I don't understand...

....the driving habits of many people in metro Detroit. I drive a section of eastbound I-94 expressway every morning to get to work in Detroit. It's a nice section of road - made especially beautiful because of the Superbowl in 2006 that was held in Detroit - this is the direct section of road that is between the city and the Detroit Metro Aiport (DTW). I don't understand the logic of the speed limits along the road. In the suburbs, the speed limit is 70 - and pretty much everyone goes 70mph, perhaps 75 - but pretty much travels in a pack (just like wolves). But as soon as the speed limit goes down to 55mph in the city, people actually speed up. I'll admit that I don't slow to 55mph - hell, I would be mowed down and eaten alive, but I do go about 65mph.

Is it because there are fewer cops in the city that travel the expressway because they are more concerned with catching murderers and drug dealers?

Is it because there are more donut shops in the city and it's coffee break time?

Is it because they know that they can get away with it?

I'll admit that I drive 10 over the speed limit in the city - and it pisses me off that I get monster sized SUVs and trucks behind me that still think that I am going too slow. Why on earth do you need a Ford F350 for city driving anyway?

Go around me. See if I care.

Star of David - completed!

Religious Icons Part 5 - Ganesha

Ganesha and mouse have more colour that before! I am going to remove the feet and do them again - I do not care for the way that they have turned out (especially now that I have finished his hand). I know that I can do better. The garnet necklace lays better since I have gone through it a second and third time. I just have the finishing of the head, the circle behind it and to decide what the complete background will be.

Ganesha is coming along nicely!!

Beading, still Beading - Religious Icons continued.

I wish that this scan would show the colours a little better in this piece. The background is actually a pale blue and a midnight blue. The star is grey and hematite seed beads - or two shades of grey. The star is actually two pieces that have been woven together and sewn to the background of the curls. This piece is 7x8 inches. All I need is several more hours of beading and it should be finished. This is the most serious of the icons that I have worked on - and I don't know why I chose serious colours for it. The rich colors just seemed to work the best. I originally wanted to have a silver star, but after about 4 hours of work on part of the star - it just didn't look good, so out it all came.

My series of religious icons is growing. Last weekend, I was invited to a wedding of one of the doctors that completed his training in my program, Dr. Nikhil Goyal. As much as I would LOVE to go to his wedding - it's in India and way out of my budget. I took the icon that was on his invitation - Ganesha. I just learned the following about Ganesha: "By ancient tradition, the elephant-headed god, GANESHA , is always worshipped first in every ritual or festival. Ganesha has a pot belly, is short and is usually portrayed in a sitting position with one leg folded and the other touching the ground. Around his waist, there is a hooded snake. In his four hands, he carries a noose (human bondage to desires); an axe (destruction of all evil); a modak or sweet (joy) and a lotus (human evolution). His trunk, usually turned to the left, represents OM, the origin of the cosmic universe. Ganesha is the lord of all learning, the arts and of finer skills."

Obviously my Ganesha is a different model, because my Ganesha doesn't have a snake or axe or a noose. His trunk turns to the right. Sunil (another doctor) told me that Ganesha travels on the back of a mouse, which is why there is a little mouse in the picture. The bindi will be a red crystal and the necklace with the smaller red crystals as I was told that they are very important.