Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Headline News 2007-01-31

From ABC News:
Certain Soaps May Cause Boys to Grow Breasts
Also causes temporary penis growth

From ABC News:
U.S.-Iran Tensions Could Trigger War
Democrats planning to support war, surrender in three years

From ABC News:
Radical Surgery Alleviates 'Lobster Claw' Syndrome
Totally removing arms seen as too radical for some

From ABC News:
Massachusetts Loves a Winner
Settles for Kennedy, Kerry

From ABC News:
Man, Yoda the Dog Travel on Riding Mower
Dog barks backwards

From ABC News:
Tooth Chipped on Cookie Ruled Work-Related
Keebler Elves health insurance policy to pay

From ABC News:
Student Wants to 'Rent' a Girlfriend
Sounds nicer to parents than visiting a whore

From ABC News:
French Health Minister Seeks Nap Study
Milk and cookies, coloring studies also planned

From ABC News:
Man Guilty of Killing Mail-Order Bride
Didn't like returns policy

From ABC News:
Real men like romantic movies too: study
Willing to do almost anything to get a woman horny

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Martha

Just got in to my hometown this evening. I'm here for another funeral.

Seems I've had to go to lots of these lately. Don't much care for that.

Anyway, Wednesday is Martha's funeral. Martha died this past weekend. She was 59.

Let me tell you about Martha.

I met her through her sister. Martha always called her "Sissy." And her Sissy was hired as Minister of Education at the big Baptist church in my home town. Baptists say they were "called." But in any other job, it'd be "hired."

Still, the call came to Martha's Sissy to be Minister of Education.

Sissy came to the job with lots of excitement. And stayed a long time at the job. She outlasted lots of preachers.

Of course, at a Baptist church, they'll change preachers at the drop of a hat. I remember hearing one person express dissatisfaction at one preacher because his tie was too wide. No, really.

But Martha's Sissy stayed on the job. She worked with some good preachers ... and put up with several more.

Martha grew up in Mississippi (Greenwood, I think), but came to visit with Sissy on occasion. When their mother came to live with Sissy, Martha came to live there around that same time. And that's when we got to know Martha lots better.

Martha enjoyed life. She was always ... well, most of the time, anyway ... happy. When she'd see me, she'd run up and hug me, saying "There's my Buddy!"

When I was deployed overseas in the Army, she would ask others when her Buddy was coming back. And when I got back, she'd run up and hug me, "You're back! My Buddy's back!"

Since Martha and her Sissy didn't have family in Georgia ... they were from Mississippi, I think I mentioned ... and certainly none in my home town, they were pretty much part of our family.

At Christmas, when we bought presents to go under the tree, there'd be presents for Martha and her Sissy. Because they were family.

During Sissy's long career as Minister of Education at the big Baptist church in my home town, she expanded the special ministries program. Actually, she created it from scratch.

I remember somebody said one time -- as a criticism of Sissy -- that she had the church footing the bill for a program "for someone like Martha." You see, Martha had Down Syndrome. And a few folks ... well, let's just say some folks didn't share Martha's accepting attitude of other folks.

Now, let consider that question: did Sissy create a program at the church just for Martha?

I don't know. Sissy may well have dedicated her life to Christian ministry and education even if Martha had not had Down Syndrome.

But let's suppose for a minute that Sissy's critics were right. Let's say Sissy did start a program on account of Martha.

That program grew. Young and old, who needed a program like that in my home town, finally had one.

And the program expanded. A ministry for the deaf was started. Other ministries of those with special needs were begun ... and many had their needs addressed ... or met ... by the programs ... for the first time.

So, if the harshest critics of Martha's Sissy were right, Martha and her Sissy were responsible for some wonderful things in my home town. If the critics were right, Martha's life touched hundreds in a town of a few thousand.

We should all be so fortunate.

Blogrolling 2007-01-30

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Monday, January 29, 2007

The Following Takes Place Between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM

Previously on 24

Nuke! And there's four more.

Walid (Obama) is on the inside.

Bad guy from last year is Jack's brother.

The Following Takes Place Between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM

Headline News 2007-01-29

From ABC News:
Stowaway's Body Found in Jet's Wheel Well at LAX
Bush blamed

From ABC News:
Mike Huckabee Launches Presidential Bid
Hopes voters heart Huckabee

From ABC News:
Brain Damage Can Actually Help Smokers Quit
Brain damage plays both sides

From ABC News:
Nicotine Addiction May Start in the Womb
Uterus burns explained

From ABC News:
School Bans Talking at Lunch After Choking
Talking at lunch before choking still allowed

From ABC News:
Eagle Lugging a Deer Head Causes Outage
Joe Walsh redecorates his home

From ABC News:
Uproar Over MLK Party With Fried Chicken & Afros
Redneck party with beer and barbeque avoids scrutiny

From ABC News:
Oldest Person Dies at 114 in Connecticut
Connecticut passes Florida as "favorite place for old people to die"

From ABC News:
Jermaine Jackson wants Michael to convert to Islam
Offers solution: "Let the Muslims deal with him"

From ABC News:
Wife Who Fought Mountain Lion: I'm No Hero
Saved Kim Bauer's life

Blogrolling 2007-01-29

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

ItsAPundit. And so are you.

NOTE: I no longer own the domain itsapundit.com and this post no longer applies.


Busy weekend for a couple of reasons.

First, the Little Princess came to visit. She drove over Thursday, and left Sunday. It was great seeing her.

The other thing was, the re-working of ItsAPundit.com.

Remember ItsAPundit?

Friday, January 26, 2007

Blogrolling 2007-01-26

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Thursday, January 25, 2007

Blogrolling 2007-01-25

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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Full Metal

I've been working on a project lately that's involved me putting in some long hours. As in staying up late.

Now, this is a personal project, not work-related. So I have to work on it before work or after work. And it's a quite involved project. And that means long hours. And it's kept me from posting on some days.
For those interested, it's setting up a free WordPress MU (Multiuser)-based blogging application. Lots of themes, functionality that WordPress.com doesn't have. Including the ability of the blogger to have ads (including Google AdSense and BlogAds), SiteMeter, turning plug-ins on and off, and more. And did I mention free?

More when it's done. Or close to done. Still working out some bugs on functions and themes.

Anyway, when I'm doing major projects that have me up late, I have a habit of having the TV on when I work on the computer. I usually take the laptop, plug it in next to the couch, put it on a tray, and type while (sort of) watching TV. I'll watch what TiVo has recorded (by request or TiVo suggestions). Sometimes, when TiVo is exhausted (it happens), I'll watch whatever's on.

That's when I picked up the habit of watching some of the stuff that Cartoon Network shows overnight. When it calls itself [Adult Swim].

They got some really strange stuff. I won't watch it all. I used to watch Futurama, Family Guy, and such. Picked up watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force. And Harvey Birdman. And Space Ghost. Brack. Sealab 2021. Stuff like that.

But I always skipped the Anime (Japanese animation).

Why? Do I hate the Japanese or something?

No. Though I did scare the hell out of some little Japanese kid in South Korea one time. But not on purpose. I'll tell that story one day.

No, nothing against the Japanese.

But I'd seen some Japanese shows and thought they were a little bit strange. And the animation a little bit goofy. At time, anyway.

One night, though, I was at a point where I needed to break. And I paid closer attention to what was on.

It was some strange show called "Paranoia Agent." I was thinking, "What the hell?" But it was just interesting enough to watch.
Then there was this other show called "Ghost In The Shell." It was odd.

Recently, though, I saw the ending of a show called "Full Metal Alchemist."

That's another odd one. Some kind of alternate Earth. Mixture of European and Japanese cultures.

Hero is a short dude name Edward Elric. Other hero is his brother Alphonse. Edward has a metallic arm and leg (automail). Al is a soul attached to a Japanese suit of armor. They're alchemists. And they were injured (lost arm/leg and body, respectively) trying to use alchemy to bring their mother back from the dead. And the series follows their adventures as they try to get their bodies complete again.

Like I said, I saw the ending of the series, but was intrigued enough to want to see it from the beginning.

Well, lo and behold, they restarted the series the next night. And are running it four nights a week. Or three. I'm not sure.

Anyway, if I'm up when it comes on, I watch it.

And if I'm not up when it comes on, I'm TiVo-ing it.

Yeah, I'm a grown man, using 21st century technology to record and watch some silly Japanese cartoon.

I need help. Seriously.

Headline News 2007-01-24

From ABC News:
Americans in Iraq Crash Shot Execution-Style
Pelosi: "As long as they didn't make them listen to loud music"

From ABC News:
White Atlanta Suburbs Push for Secession
Vow to "get it right this time"

From ABC News:
Obama: Madrassa Education Claim Is 'Smear'
Middle name still "Hussein"

From ABC News:
Exclusive: Alito's Journey to the Supreme Court
Takes a right on Maryland Avenue

From ABC News:
Jimi Hendrix Energy Drink in the Works
Side effects: lighting guitars on fire, drowning in own vomit

From ABC News:
Stigma and Discrimination Fuel Spread of AIDS in China
Sexual activity also seen as contributing cause

From ABC News:
Scientists Can't Get Sloth to Move
Haven't figured out it's a sloth

From ABC News:
Calif. Firefighters Damage Costly Mural
Told to let it burn next time

From ABC News:
Woman Takes Potty Break, Falls in Lake
Husband left seat up

From ABC News:
Senate Panel Votes Against Bush on Iraq
President shocked to learn his opponents oppose him

Blogrolling 2007-01-24

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Headline News 2007-01-23

From ABC News:
Al Qaeda No. 2 Mocks Bush
Now tied with Hillary Clinton as Democratic frontrunner

From ABC News:
Forest Whitaker on Portraying a Brutal Dictator
To star in Oliver Stone's "W"

From ABC News:
Primordial Dwarves: The World's Smallest People
Biggest complaint: "They're always after me Lucky Charms"

From ABC News:
Tiny London Apartment on Sale for $335K
Second biggest complaint: "They're always after our money"

From ABC News:
Israel President Faces Sex Crime Charges
Wife plans run for Knesset

From ABC News:
Agents Find Cocaine in Broccoli Load
How George W. hid habit from dad

From ABC News:
Station in Drinking Death May Get License Pulled
Influence of Mothers Against Drinking Water felt

From ABC News:
Ted Haggard Says Evangelicals Have the 'Best Sex Life'
Cites Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart as proof

From ABC News:
Dinosaur May Have Resembled the Biplane
Evolved to become a Jetasaurus

From ABC News:
Heather Mills Denies Settlement Report
Doesn't want an arm and a leg from Paul McCartney

Blogrolling 2007-01-23

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Monday, January 22, 2007

The Following Takes Place Between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM

Previously on 24

Last week's stuff. The terrorist that used to be Dr. Bashir on Deep Space Nine. Jack kills Curtis. And so on.

BOOM!

LA gets nuked. And there are 4 more.

The Following Takes Place Between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM

Everybody's watching the news.

9:04

President Little Brother goes to the bunker and wants to address the nation. No word if Peter Jennings will call him a coward.

9:07

Still got to get me one of those ring tones. That's be SO cool!

Why do people I know keep dying?

Because you got a better contract then they did?

9:08

Where's the strong winds that follow a nuclear explosion? All that power forces out wind at a great rate. Then, the vacuum causes strong winds in the other direction. No big wind. Whassup with that?

9:10

So, according to Jack, a nuke will send out a shock wave to take out a helicopter, but the shock wave won't tear the hell out of the buildings? From a gound-based nuke?

9:11

Hell, that chopper caused more damage than the nuke.

Tick tick tick tick

9:14

Okay, Jack's about 10 miles away, if I read Yahoo! Maps correctly. Still, a shock wave strong enough to down a chopper won't affect buildings?

9:16

Back.

The only language they understand is force. ... If these people want to live in the stone age, let's put them there.

I'm not too sure about that little weasel. I think he's in on it.

9:17

Now, how do they know the scientist was killed in the blast? There's no body.

9:18

Bashir shows up and meets Bill. Extends his hand. Bill doesn't take it.

9:19

Damn! The look in Chloe's eyes.

9:21

Tick tick tick tick

9:24

Back.

Philip Bauer? Jack's daddy?

9:27

Jack goes to see daddy.

Now little sister is getting all upset. Damn lawyer.

Okay, Barack Obama is trying to horn in on the cell.

FBI puts on an arrest show.

Shut the hell up already, little sister.

9:30

Helluva show.

9:31

Jack calls Sam. Who's Sam. Jim Kirk's brother, right?

Now Jack's brother is involved. Great.

9:32

So they got a Sliver thing going on. So, brother is a bad guy. Did I miss something?

Tick tick tick tick

9:36

Back.

Wait a sec. That was the guy pulling Logan's strings last year? Jack's brother? What the...?

9:41

A committee meeting and all the usual stuff from that. zzzzzzzz.

9:42

Okay, who's the chick?

9:43

Okay, the other bombs go off today. Great.

tick tick tick tick

9:44

The cat knocked on the door. I think she wants milk.

9:45

I used to have Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots. Never had a Dodge Truck. Would rather have the Robots.

9:47

Back.

9:48

Just sit down and shut up, Little Sister!

Obama (Walid) and the other guy talk.

9:52

Family reunion.

That wasn't pleasant, wasn't it?

9:54

SMACK!

Brotherly love.

9:56

President Brother goes on the air. Obama horns his way into the cell. Jack questions Graham. Really hard.

Tick tick tick tick.

Headline News 2007-01-22

From ABC News:
Poll: Bush Approval Rating Lowest Since Nixon
Bush ruling out third term

From ABC News:
Baby Born Early So Husband Can Watch Football
Duffy Daugherty was right *

From ABC News:
State Inmates Outlive People on Outside
Are guarded from each other

From ABC News:
Morbidly Obese Man -- "I'm Never Full"
Doctors agree: he's full of it

From ABC News:
Nancy Pelosi's 100 Hours... Same Old Democrats
Pete Townshend was right *

From ABC News:
Pet Shop Owner Creates Beer for Dogs
Pupweiser on sale

From ABC News:
Chimp Drama: Who's the Daddy?
Desperate House Chimps debuts

From ABC News:
Trial of Alleged Canadian Killer Starts
Killed 26 Canadian women, equal to 22 American women

From ABC News:
Pentagon Turns to Hollywood for National Security
Martin Lawrence gets government job

From ABC News:
Families Spend Two Years 'Living With Windows Vista'
Alternative sentencing a success

Blogrolling 2007-01-22

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Sunday, January 21, 2007

Blogrolling 2007-01-21

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

Blogrolling 2007-01-20

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Friday, January 19, 2007

Headline News 2007-01-19

From CNN:
Satellite shootdown sparks fears
Soon no free HBO

From CNN:
DA: Student stabbed classmate in hallway
Were aiming for his chest

From CNN:
Mondale rips Cheney for giving bad advice to Bush
Cites history of good advice to Jimmy Carter

From CNN:
Muslims protest being the bad guys on '24'
Cite numerous instances of Methodists blowing up buses

From CNN:
'Poe toaster' visits writer's grave for 58th year
Exceeds 'Poe can opener' visits by 7 years

From CNN:
Shawn willing to testify, parents say
Marlon, Damon not cooperating with prosecutors

From CNN:
Morales: Don't blame coca farmers for drugs
Blames tobacco farmers for cigarettes

From CNN:
Harvard professor: Department is bastion of sexism
Explaines why he likes his department

From CNN:
Meeting of the mouths for O'Reilly and Colbert
Stephen slips Bill the tounge

From CNN:
MySpace welcomes French friends
Bin Laden gets a Web page

Blogrolling 2007-01-19

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

Open TrackBacks now means Open TrackBacks

I've been mulling over TrackBacks for a while. And I've decided to do something a little different.

Effective today, we do not require a link to any post labeled Open TrackBacks in order for a TrackBack to appear.

Now, this only applies to Open TrackBacks posts. It doesn't apply to Headline News, or any other category of posts.
Here's the details. If you want to submit one of your posts to one of our Open TrackBacks posts ... go ahead.

It is not necessary to include a blurb about our post in yours. While we are always grateful for links, but we no longer require links to have your post appear via TrackBack on an Open TrackBack post.

This only applies to posts tagged Open TrackBacks.
If you submit a TrackBack to a post that is not labeled Open TrackBacks, we stll require a link in order for it to appear in the list.

If you choose to take advantage of this new policy, great. But do keep in mind that the spam-fighting software we use will likely moderate or otherwise queue your post for approval if you don't include a link. Heck, sometimes it even moderates TrackBacks even if you include a link. But, we'll get around to checking the queue after a little while. And we'll approve the TrackBack.
Previously, we checked your submission, and if no link was evident, we deleted your TrackBack.

As of now, we will approve such links to Open TrackBack posts, whether or not you link to us.

Why the change?

Well, it started when it became apparant that some of the bloggers that I like just don't seem to get the whole concept of TrackBacks. Had it been bloggers I didn't like, I might have never given it a second thought.

But I did. And it seemed the thing to do.

After all, I'm not blogging or offering posts in order to get a link. Oh, I like links. They're the life-blood of blogs. Well, links ... and money. Like the little PayPal form at the bottom of the sidebar that I've had for a while but never mentioned. And only mention now as way of illustration.

Anyway, I'm not doing this for the links. But I'm benefitting nonetheless.

So, I'm sticking with the traditional TrackBacks policy ... which is how and why TrackBacks were invented to begin with ... for most posts.

But, Open TrackBacks mean just that: Open. Link to the post. Don't link to the post. I don't care. They're open.

But the rest of the posts, follow the TrackBack Policy, okay?

Thanks.

Headline News 2007-01-18

From CNN:
Cops: Pregnant teens go on attack
Fox special to air during sweeps week

From CNN:
House Democrats target Big Oil with higher taxes
Gas prices too low

From CNN:
Ministers launch petition to stop Bush library
Shortage of crayons cited

From CNN:
Nicotine in U.S. cigarettes rising, Harvard study finds
Report: It's in the smoke

From CNN:
Boy dies copying Hussein hanging
Got an 'A' on his schoolwork

From CNN:
Thousands homeless after rains
Lawsuit filed against First Little Pig Construction Company

From CNN:
Allies expected to expand Chavez's powers
Able to walk through walls, see through concrete

From CNN:
Writer McEwan finds lost brother
Was where he left him

From CNN:
In North Dakota, Playing House is a Sex Crime
Hugh Laurie objects

From CNNmoney:
Abbott in $8 billion deal with GE
Costello left out

Blogrolling 2007-01-18

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Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Changing Lanes

Used to be, the worst drivers I ever encountered were in Brunswick.

Never been to Brunswick?

Well, that can be good or bad.

If you like towns that smell like a paper mill ... because of the paper mill, no doubt ... then you've missed a good one.

Unless you'd rather smell fish. Which Brunswick also smells like.

Of course, with the paper mill being close to the shore, then you get that whole fish/paper mill smell. Like farts after a bad seafood dinner.

But the worst thing about Brunswick wasn't the smell. It was the drivers.

First time I noticed just how bad the drivers were, was one morning, when I was driving over there for some reason, I hit a straightaway outside of town. Long stretch of US 25, with no curves or anything.

I was traveling south on US 25, with a road coming in from the left at an angle. Old Jesup Road, I think. Yes, it's spelled that way.

Anyway, I was a good ways away from the junction of the road, traveling along at around 60 MPH, when I saw the car approach the intersection.

And stop.

And wait.

And wait.

Until I was close to the intersection, when the idiot pulled out.

Now, I didn't have to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him, but I did have to apply the brakes.

I wondered out loud why in the world he sat there and sat there with plenty of time to go, then finally go when I was nearly upon him. Only I said it a lot louder. And not nearly as nice.

But that's when I realized that if anybody in the state of Georgia took a driving test and failed, they sent them to Brunswick, gave them a car and a tank of gas.

Or so it seemed.

And of all the places I've driven in the past 30 years or so, I never found any worse than the drivers in Brunswick.

Until I saw the drivers in Phenix City.

Them's some non-driving fools.

For example?

Sure. Changing lanes.

It seems to be against the law to use a turn signal to change lanes around here. 'Cause hardly anybody uses turn signals.

Oh, there are some that are exempt from the turn signal ban. Those are the ones that, after that 5,000-lb. vehicle they're driving actually crosses the line, they'll flash the blinker twice. Or once.

Which sorta defeats the whole purpose of a turn signal. Those idiots seem to think it's supposed to mean "Hey, I'm already changing lanes, see?"

The thought of actually signaling other drivers that they're about to make a change has apparently never entered into their little brains.

Then, again, maybe it's a defensive tactic.

Because there are some drivers that, when you signal to turn (okay, when I signal to turn), the folks in the lane you're moving into decide to speed up so you can't get into their lane.

Those are the same ones that, when you're in the right-hand lane, they'll be in the left-hand lane, gun it to about 15-20 MPH over the posted limit, then pull over in front of you, then hit the brakes to make their turn. Because, Lord knows they wouldn't want to be in that long stretch of empty lane behind you when they go to make their right turn.

Unless, of course, you're in the left-hand lane. Then, they'll be weaving in and out of traffic until they pull over in front of you (without signaling, of course), then slam on the brakes to make their left turn.

I've never understood why some people drive like they do.

Driving's really not all that hard. You just need to pay attention. And use your brain.

And there's the problem.

Headline News 2007-01-17

From CNN:
Brazil sees traces of more isolated Amazon tribes
No Barnes & Noble tribe found

From CNN:
Terror leader 'killed in clash'
Mick Jones gets his revenge

From CNN:
Head of Israeli military quits
Arms, legs expected to follow

From CNN:
Weather may have caused air crash
Mother Nature, God named as co-defendants

From CNN:
Rebels kill, eat endangered gorillas
Eating live gorillas 'seemed wrong'

From CNN:
Unspoiled Caribbean in Central America
Hopes to get spoiled

From CNN:
Man rides stationary bike for 85 hours
Never arrived, really tired

From CNN:
'Grey's' Heigl 'not OK' with Washington's remarks
'No problem' with Adams, Jefferson

From CNN:
Study: Andromeda galaxy bigger than thought
Trans fat blamed

From CNN:
Coke secrets trial begins
Coca-Cola seeks to prevent world from discovering formula consists of 1 1/6 US gallon of sugar, 1/2 quart of lime juice, 2 dry ounces of citrate of caffeine, 1 fluid ounce of citric acid, 1/2 ounce of extract of vanilla, 3/8 fluid ounce of fluid extract of coca per gallon of water

Blogrolling 2007-01-17

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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Use A Firewall

Our blog tips have been covering setting up a blog, including looking at several platforms.

But there's one thing that we need to cover before we cover other blogging tips.

This tip is for bloggers. And for people who just read blogs. And for folks that use the Internet.

Have a firewall on your computer.

Operating system considerations

Most folks use Windows. And most Windows users use Windows XP. Around 75%, by some reports, with all Windows operating systems (98, NT, XP, 2000, 2003, etc) making up nearly 90%.

The remaining 10% are mostly Mac or Linux.

Mac OSX has a built-in firewall that can't easily be turned off.

Most Linux distributions come with a firewall, too.

Windows XP also comes with a firewall that's enabled by default. At least, XP Service Pack 2 does.

Whatever operating system you have (and for most folks, that's a version of Windows), you should use a firewall.

What if you don't have a firewall?

Headline News 2007-01-16

From CNN:
Biden calls for removal of Confederate flag
Thinks South Carolina is part of Delaware

From CNN:
U.S.: Taliban Push After Accord
Prefers Honda to Toyota

From CNN:
Questions remain in whale shark death
Fish not talking

From CNN:
Iraq's Sunnis angry over hanging
Saddam, half-brother haven't complained

From CNN:
Report: Castro in serious condition
Doctors diagnosis: "He's a crazy communist"

From CNN:
Kidnapped boy thanks pal for tipping cops
Much more useful than tipping cows

From CNN:
Upscale hotels popping up along Alabama golf trail
Double wide, with skirting

From CNN:
Group spotlights world's rarest creatures
"Honest Democrats" to air on Discovery

From CNN:
Black hole triplets spotted
Expected to be striped

From CNN:
On MySpace girls seek friends, boys flirt
Center for the Obvious releases report

Blogrolling 2007-01-16

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Monday, January 15, 2007

The Following Takes Place Between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM

Late start because of family computer issues ... coupled with correcting bad computer advise.

Thank goodness for TiVo.

Viewer discretion is advised.

Alright!

Previously on 24

What happened last night.

Kumar's got a gun.

Sister is lawyer for the bad guys.

Dr. Bashir is the bad guy who's the good guy. Or something.

Jack kicks terrorist butt. Through a window.

The following takes place between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM

About time!

Roger Cross is still a guest star?! Curtis going to get killed this season or something? That'd suck!

Headline News 2007-01-15

From ABC News:
Camper Rescued After 5 Weeks in Wilderness
Held captive by Yogi and Boo Boo

From ABC News:
World's First 'Test Tube' Baby Gives Birth
Mother and beaker doing fine

From ABC News:
Edwards Echoes King's Anti-War Message
Not too keen on the whole "the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood" thing

From ABC News:
Hillary Clinton Meets With Karzai, U.S. Troops
Sizing up the enemy

From ABC News:
China Fears Lopsided Sex Ratio Could Spark Crisis
Government sponsored homosexuality to be imposed

From ABC News:
"The Queen" takes on Bond at British film awards
Elton John declares war

From ABC News:
Green Is Red Hot in Hollywood
Kermit makes a comeback

From ABC News:
Journalists Fined for Insulting Islam
Why the AP lies

From ABC News:
Space life search turns to TV, radio signals
Fox, NBC proof of no intelligent life

From ABC News:
Kylie cancels shows due to bad cold
Hoping for good cold

Blogrolling 2007-01-15

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Sunday, January 14, 2007

The Following Takes Place Between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM

It's on!

8:02

Boom!

Blogrolling 2007-01-14

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Saturday, January 13, 2007

Blogrolling 2007-01-13

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Friday, January 12, 2007

Headline News 2007-01-12

From CNN:
Billionaire held in international call girl probe
Likes to be held

From CNN:
Aquarium investigates shark's death
Police Chief Martin Brody held for questioning

From CNN:
Nipple covers, hair and other red carpet secrets
Janet Jackson write book

From CNN:
Blair: Terror battle will be long
Adds, 'Winter will be cold, water will be wet'

From WGAL:
Triple shooting leaves one dead
Suspect promises to aim better next time

From KCRA:
Bird watchers flock to see rare owl
Most prefer their owls well done

From KSAT:
City considers ban on drinking on rivers
Fish protest proposed ordinance

From KMGH:
Six Flags sells Denver park
South Park still on market

From CNN:
Defense: Dancer's story clears one Duke player
Still awaiting testimony from Dasher, Prancer

From CNN:
Paris Hilton pleads not guilty to DUI
Maintains "can't even spell DUI"

Blogrolling 2007-01-12

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Thursday, January 11, 2007

Asterisk

Back in 1961, New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris hit 61 home runs. That broke the mark of 60 home runs that Babe Ruth set in 1927.

Because Maris played in 161 games (out of the 163 played by the Yankees in 1961) and Ruth played in 151 games (out of 155 played by the Yankees in 1927), the Commissioner of Baseball, Ford Frick, ruled that the difference should be noted. And it was. Not by an asterisk, but by a textual notation indicating both records. This is mistakenly -- but commonly -- called "the asterisk." And we'll call it that here.

The asterisk was finally removed in 1991 when Commissioner Fay Vincent ruled that a single record should be recognized. Elias Sports Bureau, the official statistician of Major League Baseball, has followed that ruling ever since.

What brought this up?

Barry Bonds.

He's in the news again. This time, there's a New York Daily News story that Bonds failed a drug test (amphetamines) ... then blamed it on Mark Sweeney.

So what's that go to do with an asterisk?

Well, Bonds is the single-season home run leader. He hit 73 back in 2001. But, because of his steroid use, I think he should be banned from baseball and his records purged.

Some disagree with that, to be sure. But I don't care. What Bonds has done is wrong. Performance-enhancing drugs is cheating. I'm not concerned with "legal" or "illegal." I'm more concerned with "right" and "wrong." And cheating is wrong.

So, anyway, Bonds doesn't deserve the record. Because he cheats.

That means that the single-season record belongs to ... Mark McGwire, who hit 70 home runs in 1998.

Oh, wait. McGwire has used performance-enhancing drugs, too. So, his record of 70 is suspect, too.

That means that the single-season record belongs to ... Sammy Sosa, who hit 66 in 1998.

Only, Sosa's been implicated in using performance-enhancing drugs. And he corks his bat. Don't believe me? Okay, fine. But something is responsible for sudden drop in home run power since the corked bat incident and the increased drug testing started.

Which means that Sosa's record is no good.

That means the single-season home run record belongs to ... Mark McGwire who hit 65 in 1999.

Oh, wait. McGwire. No good, remember?

That means the single-season home run record is 64 in 2001, held by Sammy Sosa ... oh, wait. Right. Sosa. No good.

That means the single-season home run record is 63 in 1999, held by Sammy Sosa ... oh, Sosa again.

So, where does that leave us?

61 home runs by Roger Maris in 1961.

How about that!

So, what to do?

I say put an asterisk back against Roger Maris' record.

Only, this time, the notation is "honest home runs."

Headline News 2007-01-11

From ABC News:
Barry Bonds Reportedly Failed Drug Test
Had stayed up all night studying

From ABC News:
Madonna Defends O'Donnell in War With Trump
One more reason to side with The Donald

From ABC News:
PC World Editor Shot Dead in Raid on His Home
Bin Laden still at large

From ABC News:
Georgia Bank Robbed Two Days in a Row
Piggy Bank now completely empty

From ABC News:
Coyote Killing Contest Prompt Howls
Howls stopped once killing complete

From ABC News:
Democrats Pre-Empt Bush Iraq Plan
Waiting for Bin Laden to approve

From ABC News:
Even a Small Nuclear War Could Change the World
Center For The Obvious releases latest report

From ABC News:
The animal that stows its tongue in its rib cage
Biography Channel's 2-hour special on Gene Simmons to air

From ABC News:
Death Risk High After Release from Prison
Also high for those not released

From ABC News:
German Comedy About Hitler Criticized
"That's My Adolf" garners low ratings

Blogrolling 2007-01-11

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Blog-Tag: A Game for a Virtual Cocktail Party

This meme has been making the rounds recently under the name 5 Things You Don't Know About Me. But the original name was Blog-Tag: A Game for a Virtual Cocktail Party.

How'd I get hit with it? Why, none other than C'est Moi tagged me. And she was tagged by The Anchoress who was tagged by Fausta who was tagged by AcademicElephant (Elephants in Academia) who was tagged by Baseball Crank who was tagged by Matt Welch who was tagged by Howard Owens who was tagged by Jay Small (Small Initiatives) who was tagged by Greg Starling (Screenwerk) who was tagged by Matt McGee (Small Business SEM) who was tagged by Lisa Barone (BruceClay.com) who was tagged by Graywolf (Graywolf's SEO Blog) who was tagged by Digital Ghost (Speaking Freely) who was tagged by Marketing Guy (Fused Nation) who was tagged by Aaron Shear who was tagged by Avinash Kaushik (Occam's Razor) who was tagged by Dave Gale (Hitting the Wire) who was tagged by Jeff Pulver who was tagged by ... nobody. He gets the credit ... or the blame ... for starting this line of this darn thing.

Jeff's rules involve "sharing five things about themselves that relatively few people know, and then tagging five other bloggers to be 'it.'" The rules eventually evolved to "5 things you don't know about me," which is just about the same thing.

Anyway, it's time to play.

Five things that relatively few people know about me:

  1. I've never seen one episode of Seinfeld. And don't want to.

  2. I was on ESPN briefly. During a football game. During Hurricane Hugo. Sitting alone in the stands. Being pounded by rain and 45 MPH winds. Until I held up a sign that said "Hugo Sucks."

  3. I used to have a Mr. Spock haircut.

  4. The first time I went to New Orleans, the first place we ate was ... Wendy's.

  5. I have a birthmark on my butt-cheek. But I won't tell you which one.


Now, I'm supposed to tag five other bloggers.

But, you know what? I'm not going to.

Oh, not that I don't want to play along or follow the rules. Okay, maybe that does figure into it. But Jeff started without a tag ... so I'm going to end without a tag.

If you want to pick it up and run with it, start your own thread. And have fun with it.

Headline News 2007-01-10

From ABC News:
High Mercury Hot Spots Found in Northeast
No Venus Hot Spots found yet

From ABC News:
Canadian TV Show Makes Islam a Laughing Matter
"Beheading Bloopers and Practical Jokes" airs Thursdays

From ABC News:
Gere Dances With Indian Sex Workers for AIDS
Gerbil sex hasn't produced AIDS, new tactic being tried

From ABC News:
James Brown's Body Has Not Been Buried
Celebrities too busy getting face time to actually carry casket to cemetery

From ABC News:
Spears, Hilton Tie for 'Worst Dressed'
Also tied for 'Worst Undressed'

From ABC News:
'Munsters' Star Yvonne De Carlo Dies
Lily Munster still looks the same

From ABC News:
Japan to Investigate U.S. Sub Collision With Fishing Boat
Last fishing boat to investigate sub collision sank

From ABC News:
Hopes for Silicone Implants May Have Been Over-Inflated
Researchers feel like boobs

From ABC News:
Three Pigs Trigger Fire in Rural Serbia
Big Bad Wolf identified perpetrators

From ABC News:
Va. School Fires Butt-Prints Art Teacher
Ex-teacher feels like a real ass

Blogrolling 2007-01-10

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Sorry, Wrong Number

You may know that the Wife has goats. Two of them. She really likes animals.

She's got goats, chickens, ducks, and such. Used to have some pigs, but they died.

Anyway, she's got goats.

And she convinced her sister that having a goat ... or two ... was a good thing.

So her sister got her some goats.

One of the goats she has was pregnant. And had triplets.

Now, not all of the baby goats made it. Two of the kids died. But one has survived, so far.

My sister-in-law seems to think that bringing up a goat in the house is a good idea. She didn't get that idea from me, that's for sure. But, hey, it's her house. And if she wants to have a goat in a box in the living room, that's her business.

They seem to be having a problem with the goat being fed by its mother. I think the baby goat in the living room and the mama goat in the back yard might contribute to that, but like I said, I'm not the goat expert.

So, they've decided to feed the kid themselves. And they milk the mama goat, prepare bottles, and feed the baby goat.

And that's been on the Wife's mind, because she thinks baby goats are just so cute.

So, this past Sunday morning, as we were on the way to my home town for my brother-in-law's funeral, the Wife was worried about the baby goat. So, I suggested she call.

Now, if you have a cell phone, it probably has an address book (or contacts) included. And you might have a name or two in it. The Wife does. Well, she has a few, anyway. Including her sister's.

But that would involve pressing menu, scrolling down to contacts, pressing Enter, scrolling down to her sister's name, then pressing Send. About 6 or 7 punches of buttons or arrows.

No, she knows it'd be much easier dialing the number. All 10 numbers. Then pressing Send.

Yeah, that's much easier. Even easier than pressing the speed dial number she has set up for her.

So, we're traveling along, about an hour out of Columbus, when she decides to call and check on the baby goat.

The Wife dials the number. The phone rings. And the nephew answers.

Now, he must have risen early, eaten breakfast, then lay back down for a nap, because he sounded just a little ... different.

The Wife speaks up, "Hey!"

He responds, a little hesitantly, "Hey."

She jumps right to the reason for the call. "Did you milk the goat yet?"

A brief pause, then he responds, "What?"

She repeats her question, "Did you milk the goat yet?"

Another brief pause. Then, "Ma'am, this is South Girard Church of Christ."

The silence was deafening.

The Wife was quite embarrassed, of course. But it could have been worse, I suppose.

I wonder what kind of answer she would have received if she had messed up and called the Masonic Lodge instead.

Headline News 2007-01-09

From ABC News:
Kennedy: Iraq Is George Bush's Vietnam
Offers to help him find his Chappaquiddick

From ABC News:
N.J. Eyed As Source of Stench Over NYC
Obvious answer is the correct answer

From ABC News:
Life on Mars -- and Researcher Says We Killed It
First test of Illudium PU-35 Explosive Space Modulator a success

From ABC News:
Orphaned Bear Cub Not Hibernating
Was afraid he'd go blind

From ABC News:
Arizona Residents See Rats in Toilets
Follow up to Sixth Sense flops at box office

From ABC News:
Police: Teen Seeking Kiss Rams Wrong Car
Peter Criss not injured

From ABC News:
Bangkok Office Introduces Daily Nap Time
"Take A Kindergartner To Work Day" a success

From ABC News:
Ohio County Cuts Doughnuts for Inmates
Inmates must still twirl spaghetti

From ABC News:
Wis. Legislator Is Longest-Serving
Lousiana's William Jefferson vows to beat record once he starts serving his sentence

From ABC News:
Woman Accused of Killing Husband for Boob Job
News outlets keeping abreast of story

Blogrolling 2007-01-09

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Monday, January 8, 2007

Carry Two Sheets Of Plywood

Just got back from burying a brother-in-law. Well, I didn't actually bury him. But I helped carry his casket.

Benny was a great guy. He was married to my younger sister (The Mean One). I knew him back when she was dating his cousin. But that's another story. Today, I want to share with you just a few thoughts of Benny.

He was one of the first house-husbands I knew. After he and my sister married, they lived the life of a young newlywed couple. They didn't have much, but cherished what they had. After three years, my oldest nephew was born. Benny stayed home with the baby while my sister worked and went to school.

You'd always see Andy's head first, about chest high, as the baby was always stretching out, looking where he and his daddy were going. The door would open, Andy's head would appear, followed by Benny, carrying his son.

Benny worked at the warehouse of one of the furniture stores in my home town. He had a good crew there. He thought the world of them, and they of him. He enjoyed his work. Well, most of the time. Like anything, like any job, he'd get frustrated from time to time. But at the end of the day, he spoke highly of the folks he worked with and where he worked.

They thought lots of him too. When the funeral procession went by the warehouse Monday afternoon, some were at work. But they were lined up outside the door, watching.

Benny worked until his illness prevented him from being able to drive and do the strenuous work involved at the warehouse. It was a debilitating disease, similar to Parkinson's or ALS. But it wasn't either of those.

Still, after he couldn't drive, he'd walk. And he'd do volunteer work at the hospital. He was always trying to do something for other folks.

In fact, in the foyer of the big Baptist church in my home town, is a picture -- several actually -- that are part of a certificate of appreciate that was sent to the church following a mission trip.



One of the pictures ... reproduced in poor quality here ... shows Benny carrying, not one, but two, sheets of plywood as part of the work being done.



And that's Benny. The mission trip was in 1996, but he had already begun suffering from the disease that eventually claimed his life. But he had traveled hundreds of miles to help do work for someone else. And he's giving it his all.

Benny's life was a lesson for us all.

Don't let circumstances prevent you from doing anything you want to do.

Always do your best.

If you can't help yourself, help others.

And don't just carry one one sheet of plywood, when you can carry two.

Headline News 2007-01-08

From ABC News:
Britney, K-Fed Agree to Joint Custody -- for Now
Britney gets the joint first

From ABC News:
Obama's Cocaine Confessional Won't 'Blow' His Chances
Clinton's sex romps didn't 'blow' his

From ABC News:
Pranks for the Memories
Bob Hope's grave robbed

From ABC News:
Virgin Dragon Prepares to Give Birth
No room at inn

From ABC News:
Model Seeks Divorce From Marilyn Manson
Manson married Lionel train in 1998

From CNN:
Chris Kattan engaged to model
Bounces back from Marilyn

From KITV:
Former priest admits being gay, supplying booze
Plans run for Congress

From CNN:
White House uses secret memo to fight court order
Don't tell anyone

From Reuters:
Oprah takes AIDS test at new South Africa school
Stayed up all night studying

From CBS News:
More Than 50 Dead In Indian Violence
John Wayne, Roy Rogers sought for questioning

Open Trackbacks 2007-01-08

The funeral of one of my brothers-in-law is continuing to interfere with blogging. Such is life. And death.

If you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.

Friday, January 5, 2007

Weekend Open Trackbacks 2007-01-06

This weekend, we're busy with events. My brother-in-law ... one of them ... passed away yesterday, not unexpectedly. We're out of pocket until Tuesday. Which means no perusing the blogroll. But, if you'd like to share an item via TrackBack, please feel free to do so, as long as your submission follows the TrackBack policy.

Headline News 2007-01-05

From ABC News:
Stallone Attacks Mexican Border Fence
Didn't like what it said about him

From ABC News:
Maine OKs Santa, Breasts on Beer Labels
Ho-ho-ho and hos now legal

From ABC News:
FDA Approves 1st Drug for Obese Dogs
Cutting back on Gravy Train not an option

From ABC News:
Texas Boy Watches Saddam, Hangs Self
Texas TV stations to broadcast hanging into Mexico

From ABC News:
Ex-President Bush Recovering From Hip Surgery
Still not hip

From ABC News:
Nancy Pelosi Two Heartbeats From the Presidency
Would be meaningful if she had a heart

From ABC News:
Cleric Gunned Down in Gaza After Plea for Calm
Answer assumed to be 'no'

From ABC News:
220 Pounds of Explosives Found in Spain
Michael Moore's ass located

From ABC News:
J.Lo tops list of most influential Hispanics
Plans to run against Hugo Chavez

From WRTV:
Police find $50,000 worth of pot
Still claim it causes memory loss
From WRTV:
Police find $50,000 worth of pot
Still claim it causes memory loss

From WRTV:
Police find $50,000 worth of pot
Still claim it causes memory loss

Blogrolling 2007-01-05

Items of interest from the blogroll.

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Thursday, January 4, 2007

Trek Withdrawal

I've always been a Star Trek fan.

Well, not always. Star Trek didn't come on the air until 1966, so I wasn't a fan before then. But I have been since that time.

I've always enjoyed the original series. The one with Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scott, Sulu, & Checkov.

Yeah, today the show looks a little cheesy. Heck, it looked cheesy then, too. But it was fun. And I liked the show.

After it went off the air, I missed it. But life went on.

Then, they came up with that blasted animated series. In fairness, some of those were pretty good. Some were lame. Either way, it wasn't the same.

When Star Trek - The Motion Picture came out, I went. Was a little disappointed. But still, mediocre Star Trek was better than no Star Trek.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was fantastic. Sure, Spock died. But still, it was good Star Trek.

Star Trek III - The Search for Spock was good. And I really enjoyed Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home. I didn't care for Star Trek V - The Final Frontier, but it does get better every time I see it. And I don't see it often. But I did enjoy Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country. A lot.

But, as much as I liked the movies ... most of them anyway ... it's not the same. Star Trek is a TV show. And should be seen on TV.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was fine. Some episodes were fantastic. Some sucked. I hated the "Data goes crazy again this week" episodes. And I didn't like the Wesley Crusher character, though I thought Wil Wheaton did an admirable job. The problem wasn't the actor, it was the character. Wesley the Wonderdog was no fun. For me, anyway.

Oh, and Jean-Luc Picard is a little too preachy for me. When I listen to somebody preach, it'll be a Baptist preacher in church on Sunday morning, not some French starship captain who won't be born for another 298 ½ years.

Still, some episodes, particularly "The Inner Light," were great.

I liked Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I wasn't too keen on the whole Bajoran religion thing. And Sisko was a little preachy. But give me a baseball-playing space station Commander (later, Captain) than a cheese-eating starship Captain any day. One of my favorite characters was Garak. Andrew Robinson's a good actor. And the Garak character was great.

I was not a big fan of Star Trek: Voyager. I didn't care for Captain Janeway at all. And I didn't like Kes. Not the first season Kes, anyway. Her later episodes were fine, but the character wasn't that great. But I really liked the Doctor.

And Star Trek: Enterprise was fun. Mostly. I liked most of the characters. The only one that grated on me was T'Pol. Not the character. Or the actor. Both were fine. But I never liked the Catsuit-women on the Star Trek shows.

Deanna Troi (TNG) really turned into a great character around the same time Captain Jellico made her start wearing a uniform instead of that silly outfit they had her in at first. And Seven of Nine (Voyager) would have been a better character in a Starfleet uniform. The Maquis got to wear Starfleet uniforms; why not a Borg? Plus, the hot chick from Deep Space Nine, Jadzia (later, Ezri) Dax, wore a uniform.

A hot chick in uniform is, well, a hot chick. The catsuits detracted from the character. To me, anyway.

Still, despite all the little things I liked or didn't like, I watched Star Trek, in whatever incarnation there was.

Well, mostly.

Remember I said I wasn't a big fan of Voyager? Well, I watched it if I happened across it. But if I missed it, I didn't really care.

But a year and a half ago, Star Trek went off the air. Enterprise was canceled.

I've really missed Star Trek.

A lot.

How much?

Spike TV is carrying Voyager.

And I'm TiVo-ing it.