From the Detroit Free Press:

Are you tempted to barrage your ex with text messages? Has your neighbor driven you to the edge?

You’d better think twice before you hit “send” on your cell phone in Brighton, Michigan.

The Brighton City Council amended its code to make repeatedly performing acts intended to “seriously annoy” another person a crime.

Mayor Pro Tem Ricci Bandkau said she voted for the measure to protect residents.

“If you were annoyed because someone is mowing their lawn at 3 a.m. and it bothers you to the point you contact police, the police have the option to listen to you and do what they think is best,” said Bandkau. “I have full trust in the police chief and the Police Department.

“If they feel this is the right thing to do, I totally back them as a City Council member.”

Brighton Councilwoman Claudia Roblee said the amendment was designed to prevent harassment that falls short of the state’s stalking prohibition.

“I felt that our citizens needed more protection,” she said. “In today’s electronic society, people can really harass you — text message after text message could be sent. You had no recourse; now you do.”

Roblee said she doesn’t think the ordinance violates the Constitution’s protection of free speech.

“In my mind, this is not stepping on the First Amendment. It’s trying to prevent a situation from escalating before it comes to violence,” she said.

But an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan disagrees.

Michael Steinberg says the ordinance is overbroad, vague and unconstitutional.

“It gives police discretion to punish people for any speech officers find annoying,” Steinberg said. “We successfully challenged an annoying-person statute in Detroit five or six years ago.

“I was surprised to hear other municipalities passed these ordinances. It’s language that’s a relic of days gone by.”

Other communities have similar statutes; Royal Oak’s ordinance was the model for Brighton’s ordinance. Charles Semchena, a member of the Royal Oak City Commission, described the law as vague with “odd wording.”

“It appears this ordinance might be unenforceable,” he said of Royal Oak’s version.

Pictures from my Paris trip will be online Monday or Tuesday.  I have cool videos, too, but Windows Movie Maker died and my computer won’t let me launch Pinnacle Studio.  Grrrr.

If you like pancakes (and you aren’t dining at the Flying Biscuit) then I highly recommend Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Pancake & All Purpose Baking Mix.  Add a few drops of vanilla flavoring to the batter.  YUM.

Since I started taking pictures more ’seriously’ a few years ago, I compile a gallery of my favorite images of each year.

I present to you my favorite pictures from 2008.

Quite honestly, not as many favorites as in years past … but I didn’t spend as much time with my camera as I would have liked.  2009 will be different.  I miss it.

You know how some things happen that are really weird, but when they are happening you don’t realize how weird they truly are?  But after time passes and you are telling someone else about it, you realize just how weird it was?

Does that make any sense?

Last night, Jessica and I had tickets to the opening night of Kooza(Cirque du Soleil).  We decided to have a drink before the show at Strip.  While there, my friend David (who also happens to be the general manager of Strip and all the great Here to Serve restaurants) sent me a text message asking me if I was going to the show, because he and his wife Julie were.  I wrote back and said we were, and that we are having a preshow cocktail in Strip right now.  He was also in the restaurant and we were all soon together hanging out. 

It’s not weird yet.

After we finished, we were headed over to the big circus tent and David asked me where I was sitting.  I told him what section, and he said, “that is what section we are in.” 

He asked me what row.  I told him what row, and he said, “that is what row we are in.” 

He asked me what seats.  I told him what seats, and he said, “we are right next to you!”

Now at the time, I just thought it was really cool that we were unintentionally sitting next to our friends during this great show.  But then later on that night, I started to think about it and how bizarre it was that in a venue that seats several hundred … maybe more than a thousand people … David and his wife were sitting right next to Jessica and me during the show.  We didn’t get our tickets together, and until we met up at Strip we didn’t even know that we were going! 

Anyway, I just thought that was weird.

Kooza was fantastic.  It might be my favorite Cirque show since O.  The contortionists (who were the second act) set the bar really high for the rest of the performers.  (I felt bad for the trapeze girl who came out after them, because no matter what she did, she would not blow people’s minds the way the three rubber girls did.)  I think my favorite part of the whole night was hearing both Jessica and Julie cry out, “Oh no!  Do not do that!” when one of the contortionist girls made her legs run around her torso.  You just have to see it.

The opening of the second act was amazing … Wheels of Death.

I’m not even going to try and describe more about what you’ll experience at Kooza, you just have to see it.  Too extraordinary for words.  If my opinion is worth anything to you, Cirque du Soleil is A+.  You should definitely see it while it is in Atlanta, an amazing, amazing show filled with indescribable acts of human fitness, balance, contortion and overall bizarreness.  All tied together by a strange cat who lives under the stage with flashlight eyes.

If you have never seen a cirque show before, be warned … this one will set the bar very, very high.  And if you do not end up going with friends of yours, I hope you coincidentally end up sitting next to some.  The more people to talk about the craziness you just saw, the better.

(Some other random notes:  Although the show starts at 8:00, they open the tent at 7:30 and I would recommend being in your seats as as close to 7:30 as you can.  There is actually a pre-show that takes place in the audience while people are getting settled in, so get there early … it’s fun to watch.  Is it kid friendly?  Absolutely.  But keep an eye on the little ones when they get home and try to duplicate the feats they just saw!)

(Another random note: Wendell Brock wrote a cool article about Kooza in the 1/5 AJC.  Read it here.)

You know how no matter how careful you are, your car occasionally takes a beating?  It was about a year and a half ago on 75 South than an escaped hubcab met the front of my Nissan Pathfinder at about 75 miles an hour, and took off a nice strip of paint, leaving bright pink undercoating exposed to the world.  It bothered me every single time I saw it, but for whatever reason I put off getting it repaired.

Ouch

Last spring, Jessica and I decided that we wanted a ping-pong table.  So we bought a ping-pong table at Sears, and three big, strong Sears employees put it on my luggage rack.  And Jess and I got it down by cutting the ropes and letting it slide along the edge of the roof … nicely scraping the paint. 

Plus a few dings and scratches here and there, a little dent on the bumper for misjudging how wide I was turning as I pulled in the garage, another spot where I was not paying attention in a parking deck …

Anyways, my 05 Pathfinder was definitely showing its age.  So, I took it to this guy Tom, who has a place off Marietta Square.  I used him before, and he’s always been great.  For a few hundred dollars, he got my car looking like new.  He fixed all the dings and dents, and also detailed it after the repairs.  I am actually surprised at how good it made me feel  … almost like driving a new car.  With the economy tight right now, I don’t know that I’ll be rushing out to buy a new vehicle anyime soon, so Tom’s reasonably priced ‘makeover’ was a great option.

Tom’s Automotive Appearance Center.  Near Marietta Square.  770-794-0227.

One of the photos that Jessica and I took while we were visiting Paris was highlighted at AJC.com on New Year’s Day.  Check it out right here.

Rich Eldredge included a resolution from me in his annual end-of-year column.  “I resolve to have big dreams, like a ‘Real Housewife.’  To live in a world where million-dollar fund-raisers and singing careers are possible …”  Keep reading by clicking right here.

Our tree, standing proud. It fell a few days before Christmas, and we had to do a complicated stand-transfer maneuver.

These are Jessica's gifts from me. I wrapped them all myself. I am a bad-ass wrapper.

What did I get for Christmas?  Thank you for asking …

Trying to keep it old-school, like my Grammie used to do, Jessica got me socks and a sweater.

My buddy George works with Ted Turner, and had him personalize a copy of 'Call Me Ted' for me.

Jess knocked it out of the park with some great accessories, including a rare Smart Glass pendant and some Frank Lloyd Wright cuff links.

It's not a cool Christmas for a guy unless he scores some solid gadgetry. I got a Bluetooth system for the car, a Flip Mino camera (which is not in the picture for some reason), a Philips Steamium from my friends at Philips Arena, and a solar charger for small things. Once this lousy weather passes, I may run my Blackberry on 100% solar power. A small gesture, but every little bit helps!

Wendy from the show drew me in Secret Santa and very thoughtfully got me a bunch of Paris-related travel books. The Eyewitness book was recommended by a friend, so I can't wait to check it out.

Last, but certainly not least, Mom & Dad weighed in from Upstate NY with a fine selection of perfect gift certificates. And, the usual personalized tree ornaments.

Not pictured, but worthy of a mention:  Bert & Stacey gave me a kneeboard for summer use on the lake.  Equally important was Wendy’s tutorial on how to actually use a knee board.  And I ‘won’ a glorious feline sculpture from my friend Mitchell (who prepared an awesome Christmas feast) in the White Elephant exchange post-dinner.

Mitchell, wearing the traditional Christmas day ensemble of red and leather, opens his White Elephant 'bear in the woods' bowl. Nobody dared trade him, as he loved it so much.

Yesterday was an A+ day.  And tomorrow we leave for Paris.  So, life is good.  Selfishly, I hope that I am half as blessed in ‘09 as I have been in ‘08, and in the spirit of the season (and knowing that the world is kooky these days) I hope for everyone reading this that all you desire is half what you receive in the coming year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I saw a movie the other night that may have changed my life.  An incredible tale of perseverence, commitment, and resolve.  One woman decided that her country (Liberia) was headed down a dangerous path, so she decided to change it.  And she did.  It’s AMAZING and may have changed my life.  It’s very likely that once it becomes available on DVD I will purchase it and watch it fairly regularly, to remind myself that anything truly is possible.

The movie is playing in Atlanta for the next week or two.  Head down to Midtown and check it out, will you?

Rich Eldredge from the AJC gave me a mention in his coverage of the movie screening that newlywed Sara Blakely hosted.  Thanks, Rich!

For more information on the movie, go to praythedevilbacktohell.com.