Are you kidding?

So, I'm digging through my normal slew of news feeds this morning...

By the way, if you don't use an RSS reader like Google Reader, you should. It aggregates everything I want to read into one place.

... so I'm digging through the feeds and I read this:
Protesters demand execution in teddy bear case

I figure it's about some creepy serial killer who used teddy bears in some murders. Oh, no. It's about some Muslims in Sudan who are calling for the execution of a British teacher who allowed some of her students to name their teddy bear Muhammad.

I'm not saying she wasn't in the wrong. She was teaching in Sudan and she should have been more sensitive to the culture. But death? If death is the penalty for allowing others to name stuffed animals after certain prophets then what do we do with speeding tickets?

Channeling the Shel Silverstein?

You Decide:

My naked head

A little slip with the clippers cost me all my hair.

37

Last tuesday, I turned 37. It was a relatively mundane B-day save for
the fact that some jerk stole my folding chairs off my front porch.
That was a real pisser. Now I have to sit on the steps to watch my
neighbors in the morning.

Anyway, the 37 year milestone and the fallout from the housefire in
August have me thinking about life and priorities and such. I really
wish I had some kids. Most friends my age have a smattering of whelps
under their roof.

Of course many of them complain about how they have no time anymore.
Or how they never see their spouse anymore...

It's not easy raising kids. I get it. Guess what - it's not easy being
37 and not having kids. It's not easy watching my friends' kids smile
those special smiles at their moms and dads. It's not easy hearing
stories about friends holding their child close and rocking them to
sleep after they wake up with nightmares. It's not easy watching all
those dreams I had of being a dad slowly slip away into oblivion.

This post may seem angry and despondent. Sometimes I feel that way I
guess. In general not having children just makes me sad. Life is good.
On a regular basis I become aware of the beauty that surrounds me and
I find myself enjoying the moment. Right now I am just savoring the
sadness.

--
Todd

Fountain

This is one of the fountains I drive by on my way to/from work. Looks pretty good with the sunset in the background... even considering this pic was taken on my cellphone.

New roof

Blue skies show through the rafters of our new roof.

Motorcycles

Lately I have really had the itch to get a motorcycle. We don't have
the money right now considering the house fire and all, but I have
been doing a lot of research and eventually I'm hoping to get
something in the 1100 to 1300 cc range.

Needless to say, I've been eyeballing just about every bike I see, and
this morning was no exception. I dropped by the coffee shop around the
corner and there were a couple of bikes in the lot, one of them a huge
1800cc Honda. Three guys in leather jackets were drinking coffee and
enjoying the fine weather. They noticed me checking out the bikes, so
I waved and asked who owned the 1800. The owner was elated to show off
his bike.

He was a big guy - about 6'5 and 270lbs - and unapologetically
effeminent. He's only had the bike 2 years and already had 44K miles
on it.

He told me about a trip he took to Maryland. He was stopped over at a
rest stop and had unpacked his coffee supplies to enjoy the finer
things - fresh ground coffee steeping aromatically in a french press
on a crisp morning. As he was waiting for his coffee to brew a van
pulled up and a young kid jumped out shooting straight for the
bathroom. His mom took a quick look at the big man outfitted in black
leather with a huge bike and immediately called her son back to the
car. Guess she missed seeing the coffee grinder and French press. The
gentleman might be big, but definitely not dangerous.

--
Todd