Thank you

Today I found out that a really great person was killed on Friday. His name was Daniel Graham. We called him Grambo. He was my Drafting teacher in high school, but it was because of him that I am where I am today. I was not what you might consider a really good student, hell I was horrible. But because he fostered a passion for manufacturing and drafitng, I was able to follow a path that helped to bring me to where I am today. He taught me some of the skills and ideals that were helpful in keeping a kid, who had problems with concentrating, focus on a subject and follow it to a career.
The most telling quote made about him comes from the article describing his passing.

"He had a great way of seeing though a person's faults and always saw the
potential of each student." - School Board President Brian Ellis.

I could keep going on about how important he was. But that really sums it up.

Thanks Grambo.

Letterman does the show with ...or without McCain

If you have not seen the Letterman Footage of the night that McCain dissed him by canceling, here it is. Pretty amazing.

I have always had the belief that this world contains many "gate keepers". These are the people with whom the average American may feel they can trust to bring new ideas to their lives. These "gate keepers" tend to introduce us to the questions that we feel need to be asked. Letterman asked alot of questions last night... Mr. McCain better start working on those answers.

Vote or….Just Vote!

Well, ladies and gentlemen. We are in the most heated part of the presidential race and there are still those who are on the fence. These are called the “Undecided”. These are the voters that are not sure which of the two (or more, if you swing that way) candidates you feel is the better choice.
First off, let me come right out and say something controversial. If you don’t vote, you are a wimp. Many will disagree, and that is fine. We are still in America and that is one of the best parts about being here.
But in my opinion, you were given a right by our fore fathers, fought for by our soldiers, and reinforced every election. Now of course many will say you are also afforded the right to not vote. I cry FUBAR! That is the easy way out. That is basically saying you are given two of the most important choices you will ever make, and you just don’t make it. Foolish. It is not a protest as some will claim it to be. It is just a passing of the buck and a lazy retort.
You really want to protest? You really want to take a stand? Make a choice. Do the research, get behind someone, and choose. By not voting, you reinforce the consistent stereotype that says that the ones who will be most effected by the next 4 years, just don’t care. That further perpetuates the continued ignoring that we receive as a demographic by candidates and the parties themselves.
Why would they want to speak to the group of people who don’t vote? Why spend the money, time, and effort catering to the questions that we may have, if we will not even go out and have an effect on the process?
Now many of you will say something along the lines of “well I just don’t know enough about the candidates”…Well, if that is the case, then possibly you need to take 10 minutes and go find out about them. It may not a lot, but it is worth it. It is better to make an educational guess than none at all. And if you can’t take 10 minutes to look up the issues that effect you and your family and that will be deciding factors in this race… then maybe you need to get your priorities straight.
“So where do I find them” you may ask.
Anywhere. Get opinions. Read articles. Go to the candidate’s website. Go to an organization’s website that you trust. Find the issues that are important to you, and go find how each candidate addresses them. When all else fails go to the issues. Find the ones that you feel will effect your life the most. You can never go wrong with the issues.
So when you hear news anchors and pundits saying that this may be the most important presidential race to date, don’t you think it deserves the attention it needed? Because on November 4th, a lot of decisions will be made. Don’t you think you should be a part of the one that counts?

A Collective Sigh of Relief

That is what the sound that was heard in the city of Detroit today as it was specualted, then annoucned that Matt Millen, President and CEO of the Detroit Lions, was fired. It happened appearently in a late night meeting between some of the higher ups, which, I would have to assume included William Clay Ford Sr., Bill Ford Jr., and others who may have some say in the matter.

Now of course this is wonderful news. It means that the city and the fan base can now have hope. But I guess I am a constant downer, because I am not that hopeful. I truly believe that, if history has shown us anything, William Clay Ford Sr. is unwilling to put his pride aside and make the type of hire that is needed to bring this team back to success. He will probably not go to the league and ask for help, he will not hire a guy with a proven track record, and he will not take the advice given to him by friends and associates. He will probably make the type of choice that has haunted this team from the beginning. He will take the approach of "being the smartest guy in the room" and make an outside the box pick that has become the calling card of the Detroit Lions.

In the past, as with the hire of Millen, he has gone to the well of inexperience and handed them key positions within the team that were way over their heads. Millen came from a broadcasting background and was a former player. Surely not enough to run entire organization.

So, though excited by the chance of a winner getting the job, I am realistic to the fact that we will probably get another dud. Another "outside the box" pick that ultimately will prove that risk is just that... risky.

Gutter In the Gutter...Everything has a beginning

Welcome to Gutter in the Gutter. It is my new blog that I have created to basically do one thing... put my random, completely unimpeded thoughts on record for all to read. OK maybe not all, but at least the ones that I feel ready for it.
I am not one who is able to really filter my own words, but I do understand tact. I believe that injustice happens, but it is a matter of fighting the battles that you believe in and the ones you can win. So from time to time, I may bore you with some of my views, political and non-political, but just understand, I am a die hard liberal who believes that it is OK to not always show both sides of an issue. I understand that sometimes it is not always needed to be fair to both sides.
Now as for myself, who am I?

I am a 29 year old man who is married (this is where I am supposed to tell you how wonderful she is, but you will find out through my writings) with no kids. I own my own home, I have a job, and am still in school. I am the definition of getting by. But in this, I am able to experience some of the things that I normally would not be able to had I been some sort of success story. I am able to experience both the happiness of the average middle class citizen, and frustrations of the average American who is having problems making ends meet. This, while conflicting in ideology, is a chance to understand how I got here and where I am planning on going.

So instead of boring you with my constant ramblings of my self, I will jump from place to place, topic to topic in the hopes of someday making you smile, cry, throw something, or just plain think.