I started the day with a nice 5-mile run with friend Doug and Simon of England. It was a nice jog along the waterfront. I could so live here!
Second on the days list of things to do was a swim in the bay. Doug and I squeezed into our wetsuits and hit the water near the Maritime Museum. A minute later we were back on the beach cussing. Talk about cold. 55 degrees and my feet were in agony! We went back in for about a 10-minute swim, and it was better. Added to the list of things to do was to get neoprene footies.
The race meeting was at 1 o'clock, so we headed down to the race expo after a visit to the hotel for hot showers. There were lines for various age groups. I got into the 40+, "A-M" line, behind a dozen people. Doug got into the 40+, "N-Z" line, which had nobody in the line. Everything went quick, and the meeting was very quick. They kept harping on "DO NOT MISS THE BOAT!" No refunds if you do. You are just SOL. Did I mention they kept saying not to miss the boat? We did hit all the expo merchants and nobody had neoprene footies. They all had sold out in a half hour after opening. Wow! They really missed the boat. They could have charged a fortune for those things.
Soon we were pedaling down the bay to go to Sports Basement. The store is huge! They, too, were out of footies. The girl explained they had sold out and the dealer was out. We went back later so Doug's wife Terri could shop, and I found neoprene footies for use under flippers. They only covered the foot to just below the ankle, but ended up working well.
Next was a drive up to Muir Woods to see redwoods. Words and pictures just cannot do these trees justice. As Neal Peart discussed in his book Ghost Rider, to think there are so few of these pockets of old growth trees left, after the logging companies raped the land, that they are all named! Once old growth covered most of the US, and the few remaining pockets all have names! How pathetic? I was in awe of the trees and the area around them. The trees are massive. The plants on the floor, which prefer shade and indirect light, are beautiful. Deer would let people walk right up to them as they grazed. It was really a treat. To think that Muir and his wife bought these 700 acres to preserve, and then corporations tried to take it from them by eminent domain so they could log it, dam it, and make a lake out of the area? Luckily Muir worked out a deal with the US government and Roosevelt. They donated the land and Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to designate the area a national park, thus saving it. Every now and then, government does something right!
Leaving Muir Woods we drove to Muir Beach Overlook. Again, wow! They views were stunning. The land just plunged to the ocean. Luckily there was very little fog so we could see for a long distance. The guidebooks were right about seeing these views. In the distance you could see boats heading towards the bay.
Sausalito was next, but by then the sun was setting and we were getting tired. We buzzed through, drove up the hills, got some nice pictures and head to the hotel.
I love this place.
As usual, more pics are on my Flickr page.
Monday, June 05, 2006
San Francisco Day 3!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
San Francisco Day 2!
Wow, there is just so much to do! I am still a bit foggy headed from the trip out, but have been busy.
Got up yesterday and rode my bike down to the Marina, out to Point Hood, and over the hills and out to Ocean Beach. Some of those hills will be in the race. They are steep, but candy compared to some of the stuff I see in North Georgia. I enjoyed the ride. Ocean Beach was fogged in so I could not see any surfing, but one surfer told me it was small but clean. I met an English chap named Simon, and he tagged along. A very nice guy. He is joining us for a run tomorrow (today).
Back at the hotel my training partner Doug called the room. He had arrived. His family had arrived. His lugged had arrived. His bike was in Chicago.
Doug, Terri, Kenzie and I headed out for some sight seeing in his rented Grand Cherokee (Parking at the hotel $25 a day plus tax). Lombard Street was first on the list. Then we headed up to Coit Tower and saw some great views of the city. Seeing all the housing and businesses crammed together from above is pretty amazing. There is no wasted space. The land is far too valuable. The lady in the elevator going to the top of the tower was a wealth of information, but I could not understand a word she said. She was very nice and enthusiastic, however.
We drove down by the Marina, and then over the Golden Gate to see some of the views from the other side. Very windy to me, but locals said it was rather mild. I had trouble holding the camera still for some shots. People next to me were taking the same picture, but I just know mine are better. We drove through Golden Gate Recreation Area and meandered down to Rodeo Beach, where I had been in '99. Through the fog we saw a bunch of surfers who could not catch a wave. Military buildings dotted the hills inland.
After a short stop at the hotel we headed out for diner in Chinatown. We actually found a parking meter to park at. We loaded a bunch of quarters in, and got 17 minutes of parking. They should put dollar bill feeders on those. We ended up in a little place right by where we parked. After we looked over the menu the lady/manager/hostess came over and asked if we had eaten there before. We said not. She grabbed our menus and said "Don't you worry, I bring you out something good. What you like? Chicken, chicken, beef, shrimp? I bring you three dishes. You like. Trust me." the table behind us said, "Trust her." We did. It was good. I did ask specifically for pot stickers. They were good. Luckily, I did not visit the restroom until after we ate. It was right next to the kitchen. There were a few health code violations going on, but I bet it was the same in every little place.
We strolled through Chinatown. I did not see the entrance gates, but saw a bunch of cool shops. I bought a very cool fleece lined, reversible windbreaker for $15.99. It will probably fall apart the first time I wash it, but at that price does it matter? The proprietor of this Chinatown establishment was of Hispanic origin. Go figure. The kite shop was very cool, but who knew you could blow almost $200 on a single kite?
Back at the hotel Doug called the airline. His bike would be delivered between 2:00 and 6:30. Doug explained to the guy it was now actually 7, passed 6:30. The guy said his bike would be delivered between 2:00 and 6:30. They should have flown Frontier Airlines.
Back out we strolled to the marina. We visited the sea lions, which were even more noisy that yesterday, barking steadily. Street performers were out in force. I had seen the statue guy yesterday- he just stands on a box and does not move. Tonight we saw Bush man. He sits on a box holding some greenery he has probably stolen in front of him. He then cares people as they walk by. There was a crowd of people standing across the street watching him. Hi-jinks galore. Walking back by him Doug tried to scare him. Bush Man did not find that funny. The sun setting over the bay and Pier 39 was nice. It did get cold quickly.
Back at the hotel, still no bike. Thus, it was the end of Bike Watch 2006 Day 1.
As always, more pics on my Flickr account page.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Getting to San Francisco.
I flew out of Atlanta Airport at the ungodly hour of 6:30 am. Bad planning! Take the 9:30 flight. I could not take MARTA since MARTA does not run until 6 am. The cost of parking made that a $60+ mistake. Baggage security and examinations didn't start until 30 minutes after airlines ticket counters opened and made a mess of things. Luckily I was near the front of the line.
It was $50 to fly my bike out to California, which was very reasonable. Frontier Airlines is great, reasonable and has nice, intelligent, earnest and sometimes very funny staff. Somewhere along the line, however, my new luggage came unzipped. Everything was there, but my luggage hit the carousel in San Francisco with a pair of Speedos hanging out. Some people thought that were very funny! I would have as well, except I had to claim them, the luggage and thus the Speedos. Wearing them at a swim workout is one thing, saying you wear them in an airport does not seem as cool. The bike arrived in perfect shape.
I have a love hate relationship with flying. I love to fly, but am scared of heights. Thus I always ask for a window seat to stare out. I flew to Denver, and then hopped a flight to San Francisco. Flying over the Rockies was very cool. Both flights were nice, but the flight attendants on the second leg of the trip were hilarious. "We have coffee, water, juice and Coke products for you to drink. Again, we have Coke products. We do not have Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi, Lemon Pepsi or Diet Lemon Pepsi. We have Coke products. [In a deep whisper, that was rather sexy] We have no Pepsi products."
Later I asked that same attendant, "Do you have Pepsi?"
She answered, "I have Coke."
"How about Diet Pepsi?"
"Diet Coke."
"Cherry Pepsi or Lemon Pepsi? How about Diet Lemon Pepsi?"
She finally figured out I was pulling her leg, and unlike Delta flight attendants, she did not hit me with anything.
They have an in-flight map on the little TVs on the back of the seat in front of you, which would be very annoying except I wanted to know where we were flying. It also gave our speed and altitude. When we approached airports I would watch the speed and altitude drop. When the speed dropped to 300 mph and the altitude to 15,000 feet, I would think, well we are safer now if we crash- actually no, we would still all die. At one point I looked out the window and saw this huge round rock below the plane. It looked familiar to me. Suddenly it dawned on me that we had just flown over Half Dome, the monument made famous by Ansel Adams. That seemed very cool to me.
I arrived at the Comfort Inn On The Bay at noon, and the great people here had a room available for me. The shuttle I used to get here charged me $20 extra to carry my bike case. It was $50 to ship the damn thing across the country but $20 to drive it to the hotel from the airport. Even worse was that the shuttle had square wheels and bounced us all the way into town. I was in the room early, however, and was able to hit the marina area for the afternoon. There was guy stacking and balancing rocks that was very unusual. I had a great bowl of chowder, but it made my mouth swell and go numb. I am allergic to some seafood, but can usually eat shellfish. I think this was crab chowder. Perhaps it was the French roll it was served in?
I have been reading Neil Peart's book Ghost Rider while traveling. I am a big Rush fan (as a lady on the flight told me her son and husband were). What this guy went through, losing his only daughter in a car crash and then his wife 9 months later to cancer, or, as he says, a broken heart, is unimaginable. The book is about his travels on his motorcycle to try and stay moving and away from the darkness. During his travels he is told his dog has to be put down and then his close friend, who was supposed to meet him and ride part of trip, is busted for drug smuggling. When it rains... I am halfway through it now. I recommend it to everybody.
I am headed out to the Great Highway for a bike ride down Ocean Beach this morning. I am going to try and watch a sunset there one evening. I will be playing tourist for the next 5 days, as that interests me more than sitting around resting so I can have a semi-good race. I want to experience the race, but am not too concerned with my time. That may be a way of saying that I am not in good shape, but I really do want to see so much of this city.
I will post pics on my Flickr account, but remember these are all taken with a compact Olympus Stylus Verve digital. I had thoughts of buying a new Olympus digital SLR for the trip, but decided not too. Cartier-Bresson shot everything with a Leica rangefinder, so I should be able to get some good shots with the little camera that fits in the back of my jersey pocket.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
I saw this truck on Monday, cruising up 400 north of Atlanta.
It has Bush/Cheney stickers, yellow ribbons and an American flag. It also has this bumpersticker on it.
It says "If ignorance was painful, there would be a lot of Democrats in pain." Below is the ignorant fuck's gas cap. Notice anything?
I get the feeling if ignorance was painful, he would be in agony.
Monday, May 15, 2006
This Is Why Email Is Cool.
Recently, I switched from XM to Sirius satellite radio- more on that later. One of the reason's I switched was to get Little Steven's Underground Garage 24/7. They have some of the coolest people playing the coolest songs ever recorded. I have just been grooving on the tunes, and getting to know the DJs a little, except for Joan Jett, who everybody knows.
Saturday morning I was listening and this DJ Andrew Loog Oldham was talking about an article he read. A group being interviewed included Ted Kennedy. When asked about one of his favorite times or things, my memory fades, Kennedy responded the drive home to Nantucket. Loog responded he thought that odd that Kennedy, sadly best known for Chappaquiddick, would use that as an answer. He then spoke a moment about that, in a very unflattering way.
I shot off an email to him; Sirius's display shows the email address for the shows. I mentioned how I am rather tired of Kennedy bashing about Chappaquiddick and explained some issues with cold water accidents and rescues, which is not what you see on Mannix or Starsky and Hutch. Surprisingly, I received an email back from him rather quickly. We have not changed each other's mind, but we have had a civil discussion and have agreed to keep an open mind. He seems to a nice guy, but probably leans a bit to the right politically.
To cut to the chase, why is this odd? Well, we had a civil discussion about a hot button issues for many, and both of us seem to be respectful and appear to be keeping an open mind. The other interesting thing is that this DJ, Andrew Loog Oldham, is The Rolling Stones' original manager and a record producer! How cool is that. This guy who is somebody in the world or Rock & Roll has taken a few minutes to exchange ideas with some guy. I find it very neat! Maybe I can get Joan Jett to answer an email!
Of course, my next conversation with a few buddies will begin with: "Loog, you know the original manager The Rolling Stones, sent me an email the other day....."
Monday, April 24, 2006
He Tried.
For a moment I got a chuckle over this:
FORKS, Wash. - A hunter mauled by a black bear had been chasing the animal on private timberland when the animal turned the tables on its pursuers, officials said Sunday.
...
It appeared the hunters had been pursuing the bear for some time, Fish and Wildlife Officer Brian Fairbanks said.
“It’s like, you have the fight or flight response. It ran for so long, and then decided, ‘We’re not going to run any more,”’ Fairbanks said.
At that point, the hunter and the bear were in heavy brush, the officer said. “He didn’t realize the bear was there, and when he got close enough the bear jumped out and grabbed him.”
It was not a surprise attack, he said.
“They knew it was there — they’d been chasing it,” Fairbanks said. “The guy got bit, but he was the one who put himself in position to get bit.”
The chuckle ended when I read the bear was shot and killed by another hunter. On the bright side, the first hunter required surgery to be put back together, and was probably in a lot of pain.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Fast Freddie Rodriguez
More Photos.
Fast Freddie Rodriguez Rides Again!
More Photos.
Peloton
More Photos.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Tour de Georgia
More photos.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Architecture of Density
A stiking photo exhibit "Architecture of Density." The scale of some of these is amazing. I think it is sometimes too big, and you can't really feel it. I believe this collection is showing in New York and San Francisco. I would love to see it in Atlanta.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Tour de Georgia Rewind.
In honor of the Tour de Georgia I am reposting an old blog entry for "Notes From Atlanta," which tells of watching the finish at Brasstown Bald in 2004. I still have not washed my hand!
I touched Mario Cipollini's ass.
The Tour de Georgia came to a conclusion yesterday in Alpharetta, Georgia. I was lucky enough to attend the stages contested on Saturday and Sunday. Big time bike racing has come to Georgia, and it was a blast watching the show.
On Saturday the plan was to leave R-Ranch and cycle up to Brasstown Bald to see the finish of Stage 6 as the cyclists climbed the freakishly steep final 5 kilometers. (Stage Profile.)
We first saw the peloton about 30 miles from the finish, as hundreds of people gathered at a small intersection to see the group ride by. First we saw one of Mario Cipollini's Domina Vacanze teammates cycle by alone, and behind him a minute or so the only other remaining survivor of the early breakaway. A few minutes behind them was Lance's group, which included most of the climbers. Perhaps seven or eight minutes after the first guy came the main pack including my favorite, Super Mario, the one and only Lion King, yes, Mario Cipollini! He was surrounded my his Domina Vacanze teammates, and looked rather fresh, enjoying a nice ride in the country.
We hustled over to Brasstown Bald joining thousands of people lining the steep road. As a decent cyclist who could climb well before all my Ironman training, I cannot make it up the road to the top of Brasstown Bald. It is just too hard. These professional cyclists were going to hit it after over 120 miles of mountain riding. We positioned ourselves about halfway up the mountain, right before a very steep section. Helicopters and caravan cars announced the arrival of the riders. First we got to see Cesar Grajales of Jittery Joe's cycling team, as he had attacked Lance and company, and was stealing the show. Following him was Lance, Chris Horner, Jens Voight, Bobby Julich and other climbers.
After the climbers and UCI officials went by, the rest of the peloton arrived strung out for miles along the road. We saw one cyclist, a professional road cyclist, just fall over on the steep part. Another picked his head up right in front of me, looked at the steep section, and said "This is just insane!" Soon the crowd was pushing the cyclists up the hill. Yes, this is illegal, but done at every race. The European cyclists would look over at the crowd beside them and say in a pitiful little voice the only English they probably knew: "Puuushh! Puuusshh me!" We did. I would push maybe 15 meters and somebody else would take over as we did a fireman brigade of sorts. After one long push of a very tired cyclist, I turned around and saw Cipollini right behind me! He was sitting up waving the crowd over to help puuusshh him up the hill. I knew I had to help puuusshh him. The problem, other than I was exhausted, was that about eight people were currently puuusshhing him up the insanely steep hill and I could not get my hand on him. I ran along side waiting for the really fat guy to run out of gas, which he did. After pushing a race official/volunteer out of the way, I finally had my shot to help push Super Mario up the hill. Yes, I touched Mario Cipollini's ass! Good times, good times!
Stage 7 was on Sunday, and I had been given some VIP USPS Sponsor Tent passes. I do not know what I did to deserve these, but the president of my company and our USPS account manager made sure I was on the list. My buddy and I were treated like royalty at the tent and trailer. We had free food, free drinks, a live television feed from one of the race motorcycles, and a viewing platform next to and above the finish line. I don't know what was better, seeing the race from the sponsor tent, or yelling out to buddies as they walked among the crowd below us trying to see the race.
Former professional cyclist. television announcer and Tour de France funny guy Bob Roll was walking around the tent, very close to the bar. My buddy was tempted to go up and talk to him, but did not know what to say that was not a cliche question he hears everyday. I knew what I would ask him: "Bob, yesterday I touched Mario Cipollini's ass. Can I touch yours today." I was not sure if he would see the humor, and did not wish to get tossed from the VIP area, so I kept my mouth shut. I should have done that more in my youth, like when getting arrested.
When the cyclists began the four lap circuit at the end of the stage we would watch the television feed inside, and when they approached the finish line, run outside to see them pass. Then back inside to see the live feed. It was not looking to good for Cipollini, as he seemed to be too far back, and his team was having trouble getting their train in gear, even with the USPS team helping to control the pace after a deal made yesterday for help reeling in the breakaway. (Yes, it appears Domina Vacanze helped reel the breakaway in even though their teammate was leading it.)
Some say that the final group sprint of a bike race is one of the greatest spectacles in sports. I agree. Seeing a group of 70 cyclists going close to 40 miles an hour as they hurl themselves towards the finish line with little thought for safety is like nothing else I have seen before. I like the strategy of the set up, the sight of a well-oiled team working to launch their sprinter, and the graceful dance of the sprinter on his pedals- which is what they show on TV. But the pure raw power you see at the live race overwhelms all of that. Wow! Cipollini lost the lead meters from the finish line, as Gordon Fraser of Health Net had the opportunity to come around the greatest sprinter in the sport and beat the Lion King fairly. What a sight!
The USPS team trailer was parked right next to the sponsor tent, and people mobbed the area trying to get a sight of, and maybe even an autograph from, Lance. I didn't bother, but went back for more food. George Hincapie made an appearance. On television he looks fairly big standing next to the other cyclists. In person he is not that tall, and has the upper body of a 8-year-old. His legs were rather gnarly looking, having huge, bulging, varicose looking veins. He did have a beautiful young lady sitting next to him wiping road grime off his face, however.
After the awards ceremony, we headed out. Our walk was interrupted when security came ushering Lance Armstrong by us. He was not four feet away from me. I could have touched his ass. I didn't. Instead while others were trying to get his autograph and shake his hand I was yelling: "Where is Sheryl?" Now that would be an ... nevermind.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Live On The Edge And You Can Fall Off.
Thrasher's were on the edge of making the playoffs for a while, and they fell. They are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Coach Hartley summed it best:
Garney pulls a groin, I guess we just finish the season the way we started.
Number 1 goalie Kari Lehtonen missed most of the season with a groin pull. Backup Dunham went out with a groin pull. They had another "name" goalie whose name I cannot remember who went out injured. (Steve shields assigned to a minor league team for conditioning after returning from injury.) We played most of the season with two minor league goalies, Michael Garnett and Adam Berkhoel, who battled but where not yet up to the task. Last years starter, Pasi Nurminen, was lost before the season even started to a knee injury.
I guess we will need more than 6 goalies for next year.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
He did a great job on these and captured much of the essence of the show.
On Youtube.com the are about 8 videos of the band. None from that night, but he is wearing the same outfit and it is possible he stayed in a Holiday Inn.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Wow! Just Wow!
I saw Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers at Smith’s Olde Bar last night. The performance by the Arizona based band was one of the most engaging and exciting shows I have seen in many years. They had the audience in the palms of their hands from the beginning, and never let them out.
Roger Clyne can just flat out sing! For as long as he sang, as loud as he screamed, and as much as he drank, although at the end more alcohol was going up in the air than into his mouth, it was amazing that he did not miss a note. He is a consummate showman, and kept the crowd enthralled the entire show. While many bands try to coax the crowd into singing, Clyne had to make an effort to be heard over the crowd. Okay, just before the band cranked up the first song, Clyne asked the audience if they knew what to say after he said “One, two, three, four.” The crowd screamed “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.” The wonderful lady I attended the show with, who had never seen Clyne before, or even knew who he was, commented on how surprised she was that everybody there knew the words to all the songs. Of course this comment was followed up by her telling me that she was going to break up with me tomorrow so she could follow Clyne throughout the country seeing all his shows.
The band was tight. Lead guitarist Steve Larson, face hid beneath a black cowboy hat, kept the intricate hooks coming all night long. It is almost unimaginable that he was the second guitarist for the band at one time. Rhythm section Nick Scropos on bass and P. H. Naffah on drums kept the band thundering down the road in timely fashion. Any opening band must hate being followed these guys. I forgot every lick the opening band played minutes after these guys hit the stage.
The audience was treated to night about love, drinking and, of course, Mexico; love and drinking in Mexico; love of drinking; with love and drinking Mekong tossed in for good measure. Probably half of the first Refreshment’s album was played which revved up the crowd, while the newer Peacemakers’ stuff seemed to be more mature. The rocker in the cowboy hat next to me kept telling me how every one of the slow songs was “his favorite.” The song writing is top notch regardless of tempo. Lyrics were both meaningful and funny. Clyne’s insight into the human condition is remarkable yet he does not take himself too serious. Did I mention that the guy can flat out sing?
Evident throughout the show is Clyne’s love of the audience. The interaction was sincere. His laughing came from the heart. There is no doubt he gave us his all, and did everything he knew to entertain us. The show was long. The encore was not rushed. After the lights were on and the PA playing, as some people chanted while others started heading for the door, the curtains just popped open to Clyne with his guitar as he started another song. The band was scrambling to get on stage to join him in time for the second verse. Throughout the show the band was shaking hands and high fiving everybody they could. I suspect they might have come out and have a drink with the crowd after we left.
Again the show was just incredible. The lovely lady I was with said it was pobably the best show she had ever seen. I certainly rank it near the top. I can't figure why the guy isn't just huge, other than his love for being on an indie label. Oh, and I learned something. We are The Peacemakers! Well, we as in the crowd that night. He kept telling us that, "You are The Peacemakers." I like that.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Handlebars
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Top Ten Vietnam Songs
Or songs that get an emotional response from Vietnam Vets:
1. "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," by the Animals.
2. "Chain of Fools," by Aretha Franklin.
3. "Fortunate Son," by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
4. "(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay," by Otis Redding.
5. "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," by Nancy Sinatra.
6. "The Fightin' Side of Me," by Merle Haggard.
7. "What's Going On," by Marvin Gaye.
8. "Nowhere to Run," by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
9. "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag," by Country Joe and the Fish.
10. "Purple Haze," by Jimi Hendrix.
I have a few that make me thing of Vietnam, although I am not a vet.
"Run Through The Jungle," by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
"Bungle in the Jungle," by Jethro Tull.
"2+2=?," by The Bob Seger System.
And my favorite protest song:
"I'd Love To Change The World," by 10 Years After.
Update:
A few more....
"Closer To Home," by Grand Funk Railroad.
"American Woman," by The Guess Who.
"American Pie," by Don McLean.
"War," by Edwin Starr.
And another favorite...
"Ball of Confusion," by The Temptations.
What a horrible time for the US, but some incredible and moving music resulted. Death is the mother of beauty?
There is an interesting webpage I tracked down that has sounds of vietnam on it, including battle sounds, Hanoi Jane, the original Goodmorning Vietnam and various speeches. It is a time capsule of the era. Check it out.
Wow! Just wow!
I was pointed by Nerve.com to this collection of anti-abortion activists abortion stories. The hypocrisy is absolutely amazing!
Abortion is a highly personal decision that many women are sure they'll never have to think about until they're suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. But this can happen to anyone, including women who are strongly anti-choice. So what does an anti-choice woman do when she experiences an unwanted pregnancy herself? Often, she will grin and bear it, so to speak, but frequently, she opts for the solution she would deny to other women -- abortion.
In the spring of 2000, I collected the following anecdotes directly from abortion doctors and other clinic staff in North America, Australia, and Europe. The stories are presented in the providers' own words, with minor editing for grammar, clarity, and brevity. Names have been omitted to protect privacy.
"I have done several abortions on women who have regularly picketed my clinics, including a 16 year old schoolgirl who came back to picket the day after her abortion, about three years ago. During her whole stay at the clinic, we felt that she was not quite right, but there were no real warning bells. She insisted that the abortion was her idea and assured us that all was OK. She went through the procedure very smoothly and was discharged with no problems. A quite routine operation. Next morning she was with her mother and several school mates in front of the clinic with the usual anti posters and chants. It appears that she got the abortion she needed and still displayed the appropriate anti views expected of her by her parents, teachers, and peers." (Physician, Australia)
"I've had several cases over the years in which the anti-abortion patient had rationalized in one way or another that her case was the only exception, but the one that really made an impression was the college senior who was the president of her campus Right-to-Life organization, meaning that she had worked very hard in that organization for several years. As I was completing her procedure, I asked what she planned to do about her high office in the RTL organization. Her response was a wide-eyed, 'You're not going to tell them, are you!?' When assured that I was not, she breathed a sigh of relief, explaining how important that position was to her and how she wouldn't want this to interfere with it." (Physician, Texas)
"In 1973, after Roe v. Wade, abortion became legal but had to be performed in a hospital. That of course was changed later. For the first 'legal abortion day' I had scheduled five procedures. While scrubbing between cases, I was accosted by the Chief of the OB/Gyn service. He asked me, 'How many children are you going to kill today?' My response, out of anger, was a familiar vulgar retort. About three months later, this born-again Christian called me to explain that he was against abortion but his daughter was only a junior in high school and was too young to have a baby and he was also afraid that if she did have a baby she would not want to put it up for adoption. I told him he did not need to explain the situation to me. 'All I need to know', I said, 'is that SHE wants an abortion.' Two years later I performed a second abortion on her during her college break. She thanked me and pleaded, 'Please don't tell my dad, he is still anti-abortion.'" (Physician, Washington State)
I should not be so easily amazed, however. In my college days I bartended at a late night dive that had a large percentage of gay customers. At times we would get picketed by religious groups- the place actually opned in the afternoon. Frequently after the picketing ended, the ministers who had lead the protest would make their way in through the back door, and find themselves chasing the working class young men. When the drinking age rose to 21, this behavior almost completely stopped.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Monday, March 13, 2006
Max Cleland not injured in Vietnam (JJ Dinner, Atl)
Max Cleland spoke at tonight's Democratic Party of Georgia's Jefferson Jackson Dinner. He actually awarded the Hope Award to a Georgia Democrat. His second standing ovation was when he let us in on a little secret. He said, as closely as I can remember:
"I am going to let you in on a secret. For years I have said I was injured in Vietnam. That is not true. I actually was duck hunting with Dick Cheney...."
His first standing ovation was when he rolled onto the speaker's platform. He is well loved.
Cleland as well received.
Cathy Cox and Mark Taylor both spoke on their upcoming primary battle. Cathy Cox gave an "Are You Hungry" speech. Mark Taylor talked about what he has accomplished, and alluded to Cathy Cox voting against the Hope Scholarship Fund and Lottery back when Taylor was pushing it in 1992 or so. I did not know that. So the paper trail thing and the Hope Scholarship vote have really soured me on Cox. (The Hope Scholarship has allowed 1.6 million kids go to college tuition free.)
John Lewis is amazingly short. Shirley Franklin is even shorter. Some guy who is running for Lt. Governor is even shorter and looks like a 7th grader.
I sat near one of the wealthiest men in Georgia, who has been supporting the Democratic Party for decades and decades with big bucks. I watch Mark Taylor, Shirley Franklin, Cynthia McKinney (who I do not care for), Cathy Cox, and so many other Democrats walk by without even saying hello. A few old timers and the 7th grader stopped for a moment. I could not believe it. He has heavily supported many Democrats.
Evan Bayh gave the Keynote Address. Wow! Very impressive. First he spoke highly of Max Cleland, telling how days after "that disgusting and horrible" election battle with Saxby Chamblis, Max asked for permission to come speak with Bayh. Bayh wanted to tell him how sorry he felt for him. Cleland wanted to talk about how Bayh could prevent that from happening to him and any other Democrat in the future.
Bayh discussed running against the GOP by confronting them on national security, the budget and values. He feels we can win by attacking them on these. He sold me, and is my top primary contender right now. He spoke about how Georgia and Indiana are very similar and how he won by a higher percentage in 2004 than Bush did. I think he is nailing it.
Except for the vegetables sucking, the dinner seemed to be a great success!
Update:
From an incredibly GOP biased AP story:
Bayh said the GOP has been "a heckuva lot better at national security politics than national security policies."
From IndyStar.com:
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- Democrats can win elections in Republican territories like Georgia and Indiana but not by "selling out and becoming Republicans," Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., said Monday night at a state Democratic Party fundraiser here.
But they'll be successful by "reaching out" to convince independents and liberal Republicans that Democrats have what it takes to bring them better times, the potential 2008 presidential candidate told an audience of hundreds of Georgia Democrats.
"(Republicans) are not unbeatable if we go about it the right way, and the time has come to go about it the right way," Bayh said.
Bayh, the keynote speaker, said Democrats need to focus on getting the nation's fiscal house in order, reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil and letting people know that Democrats share their values, instead of coming across as "cultural elitists who can't relate."
But the first thing Democrats need to do, Bayh said, is take Republicans on in an area they've dominated: national security.
"It's a threshold issue for us, and it's a threshold issue for America," Bayh said. "People aren't going to trust us with anything else if we first can't convince them to trust us with their lives."
Before he spoke, Bayh told reporters that he does not support efforts by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., another potential 2008 presidential candidate, to censure Bush for authorizing domestic eavesdropping. Bayh said it's not clear whether the law requiring court approval before surveillance was broken, and he instead favors revisiting and possibly updating the law.
I really like that he is stating that we cannot win by being GOP lite. This is very important.
I dislike him saying that we need to revisit the NSA law when it is obvious Bush did break the law by not following it. If he cannot stand and fight for what is clearly the law then how much will he stand and fight for other things that matter as well. Funny he did not mention this during his speech.
One point for him, and one point against him. After reading about his NSA comments, I am still open to other candidates.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Georgia Aquarium
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Cars
Monday, March 06, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
Monday, February 13, 2006
Snow
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Varsity Sign From A Red Light
Hillbilly Music Night
Last night a beautiful lady dragged me to a country music concert. She called it alt-country to get me there. It was country, or the headliner was- Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. It was some great stuff! Evidently Marty is well known in country music circles, including being known as a former band mate and son-in-law to Johnny Cash. He is a talented showman, a soulful singer and a passionate guitar player.
The band was a great set of musicians who were all excellent performers and singers, although they never let the guitar player sing harmony. They all did get a shot at the mic, and easily won the crowd over.
The show was a mix of country, soulful gospel, country rock and hillbilly music, aka bluegrass. Marty excels at all. I doubt there is any kind of music he could not cover. My only real complaint was that Marty kept slowing things down. He had three telecasters and an acoustic guitar. I kept referring to the telecasters as the rock guitar, the blues guitar and the slow guitar. I wanted him to strap on the rock guitar more than he did, but it did not seem to come out enough. He played the encore on a mandolin, and tore up some bluegrass. 
Opening was Don Chambers and Goat, a surprising treat. They just tore the place up. As Flagpole Magazine said, "They go for broke, burning up the night like a petrol-soaked bonfire of dry mesquite and hickory scrub." I have never really seen a guy rock out on a banjo, but this lanky, gruff guy from Athens did that. The band sped along right beside him. The drummer literally beat the crap out of a small kit- they had to stop the show to try and put it back together near the end. No doubt he studied at the John Bonham School of Percussion. One of their CDs is on order and I will be making a road trip to Athens to see them with the locals.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Do I Like The Winter Olympics?
For a look at a bobsled crash go to NBCOlympics.com, click on "video," then find "Bobsled," then "4 Man," and find the one of Todd Hayes crashing. Watching the two guys spit out the back of the sled is almost commical.
