I’d only been through this doorway a few hundred times in my life–and never noticed it. There, on the top left.
I certainly hadn’t noticed that there was a faded “capacity” circle. I wonder who had to enforce that one?
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It is, without a doubt, the greatest trilogy of all time. Especially if you take into consideration its historical context (which we should always do when watching a movie), the “Star Wars” to “Jedi” saga (now known as the Original Trilogy, or OT) stands as the greatest series of films in history. If you really think about it, “Star Wars” basically created the idea of a trilogy. Nowadays, it seems if one film is successful, studio heads and fanboys begin to think of sequels one AND two. And it’s all because of “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”‘s success. Of course, it wasn’t always suppose to be a trilogy. First, it was supposed to be one film, and then nine. And then it … Read More…
Here’s the fact pattern on a case I’m currently working on. The names have been changed to protect me should anyone involved ever see this article. Albert got in his car, backed out of his slightly hilly driveway and into the road. Vickie happened to be driving past the driveway–no stop sign, no yield, such a driveway alongside a road–and Albert backed right into her car. Rear bumper to passenger side doors. As I wrote previously, I represent people being sued for personal injuries, so guess which one of these drivers is my client. You guessed it–Vickie is my client. This Einstein Albert backed out of his driveway, paying inadequate attention to traffic on the road, and struck Vickie,who happened to be passing … Read More…
You don’t meet that many women named Lois–perhaps Superman was kryptonite to that name after the 1940s. But today I met one and was immediately reminded of another–someone I’d never met but I’m sure I’d like her.
As a family historian, I’ve always been grateful to the long-gone folks who took 30 seconds to identify people on the backs of their snapshots. In the large shoebox of Brownie pictures I inherited from my grandmother, most with no notations (since it was obvious to her who they were!) I enjoy this note the most.
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I’ve been opening the wrong cupboard for 15 years now.
After the first two weeks in our house, it became obvious that having the glasses right above the dishwasher made more sense. (You can stack plates, so moving them all at once to the cupboard four feet behind us was more “logical” — to quote my Spock-fan son.)
But it doesn’t matter. When I’m thirsty, I swing open the wrong door, swear under my breath, and trudge across our eight foot kitchen floor and get a glass from the correct place. 15 years.
I was recently going through a three-day training of a new software platform at work. Part of the drill was for us to respond with insightful comments on our experience. My … Read More…
I used to be as inactive as it gets. My life was just sitting and watching other people being active in high school. I’d sit around and listen to music, play video games, watch movies, watch sports. But I wasn’t really getting around and doing much. By the time I was 16, I started to realize that if I wanted to, I could really go out there and be physical in my spare time. In order to motivate myself, I decided to get into the podcast scene. I’d throw on a podcast, and go for a walk. Walks turned into sporadic running and sporadic running turned into … Read More…
Quoting billboards is kind of a family hobby. “Keep up the good work, Governor Snyder,” my son read on I-96 last Tuesday.
“Kind of like, ‘Brownie, you’re doing a helluva job,’” he chuckled.
My poor kids have, surely by osmosis while sitting at eternal dinners with me, come to expect no good news from our state’s capital for most of their lives. And this morning’s headlines didn’t change that pattern.
Growing up in the micro-town of Clawson, Michigan, I was amazed, even as a clueless junior high student, that we had our own superintendent. Heck, most of us couldn’t believe we had our own laundromat.
So, you want to know what I do for a living?
To those of you who have read my posts and feel I should keep my day job, remember that you’ve probably never seen me at my day job. If you had, possibly you’d encourage me to keep writing. I am a lawyer: I spend my days loying. Specifically, I’m a trial defense attorney handling personal injury cases. It’s typically auto accidents, but in my past, I’ve handled elevator-related injuries, construction site injuries, and sidewalk or business slip and fall injuries. Fed by a diet of television lawyers, many lawyers dream about practicing all … Read More…
On April 15, 2013 I scrambled out of Boston in the biggest hurry and the most confused I’d ever been in my life. At 2:35PM I had just finished my 4th Boston Marathon and was basking in the glory of not only my 3 hours 51 minute finish, but the $16k I had raised for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge.
No matter how many times I do it, crossing the finish line at a marathon is about the biggest natural high one can get in life. It was a pristine, beautiful day and I had not a care in the world as … Read More…
I’d ruined years of my wife’s child-rearing–for only a nickle.
My two-year old son and I were heading into the local K-Mart. I can’t even remember what I was buying, probably something for my beat-up boat, but I’d brought Aidan along. We were heading in to the store’s entrance when he saw the merry-go-round, one of those three-seaters.
I put him on the donkey and congratulated myself on my parenting skills. Aidan rocked back and forth, having a wonderful time. I smiled at the joy that was about to happen.
I put the nickel in the box,; he lurched forward with the music and grabbed those painted ears tight. … Read More…
I was one of those kids who was always performing in front of his/her parents on top of the laundry basket/stage.
I never sang into a hairbrush. My thoughts – What’s the point? I need an actual microphone to amplify the sound. Yep. I was (and still kind of am) that kid.
But there comes a time in every child’s life when you need to learn how to read. Being the tiny, perky, ball of energy I was, reading was boring. You have to sit down for long periods of time and be quiet. There was no involvement, no reaction from others. You were the audience. Boy, was it lonely to be stuck with a book for a mandatory 20 minutes of homework … Read More…
Found this little gem on the book giveaway shelf at the gym today. I picked it up out of curiosity and would have put it right back down except that it fell open to “Fourth of July parties” as if calling out to me to read it, right then. And what a great read it was! I’m not giving a party this year, but after reading the 7-page section on Fourth of July it really made me wish I were (but only if I had a team of people to help me).
I work a lot with people who are from out of town. When they ask me what’s special about Michigan and Detroit, the thing I bring up first is always Motown. A lot of people who don’t grow up in the area aren’t as conscious about Motown and its history as we are here in Southeast Michigan. The thing about Motown songs, though—just like, I’d say, songs by The Beatles—is that even if you aren’t a hardcore fan, you still “know” every song. So when I tell people that “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” “Baby, I Need Your Loving” and “Do You Love Me? (Now That I Can Dance)” all came from Detroit’s most successful pop culture think-tank, Motown Records, everyone is always impressed and intrigued about … Read More…
Have you ever wondered why every child under the age of 10 is a sociopath? OK, age 20. Psychologists talk about the years kids spend consumed with themselves, the years spent acknowledging only their own needs. I’ve developed a theory about this after about two hours of moderate research. Here it is: consider what we’re putting in our kid’s heads? When we force them to turn off the television to protect them from stories like Sandy Hook, Zimmerman, and from crazy people like Adam Lanza and Antonin Scalia, what are we using to replace these disturbing images?
Here are a couple examples … Read More…
I was out working in the yard today and looked at the massive maple tree that sits in my front yard that must be 100 years old. The poor fella..it’s rotting and falling apart. And since the Main Street in front of me is a state highway, I’m at the mercy of waiting for the State of CT to come cut it down. Later in the day, a massive branch fell and nearly hit someone walking. I sent my swat team of boys out to clean up the mess.
But that damn tree…I wasn’t supposed to see it die and rot. I was supposed to be out here in Connecticut 3 years and then back to Detroit. That was the plan. That was 2007. As … Read More…
A trip to Disney Land–what could be a better gift for your small child? Certainly Parent-of-the-Year awards were likely–if not for originality at least the East German judge would most likely hold up a “7.8” for enthusiasm.
My wife and I had been giggling to ourselves for over a month as we prepared for the look on our four year-old’s face when we pulled into the parking lot. We knew he’d see Mickey Mouse on some billboard and it would be magic time.
Wrong.
Again.
Aidan didn’t see a mouse; he smelled a rat. As my wife unpacked the video camera during a supposed routine morning drive while in Los Angeles visiting friends, he looked suspiciously at her. It was third day of our visit … Read More…
I was reminded of Winnie the Pooh and his hallucinogenic-trip, envisioning heffalumps and woozles, the other day…
My priest was giving me an update on contract talks with his elementary teachers. “I tell them, ‘You only work 3/4 of the day and 3/4 of the year, why should you expect full-pay anyway?’”
I wanted to say “Yeah, Padre, and you only work three hours on Sundays and get free clothing, room and board.” But then I’d have to escort him to the confessional right … Read More…
I was nearly hit by a golf ball Sunday and I laughed, remembering one of the funniest guys I ever knew. It was a scramble but apparently not fast enough for the guy behind us. We heard that unmistakeable plop you shouldn’t hear without “Fore!” yelled first. After a couple quiet expletives aimed at the jerk, I told my buddy Dave about Jim, who would simply walk up to the errant ball, driver in-hand, and proceed to pound it into the fairway. Jim always did what I still just dream of doing.
He was a year behind me in tenth grade–and miles ahead of me in everything else. He was hilarious in class, always ready with the funny observation–just skirting the edges of detention … Read More…
Journalist Michael Hastings died in a one-car collision last Tuesday morning. He was by reputation an in-your-face, truth-to-power journalist who could only be described in three-word-hyphenates. He became famous after an article he wrote for Rolling Stone led to the resignation of the general in charge of the US Afghanistan operation, General Stanley McChrystal. Hastings spoke about the government’s “war on journalism,” about governmental attempts to cover up and manipulate the press, but his death may stand more for the death of accuracy in journalism. Although his focus was the government and the military—he was apparently working on a … Read More…
My wife and I started a Yahoo Group in our neighborhood that’s grown to over 100 residents. It’s come in very handy as a local Angie’s List for handymen and landscape companies. It’s also found many a lost pet and alerted folks to local burglaries; we even sold some furniture and donated a piano to a little girl around the corner.
But like any forum, it can get a little dicey–particularly with the boon (or bane) just down the street from our Royal Oak home–The Woodward Dream Cruise. This southeastern Michigan 18-year tradition of classic cars from the 1950’s through the early 1970’s involves close … Read More…
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