Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee - Roadside Memorials

I love this show. It is only available online, but Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee is a perfect recipe for me. Coffee? Seinfeld? Hello, that's a slam dunk!

Jerry is still as great as ever and his guests are some of the funniest people on the face of the planet. Season Three was released today with Louis C.K. as Jerry's first guest. I realize I have waited two seasons to mention this show, but something happened in the first episode today that reminded me just why the show deserves mention on theMangoTimes.

Watch the whole episode, or just go ahead and forward to the 6:20 mark for a perfect blend of Mangocomedy.

"C'mon…must we all get bummed…everyday…back and forth to work? Sometimes it just doesn't work out."

Quietly making noise,
Fletch

Roadside Memorials, the Mothership

It has been a while since I've made any comments on Roadside Memorials, but my dislike for them has not diminished in at all.

My folks were traveling these past few weeks throughout the Southwest US. Instead of returning home with normal treasures, my parents brought me a photograph of this beauty somewhere along the highway in Arizona. They knew they would get a reaction out of me and they were pretty darn sure it would be reported immediately on theMangoTimes.



This is the grand-daddy of all memorials. A building? A cast iron gate and matching cast iron cross? They put some serious dough into this one. The concrete/wooden cross that I drive by every morning is nothing compared to this shrine. Notice a few things: first, the red warning signs are hard to read in this scan, but it says: Fire Danger - Do Not Put Flowers (in two languages). And, yes...those are flowers hanging on the gate.
Second, notice the sign to the right, it says "No Dumping"...unless of course you are dumping concrete and building materials to make a memorial.
Third, notice how the property owner or county has fenced around this memorial, so as not to fence right through it. I'm surprised they didn't petition the landowner for electric and water, so they could keep this thing lit up at night.

Note to my friends...when I die...no shrines, no memorials, no teddy bears, no Jesus candles...

Quietly making noise,
Fletch

The "Letter to the Editor" I did not send...

Well, it finally happened. This morning I picked up The Modesto Bee (our local "news" paper - HA!) and found an editorial written on the subject of roadside memorials. I realize that this subject comes up a lot on this blog, but if you drove my route to work everyday to see the shrine I've written about in the past...you may be agreeing with me...

Anyhow, I wanted to write a letter to the editor, but after some coaxing from my wife I decided to not send it. She pointed out that this could be one of those issues that people are highly opinionated about, and my opinion could be viewed as simply too offensive and heartless. But, I needed to vent on this issue, so I am including my letter to the editor here...where I don't always say the most popular things. Here it is below:

"Dear Editors,
I realize that I am probably in the minority on this one, but I could not disagree more with Mr. Bultena's article (8/31/07) and his fondness for roadside memorials. Don't get me wrong, I think remembering the dead and having memorials can be all well and good. I also have no big issue with remembering the spot where a traffic accident occurred. It is possible that this will even cause others to drive safely. I'm even fine with the cross, the candles, the flowers and the teddy bears, but does it need to remain there forever?
Our community has a place to remember the dead. It's called a cemetery or a memorial garden. I realize other cultures are very happy to build well tended death shrines and even visit that spot daily. In my opinion, these ongoing shrines (complete with candles, flowers, photos and teddybears) need to find their way into a cemetery and off our commuting roadways."

Quietly making noise,
Fletch

Roadside Memorials - Revisited

I've written about roadside memorials in the past and how much I don't like them. Well, in my previous post, I included photos of the memorial at that time. Well, I need to take another picture...because not only is the memorial still there, and not only have they poured concrete to hold the cross in place, but they have now planted a tree. So we are stuck with it...as a perpetual reminder of this woman's tragic end.
Again, if I die...no memorials! And, if I get the chance...I'll drop by tomorrow and get a picture of the evergreen tree.

Quietly making noise,
Fletch