This is my blogchalk:
United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

Subscribe to this blog in Radio:

Tuesday, March 18, 2003

Liz's son "Thor" was paying a quick noontime visit the other day, so when the phone rang she absent-mindedly answered it "Carrboro Police, Investigations." There was a pause, then a hang-up. This is better than the TeleZapper. It probably was a telemarketer. Of course, anyone who knows her, knows her voice and where she works. The telemarketers don't and their feet freeze. The hell with the TeleZapper, this is bigger than the Special Theory of Relativity. 8:18:40 PM    comment []

Knopfler Injured in Motorcycle Accident LONDON -- Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler broke six ribs and a collarbone in a motorcycle accident and will be unable to perform at a London concert later this month, his agent said Tuesday.   This is very bad news but it could have been worse. He didn’t break any fingers. Les Paul nearly lost the ability to pick after an auto accident, but he told the doctor to set the bones in his arm so he could still play.   Mr. Paul's jaunty style and lilting spirit belie a life of physical adversity. In 1948, on his way to a performance with Mary Ford, their car slid on an icy bridge and crashed into a support. Mr. Paul, in the passenger seat, threw his left arm across his wife's face to protect her. He was seriously injured, requiring on-and-off hospitalization for nearly two years. His arm had been smashed in numerous places, and doctors told him that they could set it in one position but that he would have no mobility after that. Mr. Paul told them to set it in a guitar-playing position, at almost a 90-degree angle at the elbow. That is how it is today. 7:57:38 PM    comment []

You Don’t Say   Sometimes I don’t think that people who are enthusiastic about war realize I disagree with them. I try to avoid all talk of it except with trusted friends. At work, a simple observation might categorize you as being the enemy. Since I am a white male, it is naturally assumed that I am lockstep with the insane agenda that got us here and, since it is work, it is not my job to express my opinion. I also avoid it because a lot of the war gestalt is blind faith and to disagree simply hurts feelings unnecessarily. It is not my job to offend; I am a thorough professional. Besides, many of these people are friends with whom I differ politically, but have known many years.   So over the years I’ve just ignored the hate and contempt heaped upon Bill Clinton and tolerated the worship of George W. Bush as background noise. It has nothing to do with me at all. I can smile and ignore and shake my inner head. There is simply no point in saying anything. It will change no minds and only cause more noise.   The past two days have been very noisy. More than any time before, even September 2001, people – I should say friends – pull me aside and voice their beliefs and fears. It is very difficult to say nothing. There is a belief that war is nothing more than a high-tech ass-whuppin’ with no more consequences than a basketball victory and that “shock and awe” are simply emotions, not terror, death, and destruction unleashed upon the innocent people we seek to liberate. The war will be over in just a few days. I hope they are right.   An unusual ingredient added to the mix the past few days is fear. Fear that desperation will force our enemy into a horrible retaliation. Fear that Saddam Hussein will turn loose terrorists, even though there has been no evidence that he has trained any. It is the first time that that the true meaning of war has sunk in. That I can speak to. Yes, war is a bloody mess and casualties are more than toy soldiers falling over on the playground. They can be cousins or nephews, they can be an entire National Guard unit from a town just down the road from where you live, but most importantly, they could be you. That is not the kind of rosy reassurance I like to give. I hope I am wrong. 4:46:03 PM    comment []

NCAA could postpone tournament games if war breaks out   President Myles Brand acknowledged Monday for the first time that the NCAA was checking the availability of arenas and hotels for the days after first and second-round games are scheduled to be completed. That would give the officials more flexibility in making a decision about postponements.   Cynical little me, I wonder if ratings worries drive these thoughts. It wouldn’t be appropriate to have two March Madnesses competing. BTW, is there a plural for madness, or does all madness melt into one big heap? 6:19:22 AM    comment []