Impressive assistance

So Michelle and I go for bike rides quite frequently. Most of the time, we throw the bikes in the back of the truck and drive out somewhere with good trails or nice scenery. Yesterday we went out and had a great time riding and had an interesting encounter.

After putting the bikes in the back, we drove home. On the way home, I stopped at a stoplight where I would be turning right. As I slowed up to the turn, I saw a cop car coming our way on the opposite lane. Thinking to myself, "ahh copper" I instinctively check to make sure my seatbelts are on, and glance in my mirrors...and to my surprise, Michelle's bike rolls off the bed of the truck and onto the street.

I had forgotten to close the bed of the truck.

The bike fell smack dab in the middle of the street, cars quickly coming our way. To my surprise, the passing cop turned all the way around, flipped his lights on, and blocked oncoming traffic so we had time to grab the bike, throw it in the truck, and continue on our way.

Needless to say, I felt guilty about my initial negative reaction to the police office, but felt amazingly grateful and impressed by his assistance. He didn't get out or say anything, and as soon as I got the bike in the car, he drove off.
Whatever preconceived notions you have of a group or type of people, you should always prepare for those notions to be blown away. And when it happens, boy is it a shocker. How childish our minds are sometimes.

Barbara Boxer: Please Call Me 'Senator'

This was posted over at politics daily:

Overheard at a Senate hearing yesterday:

"Could you say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?' It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title. I'd appreciate it."
--Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to Brigadier General Michael Walsh during Senate hearing Tuesday, when he the general repeatedly said, "Yes, ma'am," and "No, ma'am," when answering Boxer's questions at hearing she chaired on New Orleans' levee system.

Comments?
Insecure intellectual lightweight she is. She earned it? No, she was elected to it. If our system of elections was based on merit rather than your personal wealth and ability to distort the truth maybe then she would have earned it. The General, on the other hand, has earned his title because it is based on hard work and self sacrifice. Let's see if the Senator is willing to give her life in the service of her country. The Senator has nothing but contempt for the General and the military.

A new pet peeve...

That's right, another annoyance that I feel must be published. In fact, I think it is really important to know what your top 10 pet peeves are, and share them with those closest to you. Make sure you think it over before you blurt them out, because I've learned that it really reveals a lot about the person.
I haven't organized my top 10, but here is my brand new one:

CNN, Fox News, and other large news conglomerates using internet forum posts to bolster a news piece. For instance: "Jane245, says this about gay rights" and then they put a picture of the forum, as if it is a legitimate source. Is that hilarious or what?? It is especially funny when you they quote people with names like "hairymole7" or "bigtim". Are we getting that desperate for commentary that we have to search the wasteland of internet forums? This should be a number one "no-no" taught in journalism. I know for a fact that I would be laughed at in the scholarly field if I referenced such sources. Journalism has already lost much prestige in the last decade, must we make it worse?

Oh, and what's with people who never use the suicide lane when turning left, feeling the left blinker is sufficient. Ugh!