Indianapolis, IN

Mon 10 September 2007

So, I’m thinking about library book sales. The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library will have another one of their sales this coming weekend (Sept. 15-16) held at the Library Services Center (2450 N. Meridian St.). The last book sale they had was in July, and I missed it. I look forward to these book sales like children look forward to Christmas. You can get hardback books for $2, paperbacks for either 50 cents or a $1 and children’s books are either a quarter or fifty cents. There are also CDs and tapes for sale there. I’ve found some CDs that I like, although usually they are from a few years ago. I usually don’t get any hardback books, because they make my hands tired when I’m reading them. What I like is that there is such a variety of books. Everyone can find something, and for cheap! But if you go, remember to bring your own bag (but I wouldn’t recommend plastic sacks because the books will tear them). It’s really crowded in there, so I wouldn’t bring anything bulky either. And the best thing about this is that the money all goes for the library association.

On a related note, the Interim Central Library is currently closed, and the library is finally moving all of the books and materials to the newly finished Central Library downtown (located at 40 E. St. Clair St.). This process will take several months to complete and will be open in November (from what I’ve heard). I can’t wait to visit the new Central Library. The top floor has a panoramic view of downtown Indianapolis. I wonder what’s in the plans for the current building of the late Interim Central Library. It’s such a beautiful building. I hope something nice goes in there. It would be a waste to let it sit empty.

: library book sales, Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, Central Library project

Fri 7 September 2007

So, I’m thinking about the Colt’s season opener. I’m really glad that I didn’t go downtown. From what I could see from WTHR’s broadcast of the opening celebrations, it looked like a madhouse. They said that there was around 100,000 people there. I’m not afraid of crowds, but that looked like a pickpocket’s dream in heaven. I was still in awe that there was three hours of Colts coverage and of showing highlights from the last two years. After a while, I was kind of tired of the pre-game coverage and looked at my husband and said, “And the game doesn’t start for another two and a half hours??” But I couldn’t wait until the game started because I thought it was high time that we move on from the Super Bowl season. Of course, I’m proud of them. But it’s time to move onto this season. I thought this first game went pretty well. I noticed that the Colts’ defense stepped it up. Besides letting an interception go through in the first quarter, the Colts executed several really good tackles and an interception of their own. I guess they were tired of having people say they had the worst defense in the league last year. The Saints are a good team and gave the Colts a run for their money. And of course Peyton stepped in like there was no off season. He was on it. It was tied up 10-10 at the half, but the Colts came back and said, “Look at us. We’re really gonna play football now.” It must’ve been hard for Peyton’s dad to watch this game, because he used to play for the Saints back in the day. But in the end, with a final score of 41-10 (Colts winning), I think it was a good start to the season. Let’s wait until the next game and hope they can do it again.

: Colts football, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, NFL Kickoff

Thu 6 September 2007

So, I’m thinking about the woman who left her kids alone. A few days ago, a woman went out at midnight to pick up her boyfriend and left her 7-year-old and 9-year-old kids home alone while they slept. While she was away, the house was enflamed in a fast-moving fire. Her kids are still unconscious with smoke inhalation complications at Riley Children’s Hospital all because of her stupid decision to go pick up her stupid boyfriend. I just don’t understand why people continue to leave their kids alone, whether it’s in hot cars or home alone (when they’re under a certain age). It’s called being a parent. In this case, it was a Wednesday night, so the kids have school the next day. Why couldn’t she just tell her boyfriend to find some other way home? Either that, or take her kids with her. I don’t leave my daughter anywhere for any extended length of time. You never know what’s going to happen or if they might need you. So, now in an idiotic decision on the mother’s part, she faces two B felonies for child neglect (and also a C felony for forgery from last month that they dug up.) I think it’s just sad that the kids are the ones who are suffering for her devotion to her boyfriend. While she’s in jail, her kids are in Riley. When will people start realizing that if you have kids, then you have to start acting like parents and that you can’t continue doing the same dumb shit that you did before kids? And people wonder why our kids are messed up…

: don’t leave your kids home alone, house fires, fast-moving fires, fire safety, idiot parents

Wed 5 September 2007

So, I’m thinking about the IPS dress code enforcement. Labor Day weekend marked the last time IPS students can come to school without wearing their school uniforms. Now there will be consequences. But I don’t agree with the way they are going about it. School officials have put the bus drivers on the front lines. Now if a high school student comes to school without wearing the proper attire, it’s the bus driver’s duty to not let that student on the bus. My problem is this: the student obviously doesn’t care about school (otherwise he/she would’ve worn the uniform). So, their parents think the kid goes to school, the bus driver won’t let them on the bus… so, now do they just roam the streets? Didn’t they just get what they wanted? I definitely don’t think that the bus drivers get paid enough to have to deal with this. I think they need to let the violators on the bus, and let the administrators (who probably make five times more a year than bus drivers do) deal with them. That way, they know who to suspend, and that way the parents will also be aware of what’s going on. I think they need to make the parents more responsible. Parents need to realize that this hinders their ability to graduate. I think that if a student comes to school without their uniform three times, then the parents need to be charged with interfering with the educational process. I also think the student needs to be sent to juvy as well. They do that if you’ve been truant too many times (or at least they should). It’s time for the administrators to be making these decisions, not the bus drivers. It’s time to grow up and get your head out of your ass.

: IPS, uniform policy

Tue 4 September 2007

So, I’m thinking about Labor Day weekend. Well, we finally made it through another one, and now it’s the unofficial start of fall. Most city pools are closed now. IPS’s grace period for its uniform policy is over, and now there are no excuses. Temperatures will start to be getting cooler (even though they’ve predicted temps in the 90s this week.) Labor Day started in 1882 by the Central Labor Union in order to create a day for “the working man.” Even though there are many people who do not work on Labor Day, there are many who do. One of the most popular things to do on Labor Day weekend is the famous Labor Day Cookout. I always find this ironic, because Labor Day is supposed to be a day of rest, but cookouts are hardly that. There’s cleaning and buying meat and making salads and finding enough chairs and tables and figuring out who’s bringing Grandma. Then there’s watching the kids and making sure there’s enough to drink and keeping the bugs off the food and fussing over why the baby crying. Then it’s time to get people going home and making sure people take home some of the food and finding enough containers and checking for lost items and finding the kid’s toys and finally shutting the door. After they leave, it’s cleaning up the sink and taking out the trash and finding the stains on your floor, and wondering why you volunteered to do this, and figure you’ll do it again next year. So, why do we put ourselves through so much just to relax? Because we’re American, I suppose.

: Labor Day

Mon 3 September 2007

So, I’m thinking about Andretti Green Racing. The IRL is not happy with their “team tactics” that they have been practicing. The last few races show how the team will cover and protect their teammates during races. This makes a lot of people mad. There really isn’t any rule against it, nor can they really punish them, but it just isn’t ethical. Brian Barnhart, the COO of the IRL, says in the Indy Star, that they’re starting to encroach on the integrity of the sport. Andretti Green is the largest IRL team with four main drivers (Marco Andretti, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick). Not many other teams even have the opportunity to play the “protect your teammate” game that they do. They are such a large team, and they do well, but there’s no excuse for some of the tactics that they use. Other people have complained they are pushy on the track as well. As I’ve said before, there’s no rule specifically against guarding your teammates, but it’s just not a very fair tactic in the character of racing. A few races ago, Franchitti had tore his car up, and Kanaan rode behind him, letting Franchitti come in third and himself coming in fourth. Rick Mears, a four-time Indy 500 winner, said that Franchitti should be embarrassed that Kanaan protected him as he did. I hope they get their act together and cut all this childish team tactics out. It’s almost like in elementary or middle school when you would let your friends cut in line for lunch. Grow up.

: Indy Racing League, IRL, Andretti Green Racing, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan