I should pin this post here

Another day, another police shooting of an African American male. I wrote about it a couple of years ago. Hate that it's still relevant, and will most likely continue to be.

A moment of being pulled into the shit

If someone does not like when you call them a bigot online, perhaps they should not be posting things that are racist.

Done now. The bigot used a dictionary definition in his final act.

People are funny, except when they're racist.

Good thing there are some baby camels to calm me down.

A good birthday walk

Been trying to avoid the news, but it's hard to not see the effects of the tragedy in Charleston. I live in a racist, violent country - ruled by guns. If rooms full of dead children and adults will not make us take a hard look at it, nothing will. The nation is not capable of real change, other than security theater.

So I unplugged yesterday while my wife and her sister went out to do sisterly things and wandered around Glasgow for the day. Took the train into an unknown part of town to me and visited the park where Third Lanark used to play.
An interesting, ghostly experience that was only missing morning mist on the pitch. Since I was there, I strolled past Hampden Park and had no idea it was in such a residential neighborhood, not unlike Wrigley Field.

Managed to get on the right trains at the right time and got back to Central Station intact. I keep getting turned around when in downtown Glasgow, my compass does not work, but once I find the Clyde River I can figure things out. Found an old chip/breakfast shop and smiled my way through a language barrier to get some food.

These people had some very, very thick Glaswegian accents but we were all nice to each other. They asked where I was from and so on. The chips were not good, the fish cooked ok, the tea was excellent as was the patter. Heard some outstanding cursing, great breakfast conversation to overhear.

Was lucky enough to remember to visit the Britannia Panoptican, one of the oldest Music Halls left in the world. It was a thrill to stand on the same stage where sixteen year old Stan Laurel made his theatrical debut, in 1906. The hall is being slowly restored and Judith Bowers is doing amazing work in stewarding the process, mostly on her own.

By then I was ready for a proper drink and headed to the Horseshoe since I missed it on my last visit.

After that it was time to once again hit the Pot Still. Fell in love with this place my last visit and that love only increased. Got into a fine conversation with a gentleman from Northern Ireland, had some good advice from Frank the proprietor and the whiskey was excellent. If there is a better selection of whiskey anywhere in the world, I'd like to see it. After a few my wife and sister showed up at the pre-determined time to get me out of there while I could still walk, but not before I had a Mortlach that was distilled in 1984.

Quieter day today. All continues to be well here.

An update of sorts

This morning's coffee is an odd blend of Peruvian (of which there was not enough to make a whole cup) and Costa Rican (which is a very underrated country for coffee). Paired with one of the many world class pastries from Pistachia Vera, I'm off to a good start on a late winter Sunday.

It's been a long wait for spring. There are going to be a few more days of fits and starts this week, but it looks like the sub zero temperatures that highlighted this miserable Central Ohio winter have gone away for another year. This is not a guarantee, if it's five below on April 2nd, do not come here and blame me. I've already been yelled at one time too many for missing things this week.

My son's caregiver of the last two summers has agreed to come back. This is very good news as they have a familiar rapport. She's really good with him and well worth her salary. The peace of mind this gives all of us is profound. This enables my wife and I to be able to take a vacation to Scotland in June. Not going to be able to catch any soccer matches as the season is over but I'm very interested in seeing how late the sun goes down since we are there on the solstice, and my birthday. I'm thinking these three months are going to go as quickly as the first three months have gone. It's the Ides of March already!

Thinking of playing around with form poetry for awhile. Maybe there's some writing discipline (which has been missing for a long time now) in crafting work that way. Maybe I'll get back to work with a template instead of a prompt. It really cannot get any worse that is has been. A couple of hot new pieces at my Dayton feature in May will go a long way to boost my ego a bit.

I might be hate watching The Fall. I like the acting, and it's great to see Gillian Anderson in a meaty role. It's a damn shame the scripts are so cliched and predictable. If I can call a plot twist, there's something wrong. I did not mind The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. There were too many uncomfortable racist jokes though. I did not like the main character, but the casting of the rest of the ensemble (Carol Kane is wonderful) and cameos were excellent. It's supposed to be renewed. I wish programmers could get into the mind set that too much of something is not necessarily the best idea and know when to end a series on a high note then stop. I'm mostly talking about Broadchurch here! It's all about the money though, I'm not that stupid. If there's a profit to be made there will be people riding that horse until it drops, then using every part for sustenance until it's completely vanished. Such is the world. Thanks for reading.

No, we can't

In many ways, I have led a lucky life. I have a home in a forgotten about part of this city. It's relatively safe aside from the crackheads who rummage in my car from time to time. I leave the doors unlocked. It's easier to replace a power adaptor than to fix a broken window. A couple of days ago they got into the trunk by unlatching the back seat, did they read the manual? They are welcome to take the wiper fluid and I would not shed much of a tear if they drank the antifreeze. That's life in an urban area.

I've never been pulled over by the police while driving (occasionally I speed) or questioned about my activities while walking or shopping.

Just because I have not had these things happen to me does not mean I do not think they happen to anyone else. I do not think people will not be bothered if they mind their manners, or change their clothing or behavior - those things will not make the bigotry go away.

Having a special needs child causes me much worry on a lot of levels, but I'm not sure I have to be too concerned about finding out my 12 year old son was shot by a lawman in the back, or the head, or the torso. A number of scenarios could surely be invented. A couple of years ago he wandered off and was quickly and safely found by the Columbus Police, something which my family is grateful for. Trusting those who protect and serve is very troubling when you begin to realize who exactly is being protected and served.

To say I'm not sure where this country is headed when race relations are concerned is an erroneous statement. We're already in a screwed up place, we've been in a screwed up place and I have no idea if this can be straightened out soon, or what it will take. Scores of dead black men and children shot for no reason other than the color of their skin is not waking us up. That's how I'm seeing this country right now, and Rodney King's question still resonates.

Practically a found poem

Is Gun

Sandwich is gun
Sweet tea is gun
Hoodie is gun
Pants at the knees is gun
Broken down car is gun
Knock on the door is gun
Broken tail light is gun
Licence plate light not working is gun
Cell phone is gun
Hands in the air is gun
Shopping in Wal Mart is gun
Standing on a street corner is gun
Not getting out of the vehicle is gun
Not showing ID is gun
Getting your ID out is gun
Saying no is gun
Saying yes is gun
Saying I do not know is gun
Saying stop is gun
Saying don’t shoot is gun
White man with gun
is second amendment