Panic in Detroit

"Panic in Detroit" is one of my favorite all-time David Bowie songs. Mostly because it's the story of my life. Except for the rock star part.

Going to Detroit very soonish (like 15 minutes from now) to see my dad. He's not feeling well.

Please send him good and happy thoughts.

Prince Harry Got Him Some

I have to admit it: I've had a crush on Prince Harry since he was 14.

Of course, this means that I was only 18 at the time... *coughwaterspitcough*

Personally, I have always thought of young Harry as the cuter and more dynamic of the amazing Prince Wonder Almost-Twins. And yes, this would mean that in actuality, I could be considered a little... odd... with the fact that I'm only *coughcolaspitcough* a few years older than he.

If I were Prince Harry (or any Prince, for that matter), I would probably do no more or no less than what the young pipsqueak has done. Drink some beer? Smoke some grass? Grab some boob? Yeah, sounds like a plan.

Geez, he's only what, 22 at the most? He's doing the exact same thing as Princes and homeboys of yore have been doing for centuries. Drinkin' and gettin' some. Geez, leave the bloke alone, eh why don'tcha? I think she was getting her some, too. Princesses (and homegirls) should get some, too.

I try not to get so "crazed" over teenage/young adult sexual contact. One rule: no babies. As to sexual contact, they are going to touch each other; it's the law of men and women. I just hope whoever took that picture was not a friend. That would suck. It coming out sortly after the news that English youth were maybe trying to detonate some planes was... well... shall we say... hmmm... ill-timed. We'll leave it at that.

There will come a day when Prince Harry will need to do the right thing... and he will do it. When it comes to certain Princes of England (and homeboys), when the time comes, in love or honor, they have mostly come through. Mostly.

Have fun, Harry. Just not too much of it.

Okey, I do realize that I go from a rant on Iran to a "ooh, young rich prince punk having a good time." It's good to be flexible, I think.

It's the End of the World on August 22...

My computer is slowly dying, and hopefully I'll have a new one coming by the end of the week. I've not been blogging very much because it's such a pain with a dying computer, plus some other things have been going on, I didn't have the funds, blah, blah, blah. I've had to liquidate some funds to buy a new computer, as I still haven't been able to pay my bills down to the point where I can save a little bit... but that's coming soon, and I'm very happy about it!

However, it may not matter that I need a new computer, or that I'll pay down my bills, or that the world will continue after August 22, 2006. Since I don't know that much about the inner workings of Shite/Sunni politics or the Koran, who would have thought that the "foot-in-mouth-disease" leader of Iran, Ahmed Ahmadinejad, is alledgedly planning something big on August 22 in order to bring about the 12th Imam and lead the Muslims into glorious... well... whatever glorious something that they want. The 12th Imam, as far as I can tell, is the Islamic version of the 2nd coming of Christ, and I guess if they both show up at the same time, there's going to be a showdown, which will not resemble a hootenanny. (Disclaimer: as far as I can tell, I made the whole thing up about the Battle of the 12th Imam and the Christ. Hootenannys, unfortunately, are very real.)

According to the "Armageddon Cocktail Hour"

August 22 is at the very least an auspicious day for the Shi’ite Ahmadinejad: in that it is the day that Muhammad’s power to create a new Islamic society became manifest, it can be analogized with the beginning of the putative new era of Islamic justice to be ushered in by the Mahdi. As Iran comes out of its period of isolation — its time in the cave — Ahmadinejad’s public statements indicate that he sees himself as an agent of change in the next phase of Islamic development, one in which “the world is standing on the threshold of great development and the Muslims are expected to overcome their aggressive enemies.” Symbolically, it may be that Ahmadinejad sees August 22, the day on which he has promised to respond to Western nations regarding their offer of incentives to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program, as the day on which he begins his own transforming mission.

While Armageddon Cocktail Hour goes on to note the wee differences between the Islamic and Persian calendars as to the possible date in question, a goodly portion of the blogosphere (as pointed out by Boing Boing), predicts that Iran has something up its sleeve for August 22. Some predict a nuclear attack on Israel; others a snub to America. Whatever does or doesn't happen, we are all amping up the rhetoric, and in my opinion, bringing Armageddon on ourselves.

I grew up in Pentacostal Christianity, and the End Times prophecies almost caused me to loose my mind back in the day. I'm convinced there will be no second coming of any Imam or Christ, but that our own mouths and beliefs and headbutting will lead to any sort of Armageddon that may be in store for us.

It's all quite sad, the entire bloody mess we've gotten ourselves into all because a good portion of the world hates the other half and has God on their side to prove it. If the Chosen People are Jews, Christians, or Muslims who are determined to kill each other in the name of their God, then have at it. Personally, I think the Jews have been pretty much just leave us the fuck alone, but Christians keep egging them on and Muslims keep wanting to rid them off the face of the planet.

It's hard out there for a radical when you're trying to prove how great your God is. I came to the conclusion long ago that if God where as vindictive and jealous as was written about him, then I didn't want any part of him. And I've stuck to that, with the occassional dip into the Buddhist pool, which clearly states that it's WE who are full of ego, and our surroundings are reflections of our own egomanical fantasy worlds, like say for instance, making Gods out of our own images. Get rid of the ego, and you'll see the connections of us all. Blow up a Buddha, though, and you can pretend that your God is greater after all.

Alrighty, I'll acknowledge that I'm getting a tad ranty, but I've had it. Whatever the President of Iran does on August 22, if anything in the shape of an explosion, well, have at it. But just remember: the consequences of your action may not bring about the 12th Imam, but it just may bring about your complete and total annihilation. All in the name of "Whose God is Bigger."

I'm sick of this game where absolutely no one wins.

D.C. Archival Days

I'm in Washington, D.C. for the Society of American Archivists conference. We're at the Washington Hilton (yes, the hotel made famous by Reagan being shot there), and yes, it's hotter than hell.

I have to restrain myself from wanting to go to the White House and yell choice words in the general direction of the man who we appointed President. Someone stop me, please. (Though I doubt that he's here in the dog days of the Washington summer. I'm sure he started his ten-week vacation already.)*

We went to the National Archives for an open house the other night and the archivists were personally greeted by the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein. He's not an archivist, (go figure), but at least he's an historian. As he took my hand, I said to him, "Wow, I've never been personally greeted by the Archivist of the United States before." It was true. I've seen the outgoing Archivist (who was much beloved by the archival community) at a few events, but I guess since we are here for the annual conference in his home territory, he thought he should personally greet us. It was weird but fun.

The National Archives were recently flooded, and some things were destroyed. Go read about it here.

Anyway, tonight, we are going to a reception at the Museum of American History. I love being an archivist and going to these things. A few years ago we went to Boston and toured (and partied) at Fenway Park all by ourselves. Last year in New Orleans, our reception was at the beautiful Aquarium of the Americas, located on the riverfront. It was odd that we left that town exactly one week before it was mostly wiped out. I still get freaked out by that now and then.

Anyway, it's hotter than sin down here, and I must jump into the pool prior to going to the reception tonight.

Please tell me how much of a bad idea it would be to go to the White House, stand in front of the gate, and start yelling. Thanks.

*Bummer... just found out that Bush is taking an "abbreviated" vacation this year. Does that mean only five weeks?

Dancing is not a Crime! - Oh wait, yes it is!

Has anybody noticed how hot everything is right now? I'm so hot I can't even feel my skin anymore. And that's really weird.

I haven't posted in a while as I've been avoiding life, conflicts, projects, and things in general. I'm in a malaise and goodness only knows how I'm going to get myself out of this personal quagmire.

But enough of me, how's the rest of the world? Hmmm... let's see, I can sum it up in one word: crappy. C-R-A-P-P-Y. CRAPPY!!!!

Hell; we're about to all go there, at least according to the Bible-thumpers as the Middle East explodes; Iraq is still harsh, and now Turkey seems to be a tad upset as the Kurds are restless on the Turk's Southern border. Oh joy, oh bliss, oh rapture.

Oh... scratch that last one.

So into the fray is a bit of local NYC politics. In the five boroughs of New York City, it is illegal to dance in a bar, club, theater, etc., where three or more people congregate and where food or drink is served. So, no swing dancing, no moshing, no tango, no jazz tapping, no nothing, unless the venue has paid the city of New York a sum of money which legally allows patrons to dance.

There are currently 244 active cabaret licenses, a number that fluctuates depending on approvals, fines, and dormant licenses.

Sounds like, I don't know, Taliban country, eh? Well, I've been hearing that even in Afghanistan you can dance now, though I haven't been able to confirm it.

Back in 1926, these laws grew out of the jazz era in New York, when the races were mixing and the dance was hot and heavy; the last thing anyone needed was a meeting of the... coloreds and the whiteys. A Prohibition definition of lewdness was being regulated, and somehow, in 2006, the laws are still on the books. The background has changed, but the laws are still used to wontanly crack down on New York nightlife and keep our citizens in line.

There's been a few lawsuits in the past several years attempting to get rid of or modify the laws. Most attempts have been failures, though Paul Chevigny was able to strip the regulations concerning musicians: for years New York musicians had to have a license to play. One blight on their record and they could be denied the right to make a living by being denied the right to play. This law was stricken back in 1991. Musicians all over NYC went HOORAY!

Now, the last vestige of these laws lay in the anti-dancing portion of Public Law 20-359 regulating Public Dance Halls, Cabarets, and Catering Establishments in New York City, presumably one of the most enlightened places on Earth.

The bottom line is that dancing, my friends, is illegal in New York.

So, since all politics is actually local, on July 22 from 2-4 PM, there will be a protest at the corner of 5th Avenue and 79th Street, in view of Mayor Bloomberg's house. We are hoping to move the Administration to change the law and allow dancing while developing other regulations to control noise, overcrowding, and whatever else the City of New York needs to do to make places safe physically while allowing dancing.

So, see you there!

When: Saturday, July 22, 2006 from 2-4 PM

Where: At the corner of the Honorable Mayor Bloomberg’s home.
East 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Take the 6 train to 77th, the M79 or M2L buses to 79th and Fifth, or the M1, M2, M3, or M4 buses to 79th and Madison.

Kayaking Update, Nan Melville, Photographer

Just an update on the fireworks of July 4th on the East River!

We had professional photograph, Nan Melville, kayak with us at the fireworks. The Long Island City Community Boathouse posted a link to one of the photographs that she took of us while the fireworks were in progress. Amazing! (There's a few more photographs here.)

From the LIC Community Boathouse website, a little more regarding the event:

In addition to the boathouse volunteers, we hosted harbor guests. One was Tim Gamble, a longtime officer at the pioneering Dowtown Boathouse (they really got the free paddling movement going in NYC!) and recent co-founder of the Red Hook Boaters, a great paddling group affiliated through the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club. Another notable was Craig Kandell, who is a volunteer illustrator for the boathouse and a marathon swimmer with the Manhattan Island Foundation.

Some revelers stayed on the highground of the eco-arts and recreation center that John and Erik are assembling with Plaxall's help. After all, that's also where the food was. BBQ for carnivores and vegans alike. Other ventured out onto the East River aboard our kayaks!

It was spectacular. The waters were swept over with washes of color than rarely paused. The skyline began to bow to the fireworks as the flashes outshown lighted towers and smoke blanketed and smothered them. Several paddlers remarked that they'd never felt so near to fireworks this grand.

The LIC Community Boathouse is fortunate to have a launch on Anable Basin, which is literally yards north of the Coast Guard's holiday restricted zone. With lights, marine radios, and close coordination, we safely paddled out to see the show in a wide gap between the anchored pleasure craft. We scurried back before the traditional post-fireworks horn blowing was done. We also kept steady communication with the fireboats, police boats, and Coast Guard runabouts that were amply deployed.

I'm very happy to have found the Boathouse through my friend, John. I expect to be volunteering a lot to not only get the opportunity to ride the waters of New York, but to help the NYC community reconnect to our waterfronts. We are looking for sponsors for boats and if you feel like donating money or time or boats, please feel free.

Oh, and don't forget to come on over and kayak with us, too!

July 4th Kayaking on the East River

On a Kayak, East River Near Queens, Looking Toward Roosevelt Island and Manhattan, July 4, 2006

Lately, I've been doing something that I've dreamed about for the last ten years: kayaking on the rivers of New York City. In over 20 years of being in New York on and off, I'm one of many millions of New Yorkers who have looked longingly toward the water, either with desire to be in it, on it, or far away from it!

I was very lucky indeed to be on the water during the July 4th fireworks. Being out there in a small boat, with many gigantic boats, and watching the works together was a 4th I won't long forget. I'm very happy that I was able to do it and very happy that things are such in my life right now that I can enjoy the rivers of New York. It's good to be alive.

I took a few photos, but a moving boat and fireworks don't really go well... but it's kinda funky... I kinda like it...

On a Kayak, East River, Near Roosevelt Island, July 4, 2006

Do You Think She's Trying to Tell Me Something?

I wish the photograph were better, but I was in a rush trying to catch Paikea Renee Esme sticking her tongue out at me. OK, she's really not sticking her tongue out AT me... she does this all the time. It's the cutest thing ever... though sometimes it reminds me of when Zanzibar died. The meds relaxed her so much that her tongue was hanging out and I had to ask the vet to put it back in. Ack. Believe me, it's much cuter from a cat that's alive!

Anyhoo.... I haven't been posting much as things have been a bit busy with projects I'm not finishing. Ack. I also have been doing some neat stuff such as kayaking, and watching my friends prance around as French MerMaids and Salty Seaman at the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Somewhere along the line I obtained a cold from all the damned rain we've been having, and this weekend I went to Rockaway Beach to celebrate the holidays early.

The Atlantic was lovely! The first day I didn't go in because of my cold, but I stayed overnight and couldn't resist a dip on the second day. It only exacerbated my impending ear infection, and a few hours later I felt as if an elephant were stomping on my eardrum. But I woke up today feeling a bit better.

Well, I wish I had more to say, but the world is still crap, the World Cup is still going on, and there's still a day free from work to be had today.

Have an excellent 4th of July, everyone!

2,996

Join the Tribute

I could write a lot of stuff about why I'm joining the blogging tribute to those who died on 9/11, but I keep tearing up as I write, so I'll just let the blogger who created the tribute, D.Challener Roe, tell you:

2,996 stories…

2,996 voices…

2,996 remembered…

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.

If you would like to help out, either by pledging to post a tribute on your own blog, or by offering your services to promote this cause, just leave a comment here and I’ll email you the name of a victim.

Then, on 9/11/2006, you will post a tribute to that victim on your blog.

But, and this is critical, the tributes should celebrate the lives of these people–kind of like a wake. Over the last 5 years we’ve heard the names of the killers, and all about the victim’s deaths. This is a chance to learn about and celebrate those who died. Forget the murderers, they don’t deserve to be remembered. But some people who died that day deserve to be remembered–2,996 people.

Thank you,

D.Challener Roe

Wordplay: The Movie

The lady in the poster to the left is Ellen Ripstein. We worked together as researchers on the Regis Edition of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." She's a bloody genius!

Go see her in the documentary Wordplay, opening around the country on June 23 (which also coincides with my 6th month anniversary of not smoking, woohoo!). The Wordplay site has interviews that highlight Ellen as well as other contestants in the American Crossword Puzzle Championship. In the interview, they ask Ellen the burning question everyone on the planet wants to know: Pen or Pencil? (I know you were dying to ask that... ok, maybe not dying to ask it.) After a number of times reaching the crossword championship finals, Ellen won the kit and kaboodle a few years ago. I told you she was a bloody genius, didn't I?

And while you're at it, go and read her LiveJournal blog about the life of a genius-crossword puzzling, movie-star jetsetting, goddess.

The film also has interviews with folks like former U.S. President Bill Clinton and comedy pundit Jon Stewart. You'll also learn more about crossword puzzler and Sudoku master, Will Shortz, the Master Puzzlermaster. Which is redundant, but it's late and believe me, I'm no bloody genius.

Yvany: Billie Holiday Contest Finalist!!!

You might remember a few months ago I posted a link to my friend, Yvany's, "Desperate House Child" blog. (She hasn't updated it since March... dang, I thought I was bad not having updated my blog since June 5th... sheesh...)

When I wrote about her blog, I specifically mentioned that she had just posted a recording she made of a Billie Holiday number in order to enter Baltimore's 17th Annual Mayor's Billie Holiday Vocal Competition. I just got a call from her, and she's ONE OF TEN FINALISTS FOR THE CONTEST!

WOOHOO!
YOU GO, GIRL!

The event takes place in Baltimore on Sunday, July 23
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
1212 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-783-8000

Here's a tiny bit about the event itself:

Initiated in 1990 to honor Baltimore's own jazz legend Billie Holiday on the 75th anniversary of her birth, the vocal competition commemorates Holiday's contribution to music and is designed to encourage and support emerging vocal talent in Maryland through funding, exposure and recognition. The competition was made possible through the generosity of Procter and Gamble Cosmetics Foundation, Inc, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and The Afro-American Newspapers.

Monday is Stop Gay People Day

Unfuckingbelievable. Unfuckingbelievable.

How many more days do we have to live with this guy as President? How many more days until the Republican Party lead us closer and closer to immigration, race, and anti-gay wars here on the American front?

Unfuckingbelievable. Unfuckingbelievable.

From Atrios and Americablog, we have this rant from Jack Cafferty. I use to watch CNN's Morning Show and Cafferty would rankle my haunches. But the old geezer is hopping mad, and I don't blame him:

CNN's Jack Cafferty rips Republicans for wasting time on gay marriage when country has so many other priorities and problems to address
by John in DC - 6/03/2006 11:13:00 AM

Via Atrios:

Guess what Monday is? Monday is the day President Bush will speak about an issue near and dear to his heart and the hearts of many conservatives. It's also the day before the Senate votes on the very same thing. Is it the war? Deficits? Health insurance? Immigration? Iran? North Korea?

Not even close. No, the president is going to talk about amending the Constitution in order to ban gay marriage. This is something that absolutely, positively has no chance of happening, nada, zippo, none. But that doesn't matter. Mr. Bush will take time to make a speech. The Senate will take time to talk and vote on it, because it's something that matters to the Republican base.

This is pure politics. If has nothing to do with whether or not you believe in gay marriage. It's blatant posturing by Republicans, who are increasingly desperate as the midterm elections approach. There's not a lot else to get people interested in voting on them, based on their record of the last five years.

But if you can appeal to the hatred, bigotry, or discrimination in some people, you might move them to the polls to vote against that big, bad gay married couple that one day might in down the street.

In America, we still have a problem within our borders with other people we don't like. In fact, it's very easy, in my opinion, to tip America into discriminatory acts (on the parts of many people) of violence, that would be difficult to hold back. I fear racial and discriminatory violence more than anything else in the world besides a race riot or a terrorist attack.

This administration is just begging for ugliness. I fear they just might get it.

Bush will speak on this today from the Rose Garden. If you can bear it, you can hear or read his White House Radio Address here about the subject.

Happy Birthday, Zanzibar

Mommy kitty misses you
very much.
So very much.
Rest in peace, kitty girl.



In memorium

He's #1! He's #1!

Quinnipiac University just conducted a new poll and asked those surveyed who they thought was the worst President in the post-World War II era.

Guess who's #1?

Go ahead... guess...

OK, fine, it's George W. Bush (among Democrats) and William Jefferson Clinton (among Republicans), though on average, Bush still leads.

You know who really can't stand the man? Younguns 18-29... 42% of 'em rate him the worse.

Maybe there's hope for the youth afterall...

Hattip: Crooks and Liars.

To My Dad and Granddad

Some friends and I were having a bit of a discussion about what's right and wrong to remember on Memorial Day (yes, it's to honor those who died during war), but I wanted to give a shout out to my Dad and Granddad, who fought and lived through the Korean War and WWII. I have some relatives in the Army and Air Force right now, but I'll wait until Veterans Day for them.

Thanks to all those who lived and died.

Thanks to all who are fighting now.

Dad during the Korean War

Granddad during World War II

Towel Day 2006

Douglas Adams gets me through life.

I constantly say "Don't Panic" when I'm about to panic, which has been a lot lately.

One of the saddest days ever was when he passed away of a heart attack while exercising. Apropos, but sad nonetheless.

I will carry my towel tomorrow. Here's to you, Douglas.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

hattip Actor for the link!

JIMMY HOFFA WEEK!!!!

Being that I'm in Michigan until tomorrow and have had to hear about the digging up of a farm in Milford for the past five days, I thought you'd all like to know that my home state is still insane. The Feds have been busy searching the "Hidden Dreams Farm" (Hidden Hoffa Farm?) in an attempt to dig up (hahaha) a lead on the whereabouts of a man that has been missing for most of my life, Jimmy Hoffa.

If one thing is for sure, Hoffa is dead. Who the hell cares where he is buried? I'll never get it.

Anyway, the New York Times has an article about the various marketing devices the town of Milford, Michigan has thought of to get through and cash in on, the latest "Where is Hoffa" tale.

Yeah, it's a NYT photo... shoot me...

Poor Jimmy... still dead... and rolling in his grave...

A week of digging by investigators at the Hidden Dreams Farm outside town has turned up no evidence of the remains of the former Teamster boss James R. Hoffa, but it has unearthed a cavalcade of colorful characters and stirred a morbid sense of humor in residents of this village of 6,300 people. "Hoffa Search Finds Town's Sense of Humor"

FLEET WEEK!!!!

Yes, you thought only those gals from "Sex in the City" loved Fleet Week (May 24-31), but think again... it's one of my favorite 'Holidays' in the City. In fact, my friend Liz and I love to call each other when we see a gaggle of see-through and white-panted fellows on the New York streets. What is even more delicious is that not only can one see hot American sailors (and some not so hot looking ones, too), but also sailors from all sorts of countries. In the past, I've seen sailors from Britain, Germany, Spain, Greece, and Holland.

I think I'll have to make a date with Liz to head around Times Square and go sailor watching. It's such a wonderful New York sight to see!

Some Flickr examples:

Four Sailors and a Starbucks
Sailors at Chilis, Times Square
Foreign Sailors
Three Sailors in Times Square
Two Camos and a Gay Flag
Dress Marine at World Trade Center with Camo Camera

Montenegro Votes to Drive Last Nail in Yugoslavian Coffin

At least 56 percent of the people of Montenegro have voted to break off from the last remnant of Yugoslavia, the uneasily united Serbia and Montenegro, and form their own country, free from Belgrade's grasp.

The Montenegrin vote over this past weekend will further frustrate and irritate Serbia, but hopefully not so much that they decide to go and start yet another war on the European continent. Needless to say, this latest blow is going to be both painful and humiliating, but Montenegro deserves to be as independent as it was back in 1918.

Let's hope, however, that pro-Serbia Unionists in Montenegro realize when it's time to let go, peacefully, unlike when Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo tried to do the same. There's been enough bloodshed in that area to last more then a few lifetimes.

In another vote over the weekend, New Orleans reelected Ray Nagin as Mayor. After reading the current issue of Vanity Fair, which excerpted Douglas Brinkley's new book regarding Hurricane Katrina, I personally have reconsidered my defense of Nagin and Louisiana Governor Blanco, and now put them in the same category as President Bush, Homeland Security and FEMA in the handling of Hurricane Katrina: incompetent cronies and idiots. Maybe I'll reconsider on Nagin and Blanco again, based on what they both do in the reconstruction of the State, but we'll have to see. I'm really tired of bad politicians. When will we get some politicians with balls, competence, and heart? Maybe this vote and Brinkley's article (and granted, Brinkley leans slightly right), hit me the wrong way at the wrong time. Maybe I just thought that Mitch Landrieu would be better at this time, though some (like my dad), would consider that kowtowing to the white man. That's something else I'm sick of, too: black and white politics. Sick of it all.

Anyway, good luck to Montenegro and New Orleans. You are both gonna need it.

Bushlandia vs. Reality Map

By way of WhiskeyBar, a new map:

This maps reflects the three states that still hold a positive (or Bushlandia) view of President Bush: Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, all with a combined population of 4,288,830 deluded Americans.

Though even those Redstaters are changing their minds, too:

Only residents of Utah, Wyoming and Idaho view the president favorably. Though Bush remains in positive territory, in the past month he has fallen 10 points in Utah, fallen 9 points in Wyoming, and fallen 3 points in Idaho.

Small miracles, baby steps, even if I'd like to take a hammer over their heads...