I asked yesterday what the 4th of July meant to you,my readers...and four people actually took the time to write a answer. 4 out of a 146 subscribers...now,is it laziness,apathy,too many people asked the same question as a blog subject? I think its awareness....awareness that our country is no longer the greatest country anymore,it has slidden back into the rest of the world. No longer a true democracy,our freedoms that many have died for are being eroded away by various factions from both sides of the coin...
But I do reflect on the 4th...and thank brave men and women who not have died today,yesterday and thru out our nation's history. My prayer now is that these citizens didn't die in vain for empty promises from our elected leaders,greedy companies and distorted media "journalists" who make mockery of thier sacrafices.
Today was a beautiful day in SE Michigan. My wife and I went over to see her Aunt Jo,we went to the cemetary and cleaned up the gravesites of her relatives. I mowed grass with a old fashioned push-mower,got on my hands and knees and clipped away overgrown grass and washed the marble nameplates. Aunt Jo is 88 now yet she is still pretty strong,she planted flowers and tried to lift the 30 pound mower back into our car...I just looked at her and said "you're joking,right?" She laughed and let me save my ego by putting the mower back into the car.
The drive thru the outer edge of Detroit never fails to amaze me with how filthy dirty and blighted it is....truly,there is no civic pride in City Hall. These empty,burned buildings need to be bulldozed down...there was a tiny flea market one block up from the cemetary,it was so bad,the fleas outside were picketing over the use of thier name to describe the mess.
Before we left,we decided to "adopt" a gravesite that was very unkempt...we mowed,cleaned it up and planted a flag by it. It was done by impulse but it felt so right in doing it.
After Aunt Jo treated us to lunch,we dropped her off home and headed back to our home. We drove thru Livonia and stopped at a party store to get lunch meat. As we pulled in,we saw a stalled car with a black lady trying to push it back off the street...even before we could park,a swarm of people from 4 different cars all rushed over and helped this woman...it was so cool to see Americans coming together like that. It had been a long time since we both had seen such a gesture...
We went food shopping...and good lord,we were hit with sticker shock. Gas is now 4.09- 4.19 a gallon and the grocery prices seemed to have spiked high this week. And you could hear it in the store,people commenting on the prices. But since its the 4th of July,supermarkets feel they can jack up the prices...but how they do it is what sucks. Lucky for us,we had our freezer stuffed with food we gotten when prices were better. We are entertaining guests Saturday but it be a low-key event. I can't imagine hosting a big 40-50 person party...
8 Questions with Russ Bennett of Michigan Vet Fest
Category: Friends
Welcome to another edition of "8 Questions with...." an ongoing interview series featuring the friends I have here on my MySpace page.
In looking for a new friend to interview,I went surfing thru my page...and the Vet Fest page grabbed my attention. I took a closer peek and was impressed at how good and interesting this local event looked. Its a damned shame we have to have such a event...because that means we are in a war and our brave young men and women are dying.
What made this page all that more remarkable is the fact its NOT a political soapbox,while the page is patriotic in nature,its not a typical facist/Republican "America Uber Alles"...its attention is all on supporting our Michigan troops and thier families. The event is being held in Westland,which is next door to me so I'll be attending this event...I'm curious on how it will be attended and the musical line-up looks outstanding with Lemon James Band adding considerable punch to this festival. This looks like a show worth attending....and supporting.
And now.......8 Questions with a real American hero,Russ Bennett of Michigan Vet Fest.
1. Introduce yourself
My name is Russ Barnett. I'm the founder of something we call The Michigan Vet Fest.
2. What is Vet Fest and how did it get started?
Vet Fest is a non profit annual benefit concert, designed to raise awareness and appreciation of our veteran's in need . All proceeds go directly to a great organization in Wayne Michigan , called Veteran's Haven. Every year after the fest, we personally hand over our profits to them. They take it from there and use the funds from us and many other donors, to do what they do year around , directly working with the vets, assisting them with clothing, housing, counseling and much more.They have been doing this for years, and we thought they were the perfect charity to donate our efforts to. The fest got started in earnest in the fall of 2006. I had the idea for a few years, and decided it was time to take some action instead of just setting aside the idea. Utilizing the talents of my musician friends to create something that would "give back" to the vets, after all the unselfish sacrifices they have made, seemed like the perfect way to do it. Something that would show them we care and appreciate what they do. I threw the idea out there to some of the bands, thinking at best we'd have four or five acts in someone's backyard, and maybe round up a hundred bucks in a donation pot. The response we got was quick, overwhelming and a thrill. It really says a lot about the hearts and minds of these musicians, how quickly they all jumped on board, ready and willing to donate time, talent and work to the cause. The first fest was a mild success ,held at a Venue in Pontiac, and a fantastic learning experience for all of us involved. Going into the second year, we formed a committee, and inplimented a whole new round of ideas designed to make the fest bigger and better than before. The non musician people who have jumped on board for the first fest and this one to help us with all the planning and logistics have just been tremendous. We could have never gotten this far without all the great idea's and hard work they have put into the fest, all without compensation, or glory, just out of the goodness of their hearts. Just saying thanks to everyone, bands and volunteers, just doesn't seem like enough. I'ts a real nice feeling going to bed at night, knowing that we have done our small little part to do something for someone else, someone we don't even know. I can't speak for everyone, but I know, I feel better about myself, having made even a small contribution to someone elses life.
3. Reports have come out of the poor support from Washington for our injured Vets from Iraq and Afganistan,does this surprise you and how can we fix it?
Yes, we've read and heard of many of these problems.Without getting political, we think there is a lot that can be done.The powers that be in Washington listen to the squeekist wheel too, they want to keep their jobs. It's easy to sit back and complain about they way things are, and much more challenging to actually make your voice heard and try to do something about it. We encourage everyone who doesn't like the way things are, to get involed in some little way, to make things better. I personally think it's a shame they way our Vets are treated after they do what it is we ask them to do.They are the TRUE hero's and deserve so much better.This situation will improve when the American people show the Washington big wigs, and the folks in the media, that they are more interested in real issues such as these. We've all been guilty of being more concerned about some no talent Hollywood empty head getting busted than the real problems that face this country. The Veteran's, who have given life and limb, should be followed around by the paparazzie.Wouldn't that be a day to celebrate!
4. Tell us a little bit about the event,what activities do you have planned?
We've built the fest by leaps and bounds this year. We're focused on making the fest a fun, all ages family event. We have 15 live acts on 2 stages, which will include rock, blues, country and more. We have childrens activites, a dunk tank, a Magician, a Classic car show, put on by "cars for the cause", face painting a horseshoe tournament, a dance team,and lots more. We're now sponsored by Ford Motor Company(Michigan Truck Plant), and a host of others. We have some great donations that we will be giving away, and some real nice raffle prizes, including a brand new Fender Squire electric guitar, donated by the great folks at Allen Park Guitar Center. We have an autographed Tiger photo, donated by the Detroit Tigers Baseball club, that will be given away to one lucky winner. We have a 68 Tigers jersey from the Tiger promo just last week, that is autographed by Bill Freehan, Willie Horton and two other 68 Tigers. That will also be raffled off. We've just about doubled our profits from last year, with about a week and a half to go before the event. We're getting some media coverage, with a radio interview, and a newspaper article both coming up in the next few days. Just 10 bucks, and five dollars for 12 and under, gets everyone access to the whole festival.
5. What can the average American do to support our troops?
First and foremost, we would encourage people to come to the fest, or if coming out isn't possible, to make a donation.The fest will be lots of fun, and it's a painless way pitch in and help out. Making a donation is easy too. They can just mail a check to the haven, and they will send out a receipt to them for tax purposes.Veteran's Haven 4924 S. Wayne Rd, Wayne, Michigan 48184 . If the folks would be kind enough to write on the check, "for Vet Fest" than that amount will go into our tally, and we'll have true amount that we can put in our "funds raised" column.There are many many organizations that folks can find on the web, that do lots of good work to support our troops. There are places through myspace and other locations, where you can write to the guys overseas, send them packages etc.
6. How many Michigan soldiers have been KIA or WIA in the two fronts? What has been the reaction when you talk about Vet Fest?
I don't have those exact figures in front of me , but I know the numbers are significant. We printed and posted the Michigan numbers at the fest last year,with pictures of each soldier killed, and it was sobering, to say the least. As most folks know, the nationwide numbers for the Iraq war alone are headed for 5,000 KIA as we speak.
7. What has moved you personally most in organizing this event?
Two things, both which, I've already mentioned, the fantastic generosity of the bands, and committee members involved in the fest. They are all truely down to earth good people, and I can't thank them enough. That and the feeling I get from giving to others, as opposed to thinking only of ones self. I'm truely blessed to have been given this idea, and to have been given the chance to make it a reality. That in itself is a fantastic reward. We expect the fest to grow every year,and we're excited about the unknown possibilities the future holds for the fest.
8. How has MySpace help your event?
Some folks still scoff when the word myspace comes up.The notion of it being some social networking site for 12 year olds just doesn't hold true. The number of sites that are tied in with the kind of work we do is impressive.What we've been able to do through myspace alone has been huge in building the fest. The internet has been a strong tool for the fest, and we're building a "standard website" as we speak, but the great folks we've met, all that we've been able to do up to this point, an awful lot of it all started right there on myspace. Of course there is still the old fashion getting out in the streets and getting it done. We've still had to do plenty of that to make the fest work, but we certainly wouldn't be as far as we are without the myspace page, no question about it.
of Eagles,hedgehogs and redheads
Category: Blogging
Its 12:16 am
Back on duty here at the hotel...yay.
While I wanted to write about the Supreme Court 2nd Admendment ruling...all I will say next time there is a senseless school shooting,workplace shooting or some 8 year old kid busts a cap into a playmate...send the clipping and wailing of teeth to those clueless judges who feel its every American's right to shoot fellow Amercians...
Anyway....I got an update of my friend's Christa's kitty Trixie who was ill. Sadly,despite going to the best vet's clinic-Strong's- Trixie was full kidney failure and crossed over on Friday. Christa was really hurting and we talked for 45 minutes on the phone. I told her to reach out next time...we'll be happy to help out with her cats if she needs the help. They buried her in her backyard,she said the hardest part was explaining what happened to her 4 year old boy,Connor.
Still working on Phase 2 on the home improvements...while rain has kept us from finishing the deck,my wife and I did go to IKEA and got some very cool looking lights for the kitchen. Next up is cleaning the gutters on the roof and some landscaping. Of course Michigan is in full summer mode meaning we are getting 1-2 good t-storms every day. It can make projects really iffy when these storms race unto the scene very quickly.
A couple of posts ago,I wrote about what June means to me....college football is rapidly coming....I follow San Jose State but since I'm 2,000 miles from Spartan Staduim,my wife and I have "adopted" Eastern Michigan as our school we go see games at. Normally once a year,we go to EMU and watch the Eagles battle..so far we have seen Maryland,Idaho and Howard play. This year,the EMU home schedule is pretty weak as far as seeing "name"programs visiting. So we decided to see Akron on October 18th. So if anyone is in Michigan this day and wants to meet up with us....let me know,we would enjoy your company!
Just read the story about the kid who lost his head at 6 Flags,he jumped 2 security fences,ignoring the warning signs...all to retrieve a hat. Guess that won't happen,maybe they can put the same hat on his headless corpse...seriously,is a hat worth losing your head?
Last week, George Bush came to Livonia,which is about 7 miles from my hotel...and security was crazy as usual. Freeways were shut down,sharpshooters and Secret Service we post along the traffic route...all this ruckus,just so he could pop up for a hour to raise funds for the Nazi Party,err,GOP. Thousands disrupted for such a meaningless task.....I understand if he was here for a summit,or to hold meetings with city leaders...but fundraisers should be a private affair and should never disrupt the average Joe. Imagine how many people had to detour and not have to gas to spare...just another sign of just how of touch politicans from BOTH sides are with the common man.
I have heard from a very good source hedgehogs are pretty cute as pets.
I finally replaced the battery in my laser pointer,both cats were pretty excited. I had Ginger and DJ racing up and down the staircase chasing that red dot. It was good to see them play....most days they just solar in front of the screen in the family room,summer does that do them...
I have more interviews coming up...
Tony Kates Michigan Vet Fest
and finally....congratulations to Jamie McCall! As some of you may recall,Jaime is a young actress who is working very hard becoming a household name,I interviewed Jaime for "8 Questions" a little while ago. Seems like she is taking yet another step forward as she just appeared in the new season of Bravo's Sheer Genius stylist show....she looked very hip as a redhead and was a very bubbly presence on the show....way to go,Jaime!
thats it for now.....
comments are welcome.
Currently
listening
:
Johnny Bravo
By
Joyride
Release date: 1995-04-16
Forgiveness or Justice put to the test
Current mood: sad
Category: Pets and Animals
Its 12:37 pm
I'm home today...and pretty upset. Which I find rather bothersome as it has become common as of late.
I asked a question to a friend here in a interview: whats more important: forgiveness or justice. It sat in my gut until I blogged about it last week. I asked for your input both here on my blog and to take up the question on your blog and see what your readers say. So far my friend Michelle has posted the question and Delbert in Texas and my favorite RISK/Indie promotor Aaron have promised to write about the subject. I have gotten some good comments from across board about the subject...
Now today,I'm finding myself at the edge again...this time with a old friend.
I got call last night while I was getting ready for work,my Christa called me. She is the former co-worker who is battling a eating disorder/addiction. I have been trying to help her for the past 8 years to not very good results. I find myself talking and being a listening board for her and I have a standing offer to take her to any treatment center she feels comfortable with.
What really drew us together as friends was when she lost two cats in a 60 day period to a mysterious illness,when her 3rd cat got sick,she was at the end of her emotional rope. She called our apartment crying terribly that her cat was dying...I agreed to take Samurai to my vet because she is the best. Sure enough,my vet saved her cat's life and life went on. Christa added two more cats,Moofie and Trixie. I cat-sitted many times as her animals were very sweet except Samurai was a bit standoffish.
Flash forward 7 years today. I couldn't take her call last night because of work...but today was okay. She calls me at 10:45 am saying that Trixie might have to be put down. I asked why...she says the cat has all so much weight,isn't using the litterbox and is drinking lots of water,she is taking her to a vet's office at 1 pm. Now when she first told me this THREE MONTHS ago,I told her to call Dr. Foss,I told her over the course of owning her cats,get your shots updated and I told her never to wait. She ignored every piece of advice and guidance I offered,including loaning a small amount of money to get her cats seen. Now its looking like its too late for Trixie. She just was too self-absorbed in her own little world of self-hate to even care for her cats. I asked her why she was going to another vet's office when Foss is 5 minutes again from her house...I got angry....I asked why her fucking worthless piece of shit husband didn't notice the weight loss? Trixie was around 12 pounds when I last saw her,any weight loss would have been seen right away.
Christa could hear my anger and she got defensive...saying she couldn't afford the vet and she wasn't going to ask me for money..she started crying and saying I was telling her she didn't love her cats.
Guess what....she is fucking dead on. Of anyone in her ENTIRE circle of friends and family,she knew she could have called us to help! I had told her over and over to update her cats shots,they also get a check-up from Dr. Foss as well. Derek Jeter and Ginger are 100% indoor cats,but every year,they go in for shots and a exam. No excuses,its just done. She claimed she couldn't feel the weight loss as Trixie's claws were sharp...uh,yeah,she is a cat...but Trixie was not against being held and she loved being petted,she is a talker as well. But all the signs that a cat was ill were present,water intake,cat poo on the floor right outside the box...yet she did nothing.
And she calls me for what? Support? feel sorry for her? I do feel these things....for the poor cats that live in such a unloving home. I guess her need to eat rice and peanut butter just to throw it up just outweighed the simple trip to the vet for the good of the cat.
I am pissed off so badly about this..its animal cruelty,just like those heartless abusers you see on Animal Cops. Ignorance isn't a excuse for letting your cat get that sick...its just a tool to help kill her.
Shame on you,Christa,shame on you.
If Trixie crosses,at least she won't be suffering any longer...and thats something we can all pray for.
Back on station at my job...its a very quiet Friday night here at the hotel. We are still hosting the massive women's bowling tourney and they are either coming in from the casinos or bowling 6 single games starting at 10:30 pm. Personally,I think the organizers did a crappy job by these ladies. Only one alley to handle all these bowlers and making them pay good money only to start at 10:30 just sucks. Maybe it would be okay if the age groups were in the 20's but I have seen teams of ladies in thier 60's just stumble in dead tired at 2:30-3:00 am and have bowled just terrible. You just have to feel sorry for them...maybe if they tell the leadership that unless there are 2-3 good alleys,they'll skip the event and save thier money,it will spark a reform and everyone will bowl on a level playing field.
So MySpace decided to upgrade..a pretty shitty upgrade if you ask me and they still have NOT FIXED THE BLOGGING PROBLEMS. What do you expect from a facist owned site,right? *LOL*
Speaking of assholes...I caught this on the The Mad Goat's blog....seems like a small blogging war has broken out between the so called religious right and the sex obsessed top bloggers here. I took a quick peek and one dude is a athest and the other is MySpace's leading neo-facist,DocMan Jay. Its quite a hoot watching these so-called Christians whose lives and views are full of intolerance and hate try and lift up God when infact they are no better then the ignorant athiest. Athiests are funny...they deny and mock God's existence UNTIL they are death's door...once there,they sure do call on God quite a bit. My old pastor used to share a lot of deathbed stories of non-believers who all of a sudden wanted to "get right with God". I sort of look at both parties as fools and know that God is no respecter of persons. You either walk fully in the light or you don't. Try to use God's name to impose your hate filled beliefs is a insult and you're not fooling anyone with pounding your chest and braying like a ass.
I like to thank all of you who commented on my question I posed last week"which is more important: justice or forgiveness?" I know a couple of you are writing about the question in your own blogs,just let me know when you've posted them so I can hype 'em up for you.
My wife and I celebrated our 4th anniversary on the 19th. We had a wonderful day...small and delightful.
Phase Two of the this year's house fixing up is now underway with the restaining of our deck. My pal,Scuba Steve once again came over and we attacked the main deck. Last week we power-washed it,this week we sanded and started restaining it. We finished 60% percent of it before we called it a day,Monday is when we'll finish it and then clean the gutters. The budget is about gone for this year so we'll have to work efficently and quickly. The tool rental is what really killed us this year...200.00! But it had to be done...
Its June and to me that means one thing: college football is right around the corner! I enjoy getting my Spoarting News/Street and Smith pre-season magazines,a cup of iced coffee and read how San Jose State is ranked 112th out of 119 teams. My wife cracks up watching me get all red and start ranting about the weak ass writers who never give the Spartans any respect...course thats not true the past 3 years as the Spartans under Dick Tomey have played some good ball as of late. Last year was a bitter letdown as SJS had no run game and we got pounded early on...despite getting drilled for some ugly losses (45-3 loss to Arizona State,37-0 to a crappy Stanford team),SJS stilled rallied for a 5-7 season. The schedule this year is much softer - other then a trip to Nebraska,the Spartans could go 9-3 if things go well and the injury bug stay away.
I still have not seen a single summer movie yet. My wife is pretty amazed at that.
Someone asked me about my user picture...yes,my cat and I do play PS/2 baseball....if you look closely,you'll see Derek was winning 3-0 in the picture...the reason he is looking down is he studying my line-up. I tried to distract him by placing a stinky foot by his face,it didn't work...I still lost by by 10. I felt like Willie Randolph except I'm still employed...
Okay,thats it for now....on the other side of the hour,I need to send my interview out to Tony Kates. Of course,new readers are welcome,so pimp me out to your friends...*L*
be safe
Currently
listening
:
Wanted Release date: 2008-06-24
Quality of Mercy
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Life
Its 5:45 am
Another wacky Michigan morning is breaking yonder as I watch my co-workers get the morning breakfast ready. As part of the service here at the hotel,we offer a breakfast and part of the night auditor's job (me) is to help set up the food bar. I don't mind,it passes the time away while I wait for our morning checkouts to come down.
I don't why but I am feeling slightly depressed these past two days. I was talking to a friend whom I met at the supermarket 8 years ago and who played at our wedding. I was talking about meeting Reesa here on MySpace and how much courage she has and how much she has endured...like a modern day Job. I told my friend about the little interview that I sent her....and the one of the questions I asked Reesa was "What is more important: justice or forgiveness"?.
To understand why I asked that.....just click on Reesa's picture in my Top Friend's page and see for yourself. Ever since reading her interview,I have been perplexed and looking inward at my own emotions about my own loss...grappling with the very same question I asked this brave woman.
Justice or forgiveness? What is more important and how do we best know which is better? For the very first time,I am questioning my view on Peter's death. While I have channeled my emotions into writing,doing volunteer projects....I have yet to forgive my brother's killer and worse yet,I have found myself unwilling to do so...has his act poisoned me as well? Do I have "justice" confused with "hate"? When I look and talk with Reesa,I am truly humbled by her courage and good nature. If ANYONE had a right to be perfectly bitter and spiteful,it would be her and yet...she endures with grace and dignity. Its a lesson I for one,must learn for myself.
Its funny....I hate smoking,its a vile,filthy habit. I wouldn't agree to marry my wife until she quit. My own mother has smoked for 40 years and her voice/health suffers for it. I always considered smooking a weakness...but after reading and talking to so many people...I have developed a real compassion for those folks whose habit is so awful. I can't tell you how many people have truly struggled to quit,wanted to quit but have failed because of Big Tabacoo's putting in even more drugs and poisons into thier product. They are losing people to both quitting and death,losing key marketshares and disgruntled stockholders. They have responded by making stronger product,product placement in movies and TV and highlightling every young star who smokes as "hip". Old tricks combined with new ones makes for a whole crop of addicts.
Its 11:50 pm...I'm back at work. Looking at what I wrote last night....still looking at the question of what is more important,justice or forgiveness...
I decided I will ask each of you not only to submit your answer/opinion here but repost it on your own blogs...then send me a link so I can send my readers over to see your readers say...I'm going to tap my Four Horseman along a few other great bloggers to help with this question....let's see what is said.
I'm at work....didn't sleep very well at home so I'm sluggish and tired. I have tried to get pepped up and write but I'm outta gas this AM.
One thing I will say is this: What is all the uproar about Tim Russert dying all about? Jim McKay dies and he barely gets a paragraph and thats in the sports section at that. Its a damn shame my generation just forgot just how great McKay was in all manner of reporting be it sport or world news.
But Russert,a puppet of General Electric,is being hailed as the ultimate journalist...please,give me a break. He wasn't that hardhitting or willing to ask the tough questions that have needed to be asked. He was a decent talking head,nothing more.
So,I'm taking bets on how much longer Pakistan and the US will be "pals" in the fight against terrorism....
I got the new Questar Welsh CD....can't wait to fire it up....which reminds me,2 CDs are up for grabs on Questar's interview I did....
well,thats it for me....going to get some coffee....
sad
contemplative
