Please Remain Seated At All Times

It took me twenty minutes in line at Sam's Club before I paid and left because there were only five registers open and a gazillion people shopping in the store. For a second there I thought I was at Walmart. Anyway, while waiting patiently I pretty much finished reading all the nutrition facts for the stuff in my cart. There was nothing else to do and that's when I started to read the instructions printed on the child seat of the cart. You know, it's that plastic flappy deal that covers the openings for the child's legs or prevents things from falling out through the openings if you aren't using the seat. All depends on which way it's positioned.

The instructions (in English and Spanish) for use and things not to do were pretty straight forward and included diagrams. Truthfully, I don't think I've ever read those instructions even though I use the seat a lot when shopping with my kids. What caught my eye was this warning: "Your child can fall out of cart and suffer a serious head injury." Well, yeah, that's a possibility. But how about a broken arm? Or even a broken neck. It's scary thinking of all the various results that can occur if one falls out of the cart but I'm puzzled why the warning didn't just say "serious injuries?" The door is open for a personal injury attorney to make some quick cash.

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What about broken bones?

Don't Follow Me 'Cause I'm Lost Too

To me things like this belittles the Catholic church but that's just me. Maybe I used the wrong word. It just seems that there are more important issues to be dealt with than moral conduct during the use of a motor vehicle.

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

Oh, please. But I guess if every driver followed these rules driving would be more pleasant and less stressful. Read the whole story here.

Oh The Horror

I had a really bad dream last night. I was yelling in my sleep during the dream and thank goodness my wife woke me. I dreamed that I lived in the house from the Ju-On series and Kayako was coming after me. It scared the hell out of me. After I awoke I just had to laugh for a while relieved that it was all just a dream.

I Am NOT Insane!

This is for everyone who said I was crazy because they had never heard of Grins & Smiles & Giggles & Laughs cereal. RASPBERRY! I seem to remember that it tasted a bit like Cap'n Crunch cereal. And I think I still have some of the free magnets that were included in specially marked boxes.

Try Converting This

According to an article in today's paper, thieves are crawling under cars and trucks to steal the catalytic converter, a device to reduce pollutants in the exhaust. They use a small electric cutting device and can remove the converter in 30 seconds. But why would they want to steal that? It turns out that inside the catalytic converter are small amounts of platinum or rhodium which are metals that can be sold on the black market for a high price. The police say that these thefts occur during all times of the day and mostly in large commercial parking lots. What will they think of next?

And I'm saddened by the passing of Mr. Wizard. Even though I watched him in the 80's I found his program entertaining and educational.

Isn't That The Truth?

Old Wive's Tale

After surfing the Internet with the Little One's symptoms yesterday I came to the conclusion that it was a rare form of a degenerative bone disease that inflicts about 1.25 in 1,000,000,000 persons living in tropical environments. Once we got to the pediatrician's office and described the symptoms to the doctor, she examined the Little One's feet and legs and said not to worry. She said it probably was growing pains and explained that only about 20% of children experience this and it usually occurs at night after a day of physical activities. Just give some children's Motrin before bedtime and everything should be fine. Whew, what a relief. Oh, and it turns out that when I was a little tyke myself, I used to wake up in the middle of the night with pains in my lower legs. I had no recollection of that.

Growing Pains

The Little One woke up twice last night crying and saying that her feet hurt. Each time it took about thirty minutes of rubbing and massaging her feet and ankles before she would stop crying and fall back to sleep. I don't know what's wrong or if this is something to take seriously. I looked on the web for help and all that has done is make me more paranoid about what could be wrong. And the instruction manual is no help at all, either.

Literally Speaking

From a Lease Contract:

"Death of Sole Resident. If you are the sole resident, upon your death you may terminate the Lease Contract without penalty with at least 30 days written notice. You will be liable for payment of rent until the latter of: (1) the termination date, or (2) until all possessions in the apartment are removed. You will be liable for all rent, charges, and damages to the apartment until it is vacated, and any removal and storage costs."

Yeah, maybe I'll have the luxury of knowing in advance when Death will come knocking on my door but you can surely bet I won't be wasting my time writing a 30 day notice. I won't have time to worry about penalties or liabilities either because I'll be DEAD! And if I were to return from the dead like a zombie from a George Romero film, I wouldn't be wasting my time removing my possessions. I'd be chasing down dinner.

Uneccesary T.V. Children

The article did right by putting Cousin Oliver at the top. Wait, I take that back. Kim Bauer should have been up there. Or maybe not. Hey, didn't Gilligan adopt a monkey during a season? Or was that Lost In Space. I get the two confused. See the article here and you can also take a poll of the most unnecessary child from a list of the unwanted there, too.

Warning

I was getting gas this evening and since I no longer enjoy watching the digital numbers on the gas pump change, my eyes were wandering. That's when I happened to notice the warnings printed on the plastic molding on the pump nozzle. To me most of them seemed to be common sense kind of stuff (Extinguish all flames, Turn off engine, etc.) but I guess you never know. The item that caught my eye though was "Licensed drivers only." Does that mean my mother-in-law who doesn't have a driver's license cannot operate the pump? How about a learner's permit? Can those teens pump gas or do they need to have the licensed driver accompanying them do it? And is it a crime for a licensed driver to pump gas for an unlicensed person? Even though it has been years since I took the exam for my driver's license I don't recall having to study anything about pumping gas.

I Have No Recollection Of That

That's what you should say especially if you work in Washington. So the former chief of staff to Vice President Cheney was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. I don't know. I think that's a little harsh for lying and obstructing and technically no one was really hurt right? Right? Let's see what happens during the appeal. Read the story here.

Get the F*** Out of My Kitchen

Chef Gordon Ramsay is so unpredictable and angry that it's scary. I'd probably cry if he spit out my signature dish and started yelling at me. At least Mondays without 24 will be entertaining now that he's back.

Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are

I'm fascinated by this stuff. UFOs, Nessie, Big Foot, giant squids, monster spiders in the Amazon Basin, and haunted places to name a few. So I was really excited when I read the news about a new video taken at Loch Ness. Is it Nessie or isn't it? You decide. I think it is.

Xiang Xiang Lost and Now Nadi

Bred in captivity, released into the wild at five years old, and died less than a year later. Despite three years of "training in survival techniques and defense tactics," he apparently fell from a great height while fighting other pandas. So sad. Read the story here.

Nadi, a rare 40 year old white rhinoceros, died today at the San Diego Zoo. This endangered rhinoceros species' population is estimated at only 13 worldwide and only 5 roaming the wild. A sad state of affairs we humans have created on this planet. Read the story here.

Buy Bye Birdie

So I take my vehicle into the dealership this morning to get a manufacturer's recall taken care of. The courtesy driver is out and about so I go browsing through the new car lot. The Toyota Tundra caught my eye and soon a salesman caught me. We took it out for a test drive and I was impressed. I didn't have the heart to tell the guy I wasn't interested in buying a new car at this time so we went inside to run some numbers. If I trade in my vehicle with 21 payments still outstanding I could buy the $36,000 truck for $1 more than my car payment at this time. But then I would have 5 more years of a car payment. Should I or shouldn't I? Very tempting. Absolutely...not!

Totally Tasteless

A Dutch television network is stooping to a new low by creating the "Big Donor Show" in which contestants vie for a kidney belonging to a terminally ill woman. Unbelievable. Read the story here.

Time For Me To Grill

Snakes & Arrows

Rush rocks.

Curds and Whey

There are many things I think are inaccurate with Peter Parker aka Spiderman in his extemporization of an arachnid. The one that really stands out is his web, or more exactly, where it squirts out of. Shouldn't the web really squirt out of his butt or abdomen? Yeah, it wouldn't be a pretty site but accuracy is important. But just think. Spiders are creepy enough but imagine if they were like Spiderman and they could squirt their web out of their appendages. Yuck.

Black Rain

Ozzy is back and he rocks!!

Will It Ever End?

Had to put gas in the vehicle this evening. I went to a location near me that always has the best price around town and they were charging $3.23 a gallon. Still better than the prices at other locations. Grand total for 22 gallons...$71.04! Gas hybrids, hmmmm.

Power of Observation or Not

A little quiz to pass the time.

So I Can't Differentiate Between Java Beans & Fava Beans

This quiz displays a picture and you have to decide whether they are a computer geek or a serial killer. Have fun. Oh, 5 out of 10 for me.

Holy Reminiscence of Chris Daughtry, Batman!

See, this is why I'm not going to watch the show anymore...again. Sure, Blake can b-b-b-beatbox but his s-s-s-singing is so-so-o-o-o. Jordin is young, pretty, and can sing well but not consistently. My money was on Melinda to win but maybe all her supporters did get complacent. Read the entire story here.

In other news, I think I only come to work because of the free coffee.

That's So Dumb

Morons. Read the story here. Don't they realize they will never get that wasted time back? It's gone forever. Disappeared into the past.

O 68, O 68, I 18, I 18

I'm plugging this show purely for selfish motives. Hey, Bingo is a national past-time isn't it? With this you get all the excitement and dough without the cigarette smoke. How much more fun and excitement could you wish for?

No, No, Nooooooo!!

It's 8:10 and I'm watching a rerun of The Simpsons on FOX. Actually I've been watching reruns since 7:45. You see, I was watching a rerun of House which started at 7:00 but that abruptly cut off at around 7:20. The station was off the air for about 15 minutes and then House came back on. After about 5 minutes the show cut off again. After about another 5 minutes The Simpsons reruns started. 24 should be on now but there's a message that scrolls across the bottom of the screen saying the station is experiencing technical difficulties and they are trying to restore regular programming. They better show 24 in its entirety.

UPDATE: Apparently the local FOX affiliate suffered a catastrophic system failure which knocked out all of their program feeds. They have it fixed now and will air 24 tomorrow night at 10PM. Woo Hoo!

Change The Channel

I've probably said this before but I'm going to say it again. I can't stand having previews at the beginning of a DVD. A just released DVD is not too bad because the previews are current. But let's say you just bought a DVD movie that's a few years old. I mean who wants to see a preview of Big Momma's House today? And what makes it worse is that you can't skip the preview on a lot of DVDs. The best you can do is fast-forward through them. Battlefield Earth, oh yeah, Travolta and Whitaker at their best. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, a quality flick. And Mission to Mars, good cast but boring. At least I've got time to make the popcorn after I pop the DVD into the player.

Total Recall

I've got the day off so I took my vehicle into the dealership for some required maintenance. They tell me that there is a recall notice for the lower ball joint in the front suspension. The recall went into effect in January of this year. I'm just wondering why they don't send something in the mail to inform you of the recall. What if I had decided against taking my vehicle into the dealer? What if I just took it to Jiffylube for an oil change? This goes for just about anything you buy and have to register it. I know it's just a marketing ploy but if the manufacturer has your information why not use it for recall notices? Of course the dealer has to order the parts so I've got to come back at a later date to fix the problem. It figures.

The Devil's Handiwork

That would be Sudoku. I've become addicted. It's a wonderful tool to eat away time when I should be doing something important.

My One Cent

A couple of famous individuals got away with it recently in my opinion. That would be O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake. Maybe Phil Spector will be next. But we still have Paris. Of course she only violated probation by driving on a suspended license. A misunderstanding according to her but then again she wouldn't have been on probation if she had not been caught driving under the influence in the first place. Bad Paris. Now she thinks it's unfair and cruel and doesn't deserve going to jail for 45 days. Poor Paris. Notice of intent to appeal have been filed on her behalf.

But this is what really chafes me: a petition to Governor Schwarzenegger to pardon Paris. Oh, please pardon her because she provides "beauty and excitement to (most of) our otherwise mundane lives," states the petition. It even goes on to say "If the late former President Gerald Ford could find it in his heart to pardon the late former President Richard Nixon after his mistake(s), we undeniably support Paris Hilton being pardoned for her honest mistake as well, and we hope and expect the governor will understand and grant this unusual but important request in good faith to Ms. Paris Whitney Hilton," the petition says.

I'm rolling my eyes with my arms outstretched to the heavens. Apples to oranges, people, apples to oranges. Aaaagh!

You Have Nothing To Worry About

The circus was fun. The kids really enjoyed themselves. The show had twelve performing animals in all. There were six dancing horses, five Frisbee catching dogs, and an elephant. There was also only one ring. I seem to remember from my youth that there were three rings and lots of animals including lions and tigers. Perhaps the venue prevented the other rings from being used? The souvenir stands accepted credit cards. I guess times have changed.

The Circus Is In Town

The Greatest Show On Earth® is here. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's circus is where we'll be at on Sunday afternoon. Courtesy of a friend of mine who bought us tickets to the show. Ordinarily I would not buy tickets to a circus because I feel sorry for the animals. But I must admit that when I saw the Ringling circus when I was a little kid, I was really impressed and enjoyed it a lot. So I had to think about my objections to the treatment of circus animals or seeing my daughters' happy, smiling faces as they watch the show live. I figured my conscience would survive a couple of hours of animal commercialization. We shall see.

Find f(x) if f (1) = e

Basic math skills. Basic math skills. Basic math skills.

I'm not talking about calculating the derivative of a function but simple division. What is 60 divided by 7? You may even use paper if you need to. Or even a calculator. Just as long as your answer is 8.57142 or there abouts. If you can't handle basic math then you obviously shouldn't be in a position where you deal with numbers. Or money. It's bad enough that high schoolers working at fast food joints can't give back correct change but an adult manager at a super electronics store? Give me a break.

And I think Walmart sells censored music CDs. Those f*^%!#$ as^&%$#@.

Way To Go Idaho

I have been getting frustrated trying to find some information that would prove that I'm not just imagining things or going crazy. I have memories of an amusement center located inside Dallas Love Field airport in the mid 70s. I think it took up one of the airport's concourses and contained a roller skating rink, ice skating rink, theaters, arcades, and snack shops. One admission price allowed you to use all the facilities. I think I even saw parts of a sci-fi classic movie, Logan's Run, there. That would place the time frame to 1976. I even recall the T.V. commercials advertising this place had The Beatles' All You Need Is Love as the background music. What the heck was this place called and why can't I find anything about it?

Save It For Someone Who Cares

The other day I drove by a "church" that had double glass doors at the entrance. It was in the afternoon on a weekday so there probably wasn't a service going on. The parking lot was also empty and the curtains were drawn behind the front doors. I thought that was rather odd. Drawn curtains at the entrance. What are they trying to hide? It reminded me of traveling carnivals and the side shows proclaiming you could witness the Amazing Gorilla Woman or Slithering Snake Man if you were brave enough to enter the curtained entrance way. As if the curtains were some magical tome that would blind us from the flim-flam and sham of great proportions that would soon follow. Wait, that's odd...I hear thunder on a perfectly clear day.

You Uncultured Swine

I've been invited to an intervention but have yet to accept or decline. I have no idea what to bring if I go. I'm not very creative in the kitchen so maybe I can get away with just bringing some chips and dip. Mmmmmm.

Give Me Five

I had one of these when I was little. My dad or mom bought it and I was just tickled pink by it. The contraption was made of metal and the plastic skeleton hand would come out from under a black "blanket" and take the coin. Then the head would lean up as if it were looking for another coin. I wish I still had it.

Pocket Change

Chances are I will never make it into outer space unless aliens abduct me. Therefore I probably won't be able to experience weightlessness. But physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking will soon be able to experience zero gravity through a private company called Zero G. For a mere $3,500 you too can experience zero gravity for about seven minutes, receive a flight suit, complimentary merchandise, photos, and a DVD of the flight. Sounds like a bargain to me. Oh, Dr. Hawking's fee is being waived but something tells me he could afford it a hundred times over. If I hit the Lotto this weekend I'll charter a flight for me and my closest friends. Don't worry, according to the FAQ you're life insurance is valid for this flight.

Why Would Someone Steal Woody?

I was reading something or watching the news when I heard about a student being arrested for making terroristic threats. And it made me realize that I've heard this scenario many times over the past few years. When I was growing up, it wasn't uncommon to hear such things as "I am gonna get you good" or "You're gonna be so sorry" or "Get ready to eat a knuckle sandwich," especially out on the playground. I even knew someone who would say "You're gonna die after class." I sometimes said, although jokingly, "I hope you die in your sleep" but I guess that's really not a threat but more wishful thinking. I personally don't think a first grader understands he's making a threat or doing anything wrong when he says that but hey, that's my opinion.

Some exciting news about European astronomers finding the "most Earth-like planet outside of our solar system." It is only 120 trillion miles away and circles a red dwarf star. The researchers believe that the planet's "average temperature to be somewhere between 32 and 104 degrees and that set off celebrations among astronomers." Read the entire fascinating article here.

And hooray for Roger Ebert, who will be "returning to public view for the first time since having cancer surgery," at the ninth annual Overlooked Film Festival at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Read about it here.

Another Day

Let's see, now. There's just so much stuff I don't know where to begin. Jack's Audrey is a little crazy, I think. I miss watching Heroes and Hiro. It seems the military has told some untruths about Tillman and Lynch. Some of The Simpsons Movie trailers can be viewed here. Looks like American Idol reject Sanjaya is going to be bigger than William Hung and even thanks Simon. What the hell is a four year old doing playing unsupervised on the sidelines of a college football game? Toyota overtakes GM in global vehicle sales. You can listen to Ozzy's new single "I Don't Wanna Stop" from his upcoming album new album here. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

This Will Work

Ok, I've got this great idea to extend the life-cycle of American Idol. Let's introduce a giant gong behind the three judges. During the earlier (more than ten contestants) shows each of the judges can use the gong without limits to end a performance that they think is bad. But once there are only ten contestants or less, each judge can only use the gong once per show to cut short a performance and that judge would not be able to use the gong on the next show. This would prevent Simon from using the gong every week and cause him to only use it for an exceptionally horrendous performance. The phone voting would still take place and contestants that were "gonged" can still receive votes but 25% of their vote is deducted as a penalty. I think it would be great to see Simon dancing behind the table holding that thing to hit the gong with and teasing the performer before pounding on the gong and all the while Paula fighting to prevent him from doing it. I'm laughing just thinking about it. :-)

You're Not Fat, Just Husky

Hey, do they still make boy's clothing in the Husky size? They probably do but I just don't look in those areas since I have two girls. Which leads me to another thought. Why don't they or didn't they have a Husky size for girls. Or would that be the equivalent of a Plus size? But do they have plus sizes for young girls? These questions will burn in my mind and keep me awake tonight.

And In Other Monkey Business...

ANTWERP, Belgium - We all know not to feed the animals when visiting the zoo. Now the Antwerp Zoo has urged visitors to, please, stop staring at the chimpanzees. New rules have been posted outside the chimp enclosure at the city zoo urging visitors not to form a bond with a particular male chimp named ’Cheetah.’ He was raised by humans but is now bonding with the seven other apes at the park, a zoo official said Wednesday.

"We ask, we inform our daily visitors and other visitors that one of the monkeys is particularly open for human contact," zoo spokeswoman Ilse Segers told AP Television News. "He was raised by humans in a family and therefore we are trying to integrate him, to try to get more social integration with the group."

She said Cheetah’s continued interaction with humans was "delaying the social integration of the animal in the group," and isolating the ape from the others. A sign posted on the glass enclosure asks onlookers not to stare at the apes. "Look away when an animal seeks to make contact with you, or take a step back," it says. "Some
individuals are more interested with visitors than their own kind."

Read the entire story here.

The Truth Hurts

Natural Selection Did What?!?

According to research at the University of Michigan "chimps may actually have adapted more to their environment as a result of natural selection. It underlines that evolution is not a matter of progress towards a goal, and that it is incorrect to assume that more intelligent species are 'more evolved'." Hmmmm. Very interesting. I'm not a Geneticist (I could have been one if it weren't for all those Biology classes) but I think I would like to read the study before saying these researchers are a bunch of monkeys. You can read the article here.

To Infinity and Beyond

Thought:All "Loners" should be identified and sent to psychiatrists to determine if they are a threat to themselves or others. That would include all individuals who play Dungeons and Dragons and don't interact with 'real' people very well.

In other thoughts:What other crisis could pop up in Jack Bauer's already stressful day?

Politics Test...I Am Aghast!

You are a Social Liberal (61% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (33% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Sometimes I'm a...

(_E=mc2_) but mainly I'm just a (_zzz_).

I may have to start using assicons in my emails to coworkers regularly.

These Were The Best Part Three

These Were The Best Part Two

These Were The Best Part One

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De plane, de plane!

Ugh!

I want a toothbrush that will last at least a month. Or even two months would be ideal. I think toothbrushes are manufactured to be replaced every month. Give me a break. Oh, and I've decided that there is something terribly wrong with American Idol and refuse to watch it now.

I Won!

Got this in my inbox this morning and I tried it out a little while ago. I can't believe I won. I never win at anything. Playing also kept me awake. Who in their right mind schedules meetings in the morning? Here are the "rules" and some testimonials...


>1. Before (or during) your next meeting, seminar, or conference call,
> prepare yourself by drawing a square. I find that 5"x5" is a good
> size. Divide the card into columns-five across and five down.
> That will give you 25 one-inch blocks.
>
> 2. Write one of the following words/phrases in each block:
>
> * synergy
> * strategic fit
> * core competencies
> * best practice
> * bottom line
> * revisit
> * expeditious
> * to tell you the truth (or "the truth is")
> * 24/7
> * out of the loop
> * benchmark
> * value-added
> * proactive
> * win-win
> * think outside the box
> * fast track
> * result-driven
> * empower (or empowerment)
> * knowledge base
> * at the end of the day
> * touch base
> * mindset
> * client focus(ed)
> * paradigm
> * game plan
> * leverage
>
> 3. Check off the appropriate block when you hear one of those
> words/phrases.
>
> 4. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally,
> stand up and shout "BULLSHIT!"
>
> Testimonials from satisfied "Bullshit Bingo" players:
> -- "I had been in the meeting for only five minutes when I
> won."- Adam W., Atlanta
>
> -- "My attention span at meetings has improved dramatically."-
> David T., Florida
>
> -- "What a gas! Meetings will never be the same for me after my
> first win."- Dan J., New York City
>
> -- "The atmosphere was tense in the last process meeting as 14 of
> us waited for the fifth box." - Ben G., Denver
>
> -- "The speaker was stunned as eight of us screamed 'BULLSHIT!'
> for the third time in two hours." - Karen D., Los Angeles

What Did They Use?

I was reading an interesting entry in Wikipedia about toilet paper. Why, you ask? I'm not exactly sure anymore but I was originally looking up something else and the clicking of different links eventually took me here. Very interesting reading indeed. I had an idea but was surprised to read about the different alternatives people used before toilet paper was invented. Ouch! But it also got me thinking about my childhood and seeing a different color roll of toilet paper in the bathroom every week. Different pastel colors if my memory is correct. You know, I don't recall seeing colored toilet paper at the stores these days. Did they go the way of the Dixie Cup? Maybe it's just that I'm not paying attention or not looking hard enough. Anyway, the question of the day is: Are you a folder, scruncher, or wrapper? Don't bother letting me know. It's just a question that I have no desire to know the answer to.

Cancel That Vacation

The State Department has issued its latest travel updates for persons traveling out of the country. Among them are these:

"Driving in Qatar is (like) participating in an extreme sport."
"Police involvement in criminal activity is both legendary and true in Mexico."
"Be aware of drink prices" in Croatia's gentlemen's clubs, where tourists can unknowingly run up exorbitant bar bills, sometimes in the thousands of dollars."

I wonder who writes this stuff? You can read the story here.

I Am Not Green

Although this quiz is not scientifically accurate it is sort of an eye opener and offers a general idea. According to the Ecological Footprint Quiz, if everyone lived like me, we would need 4.4 planets.

Peel and Stick

It's just too bad that I hardly use the mail service these days. Maybe I'll become a philatelist.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service turned to the characters of "Star Wars" for inspiration on Wednesday as it unveiled 15 new first-class stamps featuring the whole gang from Chewbacca to Darth Vader.

The stamps were unveiled at Grauman's Chinese theater in Hollywood where the original "Star Wars" movie opened 30 years ago. The stamps will go on sale on May 25, after a contest to choose the most popular of the stamps.

Among the "Star Wars" characters depicted on the stamps are Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Darth Vader, R2-D2, C-3PO, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett.

The images are from all six "Star Wars" films and David Failor, executive director of stamp services for the U.S. Postal Service, said, "Because of the movies' popularity, we believe these stamps have the popularity of reaching the blockbuster status of the Elvis stamp."

Earlier in the month to publicize the new stamps, about 400 mailboxes around the country were designed to look like R2-D2.

Standing In Dilbert's Shoes

Please Remain Seated Until...

Since the family and I are flying out of town for Easter, I thought it would be best to check and see what the latest rules are for airline passengers. It has been a long time since I've flown anywhere so I was concerned about what I could and could not carry onto an airplane. The TSA website was helpful but I was shocked to learn that I could not bring a meat cleaver on board. Really, you can see for yourself here. Sabers and swords and ice picks being prohibited I can understand. It's just COMMON SENSE. But meat cleavers?? Come on, folks. Next thing to be prohibited will probably be spear guns. Oops, those are already prohibited.

Name That Commercial

1. Too much bounce.
2. I can't believe I ate the whole thing.
3. Where's the beef?
4. Zoom Zoom
5. We'll leave the light on for you.
6. You can't sell yourself for a buck.
7. Apply directly to the forehead.
8. Paper clip, ballpoint pen, rubber band, tweezers, nasal spray, turkey baster: $14
9. 4 out of 5 dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.
10. So, what level Dungeon Master are you guys?

Leave No Stone Unturned

It was very busy today at work. Plus we had internal auditors auditing one of my departments. Will it ever end??? Oh, it's time to go. Yay!

WTF?

I think a lot of people who voted after American Idol last night were smoking crack. I cannot believe that Sinjay, Vanjaya, whatever, is still on the show. And in the top 10. Ugh, at least he's a little better than William Hung. What the hell am I saying???

No Picture

For some reason 10 channels wouldn't come in on my cable system last night. One of those channels happened to be the channel that broadcasts my show 24. Of course I didn't discover the problem until a couple of minutes before the show started. I called the cable company's customer service line and they couldn't resolve the problem. Only made some excuse about the lower end of channels being converted to digital signals and that some boxes weren't handling the change very well. Dammit, I thought all the channels were digital when I subscribed to digital service. Long story short, I missed 24 and the cable company won't be out until Saturday to fix the problem. Bastards.

Hmmm

Is it a sin to just think about work on Sunday? I'm no expert in Theology or Doctrine but I might know enough to be dangerous. Or maybe just think I know. Whatever. Catholics would probably consider it a sin but just a venial one. No big deal. Baptists and those non-denominational churches would probably say that you were going straight to Hell. What a pleasant thought. This was just a little experiment in thought and in no way should be considered accurate or scientifically acceptable. Work, work, work, oops...lustful thought, work, work.

Chill, It's Just Marketing...Not an Invasion

I think the city of Farmers Branch should just kick out (deport) all Hispanics from its city limits. While they're at it they can do the same to the Blacks, Asians, American Samoans, and anyone else who is not an "American." Then they can build a fence around the city and set up check points to prevent these persons of different descent from entering or traveling through their wonderful city without permission. Then the City Council wouldn't have to worry about a diverse population bringing the city to ruin or branded stores catering to minorities entering their tiny Land of Oz. I seem to remember a long time ago that there was a XXX theater located in the city's coveted Four Corners area. Read the latest row here.

Use the Force, Luke

Almost thirty years ago a little sci-fi movie opened up at theaters named Star Wars. I remember there were full-page ads in the papers advertising the opening. I also remember discussing with my friends whether the movie was being hyped so much because it was some cheesy low budget flick or perhaps it was going to rock everyone's world. I ended up seeing the movie a few times, having a crush on Carrie Fisher, and envying Luke Skywalker. I don't think the movie changed my life in any way except for maybe feeding my imagination and curiosity for science and space and the search for EBEs.

Any how, the postal service is announcing a new stamp on March 28 and as a teaser to the announcement, they are covering 400 mailboxes to look like the droid R2-D2. Anita T. Bizzotto, the post office's chief marketing officer said "When you look at a mailbox, the resemblance to R2-D2 is too good to pass up." I wonder how many of these special mailboxes might end up in someone's collection at home?

Can You See the Seas?

The Cassini probe has discovered significantly large bodies of liquid on Titan that scientists consider are seas of liquid methane or ethane. This is just too cool. I wish I could teleport to the surface of Titan and take in the view. And to hear Titan. Of course I would have a force field around myself to protect against the cold and inhospitable environment there. Wishful thinking. Read the story here.

Time Keeps Ticking

The kids and I (my wife had to go to a funeral) had dinner tonight with an old friend and her husband who were driving through town. I had not seen either of them since they deployed to Japan in 2000. That was also the last time I saw their two children and man have they grown. They weren't on this trip but Reesy gave me some photos. It's scary the way time just seems to move so quickly in one instance and can also seem to move so slowly in other instances. I've got to get working on that darned time machine.

My Friend Flickr?

I spent a lot of time today working on my Flickr account. There are some nifty features included and it was easy to work with. I just don't understand why I can't move my photos from Yahoo! to Flickr with one click though. Maybe I'll use Flickr more than I've used my Yahoo Photos account but who knows. I'll have to check out Google's Picasa Web Album before I get too involved with Flickr just in case I decide to switch. Gotta go it's time for my show.

Ring Around the Planet

This photo of Saturn released by NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute on March 1 2007 shows the planet in the light of day and the dark of night. And in other Cassini-Huygens mission news, the next flyby of Titan, one of dozens of Saturn's moons, will occur tonight around 6:45 PM PST. The last flyby revealed a large island in one of Titan's largest lakes. Titan is the size of a terrestrial planet and is one of the mission's highest priorities because of the similarities it has with early Earth. Any bets on organic life on Titan?

What Time Is It?

This weekend we turn our clocks ahead one hour. This year we start daylight savings three weeks earlier and end it one week later. I've read that a lot of electronic devices that can't be flashed will cause some confusion by displaying the wrong time. I really dislike this time of year because moving the time an hour ahead always screws with my internal clock, too. Also there are some countries that will not adjust the time this weekend but will wait until the "normal" first weekend of April before doing so. I know Mexico is one of them. Imagine leaving for work an hour later to get there on time and getting home an hour later than when you left work...if you work in one of those countries that isn't adjusting their clocks this weekend.

You're Fired

NASA has fired poor Lisa Nowak. This is a first for the space agency. I said before that this is the stuff of movies or soap operas and it continues to be so. Although Nowak has been fired as an astronaut, she returns to her job as a Naval officer in a couple of weeks but I think her career is short lived. The male love interest William Oefelein is also a Naval officer and I think he should be under review for conduct unbecoming. Heavens, committing adultery as an officer and a gentleman. Do I hear a toilet flushing? Read the whole story here.

Ummm, That Was Dreadful

I think the singing of all the men (or boy-men) tonight on Idol sucked. Big time. Based on their performances they should all be voted off the show. Simon rules.

Not Asking For Much

I would like to see child-proof DVD cases. This evening I watched The Little One open around six DVD cases to find the one she wanted. Oh yes, she perused the front and back of the case but I guess she had to see the actual disc before deciding whether it was the one she wanted or not. She opened every case in less than a second or two. She did have trouble with the cases that had two clips you had to open before being able to open the case itself but she figured that one out pretty fast. If only the case were as hard to open as some of the discs are to remove from the case. You know, the ones where you have to push the center button and use your index finger to lift the disc and it starts to bow at alarming angles and you think the darn thing is going to snap in two before it pops out. Now that's how hard it should be to open the case.

What the Hell is That?

It seems that "sand circles" have been discovered in the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande in far West Texas. Prior to the discovery, strange lights were allegedly seen in the area. I personally have seen strange lights in the sky way out there in the desert southwest and even black helicopters flying out of the riverbed. I'm not surprised that the visitors finally left something interesting behind. Of course, this will probably be debunked in the following days under the guidance of the government or MIB. Don't let them brainwash you. Remember Roswell! Read the story here.

Hey, That's My Seat

I don't know all the ins and outs of American Idol but I'm curious as to whether the producers tell the contestants where to sit before the results of voting are announced. So, according to my calculations, over the past 5 seasons 71% of the contestants seated in between the two on the ends went on to the next round. Of those, 87% were booted off the show if they were seated third from the right and a staggering 96% were gone if they were seated third from the right of a contestant with brunette hair. Coincidence? I think not.

I'll Have The Stromboli

One of Europe's most active volcanoes is erupting right this very second. Italy's Stromboli volcano, near Sicily, has been spewing lava into the Mediterranean for two days. Luckily there is no danger at this time for anyone in the vicinity. Read the story here.

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What are friends for?

No Bueno

Visited the pediatrician today. It seems the whole family is suffering from seasonal allergies. I hate that. Itchy, watery eyes, congestion and sneezing. NO BUENO!

Lost and Found

So, last night starting at 11:53 PM, I started receiving a series of text messages on my cellular phone. At 12:42 AM another, then at 1:00 AM, again at 3:28 AM, and the final one (so far) at 6:37 AM. They were all from Blogger telling me that my multimedia message had posted successfully to my blog.

I had been having trouble with mobile blogging in the sense that I would try to post something but it would never make it to my blog. In some instances I would send something from my phone three or four times before I finally receive a confirmation from Blogger that it had posted. These sent messages cost money you know and it was really irritating to have to send the same message multiple times before it would post. I don't know if it is a problem with Blogger or my cellular service provider.

Anyway, during a recent road trip, I had tried to post some photos and ran into the same problem. I had to send the same message multiple times before it would actually post and then receive my confirmation. All the confirmation text messages I received last night and this morning were from attempted posts dating 2/16/07 and 2/19/07. And I had to go in and delete those "lost" posts because one of each had already posted successfully back when I was originally trying to post them.

Doomsday

There's a 1 in 45,000 chance that my birthday present in 2036 may be an asteroid. Cool. The U.N. is being urged to take action now to protect the Earth from these types of threats. I say we just freeze Bruce Willis now and thaw him out when the time comes so he can save the day. Read the full story here.

Mummified Domestic Servant

When I was reading the article regarding the discovery of a pharaoh's butler in a tomb in Egypt, I began thinking about whether the butler had died at the same time as his employer or if he was killed to follow the employer into the afterlife. Much funnier when I ran across the blog entry of Scott Adams about the mummy titled Mummy Dearest.

Science Myths

LiveScience.com has twenty of the most popular myths in science for your reading pleasure here. I remember Fox Mulder stating myth #2 to Dana Scully during an episode and I had always thought myth #4 was a perfect excuse for some of the people I've worked with or dealt with in the world. I guess it's better to say it like it really is...you're just plain stupid. By the way, do you know what your dog has been licking?

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Going home

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'nuf said

A Visit to Burger King Circa 1975

Mmmm. I want a Whaler with fries. No, wait. Make that a Yumbo with fries. And do they have Rondo, the thirst crusher? Neato, I'll take that. Oh, and I'd like a grape Ice Burger for dessert. Yay! After we're done can we go to the movies? Please?

I Thought I Saw A Dancing Dog

I had seen this video before but for some reason wanted to see it again today. Very strange. Maybe it has something to do with the reality show commercial I saw the other day.

It Never Fails

Why does it always rain after I wash my car? The weather forecast called for a ten percent chance of rain today and I heard this forecast on Friday evening. It hasn't changed in three days. Ha, ten percent might as well be zero percent around here. So I wash my car on Saturday thinking it will be clean for at least a week. But oh no, it's got to rain on my parade. That's just my karma.

Violation

It turns out the last time I used the Tollway I received a violation. I seem to recall one of the "call" lights blinking at me when I went through but didn't think anything of it. I finally get a nastygram from the Toll Authority saying they want the .60 cents that's owed to them or face the consequences. I called them up and asked them why I had a violation and they said that the license plate information didn't match with the tolltag vehicle information. I explained to the woman that I had bought a new car and had forgotten to update the vehicle information online. She said it was my mistake so I needed to pay and take care of maintaining my account. Geesh, throw me in jail why don't you.

Houston We Have A Problem

The more I hear about the astronaut-love triangle-kidnap-murder story, the more it makes me think how goofy and strange it all is. Perfect for a Lifetime made-for-T.V. movie or even the big screen if you throw in an alien or something. I don't mean to demean Lisa Nowak or ignore the fact that she obviously has some mental problems and needs help. But I think she could have been more creative in her plot. You know, like make sure that she and the other two involved were assigned to the next shuttle mission and then blow them out of the airlock into space. Or when one of the triangle is outside during a space walk, use the giant robotic arm and accidentally crush them or cut their safety line. Those scenarios would probably make for a better book and movie deal than racing across the southern U.S. wearing diapers. You can read the story here.

Semi Gloss vs Satin

I was driving through town the other day and passed a Sam's Club on the east side of town. I saw a gasoline tanker truck leaving the fuel pumps there and get on the highway behind me. When I arrived on the west side of town I went to the Sam's Club there, which is about fifteen miles west of the one I passed earlier, and after shopping there saw the same gasoline tanker truck at the fuel pumps. Now, riddle me this Batman. The gasoline price at the Sam's Club on the east side is $1.84 a gallon and here at the Sam's Club on the west side the price is $1.94 a gallon. The fuel came out of the same truck so why is there a price difference? Explain that to me, Mr. Smarty Pants.

Check This Out

I read that many more people are paying for their goods and services using electronic means such as debit cards and online bill pay rather than the old fashioned check writing. I think I mentioned in the past that I usually only write one check a month and all my other bills are paid online and most of my purchases are paid for using a debit card. But there are still those who choose to write checks for everything under the sun and yes, it seems I'm always stuck behind them at the check out. Even so, the wonders of the electronic age never ceases to amaze me although I'm still waiting for my flying car like in The Jetsons. You can peruse the whole article here.

Just Passing By

The family and I were out and about this morning and as we were approaching the zoo I made a decision to go there. The zoo, the zoo, the zoo. Repeat that really fast. Since this was The Little One's first visit to a zoo we were all looking forward to how she would react to the animals. Well, she really enjoyed herself. She was running around with her big sister from one exhibit to another. She especially enjoyed watching the monkeys and sea lion feeding/exhibit. I'd say she liked viewing all the animals except for the insects in one of the nocturnal exhibits. I didn't enjoy that either, though. Yuck.

Hmmm?

So, Texas governor Rick Perry has ordered that schoolgirls in Texas must be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. Hmmm. I don't know whether he's doing a good thing or not. Apparently the manufacturer of the vaccine supported Perry's reelection campaign and there are other ties between them also. Hmmm. But it would be a good thing to reduce the chances of women contracting cervical cancer. I just don't know. Hmmm. You can read the whole story here.

The Frugal Technophile

I was thinking about how far technology has gone in the past fifteen years and how those changes had affected most people's way of life. Nowadays I don't leave the house without my cell phone and go back to get it if I do because no one would be able to get a hold of me. Many years back I had six remote controls but now I only have one that does the work of six. I do just about everything I can on the Internet because it usually saves me time and money. Unless your dealing with city, county, or state government that is.

For example, it's time for me to renew my vehicle registration and I thought to myself why I haven't been doing that online. When I did go online I realized that the reason I didn't in the past is because the county charges me a "convenience fee" to do it online. Well, I'm just too darned cheap to pay a fee to the county. It's kind of like when there weren't many ATMs around the city and if you used one that wasn't affiliated with your bank then you were charged a fee. I would drive a couple of miles down the road to find my bank's ATM before I would pay that darned fee. There are also some restaurants around town that will take orders online but they will add on a fee for doing it. So I just pick up the darned telephone and phone in my order because that doesn't cost extra. Explain the logic to me. But the amazing thing here is that I pay all my bills online through my bank's website. For free. It doesn't cost me a penny even though I have a lot of bills every month. Go figure.

70's Toy Commercials

Since I'm in this retro kind of mood right now, I found this on YouTube. I was a proud owner of Bing Bang Boing and the SSP Smash-Up Derby set. It got me thinking about things like Shaker Maker and G.I. Joe. There are a lot of vintage toy commercials on YouTube that I still need to look at.