Thoughts for 2009-07-16

Things on my mind recently...

• Was still wet from the water rides during the ride home. However, a shower -- washing the water off, I suppose -- helped. #SixFlags #


• Off work today. Life is great! Woke up at normal time anyway. Life sucks! #


• Jo re-tells it like it is http://tr.im/sC4J #


• Giant Mystery Blob Moves Through Alaskan Waters http://tr.im/sCem The anti-Palin media leaves our 49th state #


• Social Security spends $700,000 on conference http://tr.im/sDxx Don't worry, it's only tax money. It's not like you paid for it. #TCOT #


• A Justicte Sotomayor wouldn't write anything that even remotely resembles the Constitution. Unless she makes an "s" look like an "f". #


• ATM shoots pepper spray at thieves http://tr.im/sGC4 Stole idea from Naked Gun movie. Remember the anti-graffiti wall? Spray-painted vandals #


• Moon landing tapes got erased, NASA admits http://tr.im/sGFT Part of the cover-up of the fake moon landing, obviously #


• Biden: "We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt" http://tr.im/sGI9 #TCOT #LiberalLogic #


• Abortions save lives #LiberalLogic #


• You cannot legislate morality, but you can legislate immorality #LiberalLogic #


• We have to destroy the economy to save it #LiberalLogic #


• The most qualified Supreme Court nominee is one whose rulings are routinely overturned by the Supreme Court #LiberalLogic #


• Increase the size of government to make it more efficient #LiberalLogic #


• Biden tells Ohio lawmakers Columbus GA gets no funds for NCR move http://tr.im/sHml Columbus says Biden got facts wrong http://tr.im/sHmB #


• Whatever happened to the Roebuck Tower? #


• Twitter is a job qualification at Best Buy http://tr.im/sHwr Actually, this explains a lot #


• Just returned from Columbus Lions (AIFA) meet-and-greet with grandson. Wife is watching Twilight. Again. #


• Wife just told me that New Moon posters are already up in theatres. Trailers can't be far behind. Next movie, I'm showing up 30 min late. #


• Zell Miller: Use Gorilla Glue on Obama’s chair http://tr.im/sIqg #TCOT #


• Zell Miller: Spending like Paris Hilton, regulating like Nader, nationalizing like Chavez, and taxing like we’re Democrats http://tr.im/sIqg #


• Obama administration defends Bush wiretapping http://tr.im/sIvr Does this fall under "Hope" or "Change?" #


• Retired general, lieutenant colonel join reservist’s lawsuit over Obama's birth status http://tr.im/sIzo #TCOT #


• I'm still amazed that the fact that most of Sotomayor's cases appealed to SCOTUS are overturned doesn't seem to matter. #TCOT #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

To the moon

As I write this, it was 40 years ago, to the hour, that Apollo 11 lifted off on its voyage to land man on the moon.



I was watching the coverage on NBC, with Frank McGee hosting. On our first color TV. And, for the next several days, I was glued to the TV, watching the coverage of the moon shot. Well, except when they interrupted it to cover some silly Chappaquiddick thing where some drunk killed some woman.

The lunar coverage was fascinating. I had been watching Star Trek (also on NBC) on whatever night it came on from one week to the next. But this was REAL! We -- Americans -- were sending people to the moon!

It was an amazing and wonderful time. I turned 11 years old during the Apollo 11 mission, and was aware that, in my youth, we were landing on the moon. The future was unlimited.

That was 40 years ago.

And it's been nearly 37 years since an American last walked on the moon.

Today, we're supposed to be more technologically advanced than we were 40 years ago. And, we are. But we couldn't land a man on the moon if we wanted to.

If we were to, we'd have to throw bunches of money at it. And it'd take years to pull off.

Money and technology aren't the solution. Attitude is. Those days, America -- and particularly NASA and the astronaut program -- had a "can-do" attitude. That can-do attitude is what landed us on the moon.

It generated the money and technology to make it happen.

That's the problem today: we think money and technology are means to an end. They aren't. They're by-products of success. And attitude makes success possible.

Lot's of people today don't understand that. And worse, many don't believe it.

I believe it. I lived through it. It's real. Those of you that lived through it know what I'm talking about.

The good news is, some of you that weren't around during that time also understand and believe it.

We need more of you.

Thoughts for 2009-07-15

Things on my mind recently...

• Plane crashes in Iran, 168 believed killed http://tr.im/sqD5 How long before Iran blames U.S? And before Obama apologizes? #


• More flags, more fun. Heading to Six Flags. #


• Nephew and female "friend" came to Six Flags with us. He commented on kid on a leash. He doesn't see the one his "friend" wields. #


• Everybody else figured Wednesday was a good day to go to Six Flags. More flags, more fun? More people, more lines. #


• Before ride- Me: You might want to take your hat off. Grandson: I'm okay. After ride- Me: Where's your hat? Grandson: (pouts) #SixFlags #


• Wife only rode Splashwater Falls becaise I told her the last row didn't get wet. She believed me. Bwa-ha-ha. #


• Looks like the entire cast of Deliverance is at Six Flags. Not Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ronny Cox nor Ned Beatty. But everybody else. #


• Last Six Flags trip, I wore khaki pants. They got wet on Thunder River. This time, I wore jeans. They got wet, too. Next time, no pants. #


• I wonder if a Harold and Kumar theme park would make it. Leopard rides, NPH/unicorn rides, whore houses, and White Castle burgers. #


• It's Dirty Hippie Day at Six Flags. I've seen a s**t-load of dirty hippies wandering around. #


• Three of the Six Flags over Georgia: Spain, France, England http://sml.vg/tLahlH #


• Two of the Six Flags over Georgia: US (1776), Georgia (19th century), US. What's missing? Confederacy. PC trumps his... http://sml.vg/e2npkD #


• Long line for my favorite ride: the tram to the parking lot. #SixFlags #


• Was still wet from the water rides during the ride home. However, a shower -- washing the water off, I suppose -- helped. #SixFlags #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Second notice

Got my second notice from the Republican National Committee today.

They sent it in an orange envelope, with the red words "SECOND NOTICE" on the front.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over!

A "second notice?" Like I owe them some money or something?

So, what did they say? What did the letter say?

Thoughts for 2009-07-14

Things on my mind recently...

• Soldier balks at deployment; says Obama isn’t really president http://tr.im/sdWF If only... #TCOT #


• Sex hormones and painkillers found in Chicago drinking water http://tr.im/sdXf I'm sure this explains something about Obama. Not sure what. #


• If a prince kisses Sonia Sotomayor, will the spell be broken and she turn back into a princess? #


• Dogs understand gestures as well as toddlers http://tr.im/se1q Are dogs as smart as toddlers, or are toddlers as stupid as dogs? #


• Texting teen falls into open manhole http://tr.im/sgzy Wile E. Coyote's daughter out for a stroll #


• Obama to throw out first pitch at MLB All-Star Game? http://tr.im/sgXw Did they play baseball in Kenya? #TCOT #


• Obama to throw out first pitch at MLB All-Star Game http://tr.im/sgXw If pitch is like Obama, it will be high and way to the left #TCOT #


• Dinner roll at Picadilly Cafe at the mall is very hard. Good news is that, in case of pirate attack, it can be used as a weapon. #


• How to defeat Sotomayor: Bake the hall in the candle of her brain #TCOT #


• Soldier who says Obama isn't president doesn't have to deploy, Army says http://tr.im/so6Y #


• Billboard saying Martin Luther King was Republican angers Black activists http://tr.im/soak MLK was no more Republican than Lincoln was #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.

Nobody tell Frank J. about the monkeys using their minds to control robots

Sky News reports that, at the University of Pittsburgh, a monkey fitted with a hi-tech brain chip has learned to move a complex robotic arm using mind control.

You read that right.

Monkeys controlling robots with their minds.

One science guy, who wears a lab coat, says it's all for the public good:

Neurobiologist Dr Andy Schwartz said: "What we're trying to do is go to a very dextrous hand - where the functionality is very similar to the human hand. If we could help stroke patients there would be a huge market for this kind of device."

I'm not sure, but I think the guy that's the mad scientist behind this is a nice guy. But letting monkeys control robots?

Don't let Frank J. find out. He's got a lot on his mind right now, what with writing all teh funneh, making up lies about the president (but true lies, not those awful false lies), and planning the birthday of someone who is very special to him (and the rest of us, too).

That's a lot of pressure. He doesn't need any more. Especially since he has to find the perfect birthday present for his wife. All married men know that if you don't find the perfect gift, you might as well just dig a hole, crawl in, and cover yourself up. Your life is over if you screw up the wife's birthday present.

So, Frank J. doesn't need any extra pressure. I sure won't do anything to cause any extra pressure on him. About his wife's birthday.

And this story about monkeys controlling robots with their minds might freak him out. 'Cause it's freaky.

I mean, do you get the idea that scientists are like rednecks, only with test tubes and laboratories instead of beer cans and deer stands?

I mean, a redneck will get liquored up, hop on a four-wheeler and try to jump his mom's car. He'll make it about half-way across. It's like, "Hey, y'all, watch this!" Then they've got a "Here's Your Sign" winner.

Same way with these scientists. "Hello, colleagues, observe this!" They wire up a monkey to a robot and let it control it with its mind.

We've all been worrying about SkyNet taking over. And, if it does, it will be a cross between Terminator and Planet of the Apes: monkey-controlled robots.

There's a storm coming ... and it's a mad house, a mad house!

Thoughts for 2009-07-13

Things on my mind recently...

• Ah, back to work. It's Monday ... and Thursday. Got Wednesday, and the rest of the week, off. Life is good. #


• Cricket bat vs toy gun. Cricket bat wins. http://tr.im/s6Sy #


• My watch band broke last night while doing laundry. Ran to Wal-mart (only place open) to get another. Was cheaper to buy a new watch. #


• Girl at work broke her foot. Rescuing kittens and children from a burning orphanage. Either that or she fell off her porch. #


• Mohawk Granny just walked by downtown. Haven't seen her in weeks. #


• I assume it's okay for the Firehouse Subs truck to park in the fire lane? http://sml.vg/xmqFVr #


• If someone riding a Rascal crosses the street illegally, is it still jay-walking? #


• Dems say Sotomayor's statements and over-turned rulings don't matter. Proving you can't judge a book by its content. #TCOT #


• At the Columbus Lions football game with grandson. Lions vs Reading (PA) Express. Winner goes to AIFA championship in WY or UT. #


• Columbus Lions pre-game warm-up. http://sml.vg/c4ydcG #


• Columbus Lions fans are coming out for the game. http://sml.vg/c0M1D5 #


• Small crowd for a playoff game. Columbus doesn't support local pro sports. http://sml.vg/UrEOD1 #


• Halftime: Reading 36, Columbus 28 #AIFA #


• This has nothing to do with enjoying the game. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. #AIFA http://sml.vg/ISBPmH #


• End 3Q: Reading 50, Columbus 36 #AIFA #


• Final: Reading 60, Columbus 51 #


• Post-game prayer by Columbus and Reading players #AIFA http://sml.vg/1tnMyz #


• Sympathy to the Barack Obama family. They lost a loved and valuable staff member. Teleprompter committed suicide http://tr.im/sdIT #TCOT #


• Democrats say Sotomayor's statements and over-turned rulings don't matter. Proving you can't judge a book by its content. #TCOT #

Follow me at http://twitter.com/basilsblog.