Highway 40 Hurts Me

So just when I was thinking that the Highway 40 construction was the worst idea ever and would have no redeaming value, a silver lining presents itself. Seriously, you have to look at this.
http://fortysil.com/
Great media stems from the worst of situations. If I am going to sit in traffic for a third of my day, I should at laugh at it.

If I actually worked downtown, I might buy one of these things. Alas, those of us who slave away in the county and haven't the stomach to move to suburbia will pay for our hubris. It starts next week so you might want to also visit:
www.modot.com

Best of luck my little ones.
Cathi

And so it ends...

And as quickly as it began it ended in a burst of blinding homework...

It seems like just yesterday that Spring 2 began. But now, it is almost over. Let's reflect on what happened.

We learned how to write. Maybe not perfectly, but certainly better.

We wondered what ever happened to that one guy. You know.

We learned how to pronounce things in the voice of God from Gary.

We learned how to laugh and how to cry. Mostly how to cry. Mainly when we saw how long it would take to do our homework.

Mainly, we learned that, if you really try, you can write something that G-Ford might submit at his work. That has to count for something.

Reefer Madness

Maybe I just am not hip and with it. Certainly, I have been accused of being a wet blanket before. But this time, I just don't get it.

All over town, people are talking about DUI's, liquor law and Josh Hancock.

The Post-Dispatch devoted its Sunday cover to a feature on liquor policies and bartenders. The in depth piece, a testament to the probing journalistic practices the paper espouses, probed the issue of restaurant staff who serve alcohol to blameless adults. It seems I have been incorrect in assuming that adults are responsible for monitoring their own alcohol intake. Untrue. Instead, servers and bartenders are now your (poorly paid) babysitters.

People are trying to explain how such a promising young man threw his life away over booze. Cardinals fans rant about how drunk driving is a.) an activity in which EVERYONE participates b.) completely acceptable and c.) just not a big deal- even if it kills you. Media personalities liken the young man to Darryl Kyle, a responsible respectable player whose death inspired tears the Cardinals nation over. All of this misses the point.

The guy smoked dope. Weed. Ganja. Reefer. He was a pothead. The Anti-Doping Agency must not test for the wacky tabacky. Why isn't anyone upset about this?

Writing off drunk driving is one thing. Drinking a legal activity. Driving drunk is not, but it is a fine enough line between buzzed and drunk that it is easy to see how someone might misstep. Marijuana, exception- medical marijuana in California and a few other locations, is not legal. People go to jail for dope. A lot of people.

Where is the rage? Why aren't people asking if maybe, just maybe, being high contributed to his death more than alcohol? Why aren't they awaiting his next set of toxicology reports the way that they did the first set? Why is smoking pot okay so long as you are a sports or movie star?

I am no puritan. I do not promote prohibitions of any nature. But, I do believe that society has ground rules. Breaking these rules should be considered anti-social behavior. It promotes a lawless individualistic society of soft self-centered over-grown five year olds. Often, being an adult means contributing to the whole even when it isn't the fun thing to do. People who flagrantly violate these rules probably shouldn't be made into martyrs.

The Hancock death is unarguably tragic; the Hancock death was unarguably avoidable. Maybe, instead of focusing on naming a stretch of highway after him, St. Louis City Government should consider a more fitting tribute. I suggest a D.A.R.E. van.

I've Been Thinking...

I've been thinking about our professors a lot lately. It's hard not to as finals draw near. Generally at this point in the semester, I would be cursing their names. I would rant on and on about what terribly wastes of humanity they must be to torture me so with assignments that are obviously designed only to cause maximum pain. But, this semester, I am looking at things a bit differently.

The Virginia Tech. massacre made me think. It made me think about who is around me during class. I linger a bit longer when looking at a fellow student who I might consider strange. My reflection resulted in skepticism and fear, not a resolve to treat others more kindly. Except for professors.

I stare intently at professors knowing that, it is possible that they would throw themselves in harms way to save us. I get now that they aren't just dedicated being stuffy or difficult. They actually might care. Sure, there are notable exceptions. There are profs that would just as soon throw a tardy student in traffic. But, there aren't many.

Maybe I was juvenile. I wanted to believe the worst in my professors to excuse my own failings as a student. Maybe I just never got over second grade.

This exam season, I feel differently all the way to my core. I want to perform and excel as a thank you. I strive to do work that pays homage to the time and energy that my teachers have invested in me. Bitter irony- it's my last semester.

Evil Puppy Haters

How do you let tainted pet food out on the market in such mass quantities? Over the past few weeks, I have logged onto the interweb religiously and checked the recall lists before giving my beloved Ophie Marie so much as a morsel. She is hungry. I live in constant fear.

The pet food recall terrifies people. Animal lovers can related to the pain and guilt that they see in the eyes of unfortunate pet owners in the paper. They understand that, intentional or not, these innocent people believe that they have poisoned what might often be their closest companion. Mourning, suffering, weeping. Harming your baby, the one that you have sworn to protect and care for, scars the soul.

Now, it is time to get angry. The companies that carelessly sent huge batches of this tainted food to market need to understand what suffering is. In most states, laws could only hold the responsible companies liable for the price of the murdered pet. But, in this age of mega-corporations and lightening fast communication, we can bring them to their knees.

Trace the pet food back to its origin. As corporations have grown into massive entities that produce myriads of products, a boycott of all products makes a company notice. I want an across the board boycott of Hill-Lab Products Inc. that lasts until they personally apologize to each pet owner that they harmed. I want to know exactly what they will do to ensure that this will never happen again.

I want, more than anything, a sense of security back for my Ophie Marie. I want to happily hand her a treat with confidence as she wags her little tail. I want vindication for the pet owners who won't experience that joy with their babies again.

And So It Begins...

I never really thought that I would admire Bill McClellan this much. But, last week, he wrote what every St. Louisian should be asking, "why exactly are we closing Highway 40?" I have not spoken with one person who thinks that this a good idea. Obviously, neither has Mr. McClellan. So, if it seems the entire city is against it, why is it happening?

In December, I hosted a luncheon for the Gateway Mayors Emeritus on behalf of my benevolent employer. A brave soul from MoDot spoke to the former dignitaries about the plan. Even in a room where the audience understands the need for infrastructure improvements and the constant headache of running a municipality, he stunned the crowd by announcing that 40 was closing one way or another. "Get used to it," he said.

I own property in the city. I work deep in the county. I learn somewhere a bit south of that. So, sir, I am not getting used to it. I am getting angry.

Who benefits from this closure? Not anyone interested in the integration of the city of St. Louis. By shutting down the pipeline that allows ideas and money to flow freely across the region, we regress. This is the opposite of progress, folks.

For decades now, visionaries like Joe Edwards have fought to revitalize the historic neighborhoods that once made St. Louis a center of culture and commerce. I doubt that many Chesterfieldians will head down the check out the bustling nightlife on Washington Avenue if it takes two hours to drive there. These areas were meant to serve the entire metropolitan area. Only those bold enough to have forsaken the suburbs for these urban enclaves will support the restaurants, museums, clubs and other venues. As it takes serious money to keep these places running, they will close.

St. Louis, as a whole, will suffer. The limbs of a tree can not flourish if the trunk dies. By 2010, St. Louis will have a great infrastructure. Less will be left to see and fewer people will go to see it. Phenomenal planning.

Play Ball!

Another exciting Cardinals season begins and Tony LaRussa hits the bottle to celebrate. Frankly, I am not shocked. He drives after hitting the bottle. Again, this is not shocking. But, if you listen to St. Louis fans, you might think so.

Sports do not interest me. I can not tell you who won a game or who plays for a team. I tire quickly in these sorts of conversations. I politely excuse myself. I am in no way qualified to comment upon most aspects of baseball. But, I love celebrity gossip.

I read TMZ, Perez Hilton and InTouch as if they were the Bible. I recite the details of celebrity court proceedings with precision. I carefully memorize the pros and cons of various overpriced rehab facilities. Watching the famous stumble brings me a perverse joy. Given this, I have some advice for Cardinals fans: NO ONE CARES ABOUT TONY LARUSSA'S DUI!

This information shocks some. Mothers Against Drunk Driving bemoans the poor role model created by celebrity DUIs. Certainly, drunk driving is a serious matter. It kills and maims innocent people daily. It is intrinsically wrong. But, in the world of professional sport and celebrity atrocities, it is not a career ender.

For those of you who missed it, last year a certain St. Louis Ram sliced another club patron at The Pepper Lounge open with a shard of broken glass. Cutting a perfect stranger is seriously violent. It is a terrible and reprehensible offense. The Rams still sold tickets. Opposing teams' fans continued to taunt us over our lousy playing instead of our wayward player. The stabbing horrified people, but only with the player off the field. No one held it against the Rams.

Criminal behavior and professional sports go hand in hand. The Rams employ their share of delinquents. Baseball players knock a few back and cheat on their wives. Basketball players fight fans during the games. Some pro athletes lead clean respectable lives. They may even be the silent majority, but bad behavior is so common place in professional sports that it is no longer shocking.

Tony LaRussa should be penalized for his poor judgment. But, he should be penalized in a court of law. Opposing fans cannot jeer us for his indiscretion. It would only take one quick Google search to taunt them in a similar manner. Instead, life for the Cardinals will go on in the same manner it always has. They will sell tickets regardless of their performance. They will play well sporadically. They might win. They might lose. At the end of the day, St. Louis cheers for the Cardinals even when LaRussa is too drunk to notice.