A few random thoughts kicking around on this extremely cold day:
- On days like this downtown workers like myself who park underneath the Hall of Justice in the Civic Center Parking Garage will almost certainly notice many, many homeless folks camped out in the garage, mostly on the lower level. You may have heard that a decision was recently made by the agency who runs the garage to start (yet another) effort to expel these folks from the garage. If these efforts have begun I have personally yet to have seen it – and so much the better. On a day like this, exposure to such extreme low temperatures and wind chills can be fatal. Never once have any of these people bothered me in the garage, and frankly I’d rather they be down there than dying in the streets. Obviously some long-term strategies have to be explored to address the reasons why these folks are down there rather than in shelters with resources to address the underlying issues, but on a day like today, I say let them stay in the garage.
- I just discovered the other day that my former Aquinas and UB Law classmate Kyle Magee is hosting a podcast with (of all people) pro wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Check them all out here – what an incredible project. The content is about a whole heck of a lot more than pro wrestling – Jake has had his share of ups and downs in life. However, he was recently named to the WWE Hall of Fame.
- Being the huge Red Sox fan that I am I certainly took notice yesterday when NESN, the TV network that airs Sox games, announced that Jerry Remy would be returning as color man for the 2014 season. The reason that this announcement was significant is due to the fact that Remy had left the booth mid-season last year when his son was arrested for brutally murdering his girlfriend. Remy’s return has generated opinions both in favor and against coming back under these circumstances. The matter presents an interesting dilemma – what responsibility does a public figure have when a close relative is accused of a horrible crime? Should such a person have to withdraw from public view? I personally think Remy has every right in the world to make a living, and it’s worth remembering that he is not accused of a crime, his adult son is.
- Big Game on Sunday (I wouldn’t dare call it by its real name) prediction from Yours Truly: Denver 35, Seattle 27. We will see if one Denver radio station’s vow not to play any Seattle music has any effect on the outcome.
Stay warm, everyone.