[Previous entry: "Gah"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Hope?!"]

09/23/2004: "Common Sense, 0. Stupidity, 1."

Our neighbourhood tries, bless their little hearts.

Several times a year a fresh copy of "O.N.E. News" is delivered (serving 4,000 homes!) to our front porch. Organized Neighbors East tries to act as a sort of neighbourhood committee of sorts, reminding everyone in bold print of garbage days and telling about local business, while tossing in a few bad fluff stories. I'm still not quite sure exactly what this organization would like to do, other than chastise those who speed down streets. Because the current president is apparently technology-phobic, there was no interest in creating a website with the important information (which neighbours usually end up asking around for, since no one keeps their newsletter for several months at a time) nor was there any interest in the leaders for some sort of community mailing list. It must sure be nice to be retired and be able to drop everything to go to some oddly timed meeting on a weekday evening.

At any rate, the September newsletter gave me more giggles than usual. A half page was dedicated to well, stupidity. Perhaps I'm being too generous of people and their brain power, but I think this even went beyond "duh" for those with more than a kindergarten education.

I learned from reading not to refer to a woman as "babe", "honey", "sweetie", or "girl". I also learned that one should not touch people inappropriately. (If they need to be told that, are they going to know what "inappropriately" means?) Apparently, drinking in excess "can bring out loud and obnoxious behaviour"! Who would have ever known that?!

Another article touched on an issue that I'm sick of hearing.

Parks in Detroit are well known to be underfunded and understaffed. Add to that a problem with too few Detroit cops and you get parks that, after dark, are just begging to see various sorts of illegal action. Apparently, those living around nearby Balduck Park do not understand that more people who belong in a formerly deserted area = more patrols, cop and non cop to chase out those doing illegal activities.

Apparently, the American Cancer Society had rented a shelter in the park for an all night fundraiser with walking relays. Because the Cancer Society was granted overnight use, another group was allowed to use the park for a campout of some sorts with a band. Instead of seeing that there is a noise ordinance law (so if that band or the ACS was being too noisy the cops could get called out) and allowing the park to be used legally overnight, nearby busybodies (who wrote "Wake up noise advocates.") got the events cancelled.

I hope those drug dealers and hookers enjoy the privacy they'll have at the park from now on.