Are we all on the same page?

Tonight my neighbor and his girlfriend came over to watch some college football (The Big East and the ACC stink on ice, by the way) and after the game, we're watching, Jon Stewart. He's making his big, "Announcement", kicking sand in, Glenn Beck's face. It's hilarious stuff. He's talking about the rally on, The National Mall on October 30.

My neighbor says to me, "The National Mall. Is that the one in Minnesota?"

"No! It's the space between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. The reflecting pool? The Washington Monument? You've never heard of this?"

He says, "Well, how would I know? I don't shop!"

From, The American Heritage Dictionary Of The English Language: mall (mol, mal) n. 1. A shady public walk or promenade...

Now, I know we all have different experiences in life, but shouldn't we all be speaking the same language? This man, who I know and love, and who is the best neighbor you could ever ask for had no idea that a, "Mall" could be anything but a shopping center.

I'm leaving for two weeks out of the country tomorrow afternoon (and to anyone using FB to pick burglary opportunity's like back east? My dog, children, and security system are all STAYING in this country. So don't even think about it) and I'm kind of going to enjoy being out of the loop. I won't have a computer. Won't watch American TV. Just going to see how people live in Greece and Paris. I've been to Paris and I like it there.

I think I'll see if I can do some shopping at the National Mall in Greece.

Legalize it, Mon!

I don't smoke Marijuana. I tried it a hand full of times in high school and college (this was the late 70's and early 80's. You ever see, "Dazed And Confused"? That could have been MY high school graduation night, but it wasn't) and all it did for me was make me fall asleep. I got the same effect from three glasses of white wine (and that still happens to this day with wine) and you didn't get arrested for having white wine in the 70's and early, 80's.

And I spent 23 years putting people in jail for having, Marijuana. But they were, for the most part, on Probation or Parole, and someone had ordered them to NOT possess or use it.

So I know what I'm talking about. Please give me the credit I deserve for serving as a warrior in the, "War On Drugs" that his country has been waging since the 60's, when I tell you WE LOST! Drugs won, and there is not a damn thing we can do about it!

Yeah, I'd agree that heroin and methamphetamine should be illegal. They destroy lives, and are very addictive. But, crack, which is just, cocaine with baking soda added so you can smoke it, gets ten times as much time in, Federal Prison as, cocaine hydrochloride, which is the stuff you snort in Hollywood or at Frat parties. Why?

I'll tell you why! Crack was used by inner city Black People. "Snorting" cocaine was used by rich, White people. So in the 90's, Congress made the minimum mandatory for Crack, ten times what it was for, "regular Coke". They wanted inner city Black kids to go to prison for ten years, but wanted to make sure that, Biff, and, Buffy who got busted snorting Coke at a local club, still had a chance at probation and wouldn't lose the scholarship.

Meth is the same thing as crack. It is, the MOST addictive, horrible drug ever! It destroys your life faster than anything you have ever seen. I've seen it. Why isn't it getting minimum mandatory sentences like, Crack?

Because it's a WHITE drug! You ever see a Black guy use meth? "OH, HELLS NO!" Black people don't' want to be edgy and nervous for 48 hours at a time! They have to be nervous enough in this country just being, BLACK! The COPS are always watching them! They don't need to have the paranoia that METH brings on top of that!

Meth was run by, White guys with motorcycles, who lived in trailer parks! Right up until the time the Mexicans figured out how to do it better down there, then the motorcycle guys outsourced production. Just like GM.

At one point in the 90's, Mormon, Conservative, Utah, was the THIRD highest producer of Meth in the country. Right behind, California, and Arizona. I couldn't work a week without finding a meth lab.

Now? Not so much. We don't have that many bikers, and it's cheaper to get it from, Mexico.

And there is a movement afoot to criminalize, "spice". WTF? Let me let you in on something. Human beings are programed to seek pleasure over pain. It's just how we are. And no matter how much you criminalize stuff, humans will find OTHER stuff to get high with.

Ignore, "spice", it will go away. Make it illegal, and it's here to stay. Trust me.

Now, back to my original point. Channel 2 tonight reported on a raid of a, Marijuana farm in, Summit County today. They took out thousands of plants. And it took SIXTY OFFICERS and the States Public Safety Helicopter all day to do it.

Rape, murder, theft, DUI. Hell, even driving too slow in the fast lane, which I HATE, deserve more attention than some guys growing, Marijuana! Why don't we legalize it, and empty our prisons, and tax it's sale and growth and end the, Bush caused depression!

As I sit here, drinking my legal, Bourbon, I have to say, that in my experience, alcohol, which the STATE sells, is much more dangerous than, Marijuana. Pot smokers don't want to drive after smoking. They want to sit home, watch movies, and eat tortilla chips.

And we already have laws to deal with people who commit crimes while under the influence of drugs, of any sort. You can't smoke, Pot and drive. And if you steal my car stereo to buy, Pot, you are still going to jail.

Legalize, Pot. Empty the prisons, and jails, and tax the sales. And we would pull this country out of our deficit. Turn the economy right, and quit locking up so many of our young people. It's the right thing to do.

ESPN Sucks.

Does anyone else remember when, ESPN actually covered sports? ALL sports! Not just the one's THEY telecast? Only, oh, ten years or so ago, you could watch, Sportscenter and get NHL scores, stories on ALL the teams playing college football or basketball. It used to be THE place to get your sports news at the end of the day. No bias, just reporting.

Then, Disney bought them. And ABC. And this year, The BCS. So it's only going to get worse.

The, "Entertainment/Sports Programing Network" that was founded in the 80's has now become the, "Endlessly Self Promoting Network" who only covers sports that are on THEIR network! And they put out a magazine, too. And it's unreadable, since it's just one big, "AD" for what's going to be ON, ESPN!

You think I'm lying? Go watch, Sportscenter, and see if they cover a non Top 25 college football game, any hockey, or boxing. Then get back to me.

And they did some good things for the Utes back in the day. National audience for our football and basketball teams. right up to the time we had proven ourselves on Thursday nights in football, and they decided they wanted to offer THAT night to the ACC and wanted us to play on Tuesday and we said no thanks. And went to CBS and, "The Mtn". Then they wouldn't cover us.

Tonight, they covered the BSU/Va Tech game, and at halftime, they showed a highlight reel of the best plays from the opening weekend of college football. Did they show, Blechen's interception of the first play of overtime that gave us the victory over #15 Pitt? Oh, HELL no! Did they show, TSDS's long touchdown pass against, UW? I think you know the answer.

If you were on one of THEIR channel's, you got on the highlight reel. If not? You don't count.

So, as the Utes join the, PAC, and the Cougars shoot themselves in the head, and go independent (which means, "no one wants to play with you") the Utes are going to have ALMOST as much time on the highlight reel as the, Cougars the next few years. At least on, "Endlessly Self Promoting Network". Because, ESPN will have to televise the PAC games, as it's bought the, BCS, so they have to keep the WHOLE country interested.

But, Disney which owns the whole, ESPN/ABC mess, has also, just BOUGHT the, Cougars! They offered them some money to be on, ESPN all the time, and, TSDS bought it. So now, Cougar fans, you will be playing home games on Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. At someplace where you can be broadcast live on the East Coast at MIDNIGHT!

I don't mind that they did that to YOU! You were complacent in it, and you deserve every bad thing that happens to you. You need an, "ego reduction surgery". But I don't like that they can do it to college sports. And you're not helping.

ESPN must die! We need a channel, carried on all cable/satellite networks that doesn't BROADCAST, live sports, just COVER'S sports. Like ESPN USED to do! The, CNN, or, NPR of SPORTS! "Just the facts, Mam" kind of coverage that we USED to get from, Exceptionally Self Promotion Network.

I bet that until I make my first BILLION that it's not going to happen. Disney runs the world. And now, it runs, TSDS.

My Quiet, Suburban life.

Spent last night watching the Utes, great game. Got home around 2300 hours, and was awake half the night. Slept in, thanks to my wonderful wife, and then got up around 1100 hours and had to mow the lawn since my son is back in school. Not a weird existence. I'm retired, fairly young, but my life, other than our traveling, is pretty normal. All things considered.

My friend, Phil came over with his dogs around 1500 hours, as usual on a Friday, and we tossed tennis balls to all the dogs, and listened to, satellite radio while enjoying cigars and whiskey.

When he left around 1800 hours, my wife and daughter went to pick up pizza at, Little Caesar's and I sat down in the living room to watch college football. My son was at the Murray vs. Taylorsville game (Murray won!). We ate dinner, and I was watching Arizona beat the, "dog stuff" out of, Toledo on ESPN (Everything Spoken Promotes our Network! They don't really cover ALL sports anymore) when my neighbor calls. He and his big dog skipped, "Dog Day" Friday.

He's coming over to watch football. Good! I enjoy his company. And, Deb is watching, oh, I don't know, anything BUT football in the bedroom.

He walks in with his 160 pound dog, Kora. Who is just a pussycat. He and his friend are both drunk. Not just a little drunk, but DRUNK.

They come in with the big dog and their favorite, "Hooter's Girl" who is 20 years younger than either one of them.

Turns out, they had been to, "Hooters", sucking up chicken wings, and beer for a few hours. And this nice, young, lady was their favorite waitress. She wasn't working this night, but happened to be in the store, and saw them in their sorry state, and felt compelled to drive two of her best customer's home so they didn't end up in jail for DUI.

She was 31 years old, VERY attractive, quite articulate, very respectful of my house, and the only sane one of the three of them.

I won't use her name, because I don't want her to get in trouble for trying to help out her good clients who, it appears had lost their minds.

At this point, my being able to watch the UA/Toledo game went out the widow.

She was trying to get, "Ronnie" to just shut up, and stay here with my neighbor, so they didn't have to drive anywhere. But, no he wouldn't have it. He wanted, "wings" which this nice young woman offered to go back to, "Hooters" and get for him and bring them back if he wouldn't drive.

My neighbor was just giggling in that drunken way while this argument is playing out in my living room.

I'm trying to watch football here, people!

None of them care.

Finally, "The Hooters Girl", who I now have a LOT of respect for says, "It was nice to meet you, thanks for the drink (which my drunk, neighbor made for her out of MY bottle of bourbon), but I have to go." pushes my neighbors friend out of the house while telling him, "I'm taking you HOME, not back to your car. You're drunk and can't drive!" They left. My neighbor fell asleep in my chair, "watching" the football game. I sent him home a few minutes later.

The MOST normal person in my house tonight was a, "Hooters Girl" with HUGE fake breasts, a tattoo on her back, who claims to have a father who's a right wing, Conservative, radio host who she no longer talks to because of the way he abused her and her mother (and when you first meet someone, why would you tell them that?).

Does anyone else out there on FB have THAT kind of a Friday night on a regular basis? Or is it just me? I need to know.