US state approves guns in bars
NASHVILLE (Tennessee) - HANDGUNS will soon be allowed in bars and restaurants in Tennessee under a new law passed by state legislators who voted to override the governor's veto.
The legislation that takes effect July 14 retains an existing ban on consuming alcohol while carrying a handgun, and restaurant owners can still opt to ban weapons from their establishments.
Thirty-seven other states have similar laws. The state Senate voted 21-9 on Thursday against Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen's veto, a day after the House also voted 69-27 to override.
They overrode critics, including Bredesen, who said it's a bad idea to have guns and alcohol in close proximity.
Democratic Sen. Doug Jackson, the main sponsor of the bill, said state Safety Department records show handgun permit holders in Tennessee are responsible.
Of the roughly 218,000 handgun permit holders in Tennessee, 278 had their permits revoked last year, records show. Since 2005, state records shows nearly 1,200 people have lost their permits.
Revocations are issued for felony convictions, while permits can be suspended for pending criminal charges or for court orders of protection.
Sen. Andy Berke was the only senator to speak against overriding the veto on Thursday. 'I believe that we should follow the governor and rethink what we have done,' he said.
The law, which was supported by the National Rifle Association, has been successful in other states, its chief lobbyist said. 'Of those 37 states, not one state has attempted to repeal or amend those statutes because they've been successful,' Chris Cox said.
Bredesen spokesman Lydia Lenker said after Wednesday's House vote that the Democratic governor expected an override when he vetoed the legislation last week. -- AP
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
If I had only played the piano
I had considered this as the title to my auto biography, and assuming I live long enough to write one, it may still be. But for now, you get the short story chapter version.........
One of my first memories as a child was living in Elgin Illinois, in a house I thought was huge. The last time I saw the house, a few years ago, which is 35-40 years later, it is anyting but huge.
When you first entered the house, there was a small screened in porch, big enough for 2 people and a milkbox. For those of you too young to know what a milkbox is, try google, it is a wonderful thing.
The next room was the dining room, big enough for a table to sit 6, and maybe a small buffet.
Beyond that was the kitchen. Small but funtional. In the back of the kitchen was the stairs to the basement. A story in itself, for a later time.
To the left of the dining room was, well, another dining room with the master bedroom off of that. Next was the living room. And across to the far wall was the other enterance, and the stairs leading up to the other 3 bedrooms, and bathroom.
Now add to this, my grandmother, her husband (fiance?) My mother and I, 3 of my school age aunts, my uncle, and my great-grandfather. Nine of us in total, but being the baby of the bunch, it never seemed crowded to me.
Back to the diningroom ajacent the living room. Other than the dining table, the other more spectacular item in the room was a piano. I was way too young to be interested in it, and I cannot really recall hearing it being played much. What I do remember was being repeatedly told to not touch it. It smudged easily, and With 9 people in the house, a can of Pledge was most likely a luxury. But then again, I was 3 or 4 years old.
From 2nd to 7th grade we lived in Carpentersville, and again there was a piano in hour home. And my Mother played it. And again, I was repeated told to not touch it. It smudged easily, and at the age I was then, it was also very breakable I am sure.
When we moved again to the house my Mother still lives in, there again, was a piano that my Mother played. By this time I had allowed its presence to blur into the other things in and about the house that my brain had to diminished to mere "background".
Years after I had moved out of the house, out of state, and far from the thoughts of that piano, Mom sold it. When she told me I was sad.
Sad that I wouldn't hear her play it again, only realizing how much I had enjoyed it, and how I probably never told her that.
Sad that a piece of my life's "background" was now gone.
But mostly sad, when I realized I had never learned to play it. Never known the joy and fulfilment which I am certain comes with that ability.
But what helps that sadness subside, is when I close my eyes and think back, and I can see and hear Mom sitting at the piano. And there is no room or reason for sadness there.
Thanks Mom
One of my first memories as a child was living in Elgin Illinois, in a house I thought was huge. The last time I saw the house, a few years ago, which is 35-40 years later, it is anyting but huge.
When you first entered the house, there was a small screened in porch, big enough for 2 people and a milkbox. For those of you too young to know what a milkbox is, try google, it is a wonderful thing.
The next room was the dining room, big enough for a table to sit 6, and maybe a small buffet.
Beyond that was the kitchen. Small but funtional. In the back of the kitchen was the stairs to the basement. A story in itself, for a later time.
To the left of the dining room was, well, another dining room with the master bedroom off of that. Next was the living room. And across to the far wall was the other enterance, and the stairs leading up to the other 3 bedrooms, and bathroom.
Now add to this, my grandmother, her husband (fiance?) My mother and I, 3 of my school age aunts, my uncle, and my great-grandfather. Nine of us in total, but being the baby of the bunch, it never seemed crowded to me.
Back to the diningroom ajacent the living room. Other than the dining table, the other more spectacular item in the room was a piano. I was way too young to be interested in it, and I cannot really recall hearing it being played much. What I do remember was being repeatedly told to not touch it. It smudged easily, and With 9 people in the house, a can of Pledge was most likely a luxury. But then again, I was 3 or 4 years old.
From 2nd to 7th grade we lived in Carpentersville, and again there was a piano in hour home. And my Mother played it. And again, I was repeated told to not touch it. It smudged easily, and at the age I was then, it was also very breakable I am sure.
When we moved again to the house my Mother still lives in, there again, was a piano that my Mother played. By this time I had allowed its presence to blur into the other things in and about the house that my brain had to diminished to mere "background".
Years after I had moved out of the house, out of state, and far from the thoughts of that piano, Mom sold it. When she told me I was sad.
Sad that I wouldn't hear her play it again, only realizing how much I had enjoyed it, and how I probably never told her that.
Sad that a piece of my life's "background" was now gone.
But mostly sad, when I realized I had never learned to play it. Never known the joy and fulfilment which I am certain comes with that ability.
But what helps that sadness subside, is when I close my eyes and think back, and I can see and hear Mom sitting at the piano. And there is no room or reason for sadness there.
Thanks Mom
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It's Okay
One of many things that I have become good at is avoidance.
I avoided a phone call yesterday from a very close friend. Not his fault, all me.
I didn't even listen to the message until today while I was walking back from the mailbox.
Still no check.
The beginning of the message was thinly veiled as a "in case you lost my number,
here it is again" message, to alleviate any 'reason' I could have to not call him back-(thank you).
But he went on with reserved elation in his voice, saying that alot of good things were happening, and he wanted to tell me about them.
But it was the end of the message that flipped a switch in my head.
He concluded his message with a reminder of the fact that he will be leaving, moving on, becoming the best him- very soon.
So, I better hurry.......
For a while now, weeks, months, years, depending on who you ask, there have been more than enough reasons for me to do something that I have mastered avoidance of.
There was always a "reason" "rationale" or "better option" that to do that.
Bottom line, it was NOT okay.
So, hearing him say in his message, that he was leaving soon, and wanted to talk to me, all I could think was...it IS Okay.
It is probably alot more than just Okay, but it still clicked.
It is Okay.
I avoided a phone call yesterday from a very close friend. Not his fault, all me.
I didn't even listen to the message until today while I was walking back from the mailbox.
Still no check.
The beginning of the message was thinly veiled as a "in case you lost my number,
here it is again" message, to alleviate any 'reason' I could have to not call him back-(thank you).
But he went on with reserved elation in his voice, saying that alot of good things were happening, and he wanted to tell me about them.
But it was the end of the message that flipped a switch in my head.
He concluded his message with a reminder of the fact that he will be leaving, moving on, becoming the best him- very soon.
So, I better hurry.......
For a while now, weeks, months, years, depending on who you ask, there have been more than enough reasons for me to do something that I have mastered avoidance of.
There was always a "reason" "rationale" or "better option" that to do that.
Bottom line, it was NOT okay.
So, hearing him say in his message, that he was leaving soon, and wanted to talk to me, all I could think was...it IS Okay.
It is probably alot more than just Okay, but it still clicked.
It is Okay.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
But some of my best friends are........
"If a black man from Chicago was taught to stand far away from gay people because he didn't want to be accused of being gay. What would happen if he'd run into a gay man? What's the talk? What would he learn, what would I learn? I learned that people in Chicago were wrong and I had been an asshole all along."
--Kanye West on homophobia
***
I have been blessed most of my life with having no outward or apparent prejudices towards any particular person, or group of people. In high school all the "jocks" viewed me as a "freak" that was tolerable, and the "freaks" viewed me as a "jock" that was tolerable. In truth I was neither a "freak" (100% drug free and happy about it, in high school) nor was I a "jock" (One day on the tennis team, one week in track-but I DID finish the mile, lol).
I was lucky, because I was able to "be-friend" or at least interact with people from "both sides". I may not have fit the mold, or even remotely agreed with where they were coming from, but I was still able to see them for what they where, are......people.
I have come across situation similar to high school throughout my life. I remember moving from Carpentersville, to Lake in the Hills, my 2nd week of 7th grade. New school, new people, none of whom I knew. My first class, someone actually said hello to me, not the other way around. A "jock", as it were, but none the less, he saw "just another person" in class to say Hi to. We were never close in school, but it still left an impression (Thank You Todd Thomas, wherever you are).
Don't get me wrong, there were alot of people in high school that saw me as neutral at best, and therefore tolerable as a human being. Not people that I considered friends, per se, but people that had the ability (aware of it or not) to be friendly even though they were not "friends".
In high school there were people like Vince Amandes, Bill Baruth, Andrea Di Pascua (sp.), etc, and I could go on for quite a while here........but you get it. People who saw beyond themselves and the cliques they had been absorbed into, at least even to say "hi" as you passed in the hallway.
People who needed no motive or reason to say hello, it was just a part of who they were as individuals, seperate from the pack.
Often I remind myself, as I walk through a mall, or am in line at the store, to flash back to that time, and turn to the person in line behind me and say Hello.
Amazing what affect that canhave on a person, usually both.
Try it sometime -
--Kanye West on homophobia
***
I have been blessed most of my life with having no outward or apparent prejudices towards any particular person, or group of people. In high school all the "jocks" viewed me as a "freak" that was tolerable, and the "freaks" viewed me as a "jock" that was tolerable. In truth I was neither a "freak" (100% drug free and happy about it, in high school) nor was I a "jock" (One day on the tennis team, one week in track-but I DID finish the mile, lol).
I was lucky, because I was able to "be-friend" or at least interact with people from "both sides". I may not have fit the mold, or even remotely agreed with where they were coming from, but I was still able to see them for what they where, are......people.
I have come across situation similar to high school throughout my life. I remember moving from Carpentersville, to Lake in the Hills, my 2nd week of 7th grade. New school, new people, none of whom I knew. My first class, someone actually said hello to me, not the other way around. A "jock", as it were, but none the less, he saw "just another person" in class to say Hi to. We were never close in school, but it still left an impression (Thank You Todd Thomas, wherever you are).
Don't get me wrong, there were alot of people in high school that saw me as neutral at best, and therefore tolerable as a human being. Not people that I considered friends, per se, but people that had the ability (aware of it or not) to be friendly even though they were not "friends".
In high school there were people like Vince Amandes, Bill Baruth, Andrea Di Pascua (sp.), etc, and I could go on for quite a while here........but you get it. People who saw beyond themselves and the cliques they had been absorbed into, at least even to say "hi" as you passed in the hallway.
People who needed no motive or reason to say hello, it was just a part of who they were as individuals, seperate from the pack.
Often I remind myself, as I walk through a mall, or am in line at the store, to flash back to that time, and turn to the person in line behind me and say Hello.
Amazing what affect that canhave on a person, usually both.
Try it sometime -
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Best advice I have gotten this week
In my daily ritual of reading some of my fellow bloggers blogs, I often stumble across something I "keep".
Whether it be as a word document in one of way too many files on my computer, or as an indelible mark upon my consciousness, here is this weeks........(Thanks Davey!- his words in red)
We only have a few short years on this planet, so it certainly behooves us to enjoy and cherish every last second of this life. Here are my tips for doing just that:
1.Anyone can see the future, but it takes a true wizard to see the present moment. Don’t spend your present dwelling on the past or dreaming of the future - nothing is promised. Live!
2.Walk barefoot.
3.Change yourself, not others. If you don’t like or can’t accept what you see in others, change yourself.
4.Take your ego out of your relationships. Without ego, jealousy will never find its footing.
5.Eat ice cream.
6.Take time to love yourself. As you learn to love yourself, you’ll find it much easier to love others.
7.Read good books. I’d recommend The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
8.Eat whipped cream and strawberries off of someone’s bum at least once.
9.Don’t do the things you don’t like. Seriously. If you hate your job, quit. Seriously. Life is way too short, man.
10.Love the times when you are single.
11.Love the times when you are partnered.
12.Instead of regretting your "mistakes", learn from them. It’s much more productive.
13.Don’t struggle against the universe. You only need oars if you’re fighting the current.
14.Drop the soap.
15.Work to create a more loving tomorrow, but accept the world as it is today.
16.Be inappropriate at least once a day.
17.Express gratitude.
18.Smile at strangers. Sometimes, they’ll smile back.
19.Throw out these rules and make your own.
Thanks again Davey, for reminding me that we each have our own life, to live.
Whether it be as a word document in one of way too many files on my computer, or as an indelible mark upon my consciousness, here is this weeks........(Thanks Davey!- his words in red)
We only have a few short years on this planet, so it certainly behooves us to enjoy and cherish every last second of this life. Here are my tips for doing just that:
1.Anyone can see the future, but it takes a true wizard to see the present moment. Don’t spend your present dwelling on the past or dreaming of the future - nothing is promised. Live!
2.Walk barefoot.
3.Change yourself, not others. If you don’t like or can’t accept what you see in others, change yourself.
4.Take your ego out of your relationships. Without ego, jealousy will never find its footing.
5.Eat ice cream.
6.Take time to love yourself. As you learn to love yourself, you’ll find it much easier to love others.
7.Read good books. I’d recommend The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
8.Eat whipped cream and strawberries off of someone’s bum at least once.
9.Don’t do the things you don’t like. Seriously. If you hate your job, quit. Seriously. Life is way too short, man.
10.Love the times when you are single.
11.Love the times when you are partnered.
12.Instead of regretting your "mistakes", learn from them. It’s much more productive.
13.Don’t struggle against the universe. You only need oars if you’re fighting the current.
14.Drop the soap.
15.Work to create a more loving tomorrow, but accept the world as it is today.
16.Be inappropriate at least once a day.
17.Express gratitude.
18.Smile at strangers. Sometimes, they’ll smile back.
19.Throw out these rules and make your own.
Thanks again Davey, for reminding me that we each have our own life, to live.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Rest of the Story - Thank You Paul
Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important. ~Carl Reiner
I found this observation very interesting. I asked myself, what do I like, love, and/or lust over?
Yes, that is ALOT to wrap my head around.
This could take a while, so more on that later.
On a sadder note....Paul Harvey has finished "the rest of the story".
http://www.abcrn.com/harvey/
When I was much much younger I remember hearing his radio shows and was always hooked into waiting for the "rest of the story". The stories always started off "normal" enough, but then there would be a twist, or flaw in the story and I would have to "stay tuned" if I wanted to know "the rest of the story".
Life is like that too. We gather our knowledge and experience and once we think we "know it all" we attempt to apply it to our lives. Most often we do not wait for "the rest of the story" and find ourselves lost, confused, or at the very least, frustrated.
We are bombarded daily with sound bytes, dramatic headlines, gossip, and new information that we somehow have to try to digest and make sense of. Our "drive-thru" mentality has made us a country of "I want it, and I want it NOW!" consumers. We buy the next big thing whether we really need it or not. We bitch about gas prices as we fill up our SUV so we can drive to the corner store. We gang up against politicians & celebrities that get accused of anything we can fight against based on only a headline or sound byte we saw on Entertainment Tonight, or TMZ.
We have lost our patience to wait for "the rest of the story".
In my personal history there is ALOT of stuff that at first sight would make me out to be a monster. BUT if you wait and listen to "the rest of the story" you will find that I am not a bad guy at all.
I will miss Paul Harvey, although I have not heard any of his stories in years. The mystery, the hope, the anticipation he conveyed is what we all experience every day in our everyday lives.
So the next time you are ready to jump on the judgement bandwagon, remember Paul Harvey, and be sure you have "the rest of the story"
I found this observation very interesting. I asked myself, what do I like, love, and/or lust over?
Yes, that is ALOT to wrap my head around.
This could take a while, so more on that later.
On a sadder note....Paul Harvey has finished "the rest of the story".
http://www.abcrn.com/harvey/
When I was much much younger I remember hearing his radio shows and was always hooked into waiting for the "rest of the story". The stories always started off "normal" enough, but then there would be a twist, or flaw in the story and I would have to "stay tuned" if I wanted to know "the rest of the story".
Life is like that too. We gather our knowledge and experience and once we think we "know it all" we attempt to apply it to our lives. Most often we do not wait for "the rest of the story" and find ourselves lost, confused, or at the very least, frustrated.
We are bombarded daily with sound bytes, dramatic headlines, gossip, and new information that we somehow have to try to digest and make sense of. Our "drive-thru" mentality has made us a country of "I want it, and I want it NOW!" consumers. We buy the next big thing whether we really need it or not. We bitch about gas prices as we fill up our SUV so we can drive to the corner store. We gang up against politicians & celebrities that get accused of anything we can fight against based on only a headline or sound byte we saw on Entertainment Tonight, or TMZ.
We have lost our patience to wait for "the rest of the story".
In my personal history there is ALOT of stuff that at first sight would make me out to be a monster. BUT if you wait and listen to "the rest of the story" you will find that I am not a bad guy at all.
I will miss Paul Harvey, although I have not heard any of his stories in years. The mystery, the hope, the anticipation he conveyed is what we all experience every day in our everyday lives.
So the next time you are ready to jump on the judgement bandwagon, remember Paul Harvey, and be sure you have "the rest of the story"
Sunday, March 1, 2009
It is Sunday, the temperature is dropping, and I have spent most of the day recovering from karaoke last night.
But, in an effort to keep my brain active and healthy I felt the need to educate myself in areas previously unknown.
Here is what I have learned........
•A rat can last longer without water than a camel.
•Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.
•The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.
•A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
•A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate. I know some people like that!
•A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why.
•A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2 by 3-1/2. I kind of figures as much
•During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen in the distance.
•On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily! That explains it!
•Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
•Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
•The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
•There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver.
•The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan." There was never a recorded Wendy before. This I found Amazing!
•The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
•If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
•Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves.
•The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
•The original name for butterfly was flutterby.
•The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
•The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called
themselves Motorola.
•Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet. Oh the horror of having to re-write all that poetry!
•By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.
•Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.
•Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
•Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
•Sherlock Holmes NEVER said "Elementary, my dear Watson." Say it isn't true!
•An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman to take more than 3 steps backwards while dancing.
•The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.
•The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
•Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them. Not to mention the other drawback.
•Bats always turn left when exiting a cave- because they just ain't right?
It is my hope that I have somehow enlightened you on this glorious Sunday.
Rest assured that tomorrow is Monday.......
But, in an effort to keep my brain active and healthy I felt the need to educate myself in areas previously unknown.
Here is what I have learned........
•A rat can last longer without water than a camel.
•Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.
•The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.
•A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
•A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate. I know some people like that!
•A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why.
•A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2 by 3-1/2. I kind of figures as much
•During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen in the distance.
•On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily! That explains it!
•Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
•Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
•The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
•There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver.
•The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan." There was never a recorded Wendy before. This I found Amazing!
•The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
•If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
•Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves.
•The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
•The original name for butterfly was flutterby.
•The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
•The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called
themselves Motorola.
•Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet. Oh the horror of having to re-write all that poetry!
•By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.
•Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.
•Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
•Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
•Sherlock Holmes NEVER said "Elementary, my dear Watson." Say it isn't true!
•An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman to take more than 3 steps backwards while dancing.
•The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.
•The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
•Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them. Not to mention the other drawback.
•Bats always turn left when exiting a cave- because they just ain't right?
It is my hope that I have somehow enlightened you on this glorious Sunday.
Rest assured that tomorrow is Monday.......
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