Pouring for the weekend open thread:
• To beat the parched horse about Phoenix's unique and valuable oasis: the replacement for the Bethel Methodist Church at Osborn and Seventh Street is shown in this Republic article. The restaurant will be better than nothing and preserves much of the building. Lost amid the new concrete, rocks and cactus are the lovely — and cooling — grounds that once were there:
• A reporter tweeted that Scottsdale was holding a forum to ask for suggestions on "transportation options." I remember giving a speech in Scottsdale where my suggestion that light rail be considered was greeted with a death threat. So, "transportation options" for Scottsdale? Lamborghini, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport or the Maybach Landaulet.
• The John Kerry irony: First we condemn the old men who send the nation into a quagmire war, then we become them.
• From Slate: Life expectancy has doubled in the past 150 years. Here's why.
The saloon is yours...
The Meat Puppets are a largely unappreciated product of Phoenix that people should support.
I'm listening to their latest effort 'Rat Farm' as I clack away on my computer in the gloomy confines of my North Seattle office.
It's driving my 40 something co-workers nuts and I'm lovin' it!
Posted by: headless | September 06, 2013 at 04:22 PM
Emil: At Changing Hands book store,
7PM MONDAY, OCTOBER 7
PRESENTATION | Q & A | BOOKSIGNING
BILL BRYSON
ONE SUMMER: AMERICA, 1927
Posted by: cal Lash | September 06, 2013 at 06:10 PM
The old gas station that was catty corner -corner from the church is also now a restaurant. They did nice job and it is even better than the dress shop. Overall corner has improved. Worry about the Starbucks driving out the local coffee shop just north of this building.
Posted by: Jkerval | September 06, 2013 at 11:10 PM
Napalm McCain is deeply offended by alleged chemical weapons attack. He has never seen a US military bombing target he didn't like.
Kerry the diplomat with a bar room bouncer kind of style.
Posted by: homeless | September 07, 2013 at 12:36 AM
But did they take out the underground gas tanks?
Urban Bean has the best coffee in town but most Starbucks drinkers are not all that discriminating and they hate getting out of their vehicles.
Democrat Kerry has become Attila the Hun and Democrat Jerry Brown has gone capitalistic in his desire to increase the profits of private prisons.
The Good News, Ken Burns film on the National Parks and Wilderness is on PBS.Urge your politicians to establish more road-less wilderness.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 07, 2013 at 07:38 AM
Keams Canyon was the only National Park FDR didnt visit in his wheel chair.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 07, 2013 at 07:41 AM
Resource depletion will be sufficient to urge our politicians to "establish" more road-less wilderness.
I can bright-side, too!
Posted by: Petro | September 07, 2013 at 07:59 AM
Sarco GRA wins the Golden Lion
Posted by: cal Lash | September 07, 2013 at 05:34 PM
Note: I have posted a very special reply to "headless" in the Phoenix 101: The Oasis thread.
http://www.roguecolumnist.com/rogue_columnist/2013/09/phoenix-101-the-oasis.html
Posted by: Emil Pulsifer | September 08, 2013 at 03:03 PM
I wouldn't call that "a very special reply."
I would call it "the expected response from this blog's resident bully."
I don't like bullies. Why don't you go play somewhere else.
Posted by: AzRebel R. Perez | September 08, 2013 at 03:54 PM
AZREBEL, U brought up my sordid past with your bulling post. Grades 1 through 10 I got bullied by my classmates because I wanted to read through recess and sports. Grades one and two I got bullied by my teachers because I could not write script, not even my own name but I could read 9th grade books. Then I watched the teacher drag my younger brother around by his hair because he could not read. And I got bullied by my 18 year old aunt, well that’s another story. And at nine I got bullied by the Sunday school teacher in the basement of a Methodist Church because I laughed out loud during the Jonah the Whale tale. She drug me out of the church by my ear and turned me over to my parents who took me home and tried to beat god into me. Screw this bulling. I took the bus out of town at 14.
I really enjoy this blog and I decided a while back to not try and beat up on anyone. I had my last fist fight at 19 and hopefully my last word fight at least on this blog.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 08, 2013 at 07:23 PM
I am just saying: Shadow Patrol Arizona is dominated by an economic theory, religiously driven called “Buyer Beware.”
Since 2009 Arizona has become a state where the same folks have instituted “Driver Beware.”
The Arizona Highway Patrol (DPS) has stepped back into the shadows when it comes to enforcement of traffic laws. Fortunately, however, the Patrol is there quickly on the scene for stranded motorists and accidents.
Arizona political philosophy favors "the state should not require me to get a driver’s license." Same folks that believe you should be able to carry a concealed weapon without some rudimentary training in handling and safety. Particularly they oppose government involved in any type of regulation. God is in charge.
As a political favor to the posse comitatus folks the radar cameras went away on state highways. Sorta like the finally successful 50-year effort to change state highway 666 to 191.
I am big on enforcement that is called “educational contact,” not on money driven citations. I have noticed for the past three years that it has got wild out there on the road. It’s not even safe in the far right hand lane going the speed limit. For which I routinely get honked at and flipped off as the drivers piled up behind me find a place to pass. It’s called the left high speed lanes.
I am glad the new policies have benefited stranded motorists and in getting accident scenes off the road quicker but I do see a need to tackle the “crazies” that believe in "driver beware" and "get the !!!! out of my way." I find Tractor trailers going by me at 80 in 75 MPH zones. Their two tandem trailers are swinging violently. And jacked up trucks and Jeeps with no mud flaps blowing out windshields with their rock throwing off road tires.
The biggest problem with DPS is that it is under the thumb of government politicians. Secondly DPS pay is pathetic. DPS should be the highest paid law enforcement officers in the state. The DPS mission need not be a full blown group such as the Phoenix Police department. It should have a narrow focus on keeping our highways safe, the best crime lab in the state and an auto theft detail and a squad of officers that can assist small resource poor law enforcement groups. The counties and cities can handle the rest.
Drive safely and don’t drink until you get home.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 08, 2013 at 09:43 PM
The idea of launching missles into Syria is absurd. It solves nothing and just proves we are much like the "enemy."
How about a seal team 6 take out of Assad?
Posted by: cal lash | September 08, 2013 at 10:15 PM
I have noticed the same thing about relaxed enforcement by DPS. I also miss the orderliness of the freeways when the traffic cameras were in operation. Even though I got popped twice,I still think most people appreciated them. It's a shame the wing nuts forced them out,but nobody wants to stand up to the bullies. As for Syria,they are going to keep killing each other until they get it out of their system-it's the human condition.
Posted by: [email protected] | September 08, 2013 at 10:50 PM
My experience in Phoenix is that traffic cameras create road hazard by interfering with the natural flow of traffic especially at stop lights. The accuracy of the cameras are also less that claimed by proponents of the cameras.
As far as "wing nuts forced them out", miked85284 might be interested to know that cameras are embraced and alive and well in the great state of Texas, the land of the wing nut and unrestrained law enforcement. All procedural protections have of course been discarded as local Texas governments raise much revenue from the cameras.
Miked85284 might find more suitable traffic for himself in small towns in the Middle West.
Posted by: Homeless | September 09, 2013 at 05:56 AM
Note: I have posted a very special reply to Chris Thomas
in the Phoenix 101: The Oasis thread.
Posted by: Petro | September 09, 2013 at 07:13 AM
"Wingnuts are wingnuts" but they are a lot smarter wingnuts in Texas. Last time I got ticketed was by a Texas Highway patrol officer on I-10. And small towns live off ticket revenue.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 09, 2013 at 10:02 AM
"bullies in Syria"
listen to Assad and George Carlin.
What do wars give America?" Assad said. "No political gain, no economic gain, no good reputation. United States is at all-time, credibility is at all-time low. So this war is against the interests of the United States."
After Rose asked whether chemical weapons were worse then nuclear weapons, Assad sneered and said, "I don't know, we haven't tried either."
Carlin
This country is only two hundred years old, and already we've had ten major wars. We average a major war every twenty years in this country. So we're good at it!
[laughter and applause]
George Carlin: And it's a good thing we are. Can't build a decent car, can't build a TV or a VCR worth a fuck. Got no steel industry left, can't educate our young people, can't get health care to our old people. But we can bomb the shit out of your country, all right!
[laughter and applause]
George Carlin: We can bomb the shit out of your country, all right! Especially if your country is full of brown people. That's what we're good at, bombing brown people. Can you remember the last white people we bombed? Can you remember *any* white people we've ever bombed? The Germans! Those are the only ones, and that's only because they were trying to cut in on our action. They wanted to dominate the world. Bullshit, that's *our* fucking job!
[laughter and applause]
George Carlin: That's our fucking job!
Posted by: cal Lash | September 09, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Homeless: there is a traffic flow problem created by speed radar cameras on city streets.
But that does not occur as much on Freeways with speed radar cameras.
I am sure you are aware many freeways are equipped with observation cameras. Cameras that can be easily accessed on your computer 24-7 if watching traffic flow is your thing.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 09, 2013 at 10:16 AM
Chris Thomas. There are a few of us that actually meet in person on occasion. We will be sure to let U know.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 09, 2013 at 10:38 AM
Emil: Reductio ad adsurdam arguments always reduce the person's ARGUMENT to absurdity. Address the argument I've made, not your phantasy of my motives and state of mind.
I am very familiar with your brand of pseudo-expertise on any problem under the sun. Next time you do a little research and bloviate at length on some subject or another, give us links to your sources or write some footnotes.
Better yet, limit yourself to a few sentences summarizing your conclusions on a topic and give a list of footnotes or links.
I think many will agree that your lengthy and tedious mini-articles would benefit from this type of self restraint.
Posted by: headless | September 09, 2013 at 12:39 PM
Entropy
Posted by: cal Lash | September 09, 2013 at 01:00 PM
I took the AZ Highway 89T to get to Page last weekend as Route 89 suffered a seismic event on the downhill into Page. Very nice road and I think it even made the drive quicker even doing 40mph in the current 25mph zone (there was a DPS officer doing 40 in front of me). But AZ is going to spend $40M on fixing 89 over the next two years. Always money for roads, schools and health be damned.
I have never met a photo enforcement camera that I like.
Posted by: eclecticdog | September 09, 2013 at 03:02 PM
Cal, your point is well taken regarding the distinction between highway cameras and intersection cameras.
The last time I was stopped by Texas lawmen occurred because I didn't have a front license plate which wasn't surprising since the vehicle was licensed in Arizona.
The policeman apolgized for the wrongful stop and then asked me if he could search my entire vehicle.
My negative answer resulted in a body search and an hour of cat and mouse as he attempted to catch me in a lie and arrest me for making a false statement to a police officer.
After my being held for over two hours in small town Texas the policeman finally let me go. Had my race and background been different I very much doubt that would have been the end of it.
Posted by: homeless | September 09, 2013 at 03:26 PM
I forgot to mention that I was stopped in Texas for going 84 in an 80 mph zone. The TDPS Tropper was working the area where the revenue was taken in by the local justice system. And being a retired cop didnt help at all. I guess I had it coming as more than once east of Van Horn I have rolled along at well over a 100. And as U know asset forfeiture is big, particularly in small towns. Consequently many law wnfoecement stops are an attempt to enrich the police departments. After all all towns need a tank and AK 47's.
Posted by: cal Lash | September 09, 2013 at 04:34 PM