Don "Soul Train" Cornelius

Sad news for Mr. Soul Train himself. For some reason, I didn't think he was alive. Who knew? Thanks to Robert and our good friends at OMG for this one:

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Former 'Soul Train' host charged in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles city attorney has charged Don Cornelius, former host of "Soul Train," in connection with two domestic incidents involving his wife last month.

Cornelius was charged with spousal battery, assault with a deadly weapon and dissuading a witness from making a police report, all misdemeanors, city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said Friday.

The married 72-year-old producer was taken to jail last month after police were called to his Hollywood Hills home following a report of domestic dispute.

Cornelius was released on $50,000 bail. He could face up to one year in prison for each of the five misdemeanor charges.

Manners 102: You're welcome

So this morning on was on the treadmill, trying to work of some of the wine from last night (tasty, tasty, wine).  Some woman gets on the treadmill directly next to mine, and proceeds to make phone calls and blather on the whole time I was there.  I could be out of date on this one, and maybe it is socially acceptable to do this on the East coast where personal space is at a premium, but here in the Midwest I thought it particularly rude to disturb the peace and quiet, especially where there were other machines open further away from me and everyone else who was trying to redeem themselves for their misdeeds of last night.

That is not, however, the subject of my rudeness rant today, though.  No, it is a topic which has been bothering me for a long time, and one which I am afraid is too late to do anything about.  Because of the direness of the situation, this posting will be bereft of any pretense of decorum and kindness.   I'll start with a basic lesson in rudimentary manners for all the ignorant masses out there:

The correct response when someone says "thank you" is "you're welcome"

"Yep", "Uh-hun", "Yeah", or "Hunn" are not acceptable responses.  They are rude, disrespectful vocal ejaculations to an offering of kindness and respect.  This problem has reached epic proportions, so much so, that I am beginning to appreciate silence rather than a mock-backhanded insult.  I don't know when and where people started forgetting this most basic rule, but to me this signals the total downfall of society.

Growing up in the South, manners are beaten into you.  I remember thinking what a pain this is as a kid, but as an adult (sorta) I have come to recognize their importance in a functioning society.   Apparently, these rules have never made it to the midwest.  I am continuously shocked an appalled at the lack of manners both from adults and the lack of discipline for their children.  Maybe all the Scandinavians here are not used to anyone behaving nicely to them, or having their children act like they were raised by wolves is part of their culture.  Whatever it is, this is by far the worst behaved, worst mannered part of the world I have ever spent time, and to me it starts with a basic rules of politeness, which is obviously beyond everyone in the 32nd state.  About the best I can hope for when I say "thank you" is when someone says "thank you" in response.  It takes all my self control not to snap back and say "what for? for not pointing out what a rude jack@ss you are?"  I don't know whether I should be mad at them for such rudeness or pity them for being such ignorant morons they don't know the basics of engaging with another human being.

I knew a fellow, Jeff P, who lived in Minneapolis.  Like me, he was not from here, but he moved here for a job.  Jeff P, in my opinion, was the best looking, most suave and charming man in the state of Minnesota (yes, I have a non-sexual crush on him).  Never one to be settled with the status quo, Jeff P always had a new and charming way to respond to "thank you".  Some of my favorites included "my pleasure", "charmed", "anytime" and "no thanks are needed".  He always said them with eye contact and a smile on his face.  

Sadly, Jeff P moved from Minneapolis onto bigger and better things; we missed him when he left and we still feel his loss today.

Thank you for your attention.

My election streak

Although the final results are not yet in, I have declared that Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States.  I have not seen any of the election results yet; I base this on my own personal streak.  I voted for McCain.

I have never voted for the Presidential winner, ever, and I suspect the same will happen again tonight.  Once I voted for a candidate that actually won my state, but that was as close as I have ever been.  So based on this history, I predict we will be inaugurating President Obama in January.

To those I have spoken to about the election, I have tried to be clear in my choice.  I think McCain is the better qualified candidate with better instincts and a history of sticking to his principles, wether or not they fit the party line.  The Democratic Party did a great job of deflating his accomplishments and moderate stances (remember:  Pro-Abortion, Pro-Immigration), and linking him to Bush 43.  McCain has faults; his selection of Palin was and is tough to stomach, but ultimately, I thought he was the better choice.

I will have no problem with President Obama.  In terms of foreign relationships, he will do much to repair the damage caused by his predecessor.  I like his speeches and I feel good about myself when I hear him talk.  His inexperience scares me, however.  To quote "The Economist" (Nov 1st, 2008), "Most of the hoopla about him [Obama] has been about what he is, rather than what he would do."  His policies are often naive, which wouldn't bother me except that the current leaders of the Democratic Party frighten me even more.  The performance of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Howard Dean disappoints to say the least; calling that trio "not bright" is an insult to stupidity, and I don't see Obama standing up against them.  That scares me.  I hope I am wrong.  

Until 2012, my streak will remain intact.  Good night and good democracy to us all.

Frequent Driver Lane

I hate driving to St. Paul on the weekend.

I drive through St. Paul, twice a day, on the way to work and the way back. I have been making this drive for years, usually only at these times. Most people at work are amazed that I make this drive, thinking it is like going to the other side of the world, but it honestly not that bad. It takes about 20-25 minutes to get to work in the morning, a bit longer going home (depending on when you go). Compared to the 10-15 minutes drive to get to Woodbury and the dreaded burbs, it is a small price to pay.

The reason I hate driving to St. Paul on the weekends is that the roads are filled with the classic Sunday drivers. It is filled with really big, slow moving cars, that have no compression that slower traffic should stay in the right hand lanes. They don't know when the turns are coming up, where the traffic merges or when a lane ends. The drive aimlessly, like blindfolded lemmings.

As you have guessed, I have no patience for this behavior. I tend to drive too fast and aggressively. On weekday mornings and nights, this is not a problem. Everyone else is driving like me, too. The slower drivers have the good sense to get into the right lane. Those of us who travel this road every day know what they are doing and how to get through the twist, turns and merges as quickly as possible. It is like the security lines at the airport; experienced travelers know the drill, they know what to do, and how to get through the line as fast as possible. They are the frequent travelers, and they have been given a special lane to reflect this.

This is what I think we need for I-94 on the weekend: a frequent driver lane. A special lane for those of us who travel down this road every day, who know the routine (the twists, turns and exits). I don't think there will be a need to segregate the level of service, like (former) Northwest Airline does with Silver, Gold and Platinum status, but some designation I think would be appropriate so I could get to my destination quicker. I think that would be fair.

And yes, someday I will share my tips for getting through airport security. I have learned and watched from the best.