This morning, my wife needed to be minding the shop for my father-in-law. She expected to use my #1 daughter's car, and had told #1 daughter about her plans.
#1 daughter drove off to get some supplies, returning about 6 minutes after my wife and a near-quorum of the family had left. In the van. Which is the only vehicle I'm remotely comfortable in, even after the hip replacements.
No problem. In the fullness of time (quite promptly, actually), #1 daughter drove her car over to the shop, returning in the van.
Which enabled me to work up a sweat at Fitness Guru (weird name, good exercise place). Also to fill the van's fuel tank. Gasoline is $2.769 now: not bad at all, compared to what it was around Independence Day.
I didn't mind getting out of the house for a while. I was having a moderately hard time concentrating on my work, with a young son eagerly, and not quietly, waiting for his new-to-him laptop to return.
Then it did return, but now with the software that was expected. I'm going to skip the details. #1 daughter can discuss that, if she so chooses, and if she does I may link to her blog.
My son is learning valuable lessons in the nature of reality and social interactions. He's not learning them quietly, but he's learning them. He and #1 daughter have hammered out an arrangement of some sort regarding her efforts to make the laptop ready for him.
I'm not being coy about details. I stayed out of the way, letting them discuss the situation. Good learning experience for them, that way: not so easy on my nerves.
Showing posts with label consequences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consequences. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Not Losing Sleep Over This: I Deliberately Ignored It
Sleep, that is.
Last night, and this morning, I finished getting about an hour of video ready for my Central Minnesota Theater. I'd taken video of Sauk Centre's Sinclair Lewis Days back on the 21st, and wanted it ready for my regular Sauk Centre Journal Wednesday entry.
(Am I shamelessly plugging my pages? You bet!)
The point is, I got about four hours of sleep last night, and didn't put in a full night's worth the night before.
I wouldn't be too surprised if my body lodges a formal complaint over this, but figure that a few good nights' sleep will bring me back to my usual level (or lack) of efficiency.
Last night, and this morning, I finished getting about an hour of video ready for my Central Minnesota Theater. I'd taken video of Sauk Centre's Sinclair Lewis Days back on the 21st, and wanted it ready for my regular Sauk Centre Journal Wednesday entry.
(Am I shamelessly plugging my pages? You bet!)
The point is, I got about four hours of sleep last night, and didn't put in a full night's worth the night before.
I wouldn't be too surprised if my body lodges a formal complaint over this, but figure that a few good nights' sleep will bring me back to my usual level (or lack) of efficiency.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Move Over Paris, Here Comes Lindsay
Looks like Lindsay Lohan is due for a third appointment at one of the better "rehab" spots: tears optional.
Just because she was chasing another vehicle in her SUV, with booze in her blood and snow in her pocket.
The real story, I think, is that the anklet that was supposed to check on her sobriety doesn't seem to have worked quite as well as hoped. In fact, the company that monitors the bracelet was surprised to learn that she had been arrested.
It is, of course, a sad day when one of this nation's leading citizens gets arrested for DUI and cocaine possession. Again.
Ms. Lohan apparently was chasing another vehicle in her SUV when authorities pulled her over and discovered that she wasn't driving so much as flying. To be fair, it's possible that she was in an enthusiastic caravan, headed from one party to another: although a interview with a police officer indicates that the lead vehicle called police for help, indicating that an unknown vehicle was chasing the lead vehicle. Also, that Ms. Lohan and the lead vehicle's driver were in a headed argument when police arrived.
It is an even sadder thought that Ms. Lohan, Ms. Hilton, Mr. Vick, and Mr. Kobe Bryant in fact are considered to be among this nation's leading citizens.
It's only a few hours after Ms. Lohan's arrest: I suspect that it will be a little later today, when commentators start discussing how disturbing it is when a role model and example for so many young people has exhibited behavior which may not be entirely appropriate.
Maybe this is bragging, but when I asked some of my kids whether Paris Hilton was a role model, I got very odd looks before being told what a dumb question it was.
I'm told that Lindsay Lohan has a decent singing voice, and has made recordings. At the very least, I hope she considers what booze and drugs are likely to do to her vocal cords.
Just because she was chasing another vehicle in her SUV, with booze in her blood and snow in her pocket.
The real story, I think, is that the anklet that was supposed to check on her sobriety doesn't seem to have worked quite as well as hoped. In fact, the company that monitors the bracelet was surprised to learn that she had been arrested.
It is, of course, a sad day when one of this nation's leading citizens gets arrested for DUI and cocaine possession. Again.
Ms. Lohan apparently was chasing another vehicle in her SUV when authorities pulled her over and discovered that she wasn't driving so much as flying. To be fair, it's possible that she was in an enthusiastic caravan, headed from one party to another: although a interview with a police officer indicates that the lead vehicle called police for help, indicating that an unknown vehicle was chasing the lead vehicle. Also, that Ms. Lohan and the lead vehicle's driver were in a headed argument when police arrived.
It is an even sadder thought that Ms. Lohan, Ms. Hilton, Mr. Vick, and Mr. Kobe Bryant in fact are considered to be among this nation's leading citizens.
It's only a few hours after Ms. Lohan's arrest: I suspect that it will be a little later today, when commentators start discussing how disturbing it is when a role model and example for so many young people has exhibited behavior which may not be entirely appropriate.
Maybe this is bragging, but when I asked some of my kids whether Paris Hilton was a role model, I got very odd looks before being told what a dumb question it was.
I'm told that Lindsay Lohan has a decent singing voice, and has made recordings. At the very least, I hope she considers what booze and drugs are likely to do to her vocal cords.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Shooting on I-94: News, Videotape and Iraq
Brian William Skold, a 28-year-old man from Sauk Rapids got drunk back on May 27. His family called the police, saying that he drunk, making threats, and had a shotgun with him.
The family stayed in touch with Skold via cell phone. He let them know that he was still armed and "threatened to come out shooting." To their credit, the family relayed information to the police.
A chase through Alexandria, Minnesota, surface roads, and finally I-94, ended around mile marker 115. Law enforcement stopped Skold's pickup with stop sticks. That's when he called the Stearns County dispatch center. After he found out that his tires were flat, he "became increasingly agitated and threatening."
Sadly, Skold decided to fire a shot in the air, and then aim at police officers. A hearing determined that they were justified when they shot and killed Skold.
Thankfully, the police had one of their squad car video cameras as a witness. The Army Times reported that the tape shows the incident ending after "Skold had fired a round of birdshot in the air and threatened that the next round would be 'lead.' The tape, made from a squad car, shows Skold chambering a round, dropping into a crouch and pointing his gun toward officers."
Echo Press, the Alexandria newspaper, did a pretty good job of reporting the incident.
Elsewhere, on the state and national level, news coverage of Skold's inebriate death dutifully reported that he was Iraq veteran who had returned from Iraq. And that he was depressed. After returning from Iraq.
The Star Tribune's Wednesday edition that week had "Did war's demons follow Iraq veteran in I-94 chase?" splashed across the top of the front page.
The post hoc ergo propter hoc argument was obvious.
Problem is, Skold's depression didn't seem to be connected to his tour in Iraq. His family "backed off" (as the Star Tribune put it) the news report that Skold had been suicidal since returning from Iraq. As an off-the-front-page article in the Star Tribune later put it, "one source had never met Skold. The other knew him only in passing."
That "Iraq Veteran" tag added to Skold's name in the news reminds me rather unpleasantly of the "Vietnam veteran" used to identify alleged suspects back in the seventies. True, the guys who were caught robbing convenience stores and liquor outlets had served in Vietnam, but they were also in the age-and-sex demographic that's most likely to commit violent crime.
Journalists do, of course, have high and noble reasons for what they do. And if you have any doubts about that, just ask them.
The family stayed in touch with Skold via cell phone. He let them know that he was still armed and "threatened to come out shooting." To their credit, the family relayed information to the police.
A chase through Alexandria, Minnesota, surface roads, and finally I-94, ended around mile marker 115. Law enforcement stopped Skold's pickup with stop sticks. That's when he called the Stearns County dispatch center. After he found out that his tires were flat, he "became increasingly agitated and threatening."
Sadly, Skold decided to fire a shot in the air, and then aim at police officers. A hearing determined that they were justified when they shot and killed Skold.
Thankfully, the police had one of their squad car video cameras as a witness. The Army Times reported that the tape shows the incident ending after "Skold had fired a round of birdshot in the air and threatened that the next round would be 'lead.' The tape, made from a squad car, shows Skold chambering a round, dropping into a crouch and pointing his gun toward officers."
Echo Press, the Alexandria newspaper, did a pretty good job of reporting the incident.
Elsewhere, on the state and national level, news coverage of Skold's inebriate death dutifully reported that he was Iraq veteran who had returned from Iraq. And that he was depressed. After returning from Iraq.
The Star Tribune's Wednesday edition that week had "Did war's demons follow Iraq veteran in I-94 chase?" splashed across the top of the front page.
The post hoc ergo propter hoc argument was obvious.
Problem is, Skold's depression didn't seem to be connected to his tour in Iraq. His family "backed off" (as the Star Tribune put it) the news report that Skold had been suicidal since returning from Iraq. As an off-the-front-page article in the Star Tribune later put it, "one source had never met Skold. The other knew him only in passing."
That "Iraq Veteran" tag added to Skold's name in the news reminds me rather unpleasantly of the "Vietnam veteran" used to identify alleged suspects back in the seventies. True, the guys who were caught robbing convenience stores and liquor outlets had served in Vietnam, but they were also in the age-and-sex demographic that's most likely to commit violent crime.
Journalists do, of course, have high and noble reasons for what they do. And if you have any doubts about that, just ask them.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Paris Hilton, Victim of Society
Paris Hilton, after serving five (official) days in jail, seems to have tired of playing prisoner there and is now confined to her humble home in West Hollywood.
She condescended to grace the LA County jail system with her presence after attending the MTV music awards last Sunday.
Arrangements with the county legal system had originally been for the hotel heiress to raise the tone of the LA jails for 45 days. This was later reduced to 23 days. Hilton's reason for refusing to prolong her personal appearance in Los Angeles' jails has not been officially proclaimed. Rumors of staph infections or overcrowding have been denied.
Ms. Hilton's visitation at the jail was the result of a conviction for "reckless driving stemming from a Sept. 7 arrest in Hollywood. Police said she appeared intoxicated and failed a field sobriety test. She had a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent, the level at which an adult driver is in violation of the law." (from the AP, May 04, 2007)
The hotel heiress subsequently violated terms of her probation, apparently as a result of following legal advice given by her publicist.
It's hard to take any of this fiasco seriously. I suspect that a commoner who had endangered others while driving in a state of marination would have had a more inconvenient encounter with law enforcement and the judicial system.
Ms. Hilton was released because of an unspecified "medical condition." Why the LA jails' medical services couldn't handle the heiress' complaint wasn't disclosed.
Despite appearances, our betters are almost indistinguishable from the rabble in terms of physiology, and may be evaluated and treated with the same medical procedures.
To be serious, this is disgusting. Whatever the facts, the appearance of this practical joke of a legal procedure is that those with wealth and position are held to a different, and much lower, standard of behavior than the rest of us.
Such preferential treatment is understandable, since we can neither reward nor punish those we deal with as effectively as those with wealth and position. That does not make it right.
In my opinion, separate rules for the wealthy and the riffraff encourages commoners and our betters to hold the law in contempt. That does not tend to encourage socially acceptable behavior.
In the long run, the big loser in this affair is Paris Hilton. Eventually, the shock of being confined to her multi-million-dollar abode, unable to attend award ceremonies and night spots as is her wont, will wear off. When that happens, I'm afraid that the lesson she learns from this will be that she, with the help of her family and vassals, may do as she pleases.
To someone with my beliefs, that state of mind is very bad for a person's interior welfare.
She condescended to grace the LA County jail system with her presence after attending the MTV music awards last Sunday.
Arrangements with the county legal system had originally been for the hotel heiress to raise the tone of the LA jails for 45 days. This was later reduced to 23 days. Hilton's reason for refusing to prolong her personal appearance in Los Angeles' jails has not been officially proclaimed. Rumors of staph infections or overcrowding have been denied.
Ms. Hilton's visitation at the jail was the result of a conviction for "reckless driving stemming from a Sept. 7 arrest in Hollywood. Police said she appeared intoxicated and failed a field sobriety test. She had a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent, the level at which an adult driver is in violation of the law." (from the AP, May 04, 2007)
The hotel heiress subsequently violated terms of her probation, apparently as a result of following legal advice given by her publicist.
It's hard to take any of this fiasco seriously. I suspect that a commoner who had endangered others while driving in a state of marination would have had a more inconvenient encounter with law enforcement and the judicial system.
Ms. Hilton was released because of an unspecified "medical condition." Why the LA jails' medical services couldn't handle the heiress' complaint wasn't disclosed.
Despite appearances, our betters are almost indistinguishable from the rabble in terms of physiology, and may be evaluated and treated with the same medical procedures.
To be serious, this is disgusting. Whatever the facts, the appearance of this practical joke of a legal procedure is that those with wealth and position are held to a different, and much lower, standard of behavior than the rest of us.
Such preferential treatment is understandable, since we can neither reward nor punish those we deal with as effectively as those with wealth and position. That does not make it right.
In my opinion, separate rules for the wealthy and the riffraff encourages commoners and our betters to hold the law in contempt. That does not tend to encourage socially acceptable behavior.
In the long run, the big loser in this affair is Paris Hilton. Eventually, the shock of being confined to her multi-million-dollar abode, unable to attend award ceremonies and night spots as is her wont, will wear off. When that happens, I'm afraid that the lesson she learns from this will be that she, with the help of her family and vassals, may do as she pleases.
To someone with my beliefs, that state of mind is very bad for a person's interior welfare.
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