My friend Jeremy recently called me and told me he went for a ride on one of these beasts last weekend with a neighbor who apparently had $12,000 he didn't know what to do with. Okay, it's way overpriced, but I still want to go for a ride on it.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Cool_Sites | Comments (0) | Permalink

After almost eight years of Bush Administration where the right has continually abused Gays and Lesbians, it's exciting to finally have some good news to post here. On the heels of the Michigan Supreme Court taking away the rights of Gays and Lesbians in my adopted state, it's thrilling to hear that the California Supreme Court has upheld the rights of California Gay and Lesbian couples to get married.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Gay_Rights | Comments (0) | Permalink

Those of us who with a strong Jones for new music need their suppliers, folks who keep us fed with the latest bands and tunes. My friend Godfrey is one of my main sources. Originally from Dublin, Godfrey is my supplier of all that is great from the British Isles. Years ago he turned me on to The Frames, who at the time were barely known here. So it was only fitting that when I finally got to see The Frames perform live last Saturday, it was with Godfrey (along with his wife Nancy, the kids and my dear friend Cynthia). The show was billed as a duo show with Frames lead man Glen Hansard and his music partner Marketa Irglova, the stars of the movie Once.

Based on the huge success Hansard and Irglova were having after winning the best song Oscar this year, Godfrey decried the apparent end of The Frames, Ireland's greatest live band. However his sorrow was short-lived when Hansard introduced The Frames at the start of the show. Where we expected a duo show, what we got was a Frames plus Irglova show. Granted there was a fair amount of Hansard's more recent acoustic driven songs that were featured in Once, but there was enough driving symphonic Frames music to keep me very happy and grooving in my seat.

If you want to see what makes The Frames one of the world's great bands, here are some links (since the site has been so heavy on embedded video lately, I figured I'd pass along the video as links):

The Frames performing their crowd favorite, God Bless Mom (from Lollapalooza 2006)

Check out a beautifully shot and produced Frames concert featuring clickable chapters so you can pick any song from the show.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Music | Comments (0) | Permalink

In the 2004 fall election, Michigan was one of 13 states that passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. It was one of the tools the right used to motivate their base in order to get them to the polls. It was insidious and it worked perfectly.

The Sunday after the election I attended Quaker Meeting here in Ann Arbor. At one point the silence of the meeting was broken when a friend of mine stood up to speak. She started to sob, "As a Lesbian I feel hated in this state. I feel like the election was won at the expense of Gays and Lesbians and I cannot tell you how despised I feel right now..." It was a very powerful and heartbreaking moment.

Proponents of Michigan's constitutional amendment repeatedly stated that the sole purpose of the amendment was to prohibit marriage between partners of the same sex and they denied that the amendment would be used to take away benefits such as health insurance from gay couples. Once the amendment was passed it was up to the courts to interpret the vaguely worded amendment:

"To secure and preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations of children, the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose."

On Wednesday the Republican-led Michigan Supreme Court did the job that the far right anticipated they would do when in a 5-2 vote, they ruled that the amendment prevents governments and universities from providing health insurance to the partners of gay workers. Although I am not at all surprised by this, I cannot express just how deeply saddened I am by the ruling.

Led by its failing economy and the highest unemployment rate in the nation, Michigan has been on a prolonged downward slide. The recent blunder by the Michigan Democratic Party which led to Michigan's delegates not being seated at this summer's Democratic Convention was just one more indignity suffered by my adoptive state. And now this...

Jessie Olson, an attorney and gay rights advocate was quoted as saying that the Supreme Court ruling leaves Michigan "at the bottom of the barrel. We are the worst of the worst of the worst when it comes to civil rights for same-sex couples."

As we look towards a fall election where the Democratic nominee will be either a woman or an African American, we can fool ourselves into thinking that we Americans have come a long way in terms of our discriminatory history. But the ongoing assault aimed at Gays and Lesbians shows that in many ways America is just as closed-minded as it always has been.

If you feel like you want to do something, you can head over to the Human Rights Campaign site, and there you can contribute, volunteer, take action or attend an event.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Gay_Rights | Comments (0) | Permalink

From my brother John via Fox Sports comes this really sweet story that leaves you smiling:

"With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.

But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.

She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.

Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count - an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs."

Read the full story.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Sports | Comments (0) | Permalink

Lately whenever I say to the kids, "Hey I want to show you something", invariably their response has been "oh god, not another youtube video". Okay, okay I'm going a little video crazy these days, but come on, you have to admit you're enjoying these postings, right?

Another great video here. Since I am no longer allowed to make actress/waitress jokes to my daughter, I sent this to Sasha (and no it's not another youtube video, it's a, ummm, a Vimeo video) so she can see what life will be like as an actress when she graduates from college.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Humor | Comments (1) | Permalink

From Caleb we have this hilarious slatev video on stupid bike lanes.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Humor | Comments (0) | Permalink

My friends and readers of this site know I am not a big fan of Hillary Clinton. However, last night my friend Cynthia called me and told me to turn on Bill O'Reilly's show to watch Hillary putting O'Reilly in his place. I have to admit that I was impressed as hell watching her standing up for herself in a strong and articulate manner that helps change my opinion of her. Having mostly seen Senator Clinton in debates and in campaign speeches, I have not had much of a chance to see this poised, calm yet strong side of the Senator.

If this is the real Hillary, I could see myself hitting the streets working for her in the fall.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Feminism Category: Politics | Comments (1) | Permalink

Despite the fact that there was frost on the ground this morning, spring has sprung with fervor here in Michigan. The picture to the left is the view of the tart cherry that for one week a year, makes the view outside my bedroom the best view around.

Perhaps it's that this past winter went on for nine months, but I don't remember having seen such a beautiful spring before. What with my recent road trips with the kids, I've been treated to three different spring explosions, in D.C. two weeks ago with Jeremy, in New York with Sasha last week, and now here in Michigan.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Gardening | Comments (0) | Permalink

As they so often do, the good folks at MoveOn turn to their large and creative community for help with ads and how to tailor the message we on the left are trying to get to the country.

To this goal, MoveOn has put together a great campaign called Obama in 30 Seconds. Head over and view all the 30 second ad submissions and vote for your favorite.

Can MoveOn help us win that desperately needed victory in the fall election?
Yes they can.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Politics | Comments (0) | Permalink

Yesterday, along with many of thousands of others here in Ann Arbor, I sat and listened to two hours of teachings from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. Much of what H.H. taught was quite detailed and a bit esoteric, and thought I can't admit to understanding every aspect of his teachings, it was wonderful to be in his presence, albeit in a college basketball arena. The last time I saw H.H. speak was some 20 years ago when I still lived in Bloomington. Back then the Dalai Lama was not the media superstar he's become today. There was no real security back then, no massive crowds, but the kind heart and wonderful laugh is the same from 20 years ago.

Without going into too much discussion on what H.H. said, I will pass along a paragraph from a sheet that was handed out to all attendees of all of his teachings. They are beautiful and well worth reading...

In conclusion, those who, like myself, consider themselves to be followers of Buddha, should practice as much as we can. To followers of other religious traditions, I would like to say, “Please practice your own religion seriously and sincerely.” And to non-believers, I request you try to be warm-hearted. I ask this of you because these mental attitudes actually bring us happiness. As I have mentioned before, taking care of others actually benefits you.

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Spirituality | Comments (0) | Permalink

In Honor of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama's visit to Ann Arbor for the next three days, we have one of the greatest clips in movie history.

Enjoy...

Posted by Scrappy| Category: Humor | Comments (0) | Permalink