Ohio - Night Sky

The snow has melted. The empty fields are soggy with the first rains. Deer, pheasant, turkeys are all coming out to eat...but the trees aren't fooled. They aren't putting out any buds. These clouds still have one snow left in them.
--------------------------------------
In the outside world, there is an on going debate in the FCC and the FAA about cell phone usage on airplanes. They have elicited people's opinions; this one was my favorite:

"As long as the cellphone users have to step outside to use their phone I have no problem with it. — Posted by Ken B"
--------------------------------------
Back home, it's time for the annual debate on Billboards vs. Trees in the Georgia Legislature:

" ...the billboard industry needs relief from current rules that protect trees at the expense of the economy." ---All so someone can make more money; I don't need the billboards, but I do need the trees.

We should cut down more trees because "...more than 100 people die annually when they run off Georgia roads and hit a tree." ---People can't run their cars into trees if the trees aren't there...or if they aren't in their cars. Make it illegal to drive.

Are we going to let our "representatives" change what we see on a drive through Georgia? More billboards and fewer trees? Sad.

ajc.com
--------------------------------------
Here in Compliance, I decided I needed a "Defiance College" T-shirt; that was my chore last Thursday.

After finally spotting the campus bookstore through a window, I came up short at a locked door. Inside, I could see a couple of ladies busying themselves over stacks of T-shirts. In my best Marcel Marceau, I questioned "Open tomorrow?".

Smiling, she mimed back "We're closed".

I pointed at the locked door, miming "No f#@$ing kidding."

Still smiling, she unlocked the door. "Can I help you?"

"Sure! What are your hours?"

"8:30 to 4:30 every day."

"Every day? Like today?"

'Oh, no, sir. We're closed today."

I just looked at her, miming "please continue, you vapid cow."

"Oh, it's spring break. We're closed."

I just kept looking at her...

"We are open again next week."

...waiting...

"When Spring Break is over."

...waiting...

"On Tuesday"

Finally! "Thanks very much for your help," I mimed with my backside as I turned toward the exit.
----------------------------------
I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about; what's so special about fish all of a sudden?

At one intersection - Clinton Street and The Mall entrance - 3 of the 4 fast food places were engaged in a price war over...fish sandwiches.

Arby's had "2 for $4". BK Lounge had "Fish Meal Deal". Mickey D's had it, too.

I didn't get it...until I realized that we are between Ash Wednesday and Easter...and I'm deep in Catholic Country.

Rats - I'm too late to give up Ohio for Lent.

...the rest of the story...

The Atlanta Zoo

Sunday, we took B to one of his favorite places; the zoo. Sure, the pandas were cute, and the gorillas thoughtful, and the reptiles creepy, and the flamingos graceful, but B was the best thing there.

In the Reptile House, "Mr. Jason" was the worker assigned to introduce snakes to the visitors.

"This is a corn snake; snakes can be diurnal or nocturnal. This corn snake is diurnal; you can tell by his round eyes. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Yes, Mr. Jason. What time is it?"

...which made perfect sense to him - it was dark in the Reptile House...did the snake know what time it was? Mr. Jason was a little stumped, so I thought it might be time to go.

"Thank you Mr. Jason! You were great! I'll never forget you!"

Kids are great.

...the rest of the story...

Spring in Ohio...

...sure don't look like this!

I was lucky enough to be home in Atlanta the first weekend in March; these trees in Piedmont Park were in bloom.

Spring isn't the only thing that's different here in the midwest - check-out this movie review from the Toledo newspaper:

"...300 is...one of the gayest mainstream movies ever made (look at all these beautiful, mostly naked men!)... " -link-

I am so out of it...I thought "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" was the "gayest...movie ever made", with it's operatic lip-syncing, cross-dressing, transvestism, drag queen performances, ABBA soundtrack, man-on-man love, and so-over-the-top-I-can't-see-the-top-costumes.

Little did I know all it took to be "gay" was to be "mostly naked". I should never have felt so alone growing up gay, because every time I was in a locker room, everyone was gay! Nudist are gay. Olympic athletes are gay. Anyone living near the equator is gay. President Bush in the shower...gay.

Charleton Heston in "Planet of the Apes"? Super gay.

The movie reviewer in not so far away Toronto stated it a little more accurately: "The acres of rippling beefcake on display make this arguably the most homoerotic film ever released to the mainstream. If there's not a '300' float in this year's Pride parade, then someone deserves a Spartan spanking." -link-

Now that is something with which I can not argue - Naked men = homoerotic. Loving men = gay.

Gotta go...the movie starts at 7:20.

...the rest of the story...

Ohio - Favorites

...the rest of the story...