Dear City of Tucson

I hate you so much right now.  Let me count the ways:

1.  Robot police officers.

The red light cameras you have posted at various intersections throughout our fair city to thwart the worst of our criminals could possibly be the lamest thing you have ever done since getting rid of the Toros.  Please don't insult our intelligence by saying that it is for our safety because not only have studies from numerous cities shown that these cameras increase the amount of accidents at their respective intersections; most of us living near one have almost rear-ended someone or have nearly been rear-ended due to the paralyzing fear and nervousness that these robocops create.

The speed cameras you have discreetly put up everywhere are no better.  The places at which they are posted may have a high frequency of speeders but don't try to tell me they have a high frequency of accidents due to speeding.  Tell me, how fast will these cameras pay for themselves.  Quick, is my guess.

2.  Construction

If you've posted these cyborgs throughout the city to pay for this construction, I damn thee.  You have literally blocked me in to my house.  I can walk to the Safeway at Grant and Craycroft faster than I can drive.  I wouldn't recommend it, though, because the sidewalks running a quarter-mile in every direction from this intersection have been torn out.  this makes it really easy on pedestrians trying to reach Tucson Medical Center.  But we don't really care about citizens who don't own cars, do we, Tucson (ie. public transportation)?  Don't get me started on that interstate.

3. Rio Nuevo

most would say that you had one good thing going for you; a cute little downtown and art district in the Congress and Fourth Ave. areas.  But you couldn't let it be.  You had to bring in the Rio nupoop-o project and Starbucksify the last of the cool we had left in Tucson.  You tore down the 4th Ave. bridge and you're probably going to replace it with some pink and tan toned monstrosity covered in oxidized copper sculptures of Gila monsters.  It will look just like the Phoenix freeway system.  

I gotta say, Tucson, you are making it really ahrd to be proud of you these days.

Wake up

I have never been able to figure out if I do the things that I do out of selfishness or not.  I suppose it is because I am just extremely proficient at lying to myself.  I wish humility could be a total, absolute, encompassing trait within me, ridding me of all doubt.  The doubt, though, is healthy (human), i think.  I think doubt is the key ingredient in self-progress.  So, I say to you, my brethren, doubt away.  Even though we will likely never find the answers to our questions, at the very least, we will grow.

the Man around my Neck

I have been wearing a medal of St. Jude Thaddeus of James around my neck for a while now.  Honestly, I think it is because, deep down, I wish I could be Catholic.  I love the sense of tradition.  It's much more comforting to be a part of a religious organization that would rather stay the same for eternity than try to appease youngsters by putting a coffee shop in their youth room and playing terrible Christian pop-punk through their speakers.  Seriously, Catholicism, if it weren't for all your pedo-priests and deification of really old men.....

I am in to the story of St. Jude because people kind of hate him, I guess.  Mostly because he is confused with Judas Iscariot.  As you can see, the art work involved in this iconography is beautiful and I especially like that of Thaddeus.  He usually has an axe in his hand because that is how he died and his head is usually portrayed with fire on it because he was present at Pentecost.  He is called the patron saint of impossible situations due to the content of his New Testament letter, which you should check out; it's really short.  The necklace serves as a good reminder of the principles found in his letter and makes for something productive to think about when the necklace reminds me.

"St, Jude, hope of the hopeless, pray for me" - Catholic prayer

 

Something I like

The Doughnut Peddler is an Arizona-based company that serves up its tasty creations by way of circle K throughout southern Arizona. After losing much of its business to large and, apparently, overly ambitious competitor, Krispy Kreme, it hung on for a few years, waiting for the failure of the Goliath. The waiting has paid off. Welcome back, king of gas station donuts. Keep up the good work. I especially enjoy the buttermilk.

screw Guy Atchley

Don't go to Fuddrucker's.  I waited for 40 minutes for burgers for my wife and I.  But guess who came in twenty minutes after us but was happily munching on burger well before we got ours?  Local news anchor/celebrity/silver fox Guy Atchley.  What's better than that?  He was actually wearing one of those vests that people wear when they dress up as journalists.  You know, like the one Don Johnson wore in the "searching for a heartbeat" video.

I'm not good with quotes, just paraphrases

Mother Teresa said that it isn't about doing something big, but about doing the small things with diligence...or something.  I'm in to that.  Maybe it was, "we aren't called to success, but to faithfulness."   I want to stop trying to start a revolution and just love my family, love my friends; and treat strangers like they aren't strangers at all.

I went to Las Vegas to see an old friend get married this week.  The ceremony took place in the top of the stratosphere which is, if you don't know, a 1,000 foot tower with amusement park rides on top of it, a beautiful view, and the ability to instill a urinate-in-your-pants sense of fear.  Here are a few pictures from the top, plus one of me with a guy who plays a mean saxophone on Fremont st.