Free Money

Well, not really. Technically it's money that I've already spent but for some reason or another it needs to be returned to me. But in my mind, since I had no clue that it was owed to me, it doesn't exist. Hence, it's free money or found money to me. It all started this morning when I was reading the news and came across an article about Texas' unclaimed property website. Just type in your name to see if anyone has reported to the state any unclaimed funds. I tried my full name first, then variations of it, and came up with an exact match. It wasn't a jackpot but $35 is still better than nothing. For grins I tried some friends' names and lo and behold I found one that is owed some money from one of the apartments she used to live in. So if you live in the great state of Texas, go here to check if you're owed any money. There's also a link there that points to searches for other states. Cha-ching!

Kramer's A Kook Part 2

Well, it seems Michael Richards has hired Rubenstein Associates to do a little crisis management for him. Let's see if they can untarnish his reputation and rescue him from his meltdown. Full story here.

Kramer's A Kook

I can't believe what Michael Richards, a.k.a. Kramer from Seinfeld, did last week during a stand-up routine. I had heard about it, but didn't give it much thought because I was sick until I saw the video clip on YouTube. He basically lost it and went out of control. It's really unbelievable and there's no excuse for it. I can sort of understand that out of anger, some people will say the things that they know will hurt the other person, and wouldn't normally say those things at all under ordinary circumstances. But control was something that went out the window for Michael Richards last week. I think he's going to have to do a little more than say he's sorry on Letterman.

It Figures Part 2

I can't believe I missed 8 Films To Die For. Oh, that's right, I was sick. The site is still running with video but I don't know for how much longer.

It Figures

So I took three days of vacation last week and was sick during two of those days. That just aggravates the hell out of me. Most everything I had planned to do ended up not being accomplished. Got a lot of T.V. time in, though. Rachael Ray is just too damned perky.

Resemblance?

Comparison of one2believe's Messengers of Faith talking Jesus doll with Colin Farrell and Val Kilmer. You decide...

Start Planning A Head

It's just around the corner...Global Orgasm Day!!

Deal I Couldn't Pass

I was in Best Buy this weekend and for no particular reason was looking around in the computer area. I passed by the display of portable flash drives and stopped to look at them because I've always thought about getting one. I was looking at a Sandisk 1 GB model for $50 when I saw the Sandisk Cruzer Micro 2GB with a sale sign. It was regularly priced at $103 but it had an instant rebate of $59 making the price a mere $44. I just couldn't pass that deal up.

Important Note

Directly from my wife's cell phone instruction book:

If your phone becomes wet do not place in microwave oven to dry.

Duh.

What Are The Odds?

I have two computers at home and last week when I sat down at one I noticed it was off. This is unusual since my computers are always on. I turned it back on and started to do whatever it was I needed to do and it suddenly turned off right in the middle of things. This was about 10 minutes after I turned it on. I turned it on again and while it was booting I began checking the connections and such. That's when I noticed that the fan in the power supply was not working. After it was on for about 5 minutes this time it abruptly cut off. From that point it wouldn't turn on at all. Dead power supply I imagine from overheating. I'm a procrastinator so I just used the other computer and told myself I'd pull the power supply out later and change it.

So I sit down at the working computer yesterday evening and move the mouse to wake it up and nothing happens. I can see that the monitor is on although the light is amber signifying it isn't getting a signal. I move the mouse again because I'm still thinking that the computer is asleep and still nothing happens. I then try to reboot the computer and nothing happens. I check the connections and all that but still no working computer. I have to assume that this computer's power supply also burned up. What are the odds of this happening?

Now I've got to get two power supplies and replace them or I could once again procrastinate and pull out the laptop and connect it to the network instead. Hmmm, that would be a whole lot easier than pulling out two power supplies and running across town to CompUSA. I am *so* lazy. ;-)

Mentos Phenomenon Accident

Check this video out. I heard that the same thing happened to a small boy in Brazil after drinking a Coke and eating some Mentos candy. Poor kid.

Wow

I just had some fresh salsa during lunch. The salsa in a bottle can't compete against the freshly made stuff in my opinion. This was a bit on the hot side. I can't feel my mouth. I think I'm going to die. But it was really good.

A Noble Concern, He, He, He

Although I can't think of 101 things to do with Helium, I am concerned that at some point we may not have helium filled balloons anymore. Entire story here.

11/05/2006
Associated Press
The second-most abundant element in the universe is suddenly getting harder and harder to find. Party stores and florist shops grounded in the balloon business are caught in a helium shortage gripping suppliers across the country and in Texas, where one-third of the world's helium production is overseen.

Supply of the noble gas — second only to hydrogen in the universe but rare on Earth in terms of quantity — has depleted while production from two large international sites is temporarily down. Not helping matters is scheduled maintenance at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's National Helium Reserve complex in Amarillo, which will curtail production for 10 days starting Wednesday.

"We're so close to the edge now, and every molecule counts," said Leslie Theiss, manager of agency's field office in Amarillo. "We're walking the tightrope right now."

Businesses that depend on helium have met with shortages from suppliers. In downtown Houston, American Balloon and Novelty Co. owner Deborah Muse said there have been times when she couldn't get helium for weeks. Mike Havard, co-owner of Havard Welding in Galena Park, said he's kept his customers supplied but
acknowledged that demand is heavy.

"There is a shortage. There is some concern of allocation," said Havard.

Ow!

Why do I always manage to cut my tongue when eating a Tootsie Roll Pop? Not that I really care how many licks it takes to reach the Tootsie Roll center of the Tootsie Pop. There seems to always be a section of the candy that has a tiny, tiny crevice and the edges are very, very sharp. Almost like eating a piece of glass. Mmmm.

Poor Dilbert

Go North, um I Mean South

Even though I'm not a member, I watched a repeat of Nova yesterday on my local PBS station. It was called Magnetic Storm and dealt with the Earth's magnetic field and how it was gradually weakening. Basically the field is decreasing because either the Earth is about to lose it's field because the core is solidifying or the field is about to reverse itself. The first cause is hypothesized to be why Mars is a dead planet. The second is what most scientists believe is happening now to the Earth. I thought it was very interesting that the Earth has reversed its magnetic field hundreds of times in the past and that we are overdue for it happening again. It's a scary scenario and life would become more complicated than it is now. That would be for the people who don't die as a result of the reversal.

I Want That One...No, Maybe That One

Does anyone remember when Halloween costumes came in boxes? The top of the box had a clear plastic window so you could see the mask and the costume was folded underneath it. I miss that. Now you have to sort through the costumes that are hanging off of display walls and most of the time they fall off the racks and end up on the floor being trampled by everyone. I remember after my parents bought me a costume, I would hold the box in my hands staring at the mask while riding back home in the family car. Thinking about how scary I would be and all the treats I would get on Halloween night. Times have changed.

Ever Wonder...

Why the hell the 3 Musketeers candy bar was named such? Well you can find out here. Does anyone remember the commercials for the candy bar from back in the 70's? I can't so feel free to jog my memory. And when did Mars become Masterfoods? And how did they reduce the fat content by 45%?

Viva Garfield!

That's A Lot Of Gas

I saw a commercial last night about the major oil refinery in town. They said that they produce 2.5 million gallons of gasoline per day. If that's the case, then why isn't the gasoline sold at their branded stations at bargain prices? I understand the distribution channels and all that malarkey but is there some kind of law that prevents the refinery from setting up their own gas pumps and selling direct to the public? You know, cut out the middleman and pay less.

There Are Lots of Me

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 2,385 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Now You See It, Now You Don't

So scientists have created a cloak of invisibility. Even though it only works with microwaves right now, they say "the chance of adapting the concept to visible light is good". Man, how cool is that? I came across this video clip of a Japanese experiment of the same kind of technology but this seems to have successfully applied the concept to visual light. I don't know if this is only a concept video of how such a cloak would work or if it is just a hoax. I have my doubts but I've said this before and I'll say it again...Those Japanese are clever people. Anyway, DM, Wendel the Dwarf is putting on his cloak of invisibility and entering the cavern with sword drawn while Clydophalese the thief keeps his eyes on the slumbering Orcs.

Tag, You're It!

When I was in elementary school, I remember playing tag and variants of the game like freeze tag. In all the years and numerous days of play I cannot recall getting hurt or any of my friends getting hurt while playing tag. In Physical Education class we used to play dodge ball as an organized class activity in the gym. Remember those red rubber balls that came in different sizes? When you got hit with one of the small ones in the leg, it would leave a nice outline of the ball on you and sting like hell. I remember lots of kids who got hurt playing that game.

I read yesterday that many school districts across the U.S. are banning tag playing. They are worried that students might get hurt and parents will sue the school. (These days, everyone is suing someone for something. I think it’s because there are too many lawyers). I guess schools have the freedom to ban any activities they think are dangerous but I think this is a little excessive. Recess and running around are part of school. Falling down and getting a scraped knee or elbow is part of growing up. If schools are afraid of personal injury claims then they should probably remove all the playground equipment too. So, in the end, there will be no more tag, red rover, flag football, swings, and seesaws, just to name a few. But at least we can sleep well at night knowing our kids are safe in the playground at school.

Another List

The top 10 best high school movies as ranked by Entertainment Weekly.

1. The Breakfast Club
2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
3. Dazed and Confused
4. Rebel Without a Cause
5. Heathers
6. American Graffiti
7. Clueless
8. Boyz N the Hood
9. Election
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

You can see the complete list of the top 50 and the reasons why they made the list here.

Sad But True

It's official. At this moment in time, I'm worth more dead, than alive. Woo hoo!

Still...

Continues to keep my interest. Heroes, that is. I hope the show doesn't take a nose dive and disappoint me like some of the other new shows.

Just a Thought

I was waiting in line last night to get gasoline. Yes, waiting in line to purchase that liquid gold that makes my car run. It was posted $2.10 a gallon, which is the lowest I've seen in a very long time, so I waited. While waiting, I noticed that most of the cars and trucks were waiting in line for the pumps that could access the driver's side of the car to fill up. I was too. At least at this station, I know from experience that if I went to the opposite pump, I would not be able to get the hose around the car to get the nozzle into the tank. So here's my thought. Why can't the automobile manufacturers build their cars and trucks with access points for gas on both sides of the vehicle? That way it really wouldn't matter which pump you pull up to because you could fill up from either side of the vehicle. Sounds simple to me, but of course I'm not an engineer.

Exam

I had an appointment this morning at a clinic for my medical exam, which is needed to determine insurability for the life insurance company. It took about 20 minutes which included question and answer time, height and weight measurement, chest and waist measurement, blood pressure check, blood samples, and finally the good old urine sample. My main gripe of this entire process was why the hell was it so cold in that clinic? That and all the damn questions about my health and having to give blood/urine samples. I guess a man's word is no longer good for anything these days. Oh well. Hopefully the results will indicate a clean bill of health.

Hubble

Even though the Hubble telescope cost hundreds of millions of dollars and was broken when it was deployed into space (but later fixed), it has aided astronomers and scientists infinitely. And the layman or student can access the Hubble website and see the many discoveries and awesome pictures of far away galaxies. Very educational and interesting.

What? No, I'm Not!

You Are Scary

You even scare scary people sometimes!

How Scary Are You?

Semantic or Syntax

I'm writing this post in the late-morning. Or could this be considered early-afternoon? I wouldn't because to me, afternoon is just that...after 12 PM. But I know people who don't subscribe to that. And what exactly is mid-afternoon? Would that be noon or sometime around 3 PM? I consider early-evening to be around 6 or 7 PM. Others may not so all this could go out the window. Time is just so relative.

What's Up With That?

Yet another pattern of super cells and golf ball sized hail and tornado watches and warnings this afternoon and evening here. I still think global warming has a role in this weird weather pattern. I just finished watching Heroes and I have to ask why poor little Claire gets most of the unneeded blood and guts parts. But the ending in the morgue just cracked me up despite the scene.

For Sale : Possessed Car

Remember the movie Christine? You can buy her here for a mere $175,000. But wouldn't that be great? You get in a little fender-bender and the car actually repairs itself. It might also kill the other driver out of anger/jealousy/paranoia but that's what you get for buying it. Oops, I mean her. Nice Christine, good Christine. Hurry though, the auction ends on October 10.

Look And See

What The Grudge 2 movie site has for your entertainment.

I'm Getting A Headache

Calculating my life insurance needs and types is definitely confusing.

Ten Mad Elephants

Are here.

The Open Door

Evanescence rocks!

Definitive Proof

Ok, here's a picture of the Loch Ness Monster taken the other day. It clearly shows a fin from Nessie. This will surely put the "unbelievers" in their places. Um, what's that? Oh, this is actually a photo of a humpback whale taken off the Australian coast. Drat! Well, I still believe in Nessie.

Why...

Am I so obsessed with the Resident Evil franchise of video games? I think I'm hooked on the survival horror genre. Probably started with me playing id Software's DOOM although that really isn't considered survival horror. Anyway, I've been replaying RE Code Veronica X to try and finish it with an "A" rating (I told myself that I can't play the next game in the series until I unlock all the unlockables from the previous game). If I accomplish that, then I can restart the game and have an infinite Rocket Launcher as a weapon. There's a certain satisfaction that comes when you can blast a creature to bits with a rocket. So far, after 3 attempts with limited saves and decreasing total game times, I still haven't received the coveted "A" ranking. Well, I just found out how to do that. I can't save the game at all and I can't use first-aid sprays. Gosh, that kind of makes it difficult. Plus, I have to block off a few hours of time for game play. That's the nearly impossible task. Let's see what happens.

Loitering

I was in the local chain book store searching for a particular title and became irritated because I couldn't walk down the damn aisles. Why? Because people are camped out on the floor reading and drinking coffee. When I got home, I started thinking. Isn't that a form of shoplifting? They aren't buying anything and they could actually read the entire book depending on what time they came in and how many bathroom breaks they take. Oooo, what if they take the book with them into the bathroom? Alright, delete that thought.

The next time I'm wanting a book that I don't necessarily mean to add to my library, or I'm too cheap to pay for, I'm going to read it in the store. I'll go buy me a cup of java, grab the book, and stretch out on the floor. If I don't have too much time, I'll just dog ear the page and come back another day. How's that for being thrifty?

I Wonder...

Why the kid didn't feel it? Or hear it, for that matter? You know, little bug feet scraping against your ear canal.

SOMERSET, Wisc. -- Wisconsin doctors found the source of one high school football player's pain -- a beetle in his ear. The bug, the size of a dime, was found lodged inside Jake Asp's ear. The Somerset High School senior began complaining of headaches after a game last weekend. That's when doctors found the bug and surgically removed it. "It was pretty big," Asp said. "I'm surprised it got in my ear." Now the only thing bugging the star player is a few beetle-related jokes.

More Grey Hair

I love it when it's the end of the month plus the end of the quarter for this company. Lots of pressure, work and heart related, and I get to imitate a chicken with its head cut off. Fun. Yay work!

Bad People

DALLAS -- A Dallas driver knocked unconscious after a car crash woke up to find he had become a robbery victim. The man crashed early Saturday morning on the CF Hawn Freeway where it comes to a sharp curve and the speed limit drops to 20 mph.

The victim was barely conscious when the highway robbers hit. As the man waited for paramedics to arrive, a crowd of people picked his pockets and cleaned out his car, police said.

“To wake up from an accident and have been robbed, that's surreal,” victim Robert Malley said. Malley is recovering from bumps and bruises, and from the shock of what happened after he crashed his car.

“There were probably 15 to 20 people all around the car,” Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Brad Cox said. Dallas firefighters quickly realized that the crowd around the car wasn't there to help. “We pulled him out of the car, we noticed his pockets were folded out and we pretty much knew what happened,” Cox said.

“(The) pockets were totally pulled inside out -– I didn't have anything in them,” Malley said. Robert's wallet was gone and so were his keys, along with an iPod and a pair of shoes.

Interesting

Watched NBC's new series Heroes this evening. I'm not really into the graphic novels/comics genre so I wasn't really sure what to expect from the show. It kept my attention and I think I will watch it again. I could have done without the hand in the running in-sink garbage disposal, though. I thought the producers had already clearly established the fact that Claire had extraordinary powers and didn't need that. Yuck.

Brrrr

It's starting to cool down here. Woo hoo! Daytime highs forecasted in the mid to lower eighties and nighttime lows around sixty. It actually kind of feels like fall weather. I like cool weather. Now if only it would snow...

Yuck

Six Flags Great America is offering guests at their annual Fright Fest this year a quick way to the front of the line for some of their rides. So, if a ride has a one hour wait, some guests will be able to bypass the line and move right up front. The catch (there's always a catch) is, to be able to do that, you have to eat a live cockroach. The good thing is that roaches are "extremely low in fat and high in protein." Mmmmm, put me at the front of the line.

For Shame

Well, there aren't any T.M.X. Elmos left around town. All the major chains sold out yesterday. Even the internet vendors are sold out. I'm kicking myself because I could have ordered one on Amazon yesterday but didn't and now they're out. But I see lots of Elmos being sold on eBay. It kind of irritates me that people are taking advantage of a parent's love for their child and actually planned to buy up the Elmos to sell for a profit. Now why didn't I think of that?

Elmo's Tenth Anniversary

Wow. It's been ten years since the first Tickle Me Elmo was released and today is a really special day because the highly secret T.M.X. Elmo is now for sale ("X" for extreme/ten). Call me a bad parent but I didn't go wait in line in the wee hours of the morning waiting for the store to open and fight other parents for the last Elmo. Even though The Little One absolutely loves Elmo, I'll take my chances and go to the store this evening to try to find one or try the internet. So the adventure begins. I'm having thoughts of the movie Jingle All the Way and Arnold's fiasco looking for Turbo Man.

Mmmm, Beer

The 25 Best Beers in America as featured in the October issue of Men's Journal.

1 - Firestone Walker Pale Ale: Paso Robles, CA
2 - Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA: Milton, DE
3 - Stoudt's Pils: Adamstown, PA
4 - Russian River Temptation Ale: Santa Rosa, CA
5 - Avery Mephistopheles' Stout: Boulder, CO
6 - Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale: Boonville, CA
7 - Great Lakes Holy Moses White Ale: Cleveland, OH
8 - Full Sail Session Lager: Hood River, OR
9 - Rogue Brutal Bitter: Newport, OR
10 - Bell's Expedition Stout: Comstock, MI
11 - Southampton Double White: Southampton, NY
12 - Smuttynose Big A IPA: Portsmouth, NH
13 - Penn Weizen: Pittsburgh, PA
14 - Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale: Cleveland, OH
15 - Ommegang Hennepin: Cooperstown, NY
16 - Samuel Adams Black Lager: Boston, MA
17 - Sprecher Hefe Weiss: Milwaukee, WI
18 - Alaskan Amber: Juneau, AK
19 - Deschutes Broken Top Bock: Bend, OR
20 - Lost Abbey Avant Garde: San Marcos, CA
21 - Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière: Dexter, MI
22 - Victory St. Victorious Doppelbock: Downington, PA
23 - Allagash Interlude: Portland, ME
24 - Alesmith Speedway Stout: San Diego, CA
25 - New Glarus Yokel: New Glarus, WI

Memories

My short term memory is going and it's going fast. I don't have a clue as to what I was going to blog about. Oh well, that's life.

Lazy

I am feeling so lazy. Have been for the past couple of days. Haven't been blogging or reading or anything really productive. Well, let me leave you with something that was told to me many years ago..."If you do something three times in a row, it becomes a habit."

Humps

This is an overhead picture of a caravan of camels taken by George Steinmetz for National Geographic. What's visually stunning about this photograph is that the camels are the small white and brown objects and the black that you see are actually the shadows cast by the camels. When you enlarge the photograph and look closely, this becomes apparent. Cool.

Shaking My Head

What more can Wal-Mart do to stir things up in the "controversy" pot?

Wal-Mart partners with the NGLCC

You Put What Where?

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) -- Cellular telephones were found inside four prisoners in El Salvador's maximum-security prison, authorities said Wednesday.

The discovery was made Tuesday at the prison in Zacatecoluca, in central El Salvador, after suspicious officials took X-rays of each of the inmates, federal corrections chief Jaime Villanova said. The names of the prisoners, all members of the dangerous Mara Salvatrucha gang, were not released in order to avoid jeopardizing an ongoing investigation that began a month ago, he said.

Capt. Juan Ramon Arevalo, director of the prison known as Zacatras, said the gang members had introduced the cell phones, wrapped in plastic bags, into their bodies through their anuses. Authorities also found nine cell phone chips and one charger. "Each one had a cellular with a number of chips," Arevalo said, adding that one also had hidden a charger in his anal cavity.

The inmates allegedly used cell phones to direct criminal activities on the street from inside the prison, Arevalo said. The smuggled phones were found during an investigation at prisons throughout the country amid complaints from business owners of extortion by gang members. Prisoners change phone chips frequently to avoid being traced, Arevalo said.

The police have doubled their security levels to combat the criminals.

They're All Jackasses

I cannot believe that Jackass: The Movie made enough money to allow these idiots to make another movie. Just saw a preview on the television for Jackass: Number Two and it's a safe bet that those who liked the first will probably like the second. Call me an old stick-in-the-mud but I guess I just don't have the same sense of humor as the makers of the films so I just find them unpleasant.

Do You Remember...

The Starlight Vocal Band and their hit song Afternoon Delight? For some awful reason or other, that song keeps running through my head this morning. At work. Agggg!

Creepy

I just saw a Discover Card commercial featuring hundreds, no thousands, of scissors marching down the streets of a city. People didn't seem afraid and instead starting throwing their non-Discover credit cards at the scissors which promptly cut them in half. There's something about this commercial that frightens me. I can't put a finger on it but maybe it has something to do with a rule I was told to obey when I was younger. That rule was "Don't run with scissors." I don't know about you but if I were sitting at a cafe drinking a cappuccino and saw a multitude of scissors coming down the street, I would freak. Yes, definitely.

Tea Time

بعد انقلاب أنصاره عليه.. بلير يتنحى خلال عام
أعلن رئيس الوزراء البريطاني توني بلير، الذي يواجه معارضة متزايدة من البريطانيين وحتى من داخل قاعدته في حزب العمال، أنه سيتنحى عن السلطة خلال عام. التفاصيل...

Double Take

Hmmm, I think Ben Affleck and Adam Sandler are the same person. Probably the result of some alien genetics experiment gone wrong or a government conspiracy. Personally, I think you could interchange either one in the other's movie and end up with the same result.

Again

Here

Crikey!

Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was killed today while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He apparently swam too close to a stingray which impaled him with it's barbed tail and punctured his heart. He died soon afterwards. My kids are going to be very sad because they enjoyed his shows very much. I enjoyed his shows, too. He brought my family and myself many hours of entertainment and excitement. We will miss him and his escapades with nature.

Wet Sunday

It's raining. Surprise, surprise. It really hasn't stopped raining since Friday night. Parts of town are flooding again and residents are trying to clean up again. The forecast calls for more rain tonight and tomorrow as well. Well, let it rain because I have to work tomorrow.

Wet Saturday

It's raining. Again. It started late last night and hasn't stopped. At least it's not raining very hard. Only a light drizzle with occasional harder moments. Hopefully it will stay that way and end soon. The ground around town is so saturated that it cannot absorb any more water. It just leads to more flooding.

Amar Es Combatir

Maná does it again.

Mmmmm

Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Milano cookies. I'm eating one as I type here at work. Yummy.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Live from...the ladies room, it's CNN's Kyra Phillips.
It wouldn't be as amusing if someone other than President Bush were speaking.

Deja Vu

BACK THERE

Smart Dog or Dumb Owner?

Look out! Look out! Turn the damn wheel! Woof!

BEIJING (AP) -- A woman in Hohhot, the capital of north China's Inner Mongolia region, crashed her car while giving her dog a driving lesson, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday. No injuries were reported although both vehicles were slightly damaged, it said.

The woman, identified only be her surname, Li, said her dog "was fond of crouching on the steering wheel and often watched her drive," according to Xinhua. "She thought she would let the dog 'have a try' while she operated the accelerator and brake," the report said. "They did not make it far before crashing into an oncoming car."

Xinhua did not say what kind of dog or vehicles were involved but Li paid for repairs.

No More PS2 Woe

Well, somehow when The Little One knocked over the unit, the disk inside got damaged. The unit will load and play other games without a problem. Only the game I was playing won't load. Oh well, it could have been worse.

Play Station 2 Woes

I was playing Madden NFL this afternoon and had the unit standing upright on the floor. The Little One came walking into the room and at first, only walked up to the television and kissed one of the players. Then she turned around and first touched the PS2 and then proceeded to push it over. It landed flat and the sound went out but that was from the cable in the back coming partly loose from the tussle. I plugged it back in and the game played fine. Later this evening, I decided to get in a quick game and to my woe, the game wouldn't start. I reset and then only the PS2 configuration screen would come on. After about 20 minutes I decided to tackle the problem later and turned it off. This could be the *perfect* excuse for buying a PS3 when it comes out. Hmmm.

Dumb...Dumber

The first part is just plain dumb. Should have just made them wear a uniform.

If there's an air marshal on your flight, you're not supposed to be able to tell who he is. And in order to help protect the anonymity of air marshals, the rules on how they dress and where they stay will be changing.

Marshals had complained that when they were on a flight to Hawaii, they could easily be picked out from among the vacationers because of their jackets and collared shirts. So from now on, they'll be able to dress the way they want.

They'll also be able to choose their own hotels. This could solve the problem that was uncovered in a recent report to Congress. It found that a Sheraton in Florida had designated the Federal Air Marshal Service "company of the month" because of the number of rooms it had reserved there. Again, not the best way to keep a low profile.

The hotel part is just dumber.

Character Fight

Who would win a match between these two?

"Helloooo, Newman."

"Helloooo, Jerry."

Mentos + Diet Coke Evolution

I can see lots of ways this trick could go very bad...

Today Is Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, you know what that means,
We're gonna have a special guest.
So get out the broom and sweep the place clean,
And dust off the mat so the welcome can be seen.

Roll out the carpet, strike up the band,
And give out with a Hip Hooray! Hip Hooray!
Wiggle your ears like good Mouseketeers,
We're gonna present a guest today.

'Cause Tuesday is Guest Star Day!


Words & Music by Jimmie Dodd

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire

Am I dysfunctional or what? I realized today that I find some profound pleasure in catching someone in a lie. I know they are lying and I can see how they are trying so hard to make everything sound like they aren't lying. They just keeping getting deeper in the hole that they are digging. And I egg them on, too. I make it so they have to come up with another lie to cover their first one. I'm so bad.

Texas Rangers Win The World Series!

Not. Well, they did in High Heat Baseball for the PS2. The Rangers were up against the New York Mets and swept the series. Yes, I spent way too much time playing the season and my wife was not pleased. But what can I say? I'm a video game addict. Now, on to Madden NFL.

Another Well Spent Saturday

This is my second Saturday in a row at work. Like I don't have anything else to do. And it's not raining either...yet. Yay, work!

Buying Gas

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Aaagg! More stupid rain yesterday. More stupid flooding. If that's not bad enough, afterwards, there's so much debris like rocks (boulders) and plants in the roadways that driving becomes an adventure. And there's more rain in the forecast for today, too. Oh, and my yodeling class was cancelled.

Bad Vibes?

I've been thinking. Our bodies are being exposed to so many "waves" nowadays. Broadcast waves, microwaves, WiFi, radio waves, cellular telephones...The list goes on. These must be affecting our bodies in some way even minutely speaking. If we hop into our Time Machine and travel back a couple of hundred years, most of these waves didn't exist. So, my point is, did people *feel* better back then? I mean physically. You know, less headaches, joint pain, nearsightedness, intestinal distress? Those kinds of things. I'm guessing people felt better then. This correlation could be debated but I'm getting a call on my cell phone so it will have to wait for another day.

Skier Eludes Death's Grip

Hard to believe. Only eight lives left.

Numbers Quiz

Guess the significance of the following numbers (some might have more than one):

666 - The number of the beast; Iron Maiden album

• 90210
• 1984
• 007
• 3.14159
• 2112
• $6,000,000
• 451
• 867-5309
• 42
• 1492
• KL5-4796

Playing With Fish

I was browsing the games section of Yahoo today and came across Fish Tycoon. You have to breed and care for fish in a real-time aquarium and also sell fish that you breed to make money so you can breed even more interesting and exotic species of fish. Interesting...It kept my attention for about half an hour. Now if they would make a "Tycoon" game simulating operating a gazillion screen multiplex theater, that would be fun. Of course you would start the game with only one screen but depending on your decisions, you can modernize and add additional screens and ticket booths and concession stands and game rooms and additional bathrooms and stadium seating and...Well, you get the point. :-)

Name Calling

Have you ever seen them? Cars and trucks with the driver's and/or passenger's name inscribed with stickers on the back window? I don't care for them at all. Probably something to do with my hang-up on privacy issues and such. But they do come in handy for me sometimes. It's not every day when a car cuts you off and you get the privilege of venting your peeve personally at the next stop light. "Hey, Raul! Where'd you get your license, Jackass!?!" Much better than hand signals.

Scott Feels Safer

Cynical, yet funny, here.

Immigrants Sewn Into Van Seats

Just goes to show how far some will go to try to get into the United States illegally. Three immigrants were found sewn into the seats of a van driven by a U.S. citizen crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Customs and Border Protection officials said the driver *appeared* nervous so they sent him into secondary inspection. He was arrested for smuggling.

Sorry About That

Talk about claustrophobia...

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- An 85-year-old woman was found in the vault of a Swiss bank when she set off motion detectors hours after the bank was already closed, according to a statement released Wednesday.

Employees at the Zuercher Kantonalbank apparently forgot about the woman. The director of the bank's safe allowed the woman into the vault on Monday before closing it punctually at 4:30 p.m. local time - with the woman still deep in study of her documents, ZKB said.

She remained so still that she initially failed to activate either the motion detector or the attached camera, the bank said in confirming a report that appeared in the Zurich-based daily "Tages-Anzeiger."

She was freed from the room four hours after the vault was closed. The bank gave the woman a bouquet of flowers for suffering from the ordeal and said it would decide on further nonfinancial compensation.

No Thanks

I tried a bottle of Coca-Cola BlaK this evening. It's a fusion of Coke and coffee. Kind of sounds nifty but...Yuck!

I've Decided...

That life would be less complicated and less stressful if I had a familiar to do my bidding. That is if I didn't have to get involved in all that satanic stuff or sell my soul to have one. I would prefer it to take the form of a dog or cat or maybe even an iguana. I wouldn't want a toad or a chicken, though. It would be difficult to explain away the toad or chicken sitting on my lap to the casual observer. Well, it's just a passing thought.

Jesus?

Does anyone really know what Jesus looked like? To me, that could be Rob Zombie I see in the shrimp tail.

What A Week

Talk about stress. Severe weather...lots of rain. Flooding around town from the rain. The river almost cresting and threatening to flood more areas. Evacuations near the city center for fear of a dam breaching. And I also had to get a flat tire repaired. Although my family was spared from any hardship, I really feel for all those families who lost so much. Hopefully the city will analyze what worked and didn't work as far as all the flooding went and will make some improvements or whatever they need to do to avoid this from happening again. They've got say, around 50 years before a repeat of this occurs.

Some Flood Pictures

A delivery truck caught in the flood waters

A major street turned into a river

This is a friend's old house on a corner while the water was still low

This is part of a six-lane street which turned into a river

A relatively new Blockbuster (less than a year old)

This is my street about a mile south from where I live

A usually busy intersection

The river trying to crest

Flooding

I get to leave work early. It's been raining here since 3 A.M. at a steady clip and a few down pours occasionally. The river has overflowed its banks and the canal has also, and the water is currently flooding the levee. Many streets are closed due to the flooding and we've decided to send everyone home. Some of the bridges back to home have shut down due to access roads flooding. What a day!

Yeah, Right

There are different calibers of actors. Although some are great actors, they are not "Oscar" quality. To quote Lindsay Lohan's mom...

"She will win an Academy Award for this picture," the elder Lohan told Access Hollywood.

I think not. BTW, Lindsay is not on my great actor list nor do I buy her mom's take on things regarding her problems on the set of her latest movie.

My Immortal

Can't wait until The Open Door is released...

Birthday Card and Penny

Just do it!

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/alyssa.asp

Is This Real??

Ghost Sighting at a dungeon...

Morbid But Technically Interesting

I've been reading some National Transportation Safety Board aircraft accident briefs on their "Publications" page. These are final reports detailing their findings and conclusions regarding aircraft accidents and any recommendations. I find them interesting not because of some morbid interest in death but more on the technical aspects of what went wrong. NTSB investigators must understand and analyze every single aspect and viewpoint when investigating an accident and determine an unbiased explanation. More importantly, they must come up with recommendations that might prevent a similar accident from occurring. Granted, most of these reports are dry reading but hey, I bought and enjoyed reading The 9/11 Commission Report.

Guilty

As a follow-up to my Guilty or Not post, the following information just became available...

The driver of a car in which four friends and the unborn child of one of the victims were killed, was sentenced today to two years in prison. Court officials said the driver, who was convicted of five counts of intoxicated manslaughter by a jury in state district court last week, was sentenced to two years on each count, but the sentences are to be served concurrently.

Should I Help?

Went to Sam's Club this afternoon and purchased some items. Among my goods were some relatively heavy items. Two cases of bottled water and a case of soda. The lady at the register was stocky but older. She was huffing and puffing when she scanned the water and soda and put them in my cart. With the newly remodeled register areas, I really couldn't get around to help her. I felt kind of bad that she actually worked up a sweat and was out of breath when she thanked me and gave me my receipt. Well, I guess that's what she gets paid for.