Sunday, 18 February 2007

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

...asks the officer, and he crouches by the passenger side window of my car, recently stopped on the side of highway 380.

"No where, just trying to get home"

I reply sheepishly, as my brain calculates the likelyhood of any of the possible excuses I could think of, actually working.


"Well, I was actually going to pull over the car in front of you back there, but by the time I caught up, he must have turned off already, so I figured I'd get you"
he explains

"Thanks, I feel special"

I reply with a sarcasm so dry, water runs in fear.

"Excuse me?"

questions the officer.

"Me? I didn't say anything"

I speedily spurt out in my verbal retreat.

He disappears for a while, with my license, ala normal. Returns with a delightfully dirty yellow slip advising me that I'm scheduled to appear in front of Judge someone, for speeding at 85mph in a 60mph zone.

"Thank you officer, have a nice night"

I offer, as I get into my car and begin to curse him out good a proper.

Now, of course, I do have the option to contest the citation. Will I? Will I blueberries! I was doing 85, it was a 60 zone, I knew it, he knew it; we all know it.

Unsure as to what fate awaits me, I sit here in the laundry room of my apartment complex thinking mean things about the police officer, and even meaner things about myself. As a rule, I really don't speed, and if I do, I'm pushing 70 in a 65 zone etc. But this is the second time I'm been stopped, and really, the second time I've actually speeded.

It's not a case of they catch everyone, so I must just unlucky. The solution? Don't speed, right? Well, hindsight is always 20-20

I shall pay my fine (and hope that I don't have to take that dumb class); or worse!

Saturday night is always a quiet night here in 360 land. It seems that everybody but me, has a life. But if anyone's around, feel free to say hello. My ID is almost always jamesdotlane is every system.

I'm bored! Someone please help me!

Sunday, 4 February 2007

Section 8: Respect for the Flag

The United States Flag:
Federal Law Relating to Display
and Associated Questions
Title 4 United States Code:

Section 8: Respect for the Flag

"The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the
floor,
water, or merchandise."

It's Christmas 2005, and the US flag flies in the Georgian winds of North Atlanta. A room full of U.S. citizens mingle inside, while their symbol of freedom flaps in the strong mountain breeze.

"Hey, the wind's picking up" someone notes. The wind, now gusting through the Appalachian mountain ranges, is picking up speed. Loose items are being blown away, and house sidings are taking quite the beating.

A small collection of mountain men collect by the patio doors, where the flag flies proudly above. "Woh, it's being pulled right off" explains one of the men. For a few brief seconds, everyone's attention is now drawn to the flag, now connected to the house by only one of the 3 brackets designed to hold it secure, and only one of the loops designed to hold the flag tight to its pole.

Making an assessment, the entire room returns to its conversations hustle, entirely ignoring the imminent fall of the nations pride.

The next thing to happen, was, some people say, representative of a long, and rich history. The British guy gets up, run outside, and manages to grab the flag as it's pulled from its holding place, and falls toward the floor.

In a image that may really only be funny to a Brit, here you can see it capture for all time.

Yet again, the Brits come in and do the work the US need doing Oooh! controversial!