />"Seventy-five thousand generations ago, our ancestors set this program in motion," the second man said, "and in all that time we will be the first to hear the computer speak."<br /><br />"An awesome prospect, Phouchg," agreed the first man ...<br /><br />"We are the ones who will hear," said Phouchg, "the answer to the great question of Life ...!"<br /><br />"The Universe ...!" said Loonquawl.<br /><br />"And Everything ... !"<br /><br />"Shhh," said Loonquawl with a slight gesture, "I think Deep Thought is preparing to speak!"<br /><br />There was a moment's expectant pause while panels slowly came to life on the front of the console. Lights flashed on and off experimentally and settled down into a businesslike pattern. A soft low hum came from the communication channel.<br /><br />"Good morning," said Deep Thought at last.<br /><br />"Er ... good morning, O Deep Thought," said Loonquawl nervously, "do you have ... er, that is ..."<br /><br />"An answer for you?" interrupted Deep Thought majestically. "Yes, I have."<br /><br />The two men shivered with expectancy. Their waiting had not been in vain.<br /><br />"There really is one?" breathed Phouchg.<br /><br />"There really is one," confirmed Deep Thought.<br /><br />"To Everything? To the great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?"<br /><br />"Yes."<br /><br />Both of the men had been trained for this moment, their lives had been a preparation for it, they had been selected at birth as those who would witness the answer, but even so they found themselves gasping and squirming like excited children.<br /><br />"And you're ready to give it to us?" urged Loonquawl.<br /><br />"I am."<br /><br />"Now?"<br /><br />"Now," said Deep Thought. ...<br /><br />"Tell us!"<br /><br />"All right," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question ..."<br /><br />"Yes ... !"<br /><br />"Of Life, the Universe and Everything ..." said Deep Thought.<br /><br />"Yes ... !"<br /><br />"Is ... " said Deep Thought, and paused.<br /><br />"Yes ... !"<br /><br />"Is ... "<br /><br />"Yes ... !!! ... ?"<br /><br />"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. ...<br /><br />"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"<br /><br />"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is."Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-27619603878592706282010-08-11T22:28:00.004-04:002010-08-11T23:22:42.934-04:00Ypsilanti Dog DramaTonight I was meeting some neighbors for dinner at Sidetrack. I rushed home from work so I could get home in time to let my dogs play with my neighbor's dog, Cali. But, alas, Cali was not home. Cali's owner was home, however, and was quite worried. Cali had somehow escaped from my neighbor's gated front porch in the early morning. Naturally I was concerned because it isnt the norm for a dog that has run away to stay gone for so long or at least it never has been for most of the dogs I have owned. I took Tasha and little Maggie for a bit of a spin around the 'hood hoping to find Cali but we did not. <br /><br />I had to meet people at Sidetrack so I put my dogs back in the house and headed over to meet my neighbors at Sidetrack. But as I was walking by the Food Coop, guess who was tied up out front. CALI! A staff person from the coop was standing outside and I asked about Cali and let her know that she was my neighbor's dog. Right then Cali jumped up on me which is something I have working with her on but apparently not very well because she keeps jumping on me when she is excited. I gave her a stern "NO JUMP" as is my habit and noticed a woman standing nearby giving me a very dirty look. Then she said, "If you didn't want the dog to jump on you, you shouldnt stand by her" <br /><br />I replied, "She just isn't especially well behaved all of the time"<br /><br />The woman wigged out. Her name is "Hope" which I have to admit is something I find highly ironic. Apparently in her world, suggesting that a dog might not be the model of good behavior is akin to serious abuse. At any rate, I started doing the whole thing of offering to take the dog home and whatnot. Hope just wasnt having any of it. Others tried to convince her that a. No one told me the dog was lost, I just knew. and b. Cali obviously knows me therefore I am probably telling the truth about knowing where the dog belongs. <br /><br />She just started some crazy ranting about how I wasn't fit to own the dog because she wasn't fixed or because she got loose and a whole lot of other reasons. I kept explaining that the dog wasn't mine. I probably shouldn't have but I gave her a little lecture about how sometimes one might not approve of how someone else is raising their dogs (or children) but that doesn't mean one can just take the dog (or kids) away themselves. <br /><br />I went to get a leash to take Cali home and Hope, seeing that I meant to take the dog home decided to try to leave. I just couldnt let that happen because I was worried that if she left, knowing only her first name, no one would ever see this dog again. I know that my neighbor would have been heartbroken but the truth is that I really like this dog too and have been really enjoying having her over every evening to play in my yard. The only way I could think of to stop her in that moment was to grab onto Cali's collar. She tugged and I tugged and sadly, we hurt Cali and caused her neck to bleed. I deeply regret that since my intention wasn't to hurt her. I guess when the adrenalin is high, it is easier than one might think to be rougher than one intended. Still, I couldn't let her take Cali so I don't regret stopping her from leaving. <br /><br />Eventually some very wonderful women intervened. They helped calm everyone down and called the police. I also was very impressed with the way the Ypsilanti Police dept handled the situation. My neighbor got her dog back and I wasn't arrested for punching Hope in the face. Mostly because I didn't punch anyone in the face. That was because of those two awesome women and because of the police officers timely arrival.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-89306974825179357222009-03-13T19:38:00.004-04:002009-03-13T19:48:41.370-04:00City of Ypsilanti Does the Right ThingI am very happy that the City of Ypsilanti has decided to do right by its citizens and waive the fines from the recent <a href="http://slynne.blogspot.com/2009/03/ypsilanti-shovelgate-saga-continues.html">snow ordinance enforcement fiasco</a>. My faith in the city has been restored as has my trust in city employees. <br /><br />Here is a link to the story in the Ypsi Citizen<br /><br /><a href="http://ypsiciti.com/section/News/City+waives+snow+removal+fees-article-504.html">Ypsilanti Citizen: City Waives Snow Removal Fees</a>Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-37771316598834628092009-03-05T18:44:00.002-05:002009-03-05T18:47:33.247-05:00Ask and Ye Shall Receive<a href="http://ypsiciti.com/section/News/Prostitution+sting+leads+to+two+arrests-article-467.html">Prostitution sting leads to two arrests</a>Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-43901227829282239342009-03-04T20:11:00.006-05:002009-03-04T20:38:06.094-05:00But What About the Hookers???<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/hookers.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />This weekend, I was hanging out with my sister bitching about this whole shovel mess in Ypsilanti. My sister reminded me of a story that she feels captures the essence of Ypsilanti...<br /><br />A while back, I went to a neighborhood association meeting where representatives from the Police Dept were available to listen to citizen's concerns. For TWO hours, it was nothing but bitching about barking dogs, uncut grass, and people speeding on Prospect. Finally, after everyone was finished with that, one man stood up and asked, "But what about the hookers? Is anyone going to do anything about the hookers"<br /><br />That made me laugh for days. And it has helped me put this issue into perspective a little bit. I want a walkable city as much as the next person and obviously I think it is important that the city government be accountable to Ypsilanti citizens. But our city has problems that are way worse than snow on sidewalks. Just sayin.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-2368722803367743002009-03-03T21:45:00.003-05:002009-03-03T22:43:36.168-05:00Ypsilanti Shovelgate - The Saga Continues...About a week ago, I received an invoice from the City of Ypsilanti for $103 for snow removal which they said occurred on 1/31. My initial reaction was to just pay the invoice because I couldnt remember if there was possibly any snow or ice on my walk that day. I was angry, though, because I was never issued a warning or notice of any kind. I also was angry because although I was being charged for snow removal, I never noticed that any work had been done. I was pretty angry, too, because this is not the first time I have had a bad experience with the city regarding ordinance enforcement (Click <a href="http://lynne.tblog.com/post/466120">HERE</a> to read about that experience)<br /><br />Later, I came across Mark Maynard's post on the subject (which can be viewed <a href="http://markmaynard.com/?p=4228">HERE</a> along with a subsequent post which can be viewed <a href="http://markmaynard.com/?p=4265">HERE</a>). I came to learn that several other citizens received similar invoices and not a single one of them had received a notice or warning of any kind. Also, unlike me, many of them were certain that their walks were clear. <br /><br />During the course of the discussion on that blog, there were a lot of people claiming that they received no notice. In fact, not a single person came forward and said that they had received a notice. Also, many people claimed that they had shoveled and as it happens, when they appealed, the city was unable to provide them with the photos the contractor is required to take of the walks needed shoveling. Also during that discussion, I was directed to a web site where I could see which properties received invoices. I was curious because the vacant property next to me has never had the snow shoveled even once this winter. They did not receive an invoice. <br /><br />I decided to go to the City Council meeting tonight to voice my concerns. The first of which was that it appears that people were not given notices. The second of which was that there were consistent reports from many people that the work was not done. And the third issue was that the enforcement was selective such that the worst offenders, such as the vacant property next to me was not cleared or invoiced. <br /><br />I was hoping that the city council would recognize that there was a problem here that was greater than just the people who have appealed this action or who have publicly complained. I suspect that if none of the loudest of city residents received a notice or warning, it is likely that many of the quieter residents did not either. I was hoping that the council would apologize to the residents of the city on behalf of the city employees who CLEARLY made a mistake here with the implementation of this ordinance. I was hoping to hear some plans about ensuring that ordinances are carried out properly. <br /><br />I was disappointed. The attitude was basically, if you have a problem, appeal. And I heard that as far as notifications go, if a city employee says they left a notice, that is all the proof anyone needs. I also heard council members commend the staff on the job they did. Now, I wasnt expecting anyone to publicly censure a city employee for this but to *commend* them when there clearly is strong evidence that notices of abatement were not given is beyond the pale. At this point, I am just hoping that I misheard and they were being commended on taking the effort to enforce the ordinance in the first place (which they do deserve) rather than on the implementation which they do not. No one said anything about the selective enforcement even though I was not the only one to bring that up. Nor was there any discussion about how the city could make sure that the contractor did the job they were supposed to do. There was *some* discussion about improving the notification process and I appreciate that. But it isnt enough and it especially isnt enough in the absence of an apology or even much of an acknowledgment that the city was wrong <br /><br /><br />At any rate. I am going to appeal this. And then I will file it away with the other instances where I have been disappointed in how the city handles things. I can say this though. I am proud of all of my fellow citizens who came out to the meeting and spoke up, not just for themselves (as most of them have already had their invoices waived) but for everyone. One of the things this city still has in its favor is that folks in Ypsilanti are alright!Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-82505453098452584512009-01-26T09:47:00.002-05:002009-01-26T12:25:27.169-05:00Inauguration Day 1/20/2009This is my account of my own experience of Obama's Inauguration. I stayed at my brother and his wife's house in Vienna, VA. My young nephews generously shared a bedroom while I was there so I could have my own room. By complete coincidence some friends of mine from Seattle were staying in a hotel in Vienna, VA that was only 1/2 mile from my brother's house. <br /><br />I met up with my friends Beth and Barry, Beth's mother, Gratia, and their daughter B. at the Vienna Metro station. Although we all left the house very early, we didnt get downtown until around 10:30am which was too late to get anywhere in front of the Washington Monument.<br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/Metro1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />The trains were running slowly because someone was pushed or fell onto the metro tracks so they had to turn the trains around before that station. That person was not seriously injured because of the quick thinking of some guy on the platform who knew that there was a space under the platform. He pushed her into the space and the train missed her. I was relived when I heard that. Click <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/21/dc.subway.rescue/index.html"><u>here</u></a> for the story. <br /><br />My brother was a couple of trains ahead of me because I wanted to wait for Barry/Beth et al and I figured I would text him and then find him once we got down there. While on the train, someone else got a text that streets were closed near the mall so we decided to get off the Metro at Foggy Bottom. Once I got out of the station, I got the text from my brother to get off the train at Foggy Bottom and head towards the WWII memorial. That was just one of many lucky occurrences that surrounded this event. I mean, I missed my brother's text but did the right thing anyways. <br /><br />Once we got there, there were already too many people for me to find my brother even though he texted me his exact location. I could see where he said he was but I couldnt get over there. So I found a spot near a tree and sat down for a while. I had a pretty good view of the jumbo-tron for most of the ceremony but eventually the space in front of me filled up so I had to stand to see. It got really crowded even way back where we were. I mean crowded like you could barely move crowded. It looked like there were crowds all the way back to the Lincoln Memorial! <br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/MeJan2009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />During the swearing in people were *very* emotional. There was lots of crying and hugging strangers and cheering. It was awesome! When Aretha came on, I yelled out "Detroit Represent!" and lots of people near me cheered and said they were from Detroit too. <br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/Jumbotron.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />After the swearing in, some people started to leave so I sat down again and watched the rest of the program. I was really happy to have found such a comfortable spot. It was a little cold but not too bad. I was only cold because I had taken off my coat to sit on it. Once it was over, I put my coat back on and was fine. <br /><br />When it was time to leave, there was discussion about heading towards one of the museums to warm up but it quickly became obvious that there was NO WAY we were going to make it to one of the museums. We stood in a huge crowd that was moving towards the streets. It was remarkable because there was no pushing and no shoving even though the crowd was so dense that everyone was pressed up against everyone else. I have never been around such a mellow nice crowd except for at some Dead shows but those people were high. These folks were just plain NICE although there was some cheering and out breaks of a certain Bananarama song when the helicopter that may have contained Bush flew overhead. <br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/Crowds.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Eventually we made our way back to Foggy Bottom where we ended up in a big crowd waiting to get into the station. They were limiting how many people could enter the station at one time, possibly because of the earlier incident. After around 45 minutes in yet another incredibly nice and pleasant but very dense crowd, we got into the station. I was impressed with the transit workers who were in charge. They kept making everyone repeat "when the person in front of you goes, you go" and "when the person in front of you stops, you stop" and cracking jokes so again, there was no pushing or shoving and lots of laughter. I think they took a potentially dangerous situation and made it much safer so huge props go to the Metro staff. <br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/FoggyBottom.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><br />Eventually we got in but everyone was tired so we got on a train going the wrong way because it had seats and we just rode to Maryland and then eventually got off and got on the train in the right direction. There is nothing like a little discomfort to make one appreciate things like a seat on a warm train. People were very nice on the train too. One guy even gave us a free bumpersticker<br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/Rednecks.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Eventually, we made it back to Vienna. We met up with my brother then and we all went out for a very nice dinner. <br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Inauguration%202009/Dinner.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-55282510169605619982008-11-06T21:47:00.005-05:002008-11-06T22:16:32.693-05:00Schadenfreude, Football, and Elections.We all have our dirty little secrets or what should be dirty little secrets but aren't because we write about them in our blogs. One of mine was how often I find myself rejoicing in the suffering of others. Not all the time of course as I am not without compassion. But man, sometimes when some boastful jerk gets taken down a peg, I swear I get giddy in my toes. <br /><br />I first noticed this tendency a few years after I moved to Ann Arbor. You see, Ann Arbor is the home of the University of Michigan which has a football team...a good football team...a football team that wins most of the time. Winning football games is a big deal on Saturdays in the fall. It is what Ann Arbor does. In fact, if you arent especially into football, you hardly notice it except for the occasional bragging by people who seem to think that being a Wolverine fan makes them a better person (because they have the good judgment to be a fan of a winning team I guess) The team wins and everyone goes about their business as usual...UNTIL...<br /><br />They lose. Then, the whining begins. And it is serious whining. It is whining mixed with anger and rage. And I love it. There is something about watching someone get enraged over a FOOTBALL GAME (ferchissakes) that fills my heart with joy. I hardly ever watch football but when I do, there is a part of me that always roots for the team playing Michigan only because I know that if that team beats Michigan, the fans will sulk and pout and rant and rage and so on. <br /><br />It turns out that I get the same feeling after elections. Not towards everyone who voted for McCain. I actually like McCain and can totally understand why a reasonable person might vote for him. But there are people on the right who just were jerks in the weeks leading up to the election, who are now rivaling Wolverine fans in the sore loser department. And I love it. <br /><br />I keep reading craigslist because they keep entering rants like <a href="http://annarbor.craigslist.org/rnr/907908710.html">this one.</a> They are losing it and I LOVE IT!!! I keep hoping that someone will interview that mean lady in Grosse Pointe who wouldnt give candy on Halloween to Obama supporters or their children. How do you feel today lady? That's what I want to know. <br /><br />So that is my secret. If you see me grinning and all giddy. That's why. These guys might rant for four whole years. Elections are way better than football as it turns out. boo yah!Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-53510362608070138632008-11-05T10:11:00.000-05:002008-11-05T10:12:20.508-05:00Yay!!!!<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/party1.gif" border="0" alt="Obama!!!!"></a>Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-85879193461921172662008-08-19T22:44:00.003-04:002008-08-19T22:51:51.685-04:00It's Summertime and the Living is EasyThis is just an update. I dont have anything special to write about so much. It is just summertime and for me, summer in Michigan means all is good. I've had friends staying with me most of the summer which has been nice. I've been swimming in the lake a lot which is also nice. Lots of hanging out, drinking beer, watching fireflies and the usual summertime pass times. It's all good. <br /><br />Here is a photo of me from a couple of weeks ago. This is the first time I held my nephew Joey. I am not sure which one of us is more uncomfortable. I think I'll be a better Aunt when he is older. Then I do stuff like take him out and get him all sugared up on ice cream and overexcited about whatever activity I can drag him on before returning him to my sister. Ha ha. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/Joey/P1010056.jpg">Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-14200755897212351222008-07-22T18:55:00.002-04:002008-07-22T18:59:08.736-04:00Think of the ChildrenSo today, after enduring 45 mins on the bus with a screaming child, a man at the bus station stopped me and asked me if I was interested in saving children. I told him "no thank you" It was only after walking away that I realized that I had said "no thank you" in the exact same tone I might have used if he had just asked me if I would like him to take a crap in my hand. Oops.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-33061323156609064022008-07-19T00:00:00.000-04:002008-07-19T00:01:28.678-04:00Art FairI havent had any trouble working downtown during this art fair. I have a<br />parking pass so even though I had to drive downtown Wednesday and<br />Thursday due to after work plans, I had no problems with parking.<br />Traffic was actually easier in the morning, I suspect because a lot of<br />people who usually drive downtown werent. Afternoon traffic has been<br />crappy causing me to try to remember all my old "back ways" but I<br />surprisingly did manage to drive all the way from downtown to Trader<br />Joe's yesterday on side streets. Today it was even easier as I took the<br />bus to work. My office is on Washington so, with the exception of one<br />loud kid with a lemonade stand, there hasnt been any noise. <br /><br />My favorite things so far:<br /><br />1. There is a booth with interesting stone sculpture on Main Street in<br />front of National City. They are way out of my price range of course but<br />if I had the bucks, I might consider buying one of those. <br /><br />2. I have a friend who is a photographer and also is REALLY into crafts.<br />She isnt part of any of the official juried art fairs but knows the<br />people who own the building where A Vault of Midnight is located so she<br />has some arrangement to set up outside their store. She has a lot of<br />photos on magnets so I bought one of those. She also has some pretty<br />cool bowls she makes by melting vinyl records and notebooks with covers<br />made from the record covers. <br /><br />3. I always end up checking out that King's Chosen area or whatever it<br />is called. There was one woman with silly drawings of pub signs with<br />dogs that probably are the artistic equivalent of those dogs playing<br />poker posters but I really liked them. Since I now own a pure bred dog,<br />there was one picture with a yellow lab that I liked. <br /><br />4. In the same area there was a booth with what looked like wind chimes<br />made out of melted and smooshed liquor bottles. I thought those looked<br />fun.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-64188111990790342282008-07-16T21:51:00.003-04:002008-07-16T22:01:34.567-04:00Labrador LessonsI just got back from the lake. First I stopped off at my sister's house to meet my new nephew. I didnt hold him though because he only weighs five pounds and is too little. People who are that little are scary. But I poked him and that made him cry. And I swear, he waved good bye to me when I left. <br /><br />Then I went to my parents' house and went swimming with the dogs. When I adopted my five y/o Labrador last fall, I was kind of disappointed because she both didnt know how to swim and didnt know how to fetch. So this summer we have been spending a lot of time at the lake and she has spent some time with Larry the Labrador who lives at the lake. He's been very good about showing her how Labradors are *supposed* to behave. <br /><br />Anyways today, even though Larry was no where to be found, Tasha fetched and swam all on her own. She even went WAY out into the deep. Then she and I and my sister's dog Buddy swam around together. It reminded me of how people pay money to swim with dolphins. I wonder if I can charge people to go swimming with the dogs. Haha. Probably not. <br /><br />Oh yeah, I went to <a href="http://www.artfair.org/">Art Fair</a> today too. It is nice working downtown. I was able to walk around for an hour which is about my limit for Art Fair. It was hot but then I was able to go back to my air conditioned work place. And I get to do it again tomorrow. And Friday.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-92160539901830007972008-06-30T22:34:00.002-04:002008-06-30T22:37:52.435-04:00Watch Out!!! There is another Fremont in the worldMy sister had a baby boy tonight which is very good news. What is not good news is that he is premature. He was born fast apparently and weighs in at just over 4lbs. But, considering his early arrival, he is healthy. I guess we wait and see at this point. <br /><br />But I know someone who had a premature baby and that baby grew up to be a healthy, beautiful, smart, kid. So it seems hopeful.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-62128856250023701462008-06-07T14:57:00.002-04:002008-06-07T15:29:05.297-04:00Ginger RIPI took my cat Ginger to the vet this morning and had her put to sleep. I think she was 19 years old but I dont really know since she wasnt a kitten when I got her. I had her for 17 years or so. She was pretty out of it but still wasnt happy about going. Still, it was a short irritation for her since I took her to the vet closest to my house, <a href="http://www.ypsivet.com/index.php">Ypsilanti Animal Clinic.</a> They were really great there and the procedure was quick and painless. She had a pretty uncomfortable night last night. She wasnt in pain especially but was so weak that she could hardly walk. She could walk about a foot and then she would have to lay down and rest for several minutes. She was crying in frustration every time she tried to move. I know she just wanted to get to whatever spot she wanted to go to and I would have carried her if I knew where she meant to go. She was pretty dehydrated too as she had stopped drinking water for the most part and I could tell that wasnt especially comfortable for her. It was time. <br /><br />I buried her in my back yard right in the middle of all the rose bushes.<br /><br /> <br /><b>The Story of Ginger</b><br /><br />Ginger was a stolen cat. Her first owners abused her terribly. From what I understand, they beat her and starved her. I was working at a pet store at the time and one of my co-workers stole her from her neighbor in order to protect her. I think some of the odd behaviors she had throughout her life were a result of living in such a bad environment. For instance, she loved to open up packages of food and when she was young and spry, she often would get into the cupboards, open up boxes and bags of dog treats and then eat some and knock some down for the dogs. Needless to say, that increased her popularity with the canine members of the household. <br /><br />The owner of the pet store agreed to take her as a pet store cat. It turned out, though, that Ginger did not have the makings of a pet store cat. She never was especially social (guests to my house often wondered aloud if I was lying about having a cat since they'd never seen her) so she hid from the customers all day. By night she prowled the store until one night either someone left the giant finch cage open or she figured out how to open it herself. Let's just say that Ginger was an excellent hunter which turned out to be another reason she was ill suited to be a pet store cat.<br /><br />I had kind of been looking for another cat to be a companion for my cat Fred. The owner of the pet store agreed to pay to have Ginger spayed if I took her in so she came to live me me. I dont remember what her name was before but I changed it to Ginger because I thought Fred and Ginger were good names for a pair of cats. Her first week with me was awful. She went into heat and made my life miserable. She made Fred's life miserable as well as she kept getting amorous with him but with no success because he was neutered. Eventually, she went out of heat and I was finally able to get her fixed. <br /><br />We moved around a lot. Some of my roommates liked Ginger and some didnt. Her favorite thing is the world to do was to claw up furniture and harass other cats (and especially Jeanne's cat Spock). But she got declawed and after Spock, she never had to live with any more cats other than her buddy Fred. <br /><br />She did have to live with dogs though. After Fred died, 11 years ago, I brought Brooke into our household. She was 10 months old and had some issues of her own. Ginger always liked Brooke though. Sometimes when I would leave them home alone together, I would come home and Ginger would be crusty with dog saliva since Brooke seemed to like kissing her all day while I was gone. I cant say that Ginger liked that treatment but it is a testimony to how much she liked Brooke that she allowed it to happen. My next dog was Crissy and Ginger loved Crissy too. Sometimes out of the corner of my eye, I would catch Ginger giving "love bites" to Crissy. Then came Cookie who only was with us a short time. Ginger *hated* Cookie. Cookie was part Border Collie and had a hobby of herding cats. Ginger, it turns out was not very fond of being herded. She tolerated Cookie although sometimes Ginger would sit in the middle of the floor and hiss when Cookie walked by. And lastly, Ginger had Tasha. She didnt like Tasha at first but Tasha treated her very much as Crissy did, i.e. with a lot of respect and an acknowledgment that Ginger was the one who wore the tail in the family. Ginger warmed up to Tasha quickly and for the last several months, I sometimes found them sleeping in large dog bed together. <br /><br />Ginger was a very bossy cat. She pretty much ran the show around here. I sometimes joked that if there were such a thing as reincarnation, she surely had the soul of a great general. I wonder if I will know what to do with myself without her to boss me around.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-26817339115979780842008-06-01T20:58:00.003-04:002008-06-01T21:02:12.459-04:00Sick CatMy cat is probably going to die very soon. She isnt eating and can barely walk. She isnt in any pain though and trust me, she is the sort who would let the world know if she were. So for now, I am not going to take her in to be put to sleep since her least favorite thing in the world is to go anywhere in a car but she especially always hated going to the vet's office. She's 19 years old. It is the end of an era of my life, for sure. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/DSC04337-1.jpg">Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-10842311403816621462008-03-27T12:41:00.001-04:002008-03-27T12:43:28.266-04:00C'est Bon, Non?<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/LynneParis.jpg"><br /><br />I am back from my lovely trip in Paris. I will probably spend some time this weekend writing a long boring post with lots of photos :) But for now. All I can say is that Paris is awesome but it is nice to be back home too although I wish the weather were a bit nicer here. <br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/slynne/ShannonParis.jpg">Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-49085682306807136482008-03-14T21:10:00.005-04:002008-03-14T22:17:13.659-04:00Well Regulated Capitalism with hints of Socialism on the Side.I am leaving for Paris tomorrow. Yay! And I should be packing and cleaning my house. But as per usual, when I need to be doing one thing, I find reasons to do something else. In this case, blogging! <br /><br />Since I am going to France tomorrow, I have been thinking about the economics of the place. It is funny because one of the first papers on economics I ever wrote was one where I compared and contrasted the economic systems of the USA and France. I was in eight grade and while it was a good paper for a person of that age, I still remember that I called France's economy Capitalist and in the margins where I wrote about all the state owned and operated businesses (mostly utilities and transportation if I remember correctly) my teacher wrote, "Isn't this Socialism?" *<br /><br />And so it was. France has a economic system that imho combines some of the better parts of capitalism with some of the better parts of socialism. It is a system that has worked for decades. They have universal health care coverage. They have government services that Americans can hardly imagine. But most industries are private and generally the economy is a capitalist one these days. France is from everything I have heard a nice place to live and a nice place to work. <br /><br />Here is the thing. There probably is no perfect economic system. But France seems to have come close in that they have a well regulated capitalist economy with large socialistic safety nets. In many ways, their economy is similar to the economy in the USA except they lean a bit more towards the regulation and safety net while we have a slightly more laissez faire approach. <br /><br />I honestly believe that the US government could look to France and other European countries for guidance in our economy. I dont advocate pure socialism. I believe that those Chicago School economists were right about some things although goodness knows they werent right about everything. For instance, the state cant control all aspects of an economy for the simple reason that there are so many variables in any economic system that no one can know all of them. There are market forces and like the forces one finds in the field of physics, those forces are present no matter what one does. One can no more legislate away forces of supply and demand any more than they can legislate away the force of gravity. <br /><br />But a government can and should influence the forces that are present. A government can perform certain tasks more efficiently than the private sector while the private sector excels in other areas. e.g. fire and police protection are probably better accomplished by government bodies than by private firms. And the production of ordinary goods and services are usually best accomplished in free markets (although still with some regulation). <br /><br />Basically it comes down to this. Economic systems that are too socialist are inefficient. Think Soviet era state control. Not so great. But unregulated capitalist systems have their own problems. Think about how long that free market would stay free if the capital gets too concentrated into the hands of a few. Monopolies are a product of capitialism and are, in their own way, hugely inefficient. <br /><br />The best bet is a combination of the two. Regulated capitalism with strong social safety nets. There is more stability (and trust me, stability is good for free markets). There are fewer social costs. It's not all about money. <br /><br />My dream economy would have things like universal health care and a guaranteed minimum income. More social security benefits. More social programs including free higher education. More government run businesses like utilities. Better roads, better public transportation, better funding for scientific research including things done just for the fun of it like going to the moon. A highly regulated labor market with lots of laws protecting workers. And yes, higher taxes. I believe that if we spend our money in good ways that build infrastructure, it will allow the regulated but otherwise free capitalist firms to go about their business with the most efficiency. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />* That paper was written shortly after the Mitterrand government had implemented a big socialist reform which created a backlash such that many of the previously socialized and state controlled institutions were placed into private hands.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7009939.post-46164132863605542742008-02-27T20:02:00.002-05:002008-02-27T20:05:05.808-05:00My job rocksI had my six month review today. It rocked. I got a big raise. I love it there. I have seven windows to look out of from my desk. I have a fancy office chair. I work with some seriously awesome people.Lynnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07492622196581763316noreply@blogger.com3