It came to me on a trip to the dump. 2 dead microwaves made the visit imperative, and since we were going, we loaded up on the plastic, Styrofoam, and metal we’d dutifully accumulated. $18 for the privilege of unloading, and we left feeling lighter, as always. The 7 mile trip out may have gotten me revved up. As with any excursion in Ann Arbor these days, we met up with construction leaving us to our own wits to find another way, which of course we did. Of course, we always do, but what forces have dumped so much money on the city government that reconstruction seems to be the rule everywhere? Kathy used to remark at construction projects we’d encounter in the summer “they better get it wrapped up by football season”. Well, we’re well into football season, and orange barrels and black hatched fences are still everywhere. Many of the barriers are adjacent to newly constructed buildings, mostly 10-story (ordinance limited) multi use buildings mainly given to pricey condominiums. “Affordable housing”? Check out Ypsilanti!
But from that trip grew the strong feeling “how much of this BS is necessary, and how can I avoid it?” Let’s start with the garbage. Now, I stood enthusiastically on the Diag in April 1971 to celebrate the inauguration of Earth Day, and I’ve never harbored ill thoughts about Mother Earth. But those feelings, shared with so many, have been ripped and abused by forces using the environment to advance their agendas. Look at “climate change”! While policies directed at mitigation are ripping apart Europe and Canada’s economies, we can take comfort in Bill Gates’ “nevermind” and President Trump’s common sense. Will it trickle down? Why am I sorting my garbage? Recycling is basically a scam, especially plastics (1). Paper, metal, and glass might go. Plus, I’ve been shamed to buy a pail to dump in my kitchen peelings, later to go into a spinning barrel to become compost. I’m not gonna quit this as that compost gets used.
Another phrase that came to mind as I was thinking about this comes from my youthful Saturday mornings. Popeye, when he faced an impossible situation, just before he popped a can of spinach to confront it, would say “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” That’s me, not just for dumps, but for several other situations we confront in these modern times.
The car we drove to the dump was a 2017 Jeep Wrangler, bought used off Enterprise rent-a -car several years ago, it’s been an excellent vehicle for us. When I look into the new car situation, I hope it will last forever. What are the car companies trying to do us? Cars costing $50K and up, 7 year financing, requirement for monthly subscriptions to keep certain features active, digital control over car functions that can stop the driver in his tracks, impossible to service, future replacement parts unavailable, and, oh, the insurance!
One feature of Ann Arbor, and one that probably has kept us here, is University of Michigan sports. Student-athletes competing at the highest level for championships. Football and basketball are our main sports. Kathy claims those season tickets going back to the early 60s. We were latecomers to basketball, signing on when it looked like this Beillein guy might amount to something. There were innumerable joys over the years, and our falls still follow the rhythm of the football schedule. But a day at the Big House ain’t what it used to be. Much of it is a music problem. Our great marching band has been sidelined, confined to their halftime performance, which itself is perverted by a wish to appeal to the young ‘uns. Instead, our ears are blasted from the big scoreboards by hip-hop. They even hired a DJ a few years ago. And the athletic department has determined that silence of any kind should be abolished, so no time to contemplate the play on the field or talk comfortably to your neighbor. They started to sell $15 beers last year and business is booming. Makes for lots of stand-up sit-down traffic in the stands as folks go get the beer and later have to eliminate it. On the field, the rules don’t help. There’s that pussy rule of no kickoff returns. The 3 minute TV time outs and all those replays stretch things out.
Mammon has always been a key element of Michigan sports. With 110K butts in the seats and a lucrative TV contract, the Michigan AD has always been drowning in money. Somehow, it all gets spent. But over the past couple years, it hasn’t been enough, as players have become a commodity that external funds can support. There have always been boosters, but now they have a legit mechanism to support their heroes. We acquired our first $10M quarterback thanks to UM alum Larry Ellison’s largesse. Earlier this year, we celebrated a national championship for Michigan basketball, from a team comprised of transfers. When our coach, Dusty May, found himself shortly after cutting down the nets haggling with a recruit regarding his NIL contract, he threw up his hands and took the Dallas Mavericks job. Kathy and I still have our tickets and will go to Crisler, but we’re happy to have our Seatgeek unload option.
Bitches about digital annoyances will have to wait till another post. Surely, you’ll have yours.
But what to do about this.
As for the dump and recycling, the solution is easy. Like Nancy Reagan said “Just say no”. If you don’t have shit to take, you don’t have to go! Ann Arbor has curbside recycling and provides a bin. So, the cardboard/paper, glass, metal can go there, if we so wish. But the rest is garbage, and I’ll treat it a such.
Driving in Ann Arbor? Don’t do it! Sure, we have buses, but don’t feed that BS. Just because something is a short hop out the door, don’t assume it’s going to be easy! Plan ahead!
And sports? Remember the joy of radio! Michigan games are streamed everywhere. I still remember fondly those games Bob Ufer broadcast, coming to me across Lake Michigan when I was living in Chicago in med school. Doug Karsh and Jon Janson are currently doing an excellent job with football. And, no, we haven’t watched a televised game since the ’23 Rose Bowl.
So, them’s my bitches. Computers and politics have been excluded. Should you have some to add, please do.
References
- DNA Edits. The TRUTH about recycling. YouTube https://youtu.be/CLsE9cvYqMc?si=VTPa9__8c5LmJ5Yr
