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Greetings
Quotaholics:
Okay, I want a show of hands here, how many people have ever flashed
someone?
No, I don’t mean THAT kind of flashing. Although I must admit that was
the first thing that popped into my mind when I glanced at the teaser
headline. THAT kind of flashing is already illegal and the purview of
the perverted and, perhaps, hormonally challenged drunken college students
on spring break and the kind that no one at RGQ would ever ever engage
in even if they just wanted to say hi to some of their friends across
the street by showing their tits and 2 cops just happened to be driving
by at the same time and they didn‘t get arrested. No one here, not ever,
never. Nu huh.
I mean the other kind of flashing, the kind that is not illegal. The
kind where if you are driving and see someone driving without their
headlights, or if they are driving with their bights on, or if you have
just encountered a hazardous situation, or know of a speed trap then
you flash your headlights. That kind of flashing, the good kind, the
kind kind, the legal kind.
Well, legal just about everywhere except Florida perhaps.
Good old Florida, home of the hanging chad, where it’s illegal to video
record police officers in the performance of their duties and apparently,
it’s also illegal to flash your headlights at other motorists for any
reason whatsoever. It may not get you arrested like a video recording,
but it may get you a ticket. At least that is what happened to Erich
Campbell in 2009. Mr. Campbell had spotted 2 police officers in the
median trying to catch speeding drivers. He thought he was doing his
fellow drivers a solid and never imagined he was breaking the law when
he blinked his lights.
Last month, Campbell filed a class
action lawsuit to try and establish that flashing or blinking ones
headlights is a form of free speech and is therefore protected by the
First Amendment.
It’s hard to say how soon Campbell’s case will be heard in court but
apparently he has precedent in his favor.
According to an article in USA today, in 1976 an Ohio appellate court
ruled in favor of a gentleman who had been convicted in interfering
with an officer in performance of his duties. The appeals court ultimately
ruled that there was no evidence that other drivers were speeding and
that police weren’t trying to stop anyone at the time so there was no
interference.
Additionally, in 1999 a New Jersey appellate court found that flashing
one’s headlights is protected speech, as did a Tennessee trial court
in 2003.
Law enforcement officials advance a major argument for making blinking…or
flashing…illegal. They say that it warns speeders who are actually
committing a crime, allowing them to get away with it, much like a lookout
in a bank robbery. In Florida the opposing argument apparently is that
the person who is blinking their headlight is doing the job of the police.
AYFKM? As far as I am concerned, the “flashers” are doing police a favor,
as well as other motorists on the road. They’re trying to get them to
pay attention, be cautious and slow down. It shouldn’t be a crime.
What about you, dear readers? Do you, or have you ever flashed someone?
Ever been flashed? If so, what was the reason, sobriety checkpoint,
speed trap, headlights or a hazardous condition? If you have been flashed
what was your reaction, did you slam on the brakes, look around to see
what was the matter? Or did you take it personally and angrily flip
the other driver the bird, only to feel foolish when you realized they
were just trying to help?
Just to keep things interesting, if your mind runs in the gutter
like mine so often does, andyou want to talk about the other kind of
flashing, that’s okay too.
Judiciously yours,
GrammieSammie
I do not mind cleaning up the mess after a party, because it is evidence
I have been surrounded by friends.
Comment
On This Article |
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| Today’s
Quotes |
Politeness is the art of choosing among one’s real thoughts. ~Abel
Stevens
Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead
of someone else’s. ~Billy Wilder
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| Today’s
Chuckle |
Secret
To A Long Marriage
An
old woman was sipping on a glass of wine while sitting on the patio
with her husband. She says, “I love you so much I don’t know how I could
ever live without you.”
Her husband ask, “Is that you or the wine talking?”
She replied, “It’s me… talking to the wine.”
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| Life
Sentences |
Let us consider man the first moment of his existence; his mind immediately
feels different sensations; such as light, colours, pain, pleasure,
motion, rest: these are his first thoughts.
There is neither error, nor obscurity, nor confusion in what passes
within us, nor in the application we make to that which is without us.
There is still another operation which arises from the connection established
by the attention betwixt our ideas; this is contemplation. It consists
in preserving, without any interruption, the perception, the name or
the circumstances of an object which is vanished out of sight. – all
from Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, French philosopher, born on this day
in 1715
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| Image’n
That! |
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Oh
Have I Got A List For You!!
[Thanks Tesser]
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| My
Most Embarrassing Moment
My Scariest Moment |
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Speak right up!
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| Cliff’s
Notes
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Blood
That fluid that flows so quickly through our circulatory systems is
a miracle. It is hard to call something so common a miracle, but
it really is.
Blood is what makes our poop brown. All those dead red blood cells
have to be eliminated, so they are filtered out of our systems and end
up forming the bulk of the pigmentation of our stools. But, before
they are worn out, they do a lot of work absorbing iron to enable them
to absorb oxygen and disperse it throughout our entire body. That
simple mechanism is miraculous alone.
Blood has other tasks. It collects waste by-products from the
tissues through which it flows. It then deposits those wastes
in the kidney. Actually, the kidney filters it. The blood
wouldn’t know to deposit it otherwise. But the bloodstream is
the highway for these microscopic truckers and their loads.
The veins and arteries, and in concert, the capillaries, carry all of
the blood and other things through the body. Hormones, medications,
and anything and everything else we inhale or ingest gets into the blood
and is carried to where it is ultimately used. A veritable sluice,
the blood vessels are the tubes that feed us, so to speak.
Until the advent of DNA identification, blood was one of the identifying
characteristics used by law enforcement and the medical profession.
Yet today, blood type is right up there on the procedures performed
every time blood is taken from a patient. There are only a few
types of blood, and each type is compatible with any other person’s
blood of the same type, irregardless of nationality, race, or sex.
A person with type B blood can use type B blood from any other person.
It will not be rejected.
It has been so ingrained into our minds and vernacular that a reference
to relationship between individuals is that they are of the same blood.
They can have different official types of blood, but the term still
applies. It has been recognized as being so important to life
and familial relationships that ancient cultures would cut themselves,
press the cuts from 2 unrelated individuals together and proclaim a
shared blood, making them "blood brothers". This relationship
was as binding as a natural birth into the family. Native Americans
used that term, but they were not the only cultures to perform this
ritual.
Blood
is so important, it cannot be taken from you without your permission.
Here’s your quiz:
In your immediate family, what blood types does your family have?
Do you know?
Have you shared a relationship so close that you felt you were as close
as "blood brothers"?
Have you ever donated or been the recipient of blood?
Blood - "Life’s Blood"
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
Comment
on this article |
| BJ’s
Ponderings |
A Clean Slate
Greg
loved baseball. He was a decent ballplayer but realized his potential
was maxed as a lower minor league player so he gave up his dream and
settled for a ‘normal’ life working in a career in the programming
field…where I met him. I was the systems manager at the local
Blood Institute and he was a shy giant of a man who loved baseball,
KU basketball
(we shared that love). We became quiet friends. He helped me move
once and watched my pets when I went on vacation. To understand that
task, he lived about twenty-five miles away, one way. A good friend
would do that. We played pranks on each other.
Time moves on and so do people. My wife passed on from cancer and
I decided to take an offer from another company that paid more money
with less stress. Greg followed me to the same company but probably
due to his shyness, felt uncomfortable there. He left for a company
in Missouri and was happy there. A couple of years passed and at the
age of 48 he went to ER and was diagnosed with stomach cancer. As
a good friend I went to visit him in the hospital in Joplin, Missouri.
I got the KU basketball team to sign something special for him. I
took him some funny items also.
Here is the kicker. Greg never was a church going person, never had
been ’saved’. When I saw him in the hospital we talked about many
things, including God. Greg knew I was a Christian, that I had preached
at churches and knowing his time was short, he took my hand and made
a bedside confession of faith. I offered to give him the cross I wore
around my neck. He refused and said he would get his own. I left my
friend feeling many feelings, sad, fulfillment, contentment. I knew
I would not see him again alive in this world. Our circle had been
completed. We had traveled in the past to his hometown in Missouri
a few years earlier and Greg had shown me where he had grown up. He
took me to his mother’s grave and I had helped him deal with his fear
of hospitals and of dying. Later I took him to my hometown in Kansas
and I showed him home. We were friends. That was our legacy. I was
proud to help him cross over with a clean slate.
BJ Cassady
Comment
On This Article
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Kirsten’s
Krazy Kaleidoscope |
Email Kirsten
“Watching
a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one
of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment
only to disappear into the endless night forever.”
~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross ~
Joseph Maraachli’s
parents knew that he was going to die. They just didn’t want him to
suffer in the process. He and his sister before him had both been born
with a rare genetic disease called Leigh
Syndrome. This condition, which affects the central nervous system,
is not curable and almost always kills its victims within the first
two years of life. Joseph’s sister died when she was 18 months old.
Baby Joseph was being treated at a hospital in London, Ontario. When
the disease made it impossible for him to breathe independently, a breathing
tube was inserted. In February, however, the hospital declared that
Joseph was in a permanent vegetative state and that they planned to
remove the breathing tube.
Joseph’s parents refused. They had no illusions that their son would
survive, but they said removing the breathing tube would cause him to
suffocate and go through unnecessary suffering. They requested a tracheotomy:
this would give Joseph’s parents a few precious extra months with him
and allow him to die at home.
The hospital stated that since this was a terminal illness, they would
not perform the tracheotomy. This sparked a legal battle that consisted
of Joseph’s parents appealing and losing, appealing and losing.
The story drew the attention of several pro-life organizations in the
United States. This culminated in Joseph’s transfer to a US hospital,
who performed the tracheotomy. Joseph was discharged from the hospital
and returned home in April.
Over the next several months, the baby showed some signs of consciousness.
He opened his eyes a few times, responded to sound and touch, and on
one occasion, he even threw a tantrum during a diaper change. The tracheotomy
enabled him to breathe easily on his own.
This story does not end with a miracle survival. Joseph died at his
home earlier this week, at the age of twenty months. He did have a few
months with his parents, though. They got to hold him and talk to him,
and bestow their love on him before he passed away. This time that they
had would not have happened if they had not fought for the tracheotomy.
The hospital where the battle started stands by its decision to refuse
to perform the tracheotomy. What is the point, they ask, of performing
a procedure like this on a terminally ill patient, a procedure that
would not significantly extend that patient’s life?
What do you think? Is it acceptable for a hospital to refuse treatment
to a patient who is “going to die anyway”? Or should compassion for
soon-to-be-bereaved loved ones factor into the decision of whether to
provide treatment or not?
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Comment
On This Article |
| Lucille’s
Lunacy |
If grumpiness was a sign of judicial competence, one of the judges 30
miles from here, would be on the Supreme Court. A few weeks ago, for instance,
I had what I call a "hearing to set a hearing" in his court.
Since I live 30 miles away, and would have to hire a driver to get there,
and would only have to call my office to consult my calendar, opposing
counsel suggested I should attend the hearing by telephone.
Mr. Judge accepted my call, but he was not happy. "You realize, Miss
Uttermohlen, that allowing you to participate by telephone goes against
my long standing rule."
I wanted to tell him that I have a few long standing rules of my own.
One of them is that you don’t hire a driver, buy gas and stand in line
for a half hour in court to ask that a hearing be set. The civilized way
to accomplish this evil is to file a motion and have the secretaries coordinate
the times. If I were judge, I would do it that way.
Maybe this guy is a little challenged in the laziness department. I’d
offer to give him lessons, but that would take too much energy.
Before his good luck in the election, Mr. Judge was one of us commoners.
He has forgotten us little people in his climb to fame, but I remember
His Honor when he was a mere attorney. In fact, he used to scrape part
of his living from divorce mediations.
Divorce mediations are conferences where couples pay their own attorneys
as well as an objective third party to decide for them who gets the microwave
oven or the 1998 Buick. His honor conducted a mediation in one of my cases,
and it was the first, and among the very few such conferences in my career.
In short, I’d slept since then, and was only reminded of his honor’s participation
in the incident in a later divorce case in his court.
HH: Miss Uttermohlen, do you think mediation might help in this case?"
LU: "No sir, I don’t. I hate to say it, but I’ve only hired a mediator
once in my career, and it was a waste of money. All the mediator did was
blunder back and forth between the two rooms and tell the parties what
the other party wanted. We knew that much when we got there, and the mediator
didn’t help a bit. No, sir, it truly was a waste of time, money and breath."
No mediator was appointed in that particular case. I rose and left the
courtroom, and my client admired me for my forthrightness, and the fact
that I had probably saved him a couple thousand dollars. I preened myself
in the glow of his admiration until I remembered my first, and only mediation,
and the fact that I had just informed my first mediator that his participation
was worth less than a bucket of spit, and that he had acted with less
competence then a trained monkey.
As I finished swallowing my size 10 foot in the elevator, it did occur
to me that the Chinese custom of foot binding might have served me well
just then.
Comment
On This Article |
| Poet-Tree |
Speaking of big feet, the most fingers and toes at birth are 14 fingers
(7 on each hand) and 20 toes (10 on each foot)
and belonged to a Akshat Saxena of India. (Guiness Book Of Records 2011)
Here’s the next one - chug-a-lug!,
I once had a dog that drank _______…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
I
once knew a man with big feet
Which really was kind of neat
For he used them with grace
He could even scratch his face
Too bad they smelled like rotted meat.
Bonnie >^..^< |
I
once knew a man with big feet—
the attendant sex was quite neat—
until he did lay
everyone in his way
and all the people that he did greet.
- Cassandra in New York |
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Reader Comments |
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Re: Prison Perks
I
don’t guess too many of us would trade our freedom for a TV. The time
is the punishment. The removal from family, society, friends. When
you live in an environment as brutal as jails and prisons, and you’ve
lost your freedom, and most of your rights. Some of which you’ll never
get back. A TV is small comfort. Yeah, I know, I’m probably in the
minority, here. So what? - L&K, herm
I
have never owned a TV, and would consider even a radio a good reason
to start screaming back at it after a day or so. However, most people
like them, and U.S. jails contain a lot of people who would be at
home in other countries. I understand that the commissary operates
much like a general store for cigarettes, etc, for a large population,
so it is not odd to generate $8 surplus per man. The inmates may also
be working, for 3rd-world wages. Apart from the likelihood that the
majority of the men are black, serving long sentences for victimless
crimes, and with few prospects for a good life before or after jail,
don’t you think that just being locked up is punishment enough? -
Bob of the North
Re: Nostalgia
Food was
never a reward to me as a child. Everything except what I bought arrived
on schedule. But, I did, and do, like chocolate. I just wish it wasn’t
harvested by slave boys more than any other crop. I’ve got boxes of
old pictures, books and music, and a few souvenirs like a clamshell
from the Mississippi. My bed is from an early experiment in mass production
I did in ‘75. I’ve collected as much brass as I care to keep polished,
as I used to work it, and it was going for scrap price. I can always
re-work more of it. My almost perfect day was my 58th birthday, when
my girlfriend came to visit after our planned celebration had been
interrupted the year before, kicking off a year of turmoil. But the
happiest surprise was the year I had a Second surprise party. Bob
of the North
Re: Kindness
Random acts of
kindness are the greatest gifts we can give or receive, in my opinion.
I was walking through the parking lot one lovely summer day and a
young woman sitting in a truck called out to me "You look so
pretty today — I love your dress!" I walked over there and gave
her a hug — and I FELT pretty all day long! I had a flat tire last
week on the freeway and a couple stopped in fairly heavy traffic to
make sure we were okay. I did have help on the way but it was so cool
of them to stop — hundreds of cars passed us and they were the only
ones who stopped. I do see people doing good things a lot and you
are right, it does help restore our faith in humankind even when it
seems like all we hear is the negative side of life on this planet.
Thanks! - Marsha
in Michigan
Re: Lesser
Feats
We are
trying to set the world record for the most number of Frisbees in
the air at one time here at my university this weekend! It is to kick
off a "Paint the Town Pink" event in honor of breast cancer
awareness so while it might not be the most exciting record in the
world, it IS for a good cause. Our goal is to beat the current record
of 1,903 discs — the nationally recognized Plastics and Elastomer
program here at Ferris developed the program and produced the 2500
discs. Just thought I would put a little plug in here for us! http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/archive/2011/september/disc.htm
- Marsha in Michigan
With
regard to Lucille’s observation on Guinness Book of Records….my
youngest son (28) is a magnet school teacher in a middle school in
Charleston, SC. Last year, he entered the Guinness Book of Records
for putting his entire body through a regulation sized tennis racket
(without the strings, of course) 19 times in one minute (the old record
was 17). Okay, I’ve never claimed it was a noteworthy achievement,
but it was fascinating to watch – a portion of it was broadcast
on NBC on Thanksgiving morning in 2010 just before the Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day parade. He spent 4 years in the Marines, has his Master’s degree
in Music Education but pursued this "folly" with extreme
dedication and focus. Whatever you want to say about the "importance"
or "significance" of some of the accomplishments in the
Book, not everyone can lay claim to having a Guinness Book of Records
plaque hanging on their wall. For many other reasons, I’m very proud
of him, but this is a nice conversation piece. Also, for what it’s
worth, he conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra when he was 18 years
old, but that’s a whole ‘nother story. May y’all’s day go well !!
- Jerry K. in SC
Re: Chat
Rooms
Guess
I’m pretty talkative today…..just wanted to say that we are addicted
to the Ustream livecam feed for the Decorah Iowa eagles too! The folks
I work with and I had more fun and learned more than you can imagine
watching these gorgeous bald eagles raise their family right in front
of our eyes. It is amazingly addictive and Faith in Baltimore is right
— there are very cool people in the chatrooms — no weird stuff at
all!! - Marsha in Michigan
Re: Cliff
& Kirsten
My perfect day
was a day full of nothing but random acts of kindness. I was really
down and out broke and at my wits end a little while back. Out of
the clear blue a friend called me up and asked if i wanted to go out
to lunch. She offered to pay for it knowing how broke I was. We had
a nice lunch and afterwards I went shopping with her. She told me
if I needed anything to throw it in the cart with her stuff and she
would pay for it. I threw a few small items into the cart. Then when
she took me home, she told me to get my car and follow her to the
gas station where she filled my gas tank. (A Miata doesn’t take a
lot of gas.) After an incredible day I felt so uplifted, like I was
floating on a cloud. Before too long, a second friend stopped by the
house, and told me…"I was just doing dishes and the thought
popped into my head you could probably use some cash." She then
proceeded to hand me $40- bucks, gave me a hug, then got into her
car and drove home. I ended my day with tears of joy for being so
lucky to have friends like that. - Kathy
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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