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My Car Accident Today

My Car Accident Today

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Ok, I’m an idiot.

I left work early today because I still had a pounding headache. At about 12:30, I was backed up in a line of traffic, at a full stop, for a red light across a busy intersection.

To my right was a scruffy-looking guy that looked to be the right age to be holding a sign saying “Homeless Vietnam Vet.”

(You may start the bleeding-heart liberal jokes at any time.)

I rolled down the passenger-side window, and waved a couple bucks. As he took them from my hand, my foot slipped off the brake.

I’m driving an older Geo Prism. My brother donated it to charity – me. The idle is set high.

When my foot slipped off the brake, I immediately ran into the white Ford Expedition in front of me. I didn’t even have a moment to process. The guy looked at me pityingly and said “oh, no…”.

If it had been a different sort of vehicle, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Unfortunately, that truck was big and so high off the ground that its back bumper slid into my hood.

The hood buckled in half. The driver’s side lights broke, the passenger side door won’t open, the engine fan was tilted back, and the edge of the hood looks like it just touched the radiator.

The driver of the truck – a nice woman who is going to study nursing at Emory – pulled into the fast-food parking lot on the other side of the intersection. I followed.

We drove by two policemen in the parking lot, and they came over to talk with us. They said that they were on their way to a robbery. They advised us – with the understanding that they “weren’t here” – that we should call 911, state that it was a non-emergency call, and file the report with the officer on duty. That way, it would have a case number and would go to our insurance.

So then they went back to the patrol car for twenty minutes and ate their chicken sandwiches. (sigh)

We called, but there was no officer on duty. They said they would have to send someone out.

We waited an hour, then she left. She gave me all of her information (and called me later too to ask if I was all right).

After another half hour, a patrolman arrived. He asked why I had called, since there were no injuries and no dispute about fault. I told him what happened. He apologized for the “unprofessional behavior” and said that if he filed a case report he would have to issue me a ticket. He was very nice and advised me just to call the insurance company and do it that way. He also escorted me part of the way home to make sure that the engine wouldn’t overheat.

I made it home, but I couldn’t find the insurance information. Now I have to wait until my hubby gets back from teaching to call. I did talk to the woman I hit. There was no damage to her vehicle.

I feel like a total fool, but what worries me is the comparison between the value of the car and what this might cost to fix. I never take this car on the highway anyway. Obviously now I know it’s as though it were made of tissue paper, and I would be toast in a real accident. But I always knew it was really an about-town sort of car anyway.

If they decide to total the car, I will be left without any car at all. I was a prisoner to this house and my workplace for three years. I couldn’t take that again. I hope it all works out.

To take up what I am sure is a totally outdated phrase, I’m really bummed out.

Saw George Carlin

Saw George Carlin

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We went to see George Carlin at the Fox Theater last night.

I wore black to honor his traditional uniform.

It was a good time, but we noticed that his new rants are less specific. They probably will not “date” as quickly as the last one we saw.

At 70, he was still great, but there was nothing really… masterful. His humor was on the gritty and sometimes gross side, but much of what I thought could have been the most interesting bits were delivered straight. He has always been a court jester, but he’s tipped into roughshod truth-telling.

He told three vile jokes – with plenty of warning. I had heard one of them before. The most disgusting of them was actually the funniest – it was a gift to divorced dads, and I couldn’t possibly publish it here (yikes). It was misogynistic and horrible, but it was still funny.

The refrain of the show was – “it’s bullshit, and it’s not good for you.”

He had a great guy as the warm-up – not really a comedian, although his asides were hilarious, but a very talented guitarist and singer. I wish I could remember his name. Something like David Travis? The mike was turned up way too high, and at some point he realized it. He sang one song a capella (“Acapulco”) way away from the microphone – what a lovely voice!

We lucked into a free parking space a block away – on the street – on a Saturday night – in Atlanta. Unbelievable.

A lot of the people there were very drunk.

It was a fun night out.

Ripping

Ripping

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Our wealthy neighbors are developing some of their acres of property. The plans seemed ok – three houses instead of 20.

We thought there would be a buffer zone, since the first house is back a bit, and away from ours. We live in at the edge of a forest, full of huge southern oaks and pines and some azaleas and really way too much poison oak.

Well, the bulldozers came in. From the driveway/road back about 15 feet or so, and extending to the property line, everything is gone. I saw – and heard – and felt – a huge tree go down.

My neighbor on the other side had come out to see, too. We looked at each other. So… my hubby joined us and all three went to try to talk to them to see what was going on, if plans had changed or what.

Well, it turns out that this massive destruction was all stipulated by the county because they’ll have to put in a road big enough for a firetruck to enter – everything has to be cleared back from the driveway for the road construction.

The view is a lot different now. Sigh.

Last night and today there was a lot of activity in our back yard. I’ve seen a raccoon, an opossum, three times more chipmunks and squirrels, and a lot more birds of all kinds. They were racing around looking agitated. Can’t say I blame them. I put out some food.

We got a visit from the (sacred) falcon that visits from time to time; usually he roosts and looks at us. Sometimes he meets another. This time he flew from tree to tree. In a way, it was great to see his beautiful caramel and charcoal wings, but again – he seemed agitated, restless.

What I didn’t hear were the mated owls. I hope they weren’t scared off. I think there might have been a rabbit den over there, too.

I’m a little nervous about the upcoming dynamiting that is planned. It’s supposed to be very exact, with minimal damage. I guess I’ll find out if there are any sinkholes on our property…

Scored Tori Amos Tickets

Scored Tori Amos Tickets

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Tickets went on sale about an hour ago. Thirty minutes ago I found out. Twenty minutes ago I got two tickets for the November 14th Atlanta performance at the Fox Theater.

I’ve seen Tori Amos in concert a few times before. The Fox is my favorite venue in Atlanta. It’s not too big, it’s nicely designed, the sound is good, and there are few bad seats in the house. I like Chastain because it’s outside, but for the best sound, the Fox is the place. There is also a sense of intimacy that’s hard to beat. I love the whole set-up. I’ve seen all sorts of plays and concerts and comedy and movies at the Fox over the years – and I’ve never had a bad time.

I’ve got nice seats – Right center orchestra. Woo-hoo!

I hope that she sings some of my favorite songs in concert: Sweet the Sting, Cornflake Girl, God, Parasol, General Joy, Mother Revolution, The Beekeeper, Happy Phantom, Snow Cherries from France, Hey Jupiter, Mr. Zebra, Muhammad My Friend, Crucify, Real Men, Father Lucifer, Silent all these Years, Leather, Precious Things, Icicle, Girl, Sleeps with Butterflies, Space Dog, Winter, China, Little Earthquakes, Sweet Dreams, Baker Baker, The Wrong Band, Past the Mission, and The Power of Orange Knickers.

I’ve got some reservations about Tori’s latest creative experiment. I like the splitting, creating separate and definable aspects of the self – playing with a kind of multiple-personality channel switcher. I think most people have several facets of themselves that could they could consciously split off like that.

I’m just not sure I really like where it’s all going. The personalities are not terribly attractive to me – and I’m a fan. Some of the aspects that I love about her most are not reflected in the choices she has made with the visual appearance of each character. I’m not sure she’s sliced up the reality so much as constructed new aliases. I think that she is more interesting than these personae suggest.

It’s a weird leap from the flavors of The Beekeeper to American Doll Posse. I’ve got the new CD, but I haven’t really absorbed many of the songs yet (basically, that means I don’t know any of them well enough to sing).

My faves so far are Secret Spell, Big Wheel (MILF? -hmm), Beauty of Speed and the microsongs Velvet Revolution and Devils and Gods.

I think I’ll eventually like Girl Disappearing, Bouncing off Clouds, Father’s Son, Body and Soul, Dark Side of the Sun, Smokey Joe and Dragon. It usually takes me a least a dozen listens to warm to some of the songs.

There are always a couple that I don’t like at all. For example, I can’t listen to ’97 Bonnie & Clyde from Strange Little Girls – it makes me shake with nausea and dread. I actually can’t listen to it. My reaction is too extreme.

Still, I like a higher percentage of her songs than anyone else (except perhaps Kate Bush).

I’ll be delirious with happiness at this concert. She is one on the short list of artists who helped ground me, kept me singing, gave me a way to navigate, continue, be recharged. When I listen to Tori, I’m hearing someone that resonates with me. When I sing with Tori, I’m more than myself, but also more of myself.

I saw a recent clip of her watching a children’s chorus – she was very touched (to a tear in her eye) to hear her music sung so sweetly, harmoniously. Almost like… I wept, too. I got it, and it confirmed my sense of her.

Now I only have to wait until November…

Impeachment and Bush Record Workshops in Atlanta

Impeachment and Bush Record Workshops in Atlanta

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Impeachment Workshop, June 28th

This workshop will focus on Bush’s impeachable offenses and bring out the full array of crimes committed by the Bush administration. Speakers will also address the need to build a movement across the country on the grounds of impeachment as the vehicle to force the Bush administration from office.

Thursday, June 28, 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Inman Park United Methodist Church
DOT-ADA Community Room
Marta Stop- Inman Park
1 block from the station on Edgewood Dr.

Speakers:

Dennis Loo, co-editor of the book “Impeach the President: A Case Against Bush and Cheney”, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Cal Poly Pomona, and member of the World Can’t Wait Steering Committee.

Prachi Noor, member of the World Can’t Wait Steering Committee and involved since its launch in July 2005. She has been at the forefront of the movement to stop the repression of immigrant communities.

David Swanson, co-founder of the AfterDowningStreet.org coalition, a writer and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com.

Mathew Cardinale, editor of Atlanta Progressive News

Crimes Against Humanity–The Bush Record, June 29th

You thought you knew. But you can’t really know until you see the full scale and scope of all the crimes brought together. It is far worse than you could even imagine. This is the documentation that activists in all fields need.

Join the session “Crimes Against Humanity–The Bush Record” at the U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta, Friday, June 29, at 10:30 am.

Location: Second Floor meeting room of the Central Library. The Library is at the corner of William St. NW and Forsyth St. NW.

Participants in the Atlanta panel include: Dennis Brutus, South African poet and former prisoner with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island, Ann Wright, former US diplomat and retired US Army Colonel, Larry Everest, author of Oil, Power & Empire: Iraq and the U.S. Global Agenda, Clark Kissinger, convener of the Commission, together with short video excerpts on the evidence.

The hearings of the International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity, held in the winter of 2005-2006, is where the U.S. public first heard, brought together in one place, the stunning evidence of crimes against committed by the Bush Administration.

These hearings are where we first heard together: * Gen. Janis Karpinski describe how the orders for torture at Abu Ghraib came right from the top. * Journalist Jeremy Scahill expose the deployment of armed mercenaries in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the ethnic cleansing that followed. * Dr. Alan Berkman detail the genocidal implications of the Bush administration’s “abstinence only” policy as the cure for AIDS in Africa. * Daphne Wysham document the censorship of government scientists trying to warn of global warming. * United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter explain exactly how the Bush administration in fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

The printed verdict of the Commission and two different DVD programs based on the hearings will be available at the session.

Our mandate from the beginning has been to change the very terms of debate in society by forcefully raising the proof of crimes against humanity. You can help make this important material available to the thousands coming to the U.S. Social Forum by contributing to the Commission.

Help put the DVDs of the Bush Crimes Commission into the hands of activists from all over the country. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support the work of Bush Crimes Commission. Other contributions can be made out to NION SOC Inc., and mailed to NION, 305 West Broadway, #199, New York, NY 10013.

WTF – Atlanta Smoke

WTF – Atlanta Smoke

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Either way you interpret “WTF,” it was my first thought this morning.

“Do you smell a wood fire?”
“Is our house on fire?”
“Where’s the fire?”
“WTF??!?!?!”

The whole backyard was full of smoke. I went outside, and couldn’t find the cause.

I turned on the news. Weather report: Hazy, sunny, and smoky. Yeah, and? Only in Georgia would they simply describe the conditions without any explanation at all.

On the way in to work (I’m on break right now, foregoing coffee to post this), I kept almost hearing the reason that Atlanta is bathed in smoke. The radio in my car has some sort of wiring problem. It is very, very irritating. I hear parts of the news, parts of a song – it fades out for five or six seconds at a time, almost certainly when I really wanted to hear that bit.

Smoky conditions… later today … the fires … smoke covers the areas of … watch out for … arggghhhh.

Finally, I found out by searching the web as soon as I got in. The smoke comes over 250 miles, all the way from the more than 50 wildfires raging in South Georgia! Southeasterly winds brought in the smoke, and an inversion (warm air on top of cooler air) pushed it to ground level. The smoke is visible all the way into South Carolina.

From Firehouse.com:

Thick Smoke Chokes Atlanta

Thick smoke settled over Atlanta Tuesday morning causing eyes to water and traffic to slow down. Winds from the southeast carried smoke from wildfires burning in South Georgia and North Florida. The smoke appeared almost like a London fog. …There is a code orange air quality warning in effect for the area. That means the air could be unhealthy for sensitive groups. National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Beasley says the smoke from the big wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp began showing up in Thomaston in Upson County, about 50 miles south of Atlanta, between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. Smoke also is affecting Columbus in west Georgia. Beasley says the smoke is lowering visibility to three to five miles. He advises people with respiratory problems to stay inside. Beasley says the wind should swing to the east later today and pick up speed — clearing the smoke out of the metro area. He says a backdoor front moving through the area tomorrow should bring fresher air off the Atlantic and from the Carolinas. As Beasley puts it, “This morning should be the worst of it” as far as the smoke goes. The service issued a statement urging motorists to use low-beam headlights when driving through the haze and for people with respiratory problems to remain indoors. The forecast calls for no rain for the next seven days.

Stay inside, run air conditioning. Unhealthy air. I wonder how it looks closer to the fires if it’s this bad here. Comment if you’re close to the fires. More than 345,000 acres have been scorched so far.

See photos.