Column for July 14, 2005

Hmm, a few observations from the desk Ben E. Jet. The guy with the ZZ Top beard who plays guitar in the Benny and the Jets band. The guy who drives the van with Benny and the Jets painted on the side. The same band that is going to be part of the History of Rock and Roll Tour, Saturday, July 16 at Pease Auditorium on the EMU campus in Ypsilanti. See www.tickets.com. Then perform the following Saturday, July 23 at a FREE concert at Hazel Park Race Track. Yes, the same guy who every week sits down at the computer and types out all this stuff I call a column.

Observations. Pepsodent toothpaste has the classic toothpaste taste.
When did late night TV become on giant infomercial? Pistons Play Offs, Baseball All-Star game and now just over 200 days till the Superbowl.

I don't like it when you go to the drive through at Taco Bell instead of saying, "May I take your order" they ask "How ya doing?" I often reply Not that good, I am about to eat fast food taco for dinner, in my car.

If you haven't heard about this yet you will soon. Marijuana-flavored lollipops with names such as Purple Haze, Acapulco Gold and Rasta are showing up on the shelves of gas stations and convenience stores around the country.

A $500,000 city owned skate board park with 20 surfers. Might be better off giving them each a Yo-yo and $20,000 for collage? I wonder if 20 kids with a collage education could run a city? When you think about that, it is really to funny to even ask.

I am not good at writing obituaries. Though in my own way I have had to write a few. The very first column I wrote some 14 years ago was about my little brother Bert, who died riding his motorcycle. Since then I have written about the passing of radio host JP McCarthy, Scott Colburn, musicians Elvis Shelton, Gregg Scott, Cub Koda, Wally Jackson and even my own Mom and Dad, Pat and Leo Speer.

Also I am not very good at funerals. So on a sad note I mention the passing of my wife Pam's Mom. It is very hard for me to see people in pain. Hard for me to watch her and four sister cry at their mothers funeral and even harder to see the strong father and husband of 53 years in tears.

Barb Sanders, 73, survived by her husband Paul and five daughters. Mrs. Sanders was a good person who worked, laughed and enjoyed the simple everyday things in life. She worked in the 1970s at Daly's Restaurant in Livonia and later at Hudson's in Westland.