chains rattl'n in the dark

Happy Fourth Of July

2008-07-04T16:41:00.002-05:00

I hope yours is as uneventful as possible. Enjoy the time of reflection on the cost of freedoms here in the great United States of America.

Saving Plastic Trees one bag at a time

2008-07-02T22:18:00.008-05:00

I bought a gallon of milk today. It was packaged in a handy to carry plastic jug. When I was checking out, the cashier started to put it in a plastic bag. I guess he thought that the plastic jug might leak as I carried it by the handy dandy handle molded into the jug. I told him to forgo the bag and I would handle the jug myself with the handle molded in the jug. I guess he wanted me to cut my fingers off with the plastic bag handles. Instead, I left him holding the bag.

I read somewhere that the country from where we get most of our plastic bags has banned their use in that country.

Ever wonder why they are called t-shirt bags? I know and I ain't tellin!

Ever wonder what happens to the bags that you see floating in the wind? Go here for a in depth analysis of the situation. 108 days at this post. Stick around Kathy's blog, you will find it amusing.

Death and Dying

2008-04-26T14:56:00.002-05:00

The other day a man died. Not that that fact in itself is amazing. People die all the time. What made this death noteworthy was that the man wasn't famous or rich or anything that one would associate with important people.

This man was just a quiet man. He spent the 54 years of his too short life helping others. He helped people that most of us would have ignored. He refused to ignore them. He went out of his way to find them.

This man was not a man of great wealth but a man of great heart and compassion. He invited people into his home when they were homeless.

This man was not a man of great culinary skills but a man that enjoyed food. He invited people to enjoy his offerings of food when they had none.

This man was not a man of great oration but a man that spoke simply. He would turn a listening ear to anyone that required one.

The death of this man will not be noticed by many but I have noticed. The world is poorer because of his passing.

Rest in Peace, Greg! Cancer can't get you now!!

Team sponsorships to avoid

2008-04-19T23:37:00.003-05:00

I was surfing around Blogspot and came across this picture. I am not sure I would want my daughter wearing this shirt.

I know that the company is a bread baker and that they own Mrs. Beard's bread. But still...

It is Easter!

2008-03-22T20:00:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the day that Christians celebrate the raising of the Messiah.

I have always been intrigued with the timing of it. I found out that it is based on the equinox and full moon. The 22nd (today) is the earliest it can ever be.

Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year. In June 325 A.D. astronomers approximated astronomical full moon dates for the Christian church, calling them Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates. From 326 A.D. the PFM date has always been the EFM date after March 20 (which was the equinox date in 325 A.D.).

I was just interested in that. Sorry that I have nothing funny to say but it is just that.

Spring is springing and I planted a garden this year. Hope it grows well. I have a mole in my yard and it is burrowing all over. I want to get rid of it.

Closing of another Era!!!

2008-03-02T15:39:00.003-06:00

It is with great sadness that I announce that another one of my favorite bloggers is closing his doors. I have read with great enjoyment of his expereinces of retail work. Tim announce the other day that he has quit the retail work world for something...anything else. Please pop over to his blog and read through some of his stuff and then check out his other blogs on cartooning. Tim has been a great source of laughter as I look at myself (the customer) through the eyes of the retail clerk. Here is a link to his page in case you can not find it on the sidebar.

Tim you are going to be missed. Good luck!!!

High Wire Act!!!

2008-02-18T19:45:00.003-06:00

It is not often that I direct you to another blogger other than the ones on the side bar. However, there is a really cool blog that I think you should check out. Go through his archives and spend some time just enjoying the visit. You will not be disappointed.

Get yourself over to Bent Objects. I am sure you will be hooked as I am. I check it out at least once a day to see the new ideas he has come up with.

Crossword puzzle words.

2008-01-26T16:18:00.000-06:00

BLAMESTORMING Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

SEAGULL MANAGER A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.

ASSMOSIS The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

SALMON DAY The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.

CUBE FARM An office filled with cubicles

PRAIRIE DOGGING When someone yells or drops something loudly in a
cube farm, and people’s heads pop up over the walls to see what’s going on.

CROP DUSTING Surreptitiously passing gas while passing through a Cube Farm.

MOUSE POTATO The on-line, wired generation’s answer to the couch potato.

SITCOM Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What Yuppies get into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.

STRESS PUPPY A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.

SWIPEOUT An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.

XEROX SUBSIDY Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one’s workplace.

IRRITAINMENT Entertainment and media spectacles that are Annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The Brittney Spears meltdown was a prime example - Michael Jackson, another…but soon they develop into...

TURNOFFABILITY Entertainment and media spectacles that are Annoying to the point that you turn off the media device at the sound or glimpse of the spectacle. O.J. Simpson is one...Rosanne Barr...Rosie O'Donnell...Jessie Jackson

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

ADMINISPHERE The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.

404 Someone who’s clueless. >From the World Wide Web error Message “404 Not Found,” meaning that the requested site could not be located.

GENERICA Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.

OHNOSECOND That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you’ve just made a BIG mistake. (Like after hitting send on an
e-mail by mistake)

WOOFS Well-Off Older Folks.

Stolen from another blog and added to.

Do you see what I see?

2008-01-23T00:04:00.000-06:00

What happens when you rattle rusty chains in the Dark?

2007-12-31T21:17:00.000-06:00

I promise that I will get my chains repaired and I will be on the postings right after the New Year!

Anyway, Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T17:13:00.000-06:00

Wow! A whole month missed me!

2007-12-14T23:33:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it! I have not posted anything for a month. This will change!!!

Keep checking here as I gather my thoughts and rattle those chains.

Post coming soon!

Anthony on a trail bike

2007-11-12T22:01:00.000-06:00

If you head over to my friend Anthony's blog you will read a story about his adventure on a trailbike. I want to tell you that it is pure crap!!! I have captured a satellite feed that shows the true picture of Anthony's bike ride. Hope this clears up all the misconceptions that he is telling about himself.
WOW!!! Never Falls Off The Bike - The most amazing bloopers are here

Tap Dancing!!

2007-10-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

I have debated on commenting on the practice of toe tapping to get sexual favors from your stall neighbor in the bathroom, but the other day an 18-year-old was arrested in my home area for trying to get a sexual act from an undercover police officer that had followed him into a city park bathroom.

I don't know about you but the city park bathroom would be the LAST place I would want to find my dream guy (if I was gay). The smell alone would cause me not to want to spend much time in there in the first place.

The only form of tapping with toes that I was familiar with is best illustrated by Shirley Temple.

But it appears that this style of dancing has taken on a different sort of toe to toe dance. First you need a stall....

And then you need a Congressman, who cannot find a suitable partner in all of Washington D.C.

Larry Craig would have been what the teenagers call a "widestance". (look it up!! I did.

Down one but still good

2007-10-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

My buddy Anthony had it right earlier last week concerning the Pats and D'boys. I was surprised to see the score though. I thought it should have been closer. T.O. was pushed out of bounds and the replay did not change the call. If the Pat defender had not hit TO and pushed him out of bounds his 2nd foot would have come down in bounds.

OH well 5 and one is not too bad.

Last second upset!!!

2007-10-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

Dallas Cowboys did it again!!! In the last few seconds the Cowboys pulled Tony Romo's butt out of the fire. Tony had with five interceptions and one fumble. two of those interceptions were turned in too points for the Buffalo Bills.bills also had a kick off return
all the way for 103 yds and a touchdown. Tony should have been yanked from the game and sat on the bench, but his team did not give up on him and then he proved them right. As he said himself, he played poorly.

THE COWBOYS ARE UNDEFEATED!!!! Thanks to a great leg on this guy!!!! He is good Folk!!!!

My new car

2007-10-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Anthony asked that I post a picture of my new car that I won in this post. So this is as close as I will get to winning a new car. Of course, this is a Dodge Concept car. It is also as close as I will get to having a sports car. One can dream, though.

It's my Party and I'll cry if I want to!

2007-10-01T18:20:00.001-05:00

On this blue Marble for too many years!! Happy Birthday to me!

See if you can top me.

2007-09-30T22:08:00.001-05:00

Am-I-Dumb.com - Intelligence Test

Ready to OPERATE, Nurse!

2007-09-30T21:52:00.000-05:00

NameThatDisease.com - Test your disease knowledge

I won!!! I won!!! I WON!!!!!

2007-09-30T12:05:00.000-05:00

Toyota Car Promotions
25 Atlantic Avenue Erlanger
United Kingdom
CVR-nr. 25554493.

This is to inform you that have been selected for a Cash prize of
£600,000.00 GBP (Six Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds) and a
Brand New Toyota Car (Toyota Prius) in our International program which
was held in SEPTEMBER, 2007 in London UK.

The selection process was carried out through a random selection in our
computerized E-mail Selection System (ESS) from a database of over
500,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.

To begin the processing of your prize you are to contact your Claims
Officer through our accredited Prize Transfer agents as stated below:

Mr James Cole.

Email:promodept45@yahoo.it

When contacting him, please provide him with your secret Pin Code
TY7448500 and your Reference Number 799BV90. You are also advised to
provide him with the under-listed information as soon as possible:

CLAIMS REQURIEMENTS:
1. Full Name:
2. Address:
3. Nationality:
4. Age:
5. Sex:
6. Occupation:
7. Phone/Fax:
8. Present Country:

If you DO NOT contact your claims agent within 7 working days of this
notification, your winnings would be REVOKED.

Regards
Mr Morris Lee.

Mea Cupa...But you are still an Idiot

2007-09-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

News came out today that the umpire that was involved with Milton Bradley was suspended today for inciting Milton. OH WAA WAA!! You are paid how much more than the average joe that watches you "play" for your work? And you can't let someone say something to you that is offensive? I think you are a baby, Milton!

On related news: Mr. Vick is in deeper doo doo with the test that shows that he had an intimate relationship with one Miss MaryJane.

Stupid Idiots that make too much money!

2007-09-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

Milton Bradley
Paris Hilton
Britney Spears
Alex Rodriquez
Mike Tyson
Michael Vick

First off: Milton Bradley....Padres left-fielder Milton Bradley will miss the rest of the season after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when he was spun to the ground by his manager during a blowup with an umpire.

Oh sure, let's blame the umpire... Why were you out of control, Milton, that your manager had to hold you back and in the process spin you to the ground, tearing your ACL? Was it worth it to be seen as a jackass?

Paris Hilton... Oh I just added her to see if it will help my stats. She doesn't really make money for the stupid stuff she does, does she?

Britney Spears: Did she ever had a singing voice?

Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod...Could NOT wait to leave Texas for The YANKEES!!!! Now, I see that His agent, Scott Boras is trying to deal him to the Cubs.

Mike Tyson: Again in trouble, this time it will mean some more prison time. Hope they serve ear in there.

Michael Vick's new theme song should be "who let the dogs out?" Of all the ones I decided to list, Michael is the biggest, stupid money maker. I thought something was out of sorts when he shot the finger as he was leaving the field after a game last year. Bow wow, was I right!!!!

So it is Fall in Texas

2007-09-24T18:14:00.000-05:00

I am loving this year. My yard has stayed mostly green all summer and I have not watered at all. We had enough water in the spring to last the past few months and then we have had several nice rainy evenings to cool the heat of the summer. I do NOT want to even think about 105 degree temps that we had last year. We only broke 100 for a week this year. And people are complaining that it is hot. I can't stand whiners!!! Enjoy your life because it is the only one you have.

Already tired of the Election cycle

2007-09-17T00:53:00.001-05:00

No Great Loss

Bill Clinton is visiting a school. In one class, he asks the students if anyone can give him an example of a "tragedy." One little boy stands up and offers that, "If my best friend who lives next door is playing in the street when a car came by and killed him, that would be a tragedy."

"No," Clinton says, "That would be an ACCIDENT."

A girl raises her hand. "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove off a cliff, killing everyone inside...that would be a tragedy."

"I'm afraid not," explains Clinton. "That is what we would call a GREAT LOSS."

The room is silent; none of the other children dare volunteer.

"What?" asks Clinton, "Isn't there anyone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"

Finally a boy in the back raises his hand. In a timid voice, he says: "If an airplane carrying Bill and Hillary Clinton was blown up by a bomb, *that* would be a tragedy."

"Wonderful!" Clinton beams. "Marvelous! And can you tell me WHY that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it certainly would be no great loss!"

For Anthony!

2007-09-12T22:38:00.001-05:00

Anthony has a crush on Paula and he posted this picture on his page but it was too dark. I lightened it for him. Visit him at http://my-sick.blogspot.com/

Rain Rain Go away for a while

2007-06-27T17:09:00.000-05:00

Baby, it is wet outside. Several flash floods in the last few days has made life inconvenient for some people and down right hazardous for others. Several people have lost their homes and belongings to the flood waters. Several others have lost their lives in the flooding.

Funny thing is that we were in a five year drought through March of this year. Some cities are still restricting water usage. The area water districts are releasing water to keep the level on the lakes below flooding.

Rain is wonderful in small doses but the downpours the Dallas Ft Worth area have had in the last 3 months are over the top.

Importance of Writing it out first

2007-06-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

I think they should
have not
ranittogether!!

How many of you are out there?

2007-06-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
31
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Charles Nelson Riley

2007-05-28T22:45:00.001-05:00

One of the funniest men alive died today. I was saddened to find out that his persona of a homosexual was not an act. I was also surprised that his obit listed his partner as the only immediate survivor. And to top it off, it was complications from pneumonia that killed him. I guess it was a major battle of pneumonia that he was fighting with since he had been ill for over a year.

I think it was complications from pneumonia that he died from but the root cause was not complications from pneumonia. I think it was AIDS but we are told not to think that AIDS is fatal, nor a result of any lifestyle choices. True, there are some that have gotten AIDS from other sources than lifestyle choices but the majority are not just accidental exposure to the virus. There was some sort of deviant behavior involved.

Deviant behavior is described as behavior that is not accepted as socially normal. Sadly , homosexual behavior is fast becoming acceptable normal behavior. To make a lifestyle choice that leads to a disease is not a wise choice. Smoking is a deviant behavior. Paying for sex is a deviant behavior. Having sex with multiple partners is deviant behavior. Taking illegal drugs is deviant behavior.

Is AIDS a punishment from God for homosexual behavior? NO! Just as getting lung cancer is not a punishment for smoking. However, with choices there are rewards and consequences. I suggest one should choose carefully.

How to be a Pin Up model in a few seconds.

2007-05-21T00:19:00.000-05:00

Here is a fail-proof way to lose weight for your webpage.

My favorite Joke!!

2007-05-11T23:34:00.000-05:00

This is one of my all time favorite jokes. Please enjoy as I get together some more exciting posts.

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that humans had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell God so.

The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you; We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't You just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!"

"But," God added, "we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."

The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt."

Passover fun

2007-03-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

Here is a little fun for you readers that happen to enjoy being Jewish and celebrate Passover.

Here is a Great little game to spend some time on.

2007-03-09T00:42:00.000-06:00

I found this flash game a lot of fun. I got 920 meters. Can you top that?

Hit the bicyclist with the bat. First click starts the bike. Second swings the bat. Have fun. Post your score and update it as you get better.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/game/

UPDATE: NEW HIGH SCORE 1182.5
Update #2 May 11, 2007 1265.5

Dictation software included in MS OFFICE 2003

2007-02-17T00:25:00.000-06:00

I am trying a new software that allows me to use my microphone to write with. It is modeled with Microsoft office 2003. I am behind the turn always with my software upgrades because of all the bug repair issues. Lately I have loaded the stand today and I’m testing it with this dog that I am writing. I think I will leave all the errors in this paragraph and RE a typed it manually so that you can see what I was trying to say I find that it’s a pretty good little program I went through the very first training session did not do advanced training which would have helped I think I am a slow typist but seemed to be a fairly fast talker. If I remember to say the word period after the sentence it will place a period in its place. I may find this to be a really cool thing to do or it may be boring and not use that much will say to see if it works of the dictation programs have come a long way in the last ten years that I was the looking at them. This program is pretty smart it learns as we use it and I will post this blood now to see what you think. I would be interested in reading comments that you have about your experiences with dictation software.

I am trying a new software that allows me to use my microphone to write with. It is bundled with Microsoft Office 2003. I am behind the turn with my software upgrades because of all the bug repair issues. I have loaded this program today and I am testing it with this blog I am writing. I think I will leave all the errors in this paragraph and retype it manually so that you can see what I was trying to say. I find that it is a pretty good program. I went through the very first training session but I did not do the advanced training. I think that would help make less mistakes. I think I am a slow typist but seem to be a fairly fast talker. If I remember to say the word “period” after a sentence, it will place one in the right place. I may find this to be a really cool thing to do or it may be boring and not used that much. Will have to see if it works. The dictation programs have come a long way in the last ten years since I started looking at them. This program is pretty smart since it learns as we use it and I will post this blog now to see what you think. I would be interested in reading comments that you have about your experiences with dictation software.

Are you my father?

2007-01-24T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today has been a real downer of a day. I am not sure if it is the weather or just “the blues”. I have suffered with mild cases of depression for years and usually they occur in the fall. But this time it is hitting in late January. I wonder if it is related to the upcoming anniversary of my father’s death in 1978 on February 14^th. I was 18 and just starting what I thought would be a career in the US Air Force. I get a call that my father had died and so I jumped aboard a south bound flight from Washington State to the outlands of Texas named Lubbock.

When I arrived in Texas, I found out, contrary to the coroner’s report that my father had not just died from a heart attack but from a heart attack caused by the small gun shot wound to the back of his head. Yes, my friends, either my dad committed suicide or he was shot by my stepmother. Either way, he had enough clout to have the coroner not list the gun shot as the cause of death. He was 54 years old. He was an alcoholic and was suffering from the ravages of that lifestyle of drinking. I really cannot blame him, though.

He spent 6 months in a German POW camp during WWII and then became a top criminal defense attorney in Texas. Those two things would drive anyone to drink. I never really had a relationship with him because my mother and he divorced when I was 4 and I would see him on odd holidays and summers. I was much too young to remember much about him. Perhaps that is what is driving this funk.

I do remember sitting on the curb when I was about 6 or 7, waiting for his Lincoln Towncar to drive up the street. Being young, I did not understand the time that it took to drive from Lubbock to Waco, where my sister and I lived with our mom. All I remember is the wait and the disappointment when he did not show up as expected. When he did finally get there, he took us to the motel where he was staying and then to dinner and out to the “strip” in Lacy Lakeview, (Waco was a dry town), to get his liquid fortification. I had to stay in the car. It seemed that I was waiting a lot in those visits.

The last time I saw him alive was at the Hospital in Temple, where he was being treated for cancer among other issues. Nine months later he was dead. When I got back to my home in Washington, my friends seemed to notice that I had changed somehow. I didn’t see it but who does see how they react to things themselves? All I know is that I felt like I had lost a father for the second time and this time there would be no chance of getting to know him ever again.

My mother and I have not been on speaking terms for about five years now and while I know I should be working on resolving that issue, I cannot bring myself to see or talk to her. So I feel like an orphan or abandoned by my parents. My stepfather divorced my mother after 19 years of marriage and walked completely out of my life. I tried to communicate with him when my son was born but was rebuffed by his office staff. I know that he directed them to prevent us from talking because it happened on more than one occasion. I went to his office when I knew he was there and he refused to admit my family in.

I think I am an orphan and it sucks!

BACK UP!

2007-01-13T00:42:00.000-06:00

Those two words have double meaning for me. One: back up means that I am back up on my computer and two: I will be doing a weekly back up of major project data. I am so mad at myself. Oh well, a friend told that she spent $800.00 for data recovery. Not sure I want to spend that much.

I am still trying to reload things but I know that some things are lost forever. I will not be able to get my bookmarks back and pictures that I had taken of my family. Oh well, the hazards of living in the digital age.

I think that I was hit by some electrical spike or something because I lost two harddrives, a video card and a motherboard. The drives are not even recognized in another machine. I had to go get a new motherboard and I was upset to find that it only has one IDE slot. So I had to remove my CD-rw and slave out my DVD-r off my hard drive. I will be replacing the motherboard again in the not too distant future.

OH NO!!!!!!!!

2007-01-11T02:04:00.000-06:00

That was the first reaction that I expressed as I saw my hard drive crash and my mother board refuse to reboot. I was devastated as I realized that it had be over a year since i had done any back up!!! Oh Crap!! was the second reaction. More about this as I recover what I can!!

Cowboys are out played by The Seahawks

2007-01-06T22:29:00.000-06:00

It is official! The Cowboys lost a close game tonite. Actually, Romo did ok until the end when he misplaced a ball for a field goal. One bright spot is that Tony signed a endorsement deal.

Julius Jones lost the ball that set up the win because he lost the ball in the Cowboys' own endzone, giving Seattle a safety 2 points. They only needed one of those to win the game.

Will Parcells be back? Will T.O. be back? Will Romo recover? Will Dallas have a winning season and a Superbowl run while still in Texas Stadium? These are the questions that we will ponder for the next few months as things take shape in Arlington for the NEW STADIUM, which will cost over a billion dollars to complete.

A billion Dollars!!! Do you have any idea how much a billion dollars is? Here is a simple graphic:

The mound of cash is 20 feet tall, 50 feet long, and 31¼ feet wide. The single stack of dollar bills is now climbing to 300,000 feet, or 56.8 miles.

It is about half as long as a conventional tennis court.

This is the dollar amount for the damage caused by a natural disaster, according to insurance claims filed by victims in four states that were affected by a category 3 hurricane, (Dennis) in July, 2005.

This amount of money is what an ideal elementary school class size (400 students) can expect to earn in their lifetimes, combined.

I would love to have a percentage of that amount. I am a little surprised that there is not an outcry about the money that sports teams have to throw around. But I guess if you are able to afford to charge $100 a ticket and get it, you can spend the money anyway you want to.

More reason for a flat consumption tax!

Wasting Time Part 2

2007-01-05T23:34:00.000-06:00

Since I was talking about wasting time with commenting on other blogs in the earlier post, I thought I would share another major waste of my time. I have found this great website that offers decent software for FREE!!! This site also offers free games. I have included the link on the side panel. Check it out. I get nothing for you visiting but you can get free stuff without entering anything. The only catch is that you must download and activate the software before the time runs out at 12midnight your timezone (I think). If you do not activate before the time runs out on that day's download, you will not be able to activate for free. That is the only rule, you can download to as many computers as you want to but you must have internet access to activate before the timed deadline.

Anyway I have downloaded some fairly fun games and heck they are free and spyware and adware and virus free as well. Check them out and see if you don't add them as a link that you must visit every day. I do!

Wasting time

2007-01-04T14:30:00.000-06:00

I just noticed that I have been wasting valuable time commenting on other people's blogs when I could be using those comments for fodder on my own blog. So I think I will start using the link system in my comments to bring people here to read my words of wisdom (big laugh here).

I just got through commenting about the tax structure on Substitute Teacher's blog. This one area that I feel strongly about and will elaborate more in a future posting.

Until then be sure to get your forms BEFORE April 15th as the Post Office will be sure to run out of the one form you need to get to beat the deadline.

Random thoughts

2007-01-01T23:55:00.000-06:00

Here is a cool picture. For more information click Here.

Here are some Questions that I came across in my travels across the internet.

Whose idea was it to put an “S” in the word “lisp”?

What is the speed of darkness?

If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?

If it’s true that we are here to help others, what are the others doing here?

Do married people live longer than single ones or does it only seem longer?

Can you cry underwater?

How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Did you ever stop and wonder……

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, “I think I’ll squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?”

Who was the first person to say, “See that chicken there… I’m gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it’s bum.”

Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don’t point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does your Obstetrician, Gynecologist leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway ?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re both dogs !

Can blind people see their dreams? Do they dream ??

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? (This one kills me !!!!)

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables,
then what is baby oil made from ?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons ?

Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Stop singing and read on . . . . . .. . . . .

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

2006-12-31T15:50:00.000-06:00

January 1 is tomorrow. Today is a day that most people spend looking back and making plans for changes in the new year. I, for one, have never been good at making or keeping resolutions. I think it stems from my elementary years when the teacher would require us as students to write down some resolutions. She would then put them in the class folder to return to us at the end of school in May. I would always forget what the resolutions were and when I get it back, I would be dismayed at the complete non-change made.

I have tried in the past to come up with some resolutions but I have found that whatever they are, I do not complete them. So I have in the past found one resolution that I have been able to keep year in and year out.

I resolve not to make any resolutions on January first 2007!!

The past year has been fairly good and I have had my health except for a bout of kidney stones that landed me in the hospital in September. I, also, passed another one yesterday but I was able to withstand the pain so a trip to the emergency room was avoided.

My family is well so I will not bore you with their accomplishments. :)

I hope your family is safe this season and please pray for the families that have suffered a loss at this time of year.

Happy New Year!!

2006-11-23T11:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my growing readership and the opportunity to be able to write about anything that strikes me.

I have been rather excited to see the Dallas Cowboys actually playing to the potential that each player has. That is a strange statement to make. These are grown men getting paid a lot of money to go out and play a game. I think that other industries should have the same exposure on them. The NFL is due to make 5 billion dollars in revenue just on the NFL Network deals that they have made with cable and other broadcast outlets. I would love to see them send some of that money into the school systems. Especially since they are building athletic programs up all over the place.

There was a guy nicknamed "Mattress Mac" and he gave a million dollars to the University of North Texas. The AD fired his friend the head coach. Mattress Mac took out a full page ad in the newspaper demanding that the practice field that was to name after himself be named after the fired Head coach otherwise he wanted the money to be moved to the music program instead. I say bravo for that but UNT decided to keep that condition so that they would not have to move the money. I now say that Mattress Mac should donate another million to the music program anyway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-07T22:42:00.000-06:00

Election Day!!

Did you vote?

If not, I don't want to hear any complaining from you. This is one freedom that should be protected by action. I stood in line for more than an hour to vote and still people got tired and left the line. I think election day should be a paid holiday but only if you can prove that you voted!!!!

FYI: my vote for gov in tx lost. Well it was a protest vote against the established two-party system. I really do not think that any independant will ever win an election.

Hope your canidate won, unless it was one that beat mine!

2006-11-05T16:56:00.000-06:00

So the Cowboys lost to Washington. I was disappointed but not really surprised in the on-field antics of T.O. That little lay-down cost 15 yards. The end of the game was interesting in that the face masking penality was called a 15 yarder but should have been a 5 yarder from my understanding of the rule book. Oh well, next week will be here soon enough.

I only brought it up because I saw the game without snow. I have great picture now. But not as nice as the "Joneses" down the street. He has HD-TV. I really don't see the great difference as it is still just TV.

I cooked a steak on my new grill. I overcooked it because I am not skilled enough yet to time out the dual side cooking technique. Another steak is in the waiting.

Check out some of the people that I have linked in the Rattling Chains section. I don't agree with all of them but I do find them interesting reading.

2006-10-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

We went to a restaurant last night and I had a steak, per my normal choice. Red meat for me without any fancy sauces or gravies. In fact, I am getting tired of "peppered steak"!

I want a slab of beef with a little lemon and little salt and cook it medium rare. And, Dear Waitress, do not tell me that it will have a "warm pink center"! I have been ordering steak that way for years. I do that because while you are out smoking your cig and my steak is sitting under the heat lamp, it will not become shoe leather by the time you deliver it to my table.

Sorry had to rant there. But shoot, I know what I like on my food. I understand that she was just verifying my choice because all chefs cook differently but still. I will not EVER send food back to the kitchen to be recooked. If it is under cooked (from the way I ordered it), I will ask for a to-go box and cook it at home.

Speaking of cooking at home: I just got my birthday present. I got a dual-surface grill, more commonly known as a George Forman Grill. But mine is not a GF grill. It is a Westbend. It was cheaper and I think better designed because it can open all the way up and you have a large one surface grill. I have cooked FROZEN chicken breast in 10 minutes without defrosting the chicken. That is such a time saver. I have yet cooked a steak on it (that was the main reason I wanted one) but I can't wait.

Hope your weekend is great with the extra hour of sleep that some of us in the US enjoy tonite.

2006-10-26T10:40:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of learning how to update my blog. I have added a blog roll to the sidebar and have put two of the blogs that I enjoy reading. Strangly both started out as teachers. Now one is a stay at home mom with a new baby. I will let you decide which one.

I am also considering providing coffee mugs to my readers. If you are interested in this offer let me know by your comment. I will provide more detail soon. Let me tell you this though: The mugs are completely personalizable to a person. So you could have your own Chains Rattl'n coffee mug with your name on it. The design is still being worked on but the cost will be in the neighborhood of $15.00 per mug.

Please let me know how I am doing as a blogster.

2006-10-22T18:08:00.000-05:00

Television Choices and High Speed Interenet.

I have been holding out on getting any satellite or cable TV programing ever since I heard last year about the city of Keller, Texas being the first city for Verizon to go with FiOs to the edges of the city. Last week my neighborhood (not in Keller but another city in N.Texas) has joined the wave of FUN!!!. I now have more choices of TV programs to not watch, but the Cowboys are going to be snow free this season. I always felt that watching a Dallas TV station on "rabbit ears" should be clearer than what I got. BUT NO!! I now have snow free viewing and superfast upload and download speeds. I was already cooking with my DSL connection but now it is flying at the speed of light (once it leaves my house and is translated from copper into light).

My wife is excited because of all the Christmas programs she can watch as she grades papers. My son is excited because there is a video on demand feature that allows him to watch endless showings of Sponge Bob. For me, Football and Baseball---SNOWFREE!!!! (unless I am watching a Yankee team attempt beat up on the 'Boys at their northern home.)

I did not spring for the DVR option as we have video tapes out the yazoo. Call me cheap.

2006-10-19T22:46:00.000-05:00

It bugs me!!!

My son said something wonderfully insightful today and I can't remember it. Man, I need to carry around a notepad. I hate doing that though. I never like to carry things in my pockets other than a wallet, change, and keys.

I wish I had a better memory.

Oh it just came to me.

We were eating at Pizza Hut and on the placemats were some games and questions. The questions were like: Where would you go if you could travel back in time? and What would you do with a million dollars?

The question that my ten-year-old son answered with insight was: If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one possession, what would it be? He answered: "A big, powerful boat."

I thought that showed great insight and planning. I said that I would take my pillow.

Something tells me that he takes after my wife's side of the family.

2006-10-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

I just got back from the Texas State Fair. It is awesome. It ends this Sunday. I spent very little money because I refuse to get suckered into the sideshow games and because I took advantage of the DrPepper special admission price on Tuesdays. All ride are $2.50 on Tuesdays as well.

I don't go in for the rides that spin you around and throw you up in the air. I like more tamer rides like bumper cars. Must be my age showing. Oh well, I am sure that they will not go broke if I do not ride them.

I liked seeing the card stacker. He has created the Dallas skyline out of playing cards. For more info about him, please go here.

They also had a small exhibit of DrPepper stuff from the Waco museum. Take a tour of the real museum here. I have a small collection of DrPepper items that I have collected over the years but nothing that compares to the collection in Waco. If you are in the mood for a REAL DrPepper, you have to go to Dublin to get one. Oh that is Dublin, TX, by the way. Worth the trip in mid-June when they rename the town to DrPepper, TX. The Real DrPepper tastes much different from the one that is mass produced across the world. Check it out here.

At the State fair is the Largest Car show outside Detroit and boy do they have cars. I was overwhelmed and did not even see all the exhibits. I guess I will have to go back next year.

2006-10-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today is FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH!!!

It affects those that have a ailment called Tridecaphobia. Do you suffer from it? I don't but some people are so afraid of the the number thirteen that buildings have been built without a 13th floor. I used laugh when I thought about a building that does not have a 13th floor but has floors above the missing floor. I wondered how the floors could have been built. I mean did they build the 13th one and then remove it, leaving an empty space where the 13th once was? After I got older, I realized that the floor numbered 14 was actually the 13th one, so it does not make sense to number 1-12 and then 14 to whatever. Over in South Korea, the number 4 is considered the "death" number so one can find a 13th floor there but not a 4th. Items are never sold in sets of 4; either threes (most common) or larger. It is interesting what "scares" people. What are your fears? I really don't have any fears other than the fear of failing. Which, of course, is a self-fulfilling fear. I must work on that one, but I am afraid that I won't be able to conquer it. Have a good weekend.

2006-10-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

BOO!!