I am a fairly laid-back, low-key person. It takes a lot to get me riled up. This attitude has generally served me well. It’s only on very rare occasions that I become angry; only twice in my adult life have I ever actually been angry enough to yell at someone (yelling at sporting events, rooting on my favorite athletic performers, does not count). Generally, if I’ve been wronged – and it does happen occasionally – I forget it pretty quickly and move on with my life.

It’s not something I spend a lot of time on, but I do concoct revenge scenarios. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, ends & odd by Ricky Sprague
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I thought I might be the first  in the Coliseum to write about the University of Miami athletics scandal, until the talented Alan Spoll made it the subject of his weekly Good Sports Bad Sports piece. Alan did a bang up job of giving readers a snapshot of what is going down at the U. But being a former ‘Cane, I would like to give it all just a bit more perspective. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, sports by Robert O'Hara
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I’m currently experiencing some bad customer service, courtesy of a sauna trout named Mark at the Austin Straubel Enterprise Rent-a-Car in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mark has possession of my wife’s wallet, which she inadvertently left in an Enterprise rental car. Mark has made retrieval of the wallet a difficult process.

[Read more →]

Tags: diatribes by Michael Cade
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Here, in the heart of the oil patch that is the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico, one often hears complaints about the image oil & gas companies have among the general public … mostly negative, and often unwarranted. And on that point, I agree … it IS mostly negative, and it IS often unwarranted. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes by Jeff McDonald
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The wonderful thing about Louisiana is the commitment to living life to the fullest. The devastation and embarrassment of Hurricane Katrina could have buried the state in self-pity for a long time, but sure enough they rolled up their sleeves and worked to rebuild. When the BP oil spill happened, it looked like yet another setback, but I’ll be damned if they’re going to let something like a cleanup effort hurt their good time.

Why not just allocate money meant to clean up the BP Oil Spill toward their bicentennial celebration?

The state’s turning 200 years old and Governor Bobby Jindal is looking to blow Mardi Gras, the Saints Super Bowl victory parade, and New Years clear out of the water. The fact that that water is still filled with compressed sludge composed of dinosaurs, poisoning an unknown amount of sea creatures and wrecking the Gulf Coast’s fishing industry, is not about to put a damper on that party. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, politics & government by Dan Sterlace
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Finally!

Finally, after all these years of not being enthusiastic enough to join a political rally or grassroots movement, I have found a cause worthy of my support.

I am going to START wearing crappy cologne and offensive body spray simply to spite the city of Portland.

Portland leaders approve anti-scent policy

PORTLAND, Ore. — City leaders unanimously agreed to pass a new policy discouraging personal scented products in the work-place, saying such products can irritate some people’s allergies or asthma.

On Wednesday, commissioners said they would adopt the policy that discourages perfume, aftershave, cologne and the use of strongly scented powder, deodorant and other personal hygiene products.

Won’t you join me? Let’s take our stench to the streets. Let’s galvanize. Power to the (pungent) people!

On a serious note, I give up.

I officially give up.

Tags: diatribes, politics & government by Michael Cade
2 Comments »

I awoke with a start. A cruel, twisted nightmare had run its course through my synapses, triggering primal fears embedded deep within my psyche. Moments ago I had witnessed the murder of my childhood, the stagnation of any creativity that made residence in my bones. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, games by Dan Sterlace
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Note: Today is my sixth wedding anniversary, so I figured I would dust off an old post to commemorate the occasion.

Wanna know how to annoy me? I mean really annoy me?

Just ask if my wonderful Ukrainian wife is a “mail-order bride.”

The question is rude and dumb on multiple levels. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, family & parenting by Michael Cade
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There has been a lot of talk lately, mostly on the political right, about the U.S. Constitution. You may recall that the entire document was read in Congress a few weeks ago, a few sentences per member, like schoolchildren at an assembly proving their patriotism. It seems the Constitution is especially popular these days with conservatives and Tea Partiers. I’m not sure why. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, on the law, politics & government by Jeff Scheuer
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Why are the NFL players threatening a strike next season? Was it about unity? Or money? Or injuries? I’m confused, because the two more noble of those causes seem to have fallen by the wayside. Players praise themselves for standing together and they condemn the league for trying to injure them, but the players are the ones stabbing each other in the back. [Read more →]

Tags: diatribes, sports by Dan Sterlace
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