Meanderings and Musings of a Cluttered Mind

Separating the idiots from the not so idiotic  Have we as a society become so extreme and polarized in our beliefs we don’t have the balls to say, “STFU” to people we kind of like in the political realm? We all have our political beliefs, and we want to support the side we think is best, but many of us are too squeamish to call out all the true wack-a-doodles and stupid comments in our own party of choice. The fact we have so many extremes and non-political politicians getting into the presidential fray, tells me most voters desperately want something different. But we need to call “bullshit” when we see it. Yeah, I’m talking to you, Bernie-Carly-Ben-Chris-Hillary-Ted-And-Whoever-Else-I-Forgot-To-Put-On-The-List. While we’re at it, can we send a big, STFU to all of us on social media, too?  Seriously, do you think because you’re wearing a “Bernie for President” T-shirt on Facebook, that guy is gonna get elected? I’d love to check the tag on the back of that shir...

My youngest son, Stephen, hates the song, "Blue Christmas." I'm a big Elvis fan, so I love the song "Blue Christmas." I sometimes sing it randomly at appropriate and inappropriate times, without ever paying attention to the lyrics. Yesterday, when a friend shared this link of an amazing, 16-year-old Elvis impersonator singing the song, I couldn't help but share it, too. "I can never get away from 'Blue Christmas,'" my boy said after it popped up on his Facebook page. And then I have to remember why. It's more than just mindless words to him. He takes each sentence to heart. My wife and I have grieved, recovered, but continue to grieve the loss of our oldest son, Devin, who was killed Aug. 7, 2011, by a driver answering her cell phone. We've slipped into the "new normal" and go on with life, with a hole in our hearts. I've cried and ranted and wrote a book to help heal my pain. I give distracted driving pr...

            I hate cats.             It’s nothing personal, mind you, it’s just that they’re … you know … cats.             I was born a dog person. I’ll die a dog person. Never owned a cat, never wanted to own a cat.             Devin liked cats.             I do not like cats.             And while an argument can be made for cats taking care of themselves, pooping in boxes that are easy to clean and being generally self-sufficient, they never seem particularly happy to see you, and could care less if someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night.             Dogs are always happy to see you, except when the...

It may have been the most dangerous thing I ever did in a long time -- or at least a little stupid -- but can't help but think Devin put me up to it. Since I'm still alive to write the tale, guess it doesn't matter, danger or stupidity aside. And I may have made a new friend in the process, all the while just stopping to say "Hello" to my son at St. James Cemetery. It's been 22 months since Devin was hit and killed by a driver on a cell phone. I talk to him often in my car, but really felt the urge to visit his grave today. Sometimes I just get a sense to do it. Great Cemetery People -- whoever they are -- left us a nasty note a month or so ago, and said we couldn't have any toys by the grave, so we moved the white angel that decorated the back. The party pooper patrol in charge of such edicts took the other knick-knacks Devin's friends had left as tokens of their visit. Couldn't help but think the grave looked way too lonely and naked. ...

There are certain laws of life we must always adhere to, and one of the most important is there will always be some jackass somewhere doing some kind of jackassery stuff, just to let the rest of the world know that jackasses exist. Exhibit A is Michael Petricone, the senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs at the Consumer Electronics Association.  Up until now, I figured the senior VP of the Consumer Electronics Association just went to state funerals for iPhones that mistakenly get dropped in toilets, but it appears he has an additional duty that requires the finest level of jackasseryness. Just in time to make sure public perception of dead people doesn’t somehow affect holiday Christmas sales, Mike released a statement that disagrees with the National Transportation Safety Board and basically says it’s OK to drive and use a cell phone or other electronic device while driving, and these wonderful technologies actually make it safer to drive. A...

This is the picture. It's the one I see in my mind when I really don’t want to, the one that will always be there and never go away. It’s the car the driver drove, while talking on her cell phone, that hit my son, who was pedaling his bicycle home from work, that amputated his leg and killed him. His name is Devin. I’m not really sure how long he lived after he was hit, as the driver kept driving with him on the car for 800 feet and didn’t stop for three-quarters of a mile, and didn’t call 911 until … when?  According to her police statement, she was on the phone. Her phone records show there were three calls to or from her boyfriend at 12:34 a.m., 12:35 a.m. and 12:45 a.m. She told police the crash happened shortly after the first phone call. She said she heard someone say, “Hello,” then she closed her eyes for a long blink and heard a bang. If the crash happened shortly after the first phone call, that means it happened after 12:34 a.m. but before 12:35 a....