Nice People? What The...?

I realize that many of my posts on this blog tend to be somewhat.. err.. negative. After all, this is my place to vent to my heart's content, right?
However, today was a day that partially restored my faith in humanity (all right, that's a little over-dramatic).
I was taking a vacation day today, to catch up on things and have a 'decompression day' after the trip to Boston. While running errands, I went to the dry cleaner and was treated very nicely (to be fair, this place is always great). Then I went to get my oil changed. I had to go to three places (Jiffy Lube - closed due to hurricane damage, sticker stop didn't have my filter) and ended up at the Detail/Lube center at the Mister Car Wash on Gessner near I-10. These people were amazing! I can't remember the last time folks were so polite and helpful. The guy came in to show me my filters, and when I opted to not have them replace my cabin filter (can get it a lot cheaper elsewhere) he not only didn't try to hard-sell me, he immediately said "OK, I'll put a note in the comments on your invoice so you'll have a reminder". Then once the oil change was done, the lady who rang me up carefully explained their coupon attached for a free car wash (did you know they do that? makes the cost of the oil change a lot more reasonable!). Oh, they also have some pretty high-quality leather couches/chairs in the waiting room (and the coffee actually tasted good). I have to say, I came out of that place smiling and shaking my head. I'm not used to actual customer service these days, ya know?
Later, stopping by Kroger for some groceries, the girl who was sort of supervising the self-check-out lane actually said "Have a great day, sir" as I was walking out (could have done without the 'sir', but I guess I am old). Again, unexpected and refreshing.
I also made a trip to Sam's Club to talk to their optical shop and to pick up a few items. The lady who rang me up and I had a fun conversation about the person behind me (who had about 300 things on 3 floats -- she wasn't looking forward to ringing it all up!). Then she actually used my name as she thanked me and wished me a good evening. I don't remember that happening before at Sam's.
However, lest you think my cynicism is completely on hold, I had a rather lackluster experience at TSO. I recently got my eye exam and, sadly, it is time for reading correction. Now, I have an optician in the family, but he's in Florida and it is very difficult to select/buy glasses long distance. My plan was to see if I could find a frame here in Houston that (a) I like and (b) Chuck can get at his store. There is also a possibility that I'll get something here locally, as I want to get a 'regular' pair and a sunglasses pair. Chuck's store is very upscale and even with the "family discount", 2 pairs would/will set me back! Upon entering TSO, I looked around at their haphazard displays, nothing labeled as far as whether they were men's or women's frames (hard to tell these days as many truly are "unisex") but I couldn't narrow down my search. There seemed to be no grouping of frames by any criteria. On top of that, NOTHING was priced. There was only one employee in the store and although she was dealing with another customer, she never even acknowledged my presence. So, I left and shall never return.
So, TSO was crap, but overall, I was impressed and surprised by my fellow humans today. Thought I should let folks know.

Shalom, Y'all!

I just attended the wedding of my step-niece up in the Boston area. For our family, this wedding was a bit different in a few ways! First off, it's an inter-faith marriage. So, although the wedding ceremony took place in a Lutheran church (where my sister, the stepmother of the bride, is organist and minister of music), there were Jewish elements involved along with the Christian traditions. That was a little strange. First of all, God was worshiped and prayed to, but Jesus was not mentioned. Along with the church's altar, there was a huppa, the open-topped 'tent' (made famous to us non-Jews in "Meet the Parents" where Owen Wilson, the perfect ex-boyfriend, carved one from a single piece of wood...). Hebrew readings/blessings were alternated with scripture readings in English. The Lutheran pastor presided (no Rabbi). No seven circles, no breaking glass, etc. Interesting, however, to be sure.

Anyway, after the ceremony, we traveled to a place called "The Red Lion Inn" for the reception in the "Lion's Hall" . Great place for a party! The original structure of the inn was built in 1704 and has a unique history. Really wonderful place. It was a sit-down dinner, and aside from the clam chowdah being a little tepid, the food was excellent! There was a typical wedding band (versed in everything from jazz standards to rock-n-roll oldies to disco) -- and (dare I say it) dancing! I have to say, this is where "Baptist" weddings fall down. Raised as a Southern Baptist, nearly every family wedding I've been to has had the reception in the fellowship hall of the church where there will be no alcohol or dancing. I have to tell you, although the ceremonies have always been beautiful (c'mon, it's your family member tying the knot, of course it's special!), the receptions are outright lame. People standing around nursing a cup of punch, waiting for the couple to cut the cake. This reception was more like the ones I've attended as a sound engineer (mixing for one of those tuxedoed bands) -- where people actually have fun and party! Here I was, seeing a lot of family I haven't seen in a long time, meeting "the other side" for the first time, and it was the most fun I've had in ages. Just being silly, dancing with my 12-year-old niece, all of us "screaming along" with the disco medley... and HISTORY WAS MADE on this date. My parents, in their 70's, ACTUALLY DANCED for what I believe is the very first time. Not a ballroom-style dance or even a slow dance, but just out there dancing around to some oldies. My brother ran for his camcorder, I veritably dove for my camera. I cannot put into words the joy you experience seeing something like that. I've watched plenty of septuagenarians hit the dance floor at wedding receptions, but MY FOLKS? I believe they were actually raised to think dancing is evil. Of course, over the years they've let a few of the more strident "no-nos" of the rural Southern Baptist tradition, such as card playing, lapse, but I NEVER thought I'd see them out on a dance floor. Where other people could see them? NO way. My dad has always had a silly streak and will do some pretty goofy stuff, but not in public. So perhaps it was a bit less astonishing to see him out there -- but my MOM?? Oh man. OH MAN. Just those 4 or 5 minutes were worth the trip. I really can't overstate this. Unbelievable.

Also during this trip I got my first taste of Rock Band the video game. They have it at my sister's house. So my 12-yr-old niece, my 18-yr-old nephew and I fumbled our way through some classics (well, Dallas and I stumbled. Erika was always playing on the "hard" setting and was killing!). I tried both guitar and drums, Dallas sang when all three of us were playing and Erika alternated instruments with me. NOW I see why this thing, and Guitar Hero, are so stinkin' popular! ADDICTIVE is definitely the operative word here. I'd really never had a good description of how it all works, and won't attempt to describe it to you either (it's kind of hard to do). I had been told that if you really do know how to play the guitar, it doesn't help you -- and that is TRUE. As a matter of fact, it's a hindrance, as your fingers will invariably revert to actually trying to hit a correct fret instead of just pressing the button of the correct color. Playing the 'drums' is a little closer to reality, as your task does require some rhythm -- but the bottom line is that it's all eye-hand coordination like most video games. It also helps if you know the songs you are "playing", but it's not of major importance unless you are the singer (the game tracks the accuracy of your pitch, and provides the lyrics, so for a 'singer' it's karaoke-like, but you will fail if you can't carry a tune). You do have things to do during instrumental portions of the song, usually tapping the mic on beat, that sort of thing. Anyway, that's just crazy fun. Everyone should have one.

My littlest nephew, Nash, was pretty well-behaved and charming for the majority of the trip -- and he is now in that three-year-old thing where they just talk a blue streak. One quick anecdote: My brother-in-law Tim (father of the bride) is having continuing (and worsening! please pray!!) health problems and as a result is currently walking with a cane. Nash came up to him and said "I like your cane, Uncle Tim!" Then, "Maybe Santa can bring me a cane like that for Christmas, but maybe a little shorter." Kids. Gotta love 'em. Oh, and he had decided that he was going to call me "Cheese Crackers" for most of the weekend.

It seems like whenever our family gets together, someone will, in the attempt to be funny, just stick their foot way down their throat. It was my turn this time. We'd been kind of kidding about some things Jewish, and I was teasing my sister Dawne about something... anyway, she'd said something about lox or some such other thing and I said "You trying to be Jewish? Well you've got the schnoz for it" (we've always given her a hard time about her nose). HOWEVER, the word that came out in place of "schnoz" was... "schlong". It was just my siblings, Dallas and I in the room at the moment, thank goodness. That was one of several laugh-until-you-cry-and-cannot-breathe moments of the weekend. yikes.

All in all, this weekend was just insanely enjoyable. However, my reign as
The Flat Tire King continues. This morning at 6:30 AM as I went out to my rental car with my luggage (getting ready to take my Floridian sister and myself to the airport for our respective flights), the left rear tire was flat. There was a nail, in its usual spot (too close to the sidewall to plug -- a ruined tire!). Thankfully, the lug nuts were not air-hammered on for all time by a sadistic mechanic, so I was able to get them loose with the 12" toy lug wrench provided in the "kit" and got the donut on in just a few minutes. Also thankfully, it wasn't very cold and the drizzle had abated. We got to the airport in plenty of time, where my flight to Houston was delayed nearly an hour due to -- no kidding -- a flat tire.

Careful What You Hope For

Well, I just finished watching Obama's acceptance speech. We've got us a new President!
I'm certainly not surprised.

So, we've just elected a guy who, on the positive side, is the first mixed-race President.
However, this is also a guy who has stated that he felt that the Warren court wasn't radical enough, didn't address the subject of wealth redistribution. It's a guy who, in a rare moment of candor, told a guy that "spreading the wealth around" was his intention. A guy who has said we need a civilian national security force equal to the military. A guy who has lined up behind gun ban legislation at every turn. A guy who thinks sitting down and having conversations with lunatic dictators is the right way to pursue diplomacy. A guy who intends (in his own words) to bankrupt the coal industry. A guy who expects us to believe that he sat in the pew of an anti-american, anti-white church for over 20 years but doesn't embrace the theology of its pastor (a man so inspiring to him that the title of Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" is from one of Wright's sermons). A guy who cozied up to a well known 60's radical terrorist to launch his own political ambitions, trying to say that somehow he really had nothing to do with the guy.

Oh, "change". "Hope".

Well, as he said tonight, "Change has come to America". I pray that it's not what he actually says he wants to do, because even you kool-aid drinkers will be horrified if and when he shuts down talk radio, silences opposition, takes guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, reaches DEEP into your pocket to "spread the wealth around", and forms his own private army to enforce whatever he deems necessary.

Do I think he'll actually be able to pull all of that off? Well, I would love to say "of course not". After all, the President can't just do what he wants. There's always congress... Oh wait... it's in Democrat hands as well. Not to mention that we could see two more Supreme Court justices retire very soon, as they are ancient. You think Obama will put in strict constructionists? Judges who won't impose their agenda via their decisions?

When your taxes go up, when you have to turn in your gun, when you have to look over your shoulder before having a candid conversation lest you break speech codes, when the government (imagine the horror) takes over the health care industry, when your electricity bill skyrockets, when you start having to pay carbon offset taxes...

Maybe then you'll wonder "what was I thinking?". Of course, by then it will be too late.

Economic Stimulus...?

OK, I don't get it.

Forget the crazy stock market crashing all around us for a minute (hard to do when you realize your 401k has been knocked for a loop, I know).

Here's what I can't figure out. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat party are mulling a second "economic stimulus" package, writing checks to get more spending by consumers in the economy.

OK, didn't they just do that? How well did that go? What did you do with your 600 or 1200 dollars? Most people I know paid off debt. Even if you ran out and bought clothes, put a down payment on a car, or got a flat-screen TV... what good did it do? It sure didn't stave off the Fannie/Freddie/Bear Stearns/Lehman/Wachovia/WaMu/AIG meltdown. It sure didn't keep people in jobs. Basically it was blatant pandering. It didn't do anything, and it was a stupid idea.

It will be a stupid idea again.

"But" you say, "I think it's a great idea for me to get another check!" -- really? That's what Pelosi and her minions hope you think. But let's ask an obvious question. When the Federal Government sends you a check -- of any kind-- where do you think that money came from?

It came from YOU. In the form of taxes. It is the ONLY source of revenue for the government. Taxes. "Well, I know that" you say... let's think for a second.

You might recall, if you're old enough, John F. Kennedy cut taxes. The economy boomed. You might recall that in '86 the tax code was reformed and lowered the top rate from 50% to 28%. The economy boomed. Clinton, in the midst of one of the biggest bull markets in history (largely due to the "dot-com" bubble) raised taxes so much that even he said "I think I raised your taxes too much." When he left office we were recession-bound.

(By the way, I think it bears noting that during that fat & happy time, Al Gore pronounced "the end of the economic cycle". Hmmm... how's that global warming thing going, Al? Oh yeah, it's already snowing in several states and it ain't even November yet. Gore has a dismal track record on... well, everything.)

So, George Bush pushed through tax cuts. Despite the breast-beating from Liberals that the cuts "only benefited the wealthy" (gee, don't they pay the most tax? duh), the economy boomed.

Nancy Pelosi and the Dems have always railed against tax cuts. At the same time, they rail against spending cuts (and continually call any reduction in growth a cut). See a pattern here? "We wanna reward our cronies and donors and stupid people who continue to vote for us even though we never deliver on our promises, so we certainly can't cut programs... and therefore you who have 'benefited from life's lottery' must pay more -- it's your fair share! It's patriotic!"

And yet, it's a really good idea to cut you a check so you'll go out and buy the new iPhone.

So, here I am, not getting it. Tax cuts, which would put more of YOUR money in YOUR pocket, are bad. However, if Congress reaches into the pile of YOUR money, aka taxes, and writes you a check, that's a good thing.

MORONS!

Of course, the deal here is this: Tax cuts do not allow the Democrats to rob Peter to pay Paul. They can't take from the rich and (pretend to) give to the poor. They can't pickpocket evil, rich white people and dole out crumbs to "the disenfranchised" among us. In other words, it won't translate into VOTES. Tax cuts give a break to the PRODUCTIVE members of society and allow them to actually hang on to more of the money they have EARNED. There's no political benefit in that! Well, not for Democrats, anyway.

However, if you reach into the tax bucket and write checks to everyone, even those that never pay income tax, guess what? Well, jeepers, you are a knight in shining armor! Oh my, you've allowed Seniors on fixed income the chance to eat people food, not dog food! Saints be praised, you've allowed working families to put food on the table for the children. Glory Hallelujah, you've provided 50" HDTVs for trailer homes from sea to shining sea.

So, no matter how many times the exact opposite has been proven to be true, with Democrats in charge, you'll always hear that we must increase taxes to pay for our beloved and necessary programs. We can't afford tax cuts. This crap B.O. is spouting about 95% of people in his plan... bunk. Is that before or after the Bush tax cuts, which are so horrible, expire? So, when they expire, the result will be the largest tax increase in history... and you, B.O., can throw a couple of crumbs to the idiots that elected you (yeah, I guess I'm making a prediction there) and claim you lowered their taxes.

And all of this is OUTSIDE of the bailout/recession/depression/meltdown we're experiencing right now. Thanks to... well, that's a subject for another post. Just think about this: The Government held a gun to your head and said "we gotta do this bailout, cuz it will save the economy!". So, they sign off on the blasted thing. What happened? Worst market crash in like forever. Then they held a gun to the banks' collective head and said "You better sign on to us buying into your assets or we won't be so generous if you fall on hard times in the future." And what happened? Another MASSIVE sell-off.
So, the government is basically RUINING our free market system by "helping". And you want them to run HEALTH CARE??? Where people DIE from mistakes?

I weep for this country, I really do.

I don't like Ike

Well, the worst of the storm is over, and I am grateful that I only lost power for about 5.5 hours staring at 2:00 am. I had gone outside a few times to see what was happening, and there was almost no rain, even at 3 am. When the power came back on around 7:30, it was raining like crazy.
Sometime between my 3 am trip downstairs and 7:30, a tree went down right at the corner of the complex:


Street Side:


I took my trusty DeWalt 18V reciprocating saw down and cleared the left lane of the street so people can get through:


All in all, I consider myself very blessed that there was no damage, no long-term power outage, and no flooding in my area. Water pressure is very low due to a power outage at a main pumping station.
There are millions without power, especially in the coastal areas which just got whalloped. I'm a little North of I-10 on the West side of Houston, so really only got "medium" winds/rain.

I think the power is down at my employer, the website is not reachable (we stupidly host our own site).

I reckon that's it for now.

Rudy and Sarah... My Kind of Night!

Oh, man.
I obviously am not objective in my musings about these conventions. So with that said, I gotta say, both Rudy Guliani and Sarah Palin hit it out of the park tonight.

First, Rudy came out and just killed. Part comedian, part statesman, he certainly didn't pull any punches. I love the fact that he called out Biden on his previous stance that the presidency was no place for on the job training... and Hillary on the 3am phone call. Peppered with sarcasm (which of course worked for me!), he took Obama to the proverbial woodshed. One thing I thought he was going to say, but didn't (and perhaps he missed the oppportunity) was when he was reminding people of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there was a huge backdrop of the New York skyline behind him. I was just willing him to turn around and say "look at that skyline -- never forget the twin towers that once towered over my city".
Anyway, I thought Rudy was pretty brilliant.

Then, Sarah Palin comes out and gets an ovation which I believe was longer than the reception Obama got at his Stadium speech.
Again, using some sarcasm (of course the MSNBC pundits have decided she insulted her opponents) and some simply awesome lines, I'd say she has roared on to the national stage in fine fashion.
When they weren't standing, the folks in the hall were literally leaning forward on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next line.
As I'm writing this, the he/she on MSNBC just said she was surprised that Palin gave an "insulting, sniping, cutting" speech that gave us little of her biography and "a whole lot of what is wrong with Barack Obama". To that I say "so what?" What were all of the speeches at the democrat convention about? "Four more years of the same failed policies... it's not that John McCain doesn't care.. he just doesn't know", etc.
Jeez.
Obviously, much if not all of the speech was written by McCain's policy folks, so as she went down the litany of policy positions, it got a little flat... but when she was talking about her family, her town, her job, and her beliefs, she shone like no one I've seen before.
Some of my favorite bits:

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

...this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform...

Now, it remains to be seen how she really governed in Alaska. So far, the word seems to be that she did some flip-flopping... apparently supporting the "bridge to nowhere" before she opposed it, and sought pork barrel projects as mayor before crusading against that type of spending as governor. We'll just have to see how it all shakes out. At least she's done SOMETHING.

As for me, for this moment in time, I am a Palin fan. She was tough, likeable, she's got a nearly "Fargo-ish" accent that is just subtle enough not to annoy, and it doesn't hurt that she's attractive. Thank goodness when she speaks loudly, her voice doesn't disintegrate into a shrill shriek. That, maybe more than her Socialist views, bugged me to no end about Hillary.

Oh man, Keith Olberman, always the smug bastard, just "had to get this off his list" -- "It's 'pundit, p-u-n-d-i-t, not pundent." Interesting. Did he correct Sean Penn, Michael Moore, or any of the other dozens of left-wingers I've heard mispronounce that word? At least she can pronounce "nuclear."

I wish the timing had been a little tighter (I guess it was Rudy that ran long), because there was a biographical video they were supposed to run before Sarah P came on stage. That would have helped round out the background story and set up the intro much better. But, ya can't have everything.

Anyway, I say it was a good night for the pubs. Go, Sarah, Go!

MSNBC - Mentally Stunted, Nothing But Critical

So, I'm watching the Republican National Convention tonight, and Fred Thompson, Joe Lieberman, and George Bush gave the main speeches. The theme of the night was playing up service to country, honoring veterans, volunteers, foster/adoptive parents, and non-profit (and NOT supported by government) organizations dedicated to helping the less fortunate.
They played a winning essay by a high school (I think) student about "what the flag means to me". They had a girl who founded a non-profit called SAIF which rehabs properties and allows folks in financial straits to rebuild their lives.
There were descriptions of the things John McCain has done, focusing on his character, Fred Thompson actually saying "Being a POW does not qualify one to be president of the United States. Character does."
I watched the convention on C-Span, because there is no commentary during the program. Then, due to the lack of channels I have with my non-cable "master antenna" thing here at the apartment, I switched to MSNBC to check out their "coverage" of the night.
What are they talking about? Palin's pregnant daughter, Palin was a last-minute choice, there's "news" that she wasn't interviewed until last Wednesday... and the pompous ASS Keith Olberman correcting every little thing he could find to either knock down the impact of what was said during a speech, pointing out how many times Fred Thompson cleared his throat during his speech, etc. That guy is such a hack, I can't believe MSNBC lets him on the air under the heading of "journalist". Chris Matthews, whoever that tranny is (oh, Rachel Maddow) are beating on Pat Buchanan, the one conservative allowed on the dais. Rachel or Rick or whatever his/her name is is nearly apoplectic that Sarah Palin might be thrust upon us when she was a last-minute pick, she's ripping the Republicans for "skipping over the last 8 years" (I guess she missed all of the talk about the war, the surge, and Laura Bush's recitation of all of W's accomplishments). Pat's trying to stand his ground and he called out "us" meaning all of the media for blowing up the Palin's pregnant daughter story, and giving a reasonable assessment of how the night went. They had no such vitriol for Obama, all they talked about was the wonderful message of hope, and how "electric" the atmosphere was. Tonight it's all about "Who do the Republicans think they are?" NO veneer even attempted at journalistic integrity. This is pure editorializing.
One of the MSNBC boobs was saying "well, with high unemployment..." HUH? We're at what, 5.5%? When we had that level under Clinton it was heralded as a freakin' miracle. Some idiot I read online today was saying that the GOP "just won't admit there's a recession" -- A recession is defined by 2 consecutive quarters of NEGATIVE growth... last quarter? 3.3%. Note to moron: no need to admit to something that does not exist.
Look, Bush has been a lackluster President on MANY fronts. He fell down on the job on illegal immigration and has some bizzare fetish for Mexican presidents. Until this surge, he was blowing the war on terror. He hasn't articulated (well, duh) any of the accomplishments of his administration, challenged the democrats in congress, or pointed out their wrong-headedness.
McCain? Well, not the guy I'd hoped would become the nominee, but I'll take him any day over Barry the socialist Obama. Logical criticisms are valid of course. But the hysterical pitch associated with everything I'm seeing tonight and read today just points out that the "mainstream" media (it's only mainstream if you're a liberal) is biased... even worse than ever imagined.

Demovention: Monday

Oh, man.
The dems are hitting the "the same failed republican policies" line mighty hard at the convention.
I'm typing to keep from getting enraged.

They are showing a short film showing "the lessons learned" from Katrina.
NO mention of the city and state government (democrats) blowing it. Only blaming George Bush.
Jimmy Carter is narrating/starring in this film. He actually said that "the federal government couldn't take care of its own people" -- since when does the federal government take care of us? It's not only not their job, it's illegal. He's talking about how we saw that there were so many impoverished people, mostly african-american... well, how could THAT be in a city and state under democrat control for generations? Why, Jimmy just said that the Democrats are the party for ordinary citizens... look at your own movie, ya moron! The Democrats created huge ghettos in flood-prone areas... Oh yeah, and siphoned off all the money meant to maintain the levees. But it's George Bush's fault because he didn't... umm, what, call God on the phone and ask if he'd send Moses down to part the Mississippi?

Nancy Pelosi, in her speech actually said "we need a president who recognizes that health care is a right, not a privilege." Really? a RIGHT? I have a RIGHT to health care? By that logic, I have a right to groceries, a house, and clothes (since food, clothing and shelter are the true basic necessities, eh?). Where's my free house? My free food? My free threads?

They just played a sound bite from Barack saying that the most important thing to him is his family. Well, Mr. Multimillionaire, let's tell that to your brother in Kenya living in a tin shack.

Oh geez. A half-sister of Barack's is going on about nothing in particular and they just got a camera shot of some college-age girl in the audience wiping away a tear. I think I'm going to puke.

Wow, that's something, she just said that her students (she's a history teacher and has taught in both NY and HI) -- they've never traveled beyond their own neighborhoods because they "were afraid they'd be treated as an outsider"... HUH? What a load of crap.

heeeree we go... Jesse Jackson jr. is pulling the "Dr. King is looking down on us..." hmmm... and he just said that Barack Obama would be nominated to be the president of the United States... no Jesse, he'll be nominated to be the party's candidate. He still has to get elected.
OK he's calming down a little now.. I'll give him props for a nice riff on "the well-being of the 'we' depends upon the well-being of the 'he' and the 'she'..."I guess he's taking the rhyming cue from daddy.
This guy, if he can shake the stigma of being jesse jackson's son, may rise pretty high... he's got the look and the speechifying skills like obama... and apparently that's all it takes!

weird. I guess CSPAN isn't allowed to show the entertainers. Soemeone (can't tell if it's actually Lenny Kravitz or not) just performed "Are you gonna go my way" and they never showed the performer at all. Just really old people trying to sway to the beat. Wow. I thought it was Republicans that weren't supposed to have rhythm. I wonder what this break is all about? Let's see, this has to be some sort of "house band".

Hey, Spike Lee's in the crowd. Is he a delegate? Or does he think he's at a Knicks/Nuggets game?

meh. this is pretty much what I expected. I'm turning it off. Oh, wait, what's this... Working families, living wage, health care, retirement ALL in the same sentence from some union stiff. Nice. The "working families" can't afford 4 more years of the same failed policies... this is so ridiculous.

Hey, this new reality show looks like fun bunch of city folk on a boat... better than speeches from blowhard politicians any day.

Happy Anniversary to my folks

So, August 19th, 2008 will be my parents' 52nd anniversary. Can you believe that?

With the marriage statistics being what they are, this seems a monumental feat. But, if you ask my parents (and the majority of people from their generation), they don't think it's anything but perfectly natural.

When my parents celebrated their 50th, we (the kids) had a big party for them, and many, many of their friends attended. I noticed that some were widowed, but ALL were still married. As a matter of fact, I can't think of a single couple of my parents' vintage, in their circle of friends, who went through a divorce. Seriously. I'll give you one huge reason for this: My parents, and their circle of friends, are Christians. The second reason: They're old. I don't mean that in a mean way, I mean to say that when they were tying the knot, the vows meant what they said: Til Death Do Us Part.

After the festivities had wound down during the 50th celebration, I asked my folks "So, what's the secret?" After a couple of silly answers (such as "I can't imagine training another one"), they both said "We take our vows seriously." How simple is that? I will guarantee that if I asked either of them (I wouldn't waste the breath) "So, how did you manage to stay faithful all these years?" the answer would be exactly the same.

Thank you, God, for blessing me with such a beautiful example of what marriage is meant to be.

By the way... when your folks get to a certain age, they don't need more 'stuff', so it's difficult to find gifts for them (well, the ol' Cracker Barrel gift card never goes to waste). I was bumping around the card aisle looking for something fun, and found the most ridiculous card I've ever seen. I had to get it! This thing said "Congratulations on your..." and ended with "Anniversary" -- but in between, there was a cut-out window, and behind this was a wheel with all the different years on it (I didn't see where it started & ended, but 52 was in there!). The message inside was typical greeting card drivel. Couldn't resist.
I also included a deck of cards. It's symbolic, get it?

I love these guys.

A small quote from a story from AFP:

More than 30 people died in the worst weekend of violence this year in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua, the scene of daily drug gang turf wars, police said Monday.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has killed 2,682 people since the start of the year -- nine more than in all of 2007 -- with nearly half in Chihuahua state, daily El Universal reported Saturday.

And this from AP:

Federal inspectors at U.S. border crossings repeatedly turned back filthy, disease-ridden shipments of peppers from Mexico in the months before a salmonella outbreak that sickened 1,400 people was finally traced to Mexican chilies.

Yet no larger action was taken. Food and Drug Administration officials insisted as recently as last week that they were surprised by the outbreak because Mexican peppers had not been spotted as a problem before.

But an Associated Press analysis of FDA records found that peppers and chilies were consistently the top Mexican crop rejected by border inspectors for the last year.

And yet, if we try to control our border, we're racist xenophobes.
Bush was a no-show on the border issue, and whether we get McCain or Obama... well, it'll be a free-for-all.

Drug runners, poisonous produce, tuberculosis, gang members, unsafe/uninspected trucks on our highways...
Yeah, Mexico is great. Well, if you don't get kidnapped.

And if our border guards shoot a drug dealer? 10 years in prison.

What about Mexico's military crossing our border? That's called an act of war anywhere else in the world, but we let it happen (repeatedly) and don't let our guys engage -- don't want to "upset our neighbors to the South".

We've got a great country, for a little while longer. I don't know why the people we've elected to protect it seem so hell-bent on ruining it by any means necessary.

Can ya tell I'm in a sour mood today?

Unemployment is High? Blame Pelosi.

So, the American People supposedly "sent a message" in the 2006 Congressional elections by putting Democrats in control. The Democrats basically claimed that they were going to fix everything, ever wrong, everywhere. With all the promises and all the hype, it turns out that the Democrats did very little to address anything. No surprise there. (I'll save the rant on them bugging out instead of voting on energy policy while Gas is nearly 4 bucks a gallon)
One "accomplishment" they tout was that they increased the minimum wage. Woo hoo! Now you are forced to pay an unskilled employee, no matter what the job, 6.55/hr. By 2009, it will be 7.25. On the face of it, that always sounds great. Especially since the media and Liberals have made phrases like "living wage" and "working families" (no matter how meaningless they are) part of every sound bite regarding wages or taxes.
Right-thinking folks have always warned against raising the minimum wage because of the unintended consequences. A wage is an agreement - the employer is willing to pay it, and the employee is willing to work for it. Forcing one side to pay an arbitrarily set rate ruins the market force of supply and demand. It's economics 101.
Now, the Democrats have been crowing about this wonderful victory for "working families"... however, if you look in recent economic news, you'll see that jobless claims are at their highest point in four years. Huh? What? How can this be?
Well, what happens in the Summer? Tons of students try to find Summer jobs. Think some of those are minimum wage jobs? As an employer, can you hire the same number of students for the summer if you have to pay them more? Let's see. Gas costs a fortune. That, coupled with other factors, has caused the prices of supplies, raw materials, etc. to increase. Again, as an employer, with ALL of your costs skyrocketing... can you hire all those kids you were going to?

Umm, no.

When wages are artificially, and arbitrarily increased by our lovely Congress, it makes for great sound bites. They can talk about how they have the interests of the "working class" or "working families" at heart. How they have provided (as if by magic!) "a living wage".

Except, they haven't. All they've done is contribute to higher unemployment, lower profits for small businesses, higher prices for consumers, and even lower tax revenues for local and state governments when people buy less.

Oh, but the Democrats are the party of "the little guy". Not like those "evil Republicans" who are "in the back pocket of the evil corporations"...

It makes me want to puke. Seriously, next year, when some teenage kid (who's basically looking for iTunes money) applies to take out trash and sweep the floor in your tiny restaurant that barely allows you to pay rent... is that job gonna be worth 7.25 an hour? Are you going to be able to pay that? And keep your doors open? Or not have to raise your prices? Hmmm?

And we're supposed to elect one of these geniuses to the Presidency? A boob who is now touting "A 1000-dollar energy credit" to "working families" to be paid for with... wait for it... "Windfall profits" of the oil companies. What is this, Venezuela? 1940's Italy? Since when does the government get to "take" profits from anyone? Sure, they do it through taxation (BTW, the oil companies pay more in taxes than the lower third of EVERYONE in the United States), but Barry O. has even dropped the euphemisms. He wants to "take the profits" of... now, to be fair, Hillary was the first to use that rhetoric back before the primaries. You didn't think Obama actually had an original idea, did you? But seriously, folks... if they can come after oil companies because their profits are "obscene" (their percentage of profit is so low that it would be considered an abject failure in most industries), who's next? WalMart? McDonald's? You?

I can only hope and pray that by November, people have paid enough attention to realize that if the Dems reach a 60-40 majority in the Senate AND get the presidency... the downhill race for socialism will be ON. And God help us all should that happen.

Forcing the Race Card

This week, trying to make the point that John McCain doesn't have anything to say about himself, Barry Obama said

"But, since they don’t have any new ideas the only strategy they’ve got in this election is to try to scare you about me. They’re going to try to say that I’m a risky guy, they’re going to try to say, 'Well, you know, he’s got a funny name and he doesn’t look like all the presidents on the dollar bills and the five dollar bills and, and they’re going to send out nasty emails."

So, Obama is making predictions that John McCain is going to play the race card, the xenophobe card and that he's going to send out nasty emails. Beautiful. Who's playing the race card, Barry? John McCain has never done such a thing (he fired a staffer who once got close). Let's see. Who, although he is half white, called his own grandmother "a typical white woman"? Implying that she couldn't help but be racist even though her own grandson is half black... that wasn't McCain (can you imagine if McCain had ever referred to anyone as a "typical black person"? whoo boy!)

Worse, in an earlier version the same day of these "he doesn't look like" comments, he actually said

"You know, he’s new, he’s... doesn’t look like the other presidents on the currency, you know, he’s got a, he’s got a funny name."

The OTHER presidents? What arrogance. Note to Obama: You're not a president yet. You don't get to lump yourself in with "the other presidents". And this guy is supposed to be the sublime speaker.

On the same subject, I just happened to catch a talk radio host named Leo Terrell actually try to pull a racist slant out of the McCain campaign's recent stupid ad featuring Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Barry O. If you haven't seen it, it was making the point (sloppily) that the fascination with Obama is based on fluff, not substance, as it is with Hilton & Spears. But what did Mr. Terrell see? Nothing less than an insidious plot to turn white voters against Obama by subliminally linking a black man with white women "which is a big no-no". HUH? Moron. IF there is anyone dumb enough to hold that view and at the same time shrewd enough to catch this subtle, diabolical subterfuge, well... they weren't ever gonna vote for Barry anyway.

People say and do racist things in fairly obvious ways -- and when they do, they get called on the carpet. You've got to have a lot of time on your hands (and a pretty big chip on your shoulder) to ferret out fantasies of a "Birth of a Nation" contingent running around this country... and the ludicrous idea that McCain would be pandering to them.

By the way, since Obama said this stuff, and the McCain camp responded by saying "He played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck" (that'll become a cliche someday), he has responded by saying something along the lines of "What I meant was, I don't look like I came from Central Casting for presidential candidates. Race had nothing to do with it..." wha? What is it about you that makes you look so different from previous presidents, B.O.? Your ears? Check Lincoln. Your youth? Check Clinton. Your elitist ways? Check Bush 41, FDR, JFK, et al. Face it. You meant your skin color. There's nothing else you could have meant.

For a guy who is supposed to "transcend race"... he sure seems to make sure we're painfully aware of it.

I'm not thrilled about the idea of McCain as president, but I'll be pulling the "R" lever this go round.

Whar'dem English Blogs?

Sometimes when I have a few minutes (and think about doing it), I will hit a blog on Blogger and start clicking "Next Blog" to randomly check out other blogs. I'm sure it is a national pastime only surpassed by googling the Jonas Brothers. Anyway... Increasingly, it seems, the blogs that come up are in other languages. Mostly Spanish, although I have recognized French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Polish, and New England.
As Blogger is a global thing, I suppose this should be no surprise, but since I can't read those other languages, it would be nice if there were a language preference when it comes to the "next blog" feature. Of course, then it wouldn't be random, and I wouldn't have the amusing task of figuring out why, on an Arabic blog with a profile shot of Ahmedinejad and the Ayatollah Khomeini (if I misspelled 'em, too bad), there's an entry with a picture of a sheep amongst the other entries that seem to be military/political in nature. People do post photos of their girlfriends quite often, so I suppose that's one possibility. Of course the lamb also in the photo leads me to believe that the author may be baaa-aaaby daaa-aaady too.

Gas Prices Got You Down?

OK, so I'm in Wamsutter, Wyoming (of course, who hasn't been there), and am at the Love's truck stop to buy a Coke Zero. The guy in front of me is a trucker, and I overhear this from the cashier:
"All right, that's $977.63... out of a thousand... and I owe you $22.37"


















OUCH! I thought it was costing ME a lot to fill up.

I do have to say, that in looking at the population on the sign, I believe it used to say "681" and only looks like "68" if you don't look carefully. That sounds more logical, as I saw too many houses for there to only be 68 people. Of course, 681 ain't exactly Metropolis. Most of the residents look like this:



















or this:

A New Band...

I kinda like these guys, check 'em out on Myspace.

They are called Above the Golden State, a Christian band that hopefully is a harbinger of things to come in the CCM scene... in other words, they don't sound like a processed, homogenized, softened & spit-polished product of the Nashville machine (even though they are on Sparrow Records!)

Yay!

Album drops July 22, pre-order it here

New stuff is fun.

Suicide is Painless - Unless You're a Republican

"There's no liberal bias in the media."
I just want to throw up when I hear someone say that. There is so much evidence to the contrary, and really none in support of such a moronic statement.

Here's the latest.

I thought I'd blogged about the Eliot Spitzer & his call girl story, but I see no such post (I'm losing my mind!). Anyway, as all of the stories about that were running, you had to dig DEEP (as in, go look it up in a government website) to find out if Eliot Spitzer is a Democrat or Republican. Wanna know why? Well, because he is a Democrat, of course. Seriously, go back & google the stories - and see how often his party affiliation is mentioned. I dare ya.

NOW, the "DC Madam" has committed suicide. This is Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the woman who was running a call girl ring in Washington. Here's the line that is appearing in EVERY story about the suicide:

Palfrey was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of running a prostitution service that catered to members of Washington's political elite, including Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican.

So, even when the story is about a suicide, not a prostitution ring, they just HAVE to get in that "a Louisiana Republican" was one of her clients. True, he's one of the only ones they got a real name on, but... the fact that he was a client is OLD news (and Lord knows it was repeated enough, always with the "(R)" by his name, whether in print or on TV.

But there's no liberal bias in the media. Oh no.

Why You Hatin'?

OK, this seems obvious to me, but "the mainstream media" doesn't seem to be asking the question:
The Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's "crazy uncle" made the following comments about Calypso Louie... err, The Honorable Louis Farrakhan:

Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in salvery, and he didn’t make me this color. (emphasis mine)

So let me get this straight. Only your enemy would make you "this color"? Well, God did that. So, God is your enemy, Reverend? You are apparently in the wrong business if you claim God as your enemy, sir.

Of course, I'd like to see who put you in chains or slavery, since you had a middle-class upbringing in this horrible country "run by rich white men", the very people in whose neighborhood you just bought a huge house. I guess you don't want to stay among your flock now that you've retired.

Crazy uncle, indeed. I've been to black church, and yes... it's different from white church. But the things this lunatic is saying are far beyond "cultural differences". This guy is certifiable. Claiming that criticism of his vitriol is somehow an attack on the Black Church is tantamount to yelling "Fire!" in a crowded movie house. This is a blatant attempt to fan the flames of whatever racial animosity lingers in American society. I don't think pastor Wright will be happy until there are marches or riots in the streets.

No one has attacked the Black Church. We've only questioned the motives and character of a man who sat in the pew of Jeremiah Spite's church for 20 years and now is running for the highest office in the land. It's evident to me that Barry Obama did it for street cred since he wasn't "black enough" for the African-American Community. Even though the media hasn't mentioned it lately, the guy is half white. That doesn't fly in the Second Ward. So, in order to show that you're in touch with your blackness, why not start calling yourself "Barack" and join up with the most militant Black Liberation Theology church in town? Instant props from the hood. Now, having to explain it away just makes Senator Obama look like the tired, pandering, triangulating, lying type of politician he claims to be replacing. Ah, the audacity of Hype.

Can We Clone Brooke?

I don't really watch much of "American Idol", unless it's the very early audition shows where the deluded come to be humiliated. However, this season, there's someone on the show that just stands out, at least to me.
That person is Brooke White. Finally, a true light in the darkness. In this otherwise inane excuse for entertainment, this lady exudes humility, perseverance, class and dignity. I believe she's a Mormon, but I'm gonna have to let that slide for the moment. Musically speaking, she's got a bit of a "throwback" vibe, more like a Carole King than a Britney Spears (and yes, that is a GOOD thing). The sheer joy that just bursts from her countenance (that's her face for you public school dropouts) when she sings is infectious and genuine. Her responses to the judges are always unfazed, calm and imbued with an understated confidence and comfort in her own skin.
I say her husband is a lucky man!
I don't have any idea if she'll win (although I think she may be the last female standing), but I thank Fox and the voting viewers (so far) for letting us see someone on TV that we can point to and say to our kids "That's how you should act". Rare, indeed.

Umm, I reserve the right to recant this post if naughty pictures of Brooke show up on the internet... or if she gets indicted for running a dogfighting ring... or if it turns out that she drinks bear bile as a health tonic.

Flag Pins are Cool.

It seems that loving your country is out of vogue these days, unless you (a) don't live in the USA, or (b) include some sort of criticism along with your expression of patriotism (all the better if the criticism completely negates the patriotic part).
However, at the risk of sounding "unenlightened", I'll say that I unabashedly love this country. I can freely go to whatever church I want. I've got every cuisine worth eating within 10 miles of my home. I can call my president a dunderhead and not be in stocks the next morning. That's just a few things that make me love this place.
I don't buy into the "enlightened" view that all cultures are equally good, they are just different. If that were the case, people from every other culture on the planet wouldn't be willing, in droves, to leave their ancestral homeland, break laws, endure subhuman treatment and risk drowning, sharks, coyotes, and human smugglers just to get here.
Here's a couple of items that prompted this little flag-waving, jingoistic, entry:
Palestinian fisherman were captured on tape dragging in a huge leatherback sea turtle on the beach and slaughtering it (in front of kids, no less). Now, I don't expect third-world miscreants to be fully aware of horribly endangered species, but I DO expect people in the 21st century to not slaughter an animal so that "sick children or people with back problems" can drink its blood for the "healing properties". I'm just going to have to say, "We're better than that."
Also, in China, an Asian animal rights organization is in the process of rescuing dozens (on their way to thousands) of bears (small bears called Moon Bears) which are penned in tiny cages their entire lives for... wait for it... their bile. In China, bear bile is apparently highly prized for medicinal value. Mmmmmmm, we're better than that, too.
Sure, we've got Paris Hilton, Sean Penn, and the "Chocolate Rain" guy, but... we're still the best place on the planet to live. Yeah, I said it.

Global...Cooling?

It's been interesting to see that the major news media and staunch global warming advocates (zealots) have recently been using the term "climate change" vs. the more 'controversial' "Global Warming." I wondered why, and now I think I know.

Surely you've heard about the incredible snows that all the ski locations have been enjoying this winter. Many are experiencing record snows, in some cases the best ever on record. That, obviously, doesn't sound like a warming issue...

Well, then there's this (quoted from a Brit Hume column on FoxNews.com):

Now there is word that all four major global temperature tracking outlets have released data showing that temperatures have dropped significantly over the last year. California meteorologist Anthony Watts says the amount of cooling ranges from 65-hundredths of a degree Centigrade to 75-hundreds of a degree.
That is said to be a value large enough to erase nearly all the global warming recorded over the past 100 years. It is reportedly the single fastest temperature change ever recorded — up or down.
Some scientists contend the cooling is the result of reduced solar activity — which they say is a larger driver of climate change than man-made greenhouse gases.

This news, for some reason, isn't being widely reported... well, I think I know the reason. I don't know how they'll keep this quiet until November -- any repudiation of the dogma of the Global Warming religion will likely not bode well for a Democrat running for President. Both Clinton and Obama have both jumped on the Global Warmi...err, "climate change" bandwagon and are calling for draconian measures to mitigate what they claim is man-caused change.

I'm sure that once a Democrat is safely ensconced in office (I shudder just typing that), it will be a "happy revelation" that perhaps "we were a bit too aggressive" in the call for massive oppression of industry to pay reparations to Gaia.

Climate change is cyclical. Always has been, always will be. I think it's a good idea to curb emissions, look for viable alternatives to "fossil fuels", conserve our resources, etc. But listening to the likes of Al Gore and shackling American business while the rest of the world pollutes away, well, I call that foolishness.

Random Political Thoughts

If we're at nearly full employment, and we "must" have illegals here to "do the jobs Americans will not do", why is Barack Obama talking about creating programs to create up to 7 million more jobs? Who's gonna do them?

In 2000, Hillary Clinton decried our electoral college method of electing a president, saying that the winner of the popular vote should be the president. Now, she's carefully calculating how to win more delegates (and "Super Delegates" - what an evil moronic concept!) even if Barack Obama wins more actual primary/caucus votes. Ah, Clintonian hypocrisy. I'd almost forgotten how underhanded these people are.

Congress continues to hold hearings about steroid use in baseball. We're about to reach 4,000 dead in the War on Terror. Priorities, anyone?

Hillary is being held up as some sort of feminist role model, claiming she's been working for 35 years to empower and fight for women... except, of course, for the ones who had "liaisons" with her husband. Ah, Clintonian hyp... wait, I am repeating myself.

I don't look forward to casting a vote this upcoming election. The choice truly will be the lesser of two evils. How McCain went from an also-ran to front-runner on the Republican side baffles (and worries) me. And either of the two Democratic possibilities scares me to death. Marxist-Stalinists both, they'll be doing everything they can to rush us towards Socialism, which has failed 100% anywhere it's been tried.

I think the real, deep-down, reason so many people hate George W. Bush is his inability to orate. Conversely, Obama's speech-giving prowess is the reason so many have been mesmerized into thinking he's something special.

Barack Obama claims that he is "no longer a Muslim". Islam dictates that apostasy be dealt with by death. So, do we want a president who will be under a Fatwah? It will be the "duty" of some "good Muslim" to assassinate him. And from what I've seen, the Islamists take that sort of thing seriously. They've cut heads off for less.

Grammys: Almost Great!

I haven't enjoyed the Grammys for a long, long time. However, tonight's show (which I didn't even realize was on - accidentally turned it on) was a standout in many ways.
The performances were a little more understated with a focus on the actual talent and not pure bombast.
Even though I'm no fan of Kanye West, I appreciated his heartfelt song to his mom.
My favorite moment was when Vince Gill got his award for best country record (I think), it was handed to him by presenter Ringo Starr. Vince said "I just got handed a Grammy by a Beatle... Kayne, has that happened to you yet?" Classic. One might recall that Vince Gill was part of a Beatles tribute several years back on a Grammy show, which made the whole moment a little sweeter.
I thought that Alicia Keyes performing "No One" started out great, then her voice took a little turn for the worse... but then it was all redeemed when John Mayer came out to lay down a tasty guitar solo for the end. Alicia has always had good live performances on these shows, flamenco dancing, doing wildly different arrangements of her hits, etc. A true talent.
Whoever had the idea of the "Passing of the torch" performance with Tina Turner and Beyonce is a genius. Beyonce really does personify the drive, energy, and talent of Tina for a new generation. I'm awfully proud of our Houston girl! She's got a lifetime of potential left, and I'll be watching and listening. Go girl!
Two things shocked me (in a good way!) this year: They actually had a long performance of "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin done by Herbie Hancock and a Chinese pianist who's name escapes me at the moment (sorry!). That piece, even though the airline commercials nearly ruined it for me, holds a special place in my heart. My mom has always been a huge opera/classical music fan, particularly of Beverly Sills. My dad rarely talks about music, what he does or does not like, I don't know him to have ever purchased a record or CD... but he has always told us that "Rhapsody in Blue" is his favorite piece of music. So, it can't help but be special to all of his kids.
The second shocker was an extended and respectful Gospel Medley! Even Chris "Ludacris" Bridges was respectful in his intro. Good to see Israel Houghton up there, representing Houston (via Lakewood Church). Aretha Franklin, I don't know how old she is, still has more range than a piano. Unbelievable! Still making it look easy!
The Foo Fighters doing "The Pretender" outside with a full orchestra (arranged/conducted by John Paul Jones!) were just incredible. That is SUCH a good band. They need to be the Superbowl halftime act next year.
As I'm typing this, Will-I-Am is doing a crazy rap/song with backing tracks like "Theme from A Summer Place", "Strangers In the Night", "Beat It", and "It's a Beautiful Day" -- That's creative, gotta hand it to him.
Amy Winehouse, the poster child for life imitating art, won for Record of the Year with "Rehab" (I told people that when it came out! Still got the touch! Ha). She seemed totally and completely stunned by the win, and that's always nice to see.
OH wow. Herbie Hancock just won Album of the Year for "River: The Joni Letters" -- do I detect some integrity in the academy?
My only complaint, and I don't know who's responsible, is that the audio SUCKED. Not the mix, but there was a continual wowing, sounding like a bad cassette that had spent too many days on the dashboard of someone's Nissan Sentra. NO excuse for fouling up the sound on THE GRAMMYS!!! UGH.
Other than that, I gotta give 'em high marks for a pretty well-done show. I hope the Oscars follow suit and don't do anything stupid. Maybe the writer's strike (possibly OVER) will force them to keep it short & sweet without too many badly-delivered jokes. We'll see...
Ack! One more small gripe -- they cut the show and jammed the credits into a small frame during other promos... at very high speed. I HATE that. A show like that takes dozens, if not hundreds, of people to pull off. I've got friends in the industry and if they are involved I know I want to see them credited! So I have to assume others would like to see themselves or their friends/family members as well... eh? Is that too much to ask?

Happy New Year?

OK, it's been forever since I added anything here. I still haven't much to say, but there are two interesting things that I think everyone should see. First off, there's this crazy video from "Anonymous" declaring war on Scientology:


Next, it looks like the record industry has decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and has lauched Qtrax.
The software is downloadable as of Midnight EST Jan 28. Free downloads of dern near every song around from what they say. I think it's probably too good to be true, and we'll have to endure not only advertising (that's a given), but I'd wager there's some sort of snooping malware involved. I just can't see the record industry doing this with NO strings attached.

Article Here

www.qtrax.com