tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30866710232031710022024-03-21T08:41:35.966-07:00John O'Cyde's RamblingsJohn O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-729270979659905512014-12-31T12:23:00.000-08:002014-12-31T14:38:35.498-08:00Resolutions for 2015<br />
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Okay. I realize
making and keeping resolutions are two very different things, but my Quixotic
nature compels me to at least try.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, as most
people do, I will try to take steps to maintain my health. (I would say “maintain
and improve”, but at my age I’ll settle for the former). In order to accomplish
this I will try to maintain a basic exercise regimen. Nothing too brutal, but
enough to get some cardio on my days off. Having a job that requires physical
activity will also help in this regard. I will also try to improve my diet.
This is an instance where the younger generation is teaching the older. My son
is eating healthier, eschewing red meat and transitioning to vegetarianism.
Though I doubt I will go that far, I will try to decrease the amount of red
meat in my diet and will try to decrease my binge eating. I will also try to
pay attention to my mental health through mindfulness techniques and other
practices that may be useful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Second, I will try
to continue my education by taking advantage of free online college courses. By
using random methods of choosing courses, I hope to challenge myself to learn
in areas that I might not have thought I’d have an interest. I may be bored on occasion but
I think it more likely I may surprise myself and awaken an interest that had
been dormant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I will try to do something creative every day. Even
if it’s only 15 minutes a day as my schedule allows, I will do my best to do
SOMETHING… whether it’s songwriting, poetry, prose writing, playing guitar or
learning keyboards, I will try my best to do something that will cause my life
to be more than just work and chores. Consider this post to be the first installment in this undertaking. We'll both see what happens.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-62308318564768477042013-07-01T07:26:00.000-07:002013-07-01T07:28:23.512-07:00Five Seven FiveI've been reading some Kobayashi Issa, and... well... you know... I just can't help myself.<br />
<br />
<br />
1.<br />
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Summer morning haze -</div>
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Yesterday's brilliant sunlight</div>
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Now an egg yolk smear. </div>
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<br /></div>
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2. </div>
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Friend reads my haiku,</div>
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Tapping his fingers as he</div>
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Counts the syllables.</div>
John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-23719944391056445212013-06-18T07:42:00.000-07:002013-06-18T07:44:46.661-07:00Obsessive. Compusive. Dismissive.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBMyk-gma88kCHmsfNMjw_sfBhEGukjUJn6GBRgq9h2l5fLeKTdE7Z8swyT7_LsKlpI_O9A32gyGD-g5oj4RnZiMV4JhqGYerNFuak6seQB862iHNL_7FVeAayCYz64DsT6ea45GxtjhA/s1600/Apollo+11+Cameras.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBMyk-gma88kCHmsfNMjw_sfBhEGukjUJn6GBRgq9h2l5fLeKTdE7Z8swyT7_LsKlpI_O9A32gyGD-g5oj4RnZiMV4JhqGYerNFuak6seQB862iHNL_7FVeAayCYz64DsT6ea45GxtjhA/s320/Apollo+11+Cameras.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last summer, when
the family went on our vacation "down south", we stopped by the small
town of Wapakoneta, OH to visit the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum.
Naturally, as the family's resident obsessive space geek, I loved it. I saw the
Gemini 8 capsule which was on display, as well as numerous items related to
Neil Armstrong's life as well as mementos</div>
from the flight of Apollo 11.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did, however,
notice a mistake in one of the displays. They showed replicas of the two Westinghouse
television cameras carried on Apollo 11. One was a color camera carried in the
Command Module and the other was the smaller black and white camera that sent
pictures from the lunar surface. The signs indicating which was which were
reversed. I was going to mention this to someone at the museum, but when I
noticed the only ones there were an elderly couple who looked happy to be
serving their community by volunteering at the museum, I decided against it. I
had the impression they were there for something to do rather than because of
abiding love of spaceflight history. I'd have felt like I was harassing
someone's great-grandmother for having an incorrect setting on their computer.
Yes, I'm persnickety about my space facts, but why be a buzzkill? And so the
Apollo 11 camera gaffe went uncorrected - at least on that day. Hell, it may
STILL be wrong. In case it is, and for the sake of those few who A.) plan to
visit the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum in the near future and B.)
actually give a damn about this sort of thing, the camera on the left side of
the display depicts the color camera and the camera on the right is a replica of
the Lunar Module camera that landed on the moon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now you know. </div>
John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-35786832353689832642013-06-12T07:48:00.001-07:002013-06-18T07:42:34.744-07:00Through Dark Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9t4sh8x489dhNKjjx3PWWCumAtTqkzuMx5vlU0KmGjFePtMlfWSb5hecNSVUGCj7ByDpIh7ZVrvavwYmEzlCh0DTASoCPDdN3mFTdSkiP99fH_KCkOITA_8voTzzIlGBvfz6hPtQ7srQi/s1600/trees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9t4sh8x489dhNKjjx3PWWCumAtTqkzuMx5vlU0KmGjFePtMlfWSb5hecNSVUGCj7ByDpIh7ZVrvavwYmEzlCh0DTASoCPDdN3mFTdSkiP99fH_KCkOITA_8voTzzIlGBvfz6hPtQ7srQi/s320/trees.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There's a painting
I love. It hangs on the wall of the University of Michigan Medical Center's
Frankel Cardiovascular Center. Specifically, it's on floor 2A in the hallway across
from the consultation rooms. Unless you happen to work at the hospital or are
having heart problems serious enough to require a discussion with a
cardiologist, you're not likely ever to see this painting. The name of the work
is "Through Dark Trees". The artist's name is Richard Kooyman. Aside
from the fact he painted this work, I knew absolutely nothing about this artist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The painting's
theme is simplicity itself. Most of the canvas depicts a gloomy dark - mostly
black, in fact - forest. But through a gap in the darkness shines a vibrant, sunlit
beach and an azure lake extending to the horizon. Upon viewing the painting,
one gets the impression this glimpse of the grand vista was a hard-earned
reward for a long slog through the forest. And one can almost feel the warmth to
be experienced by stepping from the chill woods onto the serene shore. This
resonated with me since I was having to drive over 60 miles to work every day,
dealing with Ann Arbor's notorious parking, sardine-dense shuttle buses and the
high cost of having to fill my gas tank twice weekly. I was away from home so
much due to traffic and the length of the commute that it seemed I was either
working, getting ready for work or driving to and from work. I was physically
and mentally exhausted but, having to support my family, I had no choice but to
carry on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept hoping I
could find a position on the University of Michigan's Flint campus. It would be
much closer to home. I remember during each Christmas season hoping would it be
my last one at the hospital. But I found myself still there the next Christmas.
And the next. I was in those seemingly endless dark woods. But I kept hoping
one day I would finally gaze upon that sunny lake out in the distance. And that
painting kept the hope alive. Each day I walked by it, my gloom was made easier
to bear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, after a seeming eternity, it happened. I was
interviewed for a custodial position in Flint and I was offered the position.
Soon, the long drives and short stays at home would be a thing of the past. In
a very real sense, I felt as though I could finally see the beach through all
those dark trees.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the hassles I experienced during my time commuting
to Ann Arbor, there are some things I will miss. The nurses on the CPU floor,
for one. They showed me the greatest love and support during my time there and
I couldn't ask for better people to work with. And, of course, I will miss that
painting. I may not understand art in an advanced way, but I know that painting
communicated to me and gave me hope in a way mere words could never do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now, new adventures await. I hope the beach is as nice
as it looked all these years!</div>
<br />John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-42680489206589804992012-10-20T07:12:00.000-07:002012-10-20T07:12:49.298-07:00I Was Bored. I Have No Other Excuse.<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>Once upon a time, a
culinary scientist was testing a new smartphone app he had created. With it,
one could point the smartphone at any food item and that item would give
information about itself – in its own words – that would help inexperienced
cooks in preparing those items. After much work, the app was ready for testing.
The scientist went to the local grocery store to try it out. First, he pointed
it at a pepper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“I am a pepper. I
was grown in Mexico.
I am moderately hot and can be used in sauces for added flavor.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>The scientist was ecstatic!
He tried other items:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“I am a potato. I
was grown in Idaho.
I contain starches and carbohydrates and if cooked at 400 degrees for one hour
I will make an excellent baked potato.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>Another success!
Encouraged, the scientist tried more complex foods.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“I am a tiramisu. I
was made by a chef in New York
from the finest ingredients, including excellent mascarpone cheese. I am the
perfect dessert for special occasions and holidays.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>Finally, the
scientist decided to test the new app on an apple pie:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“The CIA and the
Trilateral Commission are using secret hydrogen bomb technology to undermine the
continental shelf in order to cause earthquakes! Oswald didn’t act alone! He
was helped by space aliens who used special mind wave technology to get rid of
the President because he knew too much about Atlantis!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>Confused, the
scientist tried again:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“The Norwegians are
trying to corner the silver market in a conspiracy with a secret advanced race
of super-intelligent rodent-beings so they can destabilize the internet in
order to hide the truth about homeopathy!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>Disappointed, the
scientist went home to figure out what went wrong. Despite much tweaking,
whenever he tried the app on a pie, he got the same kind of bizarre diatribe.
One day, he mentioned his problem to a mathematician friend.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“Oh!” said the mathematician.
“I know what the problem is!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“What?” asked the
culinary scientist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“Your app is
working fine! It’s the pie that’s the problem!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“Really? How so?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span>“Well,” replied the
mathematician, “as any mathematician can tell you, pie is irrational!”</div>
John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-91491235511976332152012-08-02T09:12:00.000-07:002012-08-02T09:21:39.029-07:00Theological Insights from Olympic Beach Volleyball<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While watching the
Olympic beach volleyball competition recently, I noticed the American women’s team
practiced a small ritual after each point. They would smack their hands
together in a double high five, then hug, then do another double high five and
then one of them would point skyward, apparently acknowledging the role of the
Almighty in spiking the ball over the net and leaving the competition with a
face full of sand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was that final
gesture which caught my attention. The volleyball player was pointing directly
overhead… to what astronomers call the zenith point. This would imply that God
is in a specific place in the heavens - for if, as some people state, God is
“everywhere” there would be no need to point anywhere to recognize Him. God is
just as much in the sand beneath the players’ feet as he is in the sky. But
based on the pointing of the player it would appear that God was in the sky at
a point directly over the London
Olympic beach volleyball court at the beginning of the match. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the match
continued, however, I noticed something intriguing. The American volleyball
players continued to curry Divine favor, kept scoring and consequently kept
hugging, high-fiving and pointing… directly overhead. As someone with an
amateur interest in astronomy I found this fascinating. If God was indeed at a
fixed point in the sky, that point would appear to move over time from our
Earth-bound perspective as the Earth rotated about its axis. In other words, as
the match continued, the volleyball player <i>should</i> have been pointing at a
point in the sky slightly off the overhead point she was pointing to at the
beginning of the match. Yet she kept pointing directly overhead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could only
mean one thing! Something profound in its theological and astronomical
implications: God is in a geostationary orbit! Like a communication satellite,
God is revolving in the heavens at the same rate as the Earth’s rotation. Thus,
from our perspective, he remains in the same point in the sky at all times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would also imply
that in parts of the world opposite London,
God is never in the sky at all! The Antipode of London (the point opposite the
Earth from that city), in fact, is near New Zealand. Do religious New Zealand volleyball
players point at the ground when they score a point on home turf? Is divine
power unable to pass through the center of the Earth? If so, that would make
New Zealand quite literally the most
God-forsaken spot on the planet. That would make sense, I suppose. After all,
could a creature as bizarre as the Kiwi have been intelligently designed by an
All-Powerful Creator? This may also explain why the Olympic Games have never
been held in New Zealand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much to think
about. So many questions. Maybe someday the American women’s beach volleyball
team will tell all!</div>John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-75896658299863069872012-07-21T18:39:00.000-07:002012-07-21T18:39:06.215-07:00Why I Love My KindleYears ago, at the now-defunct Border’s books in Flint I spied a massive box, about the size of a steamer trunk, containing The Complete Works of Mark Twain. It carried a price tag of several hundred dollars but I was still drooling. It was something I would have loved to own, but the inconvenience of the size of the box combined with the steep price steered me away.<br />
<br />
Fast forward a good number of years. I now was working as a janitor at the Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor. I loved reading on my break time as much as ever, but taking books back & forth was beginning to become a hassle. Small books weren’t too much of a problem since I could always stuff them in my coat pocket in the wintertime but larger books and books during the warm weather months weren’t as convenient.<br />
<br />
I had been wondering whether one o’those newfangled electronic gizmos for reading books would be a good solution for me. I had first seen them on vacation several years earlier in Washington D.C. Many commuters were engrossed in reading them on the Metro. It looked like a convenient way to enjoy reading in busy, chaotic circumstances. I wanted to know more about them, and as it turned out the weekend supervisor at the hospital had just purchased a Kindle and she let me check it out. I was immediately sold. It was easy to read and easy to use. Plus, I could download lots of public domain titles from such sources as Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive.<br />
<br />
One of the criticisms of the Kindle (usually from those who don’t yet own them) comes from people who say they like the feel of holding a physical book. I completely understand that. Heck, I like physical books, too. But this isn’t an “either/or” proposition. Using a Kindle doesn’t mean you can no longer read regular books again. It’s something one uses <i>in addition</i> to physical books. Not <i>in place</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeRW3rJSrAfo73MRbV77e0goV8RL8H-Af3nMvaYWzGllT2-u7F-T3JKSAlsi2jFw8ZfUKM78JZt8jo6sUWqR-dAn6yQzjec1jDd1EuuqS3Cyw2zYoHkD7ktXpBfejD9zclqvIcaUshesv/s1600/IMG_0469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeRW3rJSrAfo73MRbV77e0goV8RL8H-Af3nMvaYWzGllT2-u7F-T3JKSAlsi2jFw8ZfUKM78JZt8jo6sUWqR-dAn6yQzjec1jDd1EuuqS3Cyw2zYoHkD7ktXpBfejD9zclqvIcaUshesv/s320/IMG_0469.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<i>
</i> of them.<br />
<br />
So finally, last year, I saved up my birthday money and bought my Kindle. I’ve never regretted it. I’ve been reading an insane amount of material… much of it old and obscure historical works from the previously mentioned internet sites which are available for free. I also enjoy reading old technical papers from NASA which are posted on the history sections of their website.<br />
<br />
But one of the most amazing finds for my Kindle was an electronic version of The Complete Works of Mark Twain. Yes, not only was it available online, the price was a mere 99 cents!!! Naturally, I clicked the download button and within a few minutes I was the proud owner of a work I’d wanted those many years before. Cheap, easy, convenient. What’s not to like?<br />
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Lest you think I’m merely being a shill for Amazon, I would like to state clearly there are certain things I DON’T like about how Amazon does business. One thing I don’t like is you can’t order a magazine subscription using a gift card. Seems kinda silly to me. I think it’s related to another thing I don’t like. Namely, you can’t just order a magazine subscription for your Kindle for a finite period of time. If you wanted to order a 1-year subscription to a given magazine for X amount of dollars, you can’t do it. You can only give them your credit card number and get an open-ended subscription and have your account billed indefinitely until such time as you actively cancel the subscription. I do NOT like that. I want to pay a given amount of money for a given good or service and be done with it. If I want more later, I’LL make the decision to renew.<br />
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Heck, even on subscriptions to the print versions of magazines they will automatically renew your subscription and keep billing you unless you cancel it. I found that by going to the website of a magazine itself I could not only get a print subscription for a finite period, it was cheaper than the price charged by Amazon as well.<br />
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That having been said, however, the Kindle itself has been a welcome presence in my daily routine. Not only does it excel in its primary role as an electronic reading device, it also has basic e-mail and web browsing functions. Nothing fancy, mind you, but it gets the job done when no other internet access is available. When I’m taking a break at work and need to let my wife know I may be late getting home, a quick e-mail from the Kindle does the trick.<br />
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The Kindle I have is the one with the monochrome screen. Since I bought it, there’s now the Kindle Fire with full color display and (from what I understand anyway) a more powerful processor and enhanced internet connectivity. Yeah, that would be neat, but on a janitor’s salary money IS an object and for now my old reliable Kindle is handling things well. Along with the trusty old Sony ICF-2010 shortwave radio which I’ve had for decades, it’s one of the favorite material things I own.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-35670915949633875812012-07-15T13:45:00.000-07:002012-07-15T13:45:37.281-07:00A LessonThe most valuable lessons in life are sometimes those which happen when you simply think about everyday things in a new way.<br />
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I remember in 1990 when the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed. I was working at the Public TV station in Flint at the time and we were required to sit through some videoconferences explaining the law and its ramifications. I figured it was only marginally relevant to me. I didn't have a physical handicap. Neither did the employees I supervised. If the new laws made the lives of disabled people a bit better, that was fine, but as far as I was concerned this was all stuff that would take place in the background.<br />
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One of the immediate results of the ADA was the rather old building which housed the TV station was upgraded to make it more accessible to those with disabilities. One such upgrade was the addition of a push button outside the entry door which would automatically open that door when pushed. I had no problem opening that door anyway, so I figured it made no difference to me either way. But then we started airing telecourses for a local Community College. One of my jobs was to haul the weekly load of videotapes from a building located across campus back to the TV studio. On some weeks, these heavy tapes had to be carried by yours truly in an cumbersome box requiring all my strength to carry. And guess what? When I arrived breathless at the entry door and my hands were full, I was able to push the access button with my elbow, have the door automatically open and easily walk inside.<br />
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I've often thought about that incident in the years which followed. In making things a little better for one group, we - sometimes in unintended and unplanned ways - make things a little easier for ourselves as well. Ever since, when questions of rights for minority groups have come up, I have tended to err on the side of wanting to maximize the rights of such groups. My reasoning is that not only would expansion of those rights be good in and of themselves, but there might, when one least expects it, be benefits for us all.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-23186747996897138262012-04-13T17:34:00.002-07:002012-04-13T17:36:55.932-07:00CommentsI've recently found out that people have posted comments to my posts only to have these comments disappear. Please know that I have NOT been deleting them. I don't know the cause of the problem but I will try to figure it out and correct it if possible. Thanks fer yer patience!John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-91099326677686966842012-04-06T16:33:00.002-07:002012-04-06T16:51:43.652-07:00Some Thoughts and Another Damned HaikuWhen it comes to my employment history, it seems I've lived backwards. The conventional wisdom is that one puts up with crappy jobs when starting out and after "paying one's dues" one is rewarded with a more enjoyable job and better working conditions.<br /> Me? I once had a job I loved and excelled in. It was close by, I had understanding supervisors and I was well compensated. Now? It's a daily 125-mile round trip slog so I can clean toilets and deal with a sketchy supervisor who treats most of his employees like shit.<br /> How bad is he? He refuses to let me have my 50th birthday off despite the fact I have plenty of vacation hours saved up and 23 years seniority at the University. What a dick.<br /> Today, I toured the University of Michigan with my son. He is doing exceptionally well in high school and has a very good chance of being accepted. It was hard to contrast my grizzled survivor-mode existence with the optimistic the-world-lies-ahead-of-you vibe of the new prospective students taking the tour. There was a part of me that wished it could be me looking forward to college. All the knowledge. All the opportunities. All the freshness and excitement of new possibilities. But I had my chance. It's time for me to step aside and let the new generation have its chance. It's time for them to dream.<br /> And time for me to get back to scrubbing toilets. Someone has to pay for it all...<br /><br />Thinking of my son<br />On the cusp of adulthood.<br />The whole world awaits.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-29792740185555595402012-01-08T11:25:00.001-08:002012-01-08T11:30:21.731-08:00Sign of the Times<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbUfSu2H9u9ym_CWPmGkf9ohn5YcbmzxyFcWs3HjAXfz5yzvh8mH7ZU9lpTFRZGAuahzwDxrVXKTUxKWI_9OM52dzCQjRZgbqzigvpq7E_woKFaDzzccVOBsdzY3cRV2Q4pZYzg09xkCo/s1600/Picture+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbUfSu2H9u9ym_CWPmGkf9ohn5YcbmzxyFcWs3HjAXfz5yzvh8mH7ZU9lpTFRZGAuahzwDxrVXKTUxKWI_9OM52dzCQjRZgbqzigvpq7E_woKFaDzzccVOBsdzY3cRV2Q4pZYzg09xkCo/s400/Picture+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695344717282386754" /></a><br /> This, I presume, implies their competitors' customers are some sort of inferior stale lukewarm coffee. Or something.<br /> (Sign at a Marathon station in Davison, MI. January 2012.)John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-752101412068635372011-12-02T17:27:00.000-08:002011-12-02T17:31:04.739-08:00ImponderableSomething that has long puzzled me: the Book of Revelation was written somewhere around 70 AD or so. LSD wasn't invented until 1943.<br /> The fact that something THAT fucked-up could have been written without the help of acid is TRULY a miracle!John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-44036610660495483702011-11-27T12:53:00.001-08:002011-11-27T12:54:52.455-08:00Still KickingLife can certainly get dull if all one does is work and/or recover from and get ready for more work. There’s a part of me that craves a creative outlet, though time constraints often prevent any efforts in that direction. It is for that reason, therefore, that I am happy to have actually written a new song… my first in many, many months. I don’t really know if it’s any good or not and I likely won’t get any feedback until I get a chance to play the demo to my fellow Ice Halo bandmates next weekend, but it just feels good to have written something… anything!... again.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-25320223524584031422011-09-25T17:46:00.000-07:002011-09-25T17:57:29.599-07:00The New Front Line in the Culture Wars: The Janitor's Closet!In my new incarnation as a janitor at a medical institution (one in which yours truly has recently won an award for best cleaning of patient rooms, thank you very much) my workday begins and ends with a trip to the janitor's closet. Throughout my worklife, I have seen more of these closets than I’d like to admit. They are all pretty much the same. There’s a sink in the corner with a drain for pouring out filthy pail water at the end of the day. There are racks on the walls for hanging dust mops and brooms. There are shelves for boxes of trash bags and various cleaning solvents. And they are almost universally too small. Even the closet at my prestigious institution is so small that once the cleaning cart is parked inside one must squeeze around it to access the supply shelves. So imagine my surprise when I heard there was a move afoot by a state legislative group (in Virginia, to be precise, but the movement has to start <span style="font-style:italic;">somewhere</span> and if it catches on in Virginia, then it will surely spread to our beloved Great Lakes State eventually) designed to tackle the problem of small janitor’s closets! Who are these wonderful people? Obviously some sort of commie pinko labor-loving outfit that wanted to “stick it to the man” by symbolically reforming the most lowly physical manifestation of the working environment, right?<br /> Well, no. Actually the folks advocating this reform are Conservative Republicans.<br /> Republicans? <br /> As Ned Flanders might say, that’s a real head-scratcher, right there. I thought these people were <span style="font-style:italic;">against</span> government regulations in the workplace. But who am I to be so prejudiced? Maybe they just started to feel sorry for the lowly blue collar working stiffs and decided to give us poor janitors a break. Or perhaps (and more likely) they’re getting huge campaign contributions from large corporate donors who make janitor’s closets. Dunno. Either way, we’re gonna get bigger closets, so who cares? <br /> But wait. These Republicans don’t want to have these regulations for janitor’s closets at <span style="font-style:italic;">all</span> workplaces. Just certain ones.<br /> What? Well, okay… maybe there are some places that are too small to be able to afford to re-do their existing janitor’s closets. Some small mom & pop companies, perhaps. So I guess I could see why the Republicans would want to give these smaller places a break. But still, maybe the rest of us who work in larger (and richer) places will soon get our palatial 50-square-foot janitor’s closets! Right?<br /> Well, no. Not exactly. The regulations aren’t based on the size of the company, but on what type of facility they are. Specifically, medical institutions.<br /> Well, that kinda sucks for about 90% of the janitorial workforce out there, but for those people like me who earn their bread cleaning medical facilities, it’s still something I can look forward to, huh?<br /> Nope.<br /> Not <span style="font-style:italic;">all</span> medical facilities will be required to expand their janitor’s closets.<br /> Okay… so which ones WILL be required to expand them?<br /> Only medical facilities that provide abortion services.<br /><br /> Uh…huh.<br /><br /> So… Republicans are against intrusive government regulations on grounds that such regulations would inhibit the ability of employers to do what they do. Unless the Republicans happen to disagree with what those employers happen to do. In which case it’s fine to pile on as many costly regulations as possible just to be a pain in the ass.<br /> So… I guess they don’t really care about us lowly janitors at all and we’ll have to live with our cluttered closets forever and ever amen.<br /> Unless we work at an abortion clinic. <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">Their</span> closets will be awesome!<br /><br /> Fuck the Republicans!John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-25306213961170200182011-09-20T17:55:00.000-07:002011-09-21T15:46:58.321-07:00September HaikuTrees in new colors<br />Know that it's fall, but the sky<br />Still thinks it's summer.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-31458434243334235812011-09-19T11:05:00.000-07:002011-09-19T11:08:27.566-07:00The New Migrant WorkersA strange thing is happening here in the Flint area. Something that has happened to me and now, I notice, to many others ‘round our beloved Buick City. We live here, but no longer work here.<br /><br /> When I finally managed to snag a job in Ann Arbor, I thought I was the only one who had to drive over an hour to my place of employment. That’s not true, as it turns out. In my own neighborhood, the lady across the street who once also worked in Flint, now has to commute to Bay City for her job. Another neighbor goes past Lansing. One must drive to Pontiac. Others in the area, I’m told, are forced to commute as far away as Grand Rapids and Mount Pleasant! It seems we have become a force of migrant workers, though unlike the agricultural laborers usually associated with that phrase, we drive back home at night. And if the others are anything like me, they will generally have just enough time to eat dinner and get ready for the next workday. Time for relaxation, socializing and puttering around the house are at a minimum.<br /><br /> I suppose one could reasonably ask why the hell we don’t simply move closer to where our jobs are. That’s a fair enough question but I think it has a reasonable answer. First of all, trying to sell a house in the Flint-area market would be an exercise in frustration. It’s not as though Flint is a hotbed of real estate activity. Trying to sell a house in this environment would be like trying to sell Playgirl subscriptions at a Lesbian convention. It just ain’t gonna happen.<br /> Second, and more importantly, many of those working far from home have spouses and/or other household members who still have Flint-area jobs. Moving closer to one job would mean moving farther away from the other. <br /> Finally, at least in my own case, there are children involved. My own children are enrolled in the Davison Public School District. Pulling them out would not only disrupt their personal and social lives, but that particular school district is doing a fantastic job educating our children. They are thriving both academically and socially. For me, my long drive is a sacrifice worth making for the sake of my children. Moving would disrupt and most likely hinder their educational progress.<br /><br /> And so I make the commute. As do others. We do this to earn a living. All the while the teabaggers call working people lazy and overpaid.<br /><br /> I keep hearing talk of class warfare. Honestly, I wish it was true. I’m so frustrated with what we working people have to deal with. I’m usually peaceful, but I think it’s time to stir things up a bit. I’m ready for some war.<br /><br /> But it won’t happen. We’re nothing but a bunch of stupid sheep.<br /><br /> Just waiting to get fleeced.<br /><br /> And sliced into lamb chops.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-91248754782793257892011-09-19T07:41:00.000-07:002011-09-19T07:42:32.214-07:00Rain...It seems the older I get the more I appreciate the sound of a gentle rain shower.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-31880742184823977632011-08-15T13:51:00.000-07:002011-08-15T13:52:55.817-07:00Apologies in Advance... Once upon a time, someone with too much time on their hands was pondering the name of a popular craft store chain.
<br /> “Have you ever noticed,” he remarked to a friend “that despite the name of the store their buildings don’t actually have a lobby?”
<br /> “So?” replied the friend.
<br /> “SO?!? I think that’s an outrage and something ought to be done about it!”
<br /> “Like what?” asked the friend.
<br /> “Like I’m going to hire some people to make my argument to Congress until this injustice is rectified!”
<br /> “You mean…”
<br /> “That’s right! I’m going to start a Hobby Lobby Lobby Lobby!”
<br />John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-16611087177430499562011-08-08T17:02:00.000-07:002011-08-08T17:14:45.509-07:00Things is Changin' Last night, I watched the premiere of a science series called “Curiosity” on the Discovery channel. The title of the first episode was “Did God Create the Universe?” Nothing like starting out with a bang (a “Big” one, at that… yuk, yuk). I watched, expecting the usual watered-down mush in which the hard science is played down for fear of offending the religious sensibilities of some viewers. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that this series did no such thing. The answer the program gave to the titular question was a resounding “No!”
<br /> The fact that a leading scientist (in this case, Stephen Hawking) didn’t invoke a divine creator is nothing new, of course. The fact that this was presented clearly on a mainstream cable channel, however, is. That this has happened at all, I think, is one of those quiet milestones the ramifications of which will not be appreciated until much later. I couldn’t imagine something like this ever having aired even ten years ago. Things are changing. Atheism, if not exactly yet mainstream, is at least emerging to the point at which it can be mentioned in polite company. It’s no longer something to be ashamed of or to be kept hidden.
<br /> And that’s a change I welcome.
<br />John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-27803854686985746792011-08-04T16:46:00.000-07:002011-08-04T16:48:59.331-07:00Even When I TRY to be Good, I'm EvilAdmittedly, my position as a custodian in a hospital isn’t the most glamorous gig around, but I at least was under the impression that what I was doing was helpful to people. If I do a good job cleaning a hospital room, I figure, the chances of them getting an infection are reduced. What could be bad about that?<br /> Hospitals are places people can go to get better. That’s a good thing. Right?<br /> Well, maybe not. No less a person than Mohandas K. Gandhi had a rather strong opinion about hospitals. Writing in 1909, Gandhi said the following:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“Hospitals are the instruments that the Devil has been using for his own purpose, in order to keep his hold on his kingdom. They perpetuate vice, misery and degradation, and real slavery.”</span><br /><br /> What??? I work at an instrument of the Devil? Damn! And here I was TRYING to be good for a change. I guess I just can’t get away from being evil.<br /><br /> Still, seeing as I’m now in league with Satan, I’d think the guy downstairs would have a little more clout in getting me a better parking space at work. I’m just sayin’…John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-50820690285661455032011-08-01T09:49:00.000-07:002011-08-01T09:55:31.345-07:00DuhSometimes the answers to some of life’s problems stare you in the face on a daily basis. Even so, some people are too damned stupid or stubborn (me, for instance) to apply this knowledge which is so easily accessible.<br /> One such lesson is that a positive attitude makes life better. In my job at the hospital, I see this all the time. I work in the cardiac intensive care unit. In order to be a patient there, you have to be in rather dire physical shape. So, while the condition of those in the ICU is usually similar, the reaction of those patients to their situation varies widely.<br /> Some of the patients have an extremely negative attitude to their predicament. This is completely understandable. Having severe heart problems and recovering from highly invasive heart surgery is not only physically painful, it is also mentally draining. These negative patients react by complaining, refusing to follow the directions of the medical professionals and generally being whiney. Again, I can’t really blame them. Their situation IS rather far removed from rainbows and sunshine.<br /> But not all patients react that way. There are other patients who react in a more positive manner. Remarkably, these people are all smiles despite their pain. They’re talkative, happy and pleasant to be around. Rather than dwelling on the fact that their ticker is defective, they are grateful to have the opportunity to have the problem corrected as much as medical science is able and to have the chance to improve and recover. And what I have frequently noticed – with often dramatic regularity - is that those with a positive attitude usually recover far more quickly than their negative counterparts. From what I’ve observed this isn’t merely a case of people being happier than others because they’re less sick in the first place and thus would have recovered more quickly anyway. These happy, positive patients start out just as physically messed up as the negative ones. It really seems their attitude helps them improve more quickly. <br /> I can only speculate as to why this appears to be the case. Perhaps the more positive patients are more likely to do what the doctors and nurses recommend, even if it’s inconvenient or physically painful. Following these directions could lead to more rapid improvement. Perhaps there’s some physical benefit to be gained from a positive outlook in and of itself. Maybe a good mental outlook somehow promotes physical well-being. (Or, as Funkadelic said much more bluntly, maybe it’s a case of “Free your mind and your ass will follow.”) Again, I’m merely guessing as to the mechanism, but I’ve seen it work so often I must assume there’s at least inductive evidence for the phenomenon.<br /> Which brings me back to me.<br /> You’d think that someone such as myself, who pretends to be at least somewhat intelligent, would – after making such observations – attempt to apply them to his own life.<br /> Ah, but I am an idiot in that regard. I seem to dwell on the negative in spite of myself. Rather than being thankful that I have a job and can pay my bills on time, I dwell on the fact that I have to drive over 60 miles one way to my job (which is long enough in good weather but which can become nightmarish in the winter), am often – due to traffic congestion - away from home 12 hours each workday and constantly have to struggle with the nearly nonexistent parking in Ann Arbor.<br /> These are real concerns and obstacles I have to deal with and feeling stressed about them is a natural reaction. But the people in the intensive care unit are dealing with real issues as well. But some of them deal with it in a positive manner. And they’re the ones who thrive and get better. Why can’t I seem to apply that to my own life? Sure, working far from home may suck, but what if I didn’t have that job at all? I have a regular salary – not as much as I once made, but enough to pay the bills. I have healthcare coverage for myself and my family. I have a nice home and a dependable wife and wonderful children. The people I work with seem to genuinely appreciate the quality of my work and are quite nice to me. I have a lot to live for and much to be thankful for. And maybe, just maybe, if I make an effort to try to be more positive, things will get better. Perhaps something external will change. Or maybe the happiness will be its own reward. I don’t know. And I can’t promise I can make such a change without setbacks or problems.<br /> But I can try.<br /> And if others try to bring me down, perhaps the most revolutionary thing I can do is stay positive in spite of them. It will, at any rate, drive them nuts. And that may be the most positive outcome of all.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-14109735783940161372011-07-31T13:59:00.000-07:002011-07-31T14:00:59.585-07:00A Nutter HaikuStaredown with a squirrel:<br />Although I look away first,<br />I call it a draw.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-2393547816796162042011-07-26T14:35:00.001-07:002011-07-30T18:10:09.736-07:00Pilgrimage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpLBq7oE2_EOCNKdfv7-BA7gK9trVya41mdIzJW04SPYL8e5H08BGSuyCeXQUAhRzz71ifCY6GcetpPBEbkf-C8gHWWaHAPZZeC2WDCRvMBXfhc7BYXp4bHbPEFtDJe6-FFRf5klM8d42/s1600/IMG_0260.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpLBq7oE2_EOCNKdfv7-BA7gK9trVya41mdIzJW04SPYL8e5H08BGSuyCeXQUAhRzz71ifCY6GcetpPBEbkf-C8gHWWaHAPZZeC2WDCRvMBXfhc7BYXp4bHbPEFtDJe6-FFRf5klM8d42/s200/IMG_0260.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633778085831417330" /></a><br /> In the Trivial Pursuit "The 1960’s" edition, one of the cards asks the question “Who was the second American to orbit the Earth?” The answer given on the reverse of the card is “Wally Schirra”. That answer is wrong. The second American to orbit the Earth was, in fact, M. Scott Carpenter who, on May 24, 1962, orbited our planet three times in the Aurora 7 spacecraft. (For those of you keeping track, Wally Schirra was the third American in Earth orbit.)<br /> Of the original seven Mercury astronauts, Carpenter is the one who fascinates me the most. Although he was a badass military test pilot (as were all the Mercury seven) there was an extra dimension to his personality. Whereas some of the others were so mission-driven they seemed almost caricatures of hard-nosed no-nonsense military types, Carpenter seemed fascinated with the human element of space flight. (And also of exploration in general, since he went on to participate in the Sealab underwater test project.) When one listens to the in-flight recordings from the Aurora 7 mission, one gets a more genuine sense of what it actually felt like to be on a Mercury flight. Suffice to say the Aurora 7 flight has always had a special place in my already space-loving heart.<br /> For that reason, when our family decided to take a week long trip to Chicago for vacation, I knew that a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry was a must for me. The reason? The Aurora 7 spacecraft is there, located at the museum’s Henry Crown Space Center.<br /> For me, this was more than a simple “Cool! There’s the space capsule!” trip. It was, in a very real sense, a pilgrimage. In the same way religious people are emotionally drawn to religious relics and artifacts (and in some cases artifictions – sorry, I couldn’t resist getting in a dig at religion) the Aurora 7 spacecraft, to me, represents a physical, tangible link to a powerful idea – that humans should use technology and science to explore the unknown - and a magnificent achievement in human history. It, to me, is my fragment of the One True Cross, my Holy Grail, my Ark of the Covenant. <br /> And best of all, it’s real and I know where it is. And – last week – I got to see it with my own two eyes. (And I’d say I got to touch it, as well, but that’s not allowed so I’ll simply maintain silence on that point on grounds it may incriminate me. Suffice to say there’s a small space where the plastic shell doesn’t entirely cover the spacecraft and my fingers have been known to slip on occasion.) :-)<br /> Chicago has a lot of wonderful things: skyscrapers, amazing deep-dish pizzas, Italian beef sandwiches, the fantastic evolution exhibit at the Field Museum, fish, fish and more fish at the Shedd Aquarium, but for me, the best thing in Chicago is a metal object 11.5 feet tall by 6.2 feet wide. Aurora 7 is what transformed my trip to Chicago from a vacation into a pilgrimage.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-90971982381054283482011-07-25T06:58:00.000-07:002011-07-25T07:06:30.348-07:00TrafficJust a quick observation on this, my final day in Chicago.<br /><br /> I've noticed there is a different dynamic between motorists and pedestrians depending on where you are:<br /><br /> In Flint, a motorist will run over a pedestrian without a second thought. The pedestrians realize this and there are no problems.<br /> In Ann Arbor, pedestrians expect to be given the right of way. The motorists realize this and there are no problems.<br /> In Chicago, motorists will, without a second thought, run over pedestrians who expect the right of way. This results in a type of meat-grinder traffic chaos I've seldom experienced.<br /><br /> How I look forward to my serene Davison Township subdivision. Nothing on the street but the occasional tardy mail truck...John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086671023203171002.post-44191040546118099692011-07-18T06:31:00.000-07:002011-07-26T14:47:19.700-07:00Hitting the PavementThere are times when arguments that sound good in theory are horrible when actually carried into practice. Like the Republican insistence that the Federal debt limit should not be raised without cutting the deficit. Sure, it <span style="font-style:italic;">sounds</span> reasonable. The government is spending more than it’s bringing in already and it now wants to be able to borrow more. This, therefore, would appear to be a good time to examine spending priorities and to develop strategies both to contain future expenditures and to pay down the existing debt. Except the Republicans want to somehow magically pay down this debt without actually… uh... paying down the debt. They want to cut spending but not raise taxes. But without raising taxes, how can the debt be paid off?<br /> Let me put it in personal terms. If my credit card debt were out of control, it wouldn’t be enough to simply say I’ll fix the problem by living on Ramen noodles and tap water because they’re cheaper. I would also have to – you know – actually make <span style="font-style:italic;">payments</span> on the debt I’ve already racked up. If I fail to do that, any statement on my part that I really, really, <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> want to eliminate my credit card debt would be disingenuous. Munching Ramen, while symbolic in an ashes-and-sackcloth sort of way, does nothing to actually reduce my existing debt. The only way to do that would be to make the move of setting aside a larger share of my income and applying it toward paying it down. And while this would be painful for awhile, doing so would be beneficial in the long run. Since once I’m free from debt, I could actually start saving money for cool things I really want to do or buy.<br /> But the Republicans don’t seem to get that. These same people who appear so eager to slash medical and Social Security benefits for the poor and working classes somehow find tax loopholes for gazillionaire oil companies, owners of corporate jets and racehorses sacrosanct. I may not be the brightest bulb on the marquee when it comes to figuring out politics, but when it comes to figuring out whose side these people are on, I sure as hell know it isn’t mine.<br /> When pondering the Republican position on the debt ceiling, I couldn’t help but think of a recent incident in upstate New York. It seems there was a group of motorcyclists who didn’t like the state law requiring them to wear helmets while riding. They felt it was an infringement on their personal freedom. So they had a rally in which they defiantly rode their cycles without helmets. While on this protest ride, one of the cyclists lost control, flew over his handlebars and smashed his head on the pavement with fatal results. Had he been wearing a helmet, authorities stated, he likely would have survived.<br /> Lofty-sounding pronouncements in favor of individual rights and liberties do little to alter the fact that riding a motorcycle without a helmet is a profoundly stupid thing to do. And that, to me, is the perfect analogy to the entire Republican/tea party platform: nice-sounding arguments which, if carried out, would lead to disastrous results. <br /> The Republican willingness to let the US Government default on its loans rather than have the rich pay their fair share of taxes shows me that they’re not serious about deficit reduction. They’re only serious about protecting the rich. They like feeling the wind flow through their hair as they ride. It’s the feeling of freedom.<br /> And if the poor and working classes get their heads splattered on the pavement as a consequence, they can console themselves knowing they were martyrs in the cause of liberty.John O'Cydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00126284930008630511noreply@blogger.com1