Table 6 (any given night)

They sit at the table in the crowded restaurant. He is talking about himself as she sits with her lips pressed tight and her arms crossed across her chest.

He is too engrossed in his self worth to notice all the signals that she is sending out.

Drive Through Coffee at THAT big chain

They have opened a new drive through Starbucks near my house.
Is this a good idea? Will they still take 3-5 minutes to make a drink? If the morning line has 15 cars does that mean it will be a 45-105 minute wait? I hope they thought this through.

The yellow bracelet

The young couple sits at the far table. His bright yellow bracelet hangs limply from his thin bony arm.
As he tries to to work his magic on his date I wonder if the Yellow bracelet gives her the feeling that he has a weak prostrate.

If you add water-

I read the list of ingredients of the crappy sauce. I pause at dehydrated onion, dehydrated bell pepper and dehydrated garlic. I start to wonder why they do not use the word re-hydrated. Did these ingredients not magically rehydrate when added to the sauce?

calcium

The young man with the well tanned face devours two hot dogs topped with jalapeños.
He pulls a plastic bag filled with pills out of his pocket and pops about 10 into his mouth. He loudly tells his companion that antacid pills are poison and explains that Calcium pills are all you need.

I wonder how painful the kidney stones will be.

The Friday Five for 1/28/05

1. What blood group are you?
The red group.

2. Do you give blood? Why/why not?
I should- But, I am not a good person.

3. Are you listed as an organ doner? Again, why/why not?
I have told my wife my wishes. I just want her to make sure they do not kill me just to save someone else.

4. Would you donate an organ or other part of your body (eg bone marrow) while still alive?
I hope no one ever asks. I will not voluntarily look into this.

5. Would you consider leaving your body to medical science? Or maybe just parts of your body? I am not sure I want first year medical students to get queasy over my cold dead body.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer - If you could have a free subscription to any magazine, which one would you like to have? I already get old copy's of Newsweek and Cooking Light so I would skip them. The New Yorker might be fun. Mother Jones? Time? I think it would be a hard choice.

Soup - If you were to suddenly become famous, what would you choose as your stage name?
Wouln't you like to know.

Salad - What ingredients make an awesome salad? Dressing? Croutons?
Cheese, Creamy dressing, cheese, thinly sliced crispy carrots cheese, avocado and a dash of pepper.

Main Course - What do you like most about your current job?
My day off. The cast of characters. The coffee that I pay for.

Dessert - Who is your favorite instrumental musician (not a singer)?
Jerry Garcia- He did have that distinctive sound that identified him.

Dialing for Death A Cautionary Tale

A note to the man driving his shiny Lexus while dialing his cell phone.
Do you know what side of the yellow line you are supposed to stay on?
I hope the air bag shoves your phone straight through your skull.

X and Y

Not long ago the company I work for sent me a nice form letter. To paraphrase the letter: “You make X dollars an hour. If you count the part we are forced to pay for benefits you would be making Y dollars an hour.”
Is that not a nice and tactful thing to say? Looking at the Y number it looks like they could fire my ass and hire a few people at minimum wage with no benefits and make a profit.

May god bless corporate greed.

A single note on a winter day-

He is mentally challenged. In all the years I have known him he has never mentioned it.

Falling down- The public spectacle

She pulls herself up from the face down position that she held a few seconds before. Her face is red. She is embarrassed. Her pride is wounded. She is yelling at everyone that saw her fall from grace.

To bad she did not see that brightly painted curb that glistened in the sunlight.

Health care from the trenches-

It is time for benefit re-enrollment. A 7% jump in costs to me. I doubt I will get a 7% raise to cover the cost. Thank you Mr. Bush for ignoring the real issues facing this country.
Although- I have seen a bit Mr. Bush's plan and it sucks.

Mquest Observation-

The young girl who knows that she is the hottest thing in her clique announces that they are leaving. She confidentially turns her back on them and walks away. It takes her several steps to figure out they are not following her.
She barely misses a step and walks quietly away with her head held high.

Editorial Note:

I am not paid by the Bush Administration for the content of this blog.

Hang up and drive. Sales pitch #1

Why am I starting to dislike the Volkswagen Jetta so much?
Is it because everyone that drives one is focused on their cell phone and not the road? Is “idiot on on cell phone” standard equipment on all Volkswagen Jetta purchases?

Commuter Train Derails in Suburb of L.A.

GLENDALE, Calif. - A Metrolink commuter train derailed early Wednesday in this Los Angeles suburb, and firefighters searched through the wreckage.
Television reports showed smoke coming from twisted wreckage at the scene of the crash.
The site was near San Fernando Road and Chevy Chase Boulevard in this Los Angeles suburb.

Will Chevy Chase's people stop at nothing for a publicity campaign.

Bush

If you like Bush click here.

Cell Phone PSA #32459871

A note to the young Asian women in the white Honda-
Get off your cell phone. You are single handedly perpetuating the stereotype of Asian drivers being unable to drive.

British woman fined for eating apple while behind the wheel

British police spent 10,000 pounds (19,000 dollars, 14,000 euros) to catch and prosecute a woman driver for eating an apple while behind the wheel, reports said

.
Thats nothing. America spent how much money and lives looking for WMD?

Man Allegedly Robs Bank With Beer Bottle

NORCROSS, Ga. - A man robbed a bank armed with a broken beer bottle, then stole a car and caused at least five accidents Tuesday as he was chased toward Atlanta along Interstate 85, Gwinnett County Police said.

I hope he emptied the bottle before he broke it. If not he should be charged with abusing alcohol

Sex Map Shows Chain of Almost 300 High School Lovers

The first "map" of teen sexual behavior gives new meaning to the old warning that you don't just have sex with a person, but with everyone that person ever had sex with, researchers said on Monday.

They found a chain of 288 one-to-one sexual relationships at a high school in the U.S. Midwest, meaning the teenager at the end of the chain may have had direct sexual contact with only one person, but indirect contact with 286 others.

I once knew a guy that slept with a girl that had slept with Ritchie Sambora. We know that Ritchie Sambora had slept with Cher and Cher had slept with Sunny Bono. Gross.

German website offers cookery as way to find a mate

A German website for singles showed off its wares with a dating service inspired by the motto the way to a man's (or woman's) heart is through the stomach.

Wrong. The quickest way to a man's heart is through his chest.

Lost Frenchman found after 35 days in mushroom caves

A 48 year-old Frenchman who went missing last month has been found emaciated but alive in an underground cave system where he spent 35 days in pitch blackness eating nothing but wood and clay. Jean-Luc Josuat-Verges, a care-worker from Vic-en-Bigorre in the foothills of the Pyrenees, left home on December 18 saying he was depressed and wanted to be alone for a time, according the Depeche du Midi newspaper which broke the story.
Taking a bottle of whisky he drove to an abandoned mushroom farm consisting of a vast complex of underground galleries. But in the total darkness he became disoriented and was unable to find his way out.

Stupid idiot. For a vision quest one must eat the magic mushrooms.

Ed McMahon a cautionary tale

Yesterday- Ed McMahon was on top of the world. His old boss Johnny Carson had kicked the bucket. Ed was confidant that Johnny's death would remove him from the shadow of Johnny's greatness. Ed thought: “I am free, I am no longer known as the sidekick”.

Then his phone started to ring and the questions about Johnny started to fly. Soon he knew that he was in fact just a sidekick.

The Bush coronation speech

How can you talk for 20 minutes and not give any details?
A art form taken to new heights

Did Karl Rove really say this?

"As people do better, they start voting like Republicans - unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing"
Karl Rove

Drunk Dialers-

A note to the painter in his beat up pickup truck-

Are you sure you should be driving and talking on your cell phone at the same time?
It is two in the afternoon and because of your profession I will guess that you are already drunk. Perhaps- you would swerve slightly less if you hung up your phone.

My son is in love. He says her name all day long. "Lady"
 

Judging the pace of the road

We have shared the same road for a few short miles. The old hag with the wrinkles chiseled into her face is driving her Corvette like a race car. She keeps changing lanes, weaving in and out of traffic and zooming past me.

I have not changed lanes or broken any laws. Why do I keep arriving at the next light ahead of her?

The greatest show never played

My friend MC called me and told me about a crazy dream that he had.
In his dream he went to see Bob Weir play. (Ratdog / Grateful Dead) On stage with Bob was Garrison Keillor and on drums was Animal from the muppets

I am jealous. I wish I had this dream.
Only 2 more weeks until Bob comes to town.

Playground Pregnancy

Last weekend we were at the park playing and burning off energy. A mixed gender group of young teens walk up and start playing on the playground equipment. One of the girls sees my son and squeals “How Cute”.

I could almost hear her ovaries open up and her eggs drop into place. I hope the the young guys sperm was smart enough commit suicide.

All hail the devil. At least his daughters are willing to salute their father as the devil in a public place. Could this be a new trend?
 

Friday's Feast

Alright gang I am going to try the whole Friday's Feast thing.


Appetizer - What is one quality you really admire about yourself?
I have three:
My never quenched hunger for Pizza.
My ability to read a wide range of great literature while never being able to remember the character names in the books.
My passive-aggressive trait

Soup - What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use?
Whatever is on sale with no animal products in the ingredient list.

Salad - Describe your favorite movie scene. You know, the one that just gets to you every time you watch it.
Apocalypse Now- The ceiling fan/helicopter blades.

Main Course - If you were a veggie, which one would you be, and why?
A carrot- I am shaped like a carrot. I have no hips and I am forced to wear a belt However, the belt does not work all that well because it also keeps sliding down my hip-free waist.

Dessert - If you could take a weekend trip within 100 miles of your current residence, where would you like to go?
The local mountains. I really want to take Mquest Jr to see the snow. We will be going in a few weeks.

Order a pizza

Please do not mess with my pizza. Is nothing sacred?

I found this disturbing view of what the future will bring us. If I ever order pizza and the phone conversation goes like this I will pack up and leave this country. Pizza is sacred I hope this never comes a reality. (link found from Verbatim)

Voices in his head

What is god whispering in Bushes ear right now?
What is the Vice president whispering in Bushes ear right now?
What is his Whitewash House spin doctors trying to whisper in his ear right now?
What are his large dollar campaign donors trying to whisper in his ear?
What are the cold war era war mongers whispering in his ear right now?
What is that black box under his shirt telling him?
Does all this chatter make a difference?
Do they only tell him what he wants to hear?
Does he only hear what he wants to?

Moon

Last night after dark while I was still slaving away at work my wife and son went out into the back yard to play. My son pointed up at the moon and said “moon”. This was a big step in his talking. Up to this point we have only pointed out the moon in his books. I think it is amazing that he made the leap from the picture on the page to the object in the sky. Most importantly for those keeping track he SAID moon. The speech therapy is helping.

Todays historical American role model

Oliver North- It must be nice to be a highly paid traitor.
(approximately $30,000 per speaking engagement)

He really said it out loud-

He turned to me and said: “Growing up my family was rather efficient. We had a rabbit named stew.”

Overheard conversation

Speaker #1: The French Indian war was not that bad
Speaker #2 Yeah- They both lost

What the painters are doing today at the whitewash house

Unable to deliver on its lofty goal of bringing democracy to Iraq through the Jan. 30 elections, the Bush administration is pressing a damage-control campaign to lower expectations for the vote.

I wonder if they will paint themselves into a corner.

More on Graner

Graner felt his job was to rough up his prisoners and break their spirit for the interrogators. During the trial it was nice to see his confidence and spirit shrink as his military trial neared the end.

Zhao Ziyang

China is quickly becoming an economic power house. They still have a long way to go in the human rights area. Zhao Ziyang died and news of his death and deeds are being pulled down from the media and web. This silence is mostly due to his involvement failing to to quell the pro-democracy movement that led up to the Tiananmen Square blood bath.

In response to Zhao's death, the Chinese government banned news agencies from reporting his passing. Popular Chinese Websites were also ordered to restrict any discussion of the former leader and CNN broadcasts to hotels and apartment complexes were blacked out whenever Zhao was mentioned.

The odd thing is that economic change and restored private ownership in China is part of what he envisioned. It is almost as if he could be a poster child for the future of the party. His death will not cause riots and another Tiananmen Square blood bath. Why? Economic changes have made much of the disenfranchising happy. The youth demonstrators of then are busy slaving away today to make as much money as possible.

Clarence Sterling A.K.A. Riverend Sterling R.I.P.

Clarence Sterling has passed away. Today I am sad. The honorable Riverend Sterling was a major source of my understanding of James Joyce. I used to eagerly await his well written post on any Joycean topic. I knew little of him as a person and while reading his obituary today I found that he was an amazing man that had done his best to change the world one disaster at a time. I urge all my readers to read this obituary.
The Riv. Loved to talk about his therory of Saint Brighid and Joyce. I wonder if Saint Brighid and him have had a talk in the after life yet. If you knew him or he had an efect on your life please leave a note.

By Colleen Cason, ccason@VenturaCountyStar.com
January 16, 2005

Clarence Sterling was ready for whatever brand of misery each threw at
us.

Californians chuckle when we hear our state does not experience
seasons. We
have our fire, our quake, our drought and our flood.

And he would have been prepared to comfort those who were displaced and
stranded when rain-driven creeks escaped their banks in the Ojai Valley
last
week.

As a longtime American Red Cross volunteer, he would have been the
first to
arrive at the Nordhoff High School emergency shelter to comfort anyone
in
doubt or despair.

He would have been ... except Clarence Sterling died Jan. 7 at age 59.
Cancer claimed him just as one of the worst storms in memory gathered
outside his window.

For the first time in more than a decade, his cohorts in compassion had
to
do their work without him.

"Clarence was not there with us in body," said Dale Hanson, who staffed
the
Ojai Red Cross flooding shelter, "but he was very much there in
spirit."

Sterling was so many things to so many people. He was an expert on the
often-impenetrable prose of novelist James Joyce as well as the rarely
traveled wilderness of Ventura County. He was a student of American
Indian
ritual and an environmentalist who helped stop a gypsum mine from
coming to
The Ojai. He wrote poems and music. He was a father, a husband, a
grandfather, a friend.

He was simply one of the most unencumbered spirits in Ojai, a place
populated by nonconformists of all bents.

But toward the end of his days, Sterling said he was proudest of the
work he
had done for that most mainstream of institutions -- the Red Cross.

"My dad was motivated to work for the Red Cross because he feared in
crisis
situations some people would fall through the cracks," said Eben
Sterling,
an ad executive with two San Francisco skateboard magazines.

Clarence Sterling once told me his job as an aid worker was to make
sure no
victim was left sitting on the sidewalk wondering what to do next.

After receiving a diagnosis of esophageal cancer in late 2003, Clarence
knew
what to do: live to the fullest every season he had left.

Last January, he organized a memorial service for the 10 people who
died in
flooding in Ventura County in 1969. Sterling believed the victims of
that
disaster were too little remembered and the lessons too little studied.

Sterling still felt well enough to drive the Red Cross truck in Ojai's
annual July 4 parade. With his three young grandchildren by his son Bo,
he
paraded at 3 mph down Ojai's main drag.

The weekend before Sterling died, he made that same journey in the back
of
an ambulance.

While he was hospitalized for the last time earlier this month, a water
pipe
broke in the home he shared with his wife of 23 years, Kristina Reja.
It
rendered the house uninhabitable.

The man who had held the hands of so many flood victims had himself
been
made homeless by errant water.

One of the largest clubs in Ojai has got to be the FOC: Friends of
Clarence.
Through this network, Kristina found perfect shelter. Sterling was
offered a
room at the spiritual center on Meditation Mount in the eastern Ojai
Valley.

As the ambulance carrying Sterling drove 15 mph down Ojai Avenue, he
took
his last look at the city he loved.

He died at dusk on a Friday, his bed facing the southern slopes of the
Ojai
mountains.

"The wind and rain came up before he left us," said his devoted friend
Clive
Leeman.

A week after he died, the Red Cross disaster operations center in
Ventura
was teeming with almost three dozen volunteers aiding victims of the
deadly
mudslide in La Conchita and the devastating floods in the Ojai Valley.
Television screens hooked up to satellites showed the devastation.

Volunteers fielded phone calls from disaster victims and then posted
information on the white boards that line the room. The atmosphere was
charged with adrenaline, the volunteers powered by caffeine.

"It holds the sweat and tears of hundreds of volunteers. It has a
wonderful
energy," said Jason Smith, executive director of the Ventura County
chapter
of the American Red Cross.

Three weeks before Sterling died, this 30-by-40-foot space was named in
his
honor.

In name and in spirit, Sterling will be with everyone who gives aid and
comfort to victims of any future drought, fire, quake or flood.

Clarence Sterling truly was the man for all of California's seasons.

-- A memorial service for Clarence Sterling has been scheduled for 2
p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 29, at Libbey Bowl in Ojai.

-- Victims of the recent disasters can receive aid by calling the Red
Cross
at 1-866-GET-INFO.

Whitewash House

I created and coined a new phrase today for use in describing the Bush Administration However, when I googled it I found that the phrase Whitewash House is already in use. I still plan on using it.

Apple Dumpling Gang

Tim Conway and Don Knotts are not getting any younger.
Why have they not made another Apple Dumpling Gang movie? I want to see them ride together once again. I want to see the two old men pushing their walkers and oxygen tanks into the bank as they get ready to rob it in order to fill thier prescriptions. Together those two made some memorable characters. I am sure those characters have only gotten better with age.
If made would you watch this movie?

Abu Ghraib prison scandal

If Graner is the the public face of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal-- Who is the private face of the prison scandal?

Graner Gets 10 Years in Iraq Prison Abuse

Correction: Graner gets 10 years for taking pictures of his sick antics

By convicting this sick little disgrace to the military uniform.-- We are NOT sending a message to our troops and the world that soldiers are accountable for their behavior. It shows that violating our laws and the Geneva Convention are wrong only if you are caught.

It shows that idiots that take pictures of their crimes can be convicted. Widespread allegations of abuse have been levied at more than just this idiot at his marry band of sadistic perverts. Yet, everyone else is getting a free pass to continue on with no oversite. Everyone higher up the chain of command was unwilling to testify and implicate themselves as violating rules of conduct and the Geneva convention.

Did he follow orders? How can we know! How far up did this go? Donald and George?

During his final speech Graner made the claim, "at the time my understanding is that they were (lawful), or I wouldn't have done them," The Bush administration has continued to claim that all they have done is O.K. They continue to say that secret military detention centers around the world are legal. They continue to say that what we do at Guantanamo bay is legal. But, when the truth gets out military personal may face the legal system .

I am not a big fan of all the Star Wars hype, But I really want a Darth Tater as a mascot and spiritual guide as I slave away in the kitchen
 

It is OK to wear a yellow jacket, But if you start to like Kobe I will have to burn it.
 

Don't you find it interesting that the Iraqis chose to label their explosives in English?

The start of the two word sentence

The speech therapy for Mquest Jr. is starting to pay off. He has started to use two word sentences. “I Up”, “I Shoe”, “I By-By”.
(2Years 7 months)

Iraqi death squads

The "Salvador Option" from a human rights perspective. (link)

How cute the KKK wnet to court and won the right to have their trash pick up our trash.  

WMD the search is over

The search for Weapons of Mass Destruction ended quietly last month. How long were they going to quietly not tell the us about this. The IRAQ war was started over the Bush administrations lies about WMD. (some people refer to it as faulty intelligence)

What did the search for WMD cost? For the answer see (Verbatim)

CBS- Bush and a faulty reporting.

Everyone seems happy that 4 people got fired from CBS. It seems they rushed to judgment and put some faulty evidence in front of the American public. They paid for their stupidity with their jobs.

Prior to the Iraq war some idiots in the Bush administration rushed to judgment and put faulty evidence in front of the American public. Why do they get to keep their jobs?

Not in the form of a haiku

I love reading. I like books. I own multiple copies of James Joyce's Ulysses. I write in my books.

Asia Quake Impacts Va. Well-Water Levels

The South Asian earthquake that spawned deadly tsunami waves also shifted water levels by at least 3 feet in a geologically sensitive Virginia well some 9,600 miles away from the epicenter, researchers say. The well near Christiansburg, which started oscillating about an hour after the magnitude 9 quake near Sumatra on Dec. 26, is particularly sensitive to movements in the Earth and is monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This is fascinating. It took one hour for this to happen in Virgina. Yet, it took approximatively 100 minutes for the tsunami to reach Sri Lanka

Swept into the corner-

Died-Rosemary Kennedy, lobotomy patient, 86. She was the sister of John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy.

How many other lobotomy patients are still floating around in the dark corners of our civilized society?

North Korea campaigns against long hair, untidy attire

Pyongyang television noted long hair "consumes a great deal of nutrition" and could thus rob the brain of energy, according to the BBC.

Yet, they have the brains to make a nuclear weapon?

President Bush said-

"It wasn't all that long ago that a lot of people said Iraqi people will never vote at all. I think it's constructive now we're beginning to worry about the size of the turnout," he said.

Now that is putting a positive face on bloodshed and chaos.

The election process is in turmoil. By some accounts ½ the population is in areas that are unsafe for voting teams to set up. The Sunni participation is in doubt because of lack of security and voice. Sunni leaders are calling for a delay in voting. Voting places in “secure” areas are being blown up on a regular basis. Three senior Iraqi officials were abducted. US strikes 'wrong' Iraqi target and kills 14 innocent people. A bunch of story's surface about a US soldier that forces two Iraqi men into a river for no real reason other than curfew violation. . .

What will this election bring? Legitimacy? Instant Peace? Why the rush?

Rain Rain Go Away- (with pictures)

It has been raining for days. The little one is going crazy. Mquest Jr. decided to recreate the deadly Tsunami on the island of Sodor. (Pictures follow) All the trains are accounted for but rescue operations are still going on. Mr and Mrs Topham Hat are still missing. Monetary aid would be greatly appreciated. Donations of laptops to help with a early warning system will also help prevent natural disasters from taking such a toll on the Island of Sodor.

Mquest Jr has taken a tour of the tsunami stricken areas and declared it to be a perfect photo opportunity for world leaders.

Think of the orphans. Give aid now.
 

Aerial shot taken soon after the deadly Tsunami struck
 

Mquest Jr. Looking for survivors of todays deadly Tsunami
 

Leonard T. Bayard--Mysterious jet tied to torture flights

The first question is: Where is Leonard T. Bayard? The next question is: Who is Leonard T. Bayard? But the most important question may be: Does Leonard T. Bayard even exist? (Snip) According to federal records, Bayard Foreign Marketing is the newest owner of a U.S.-registered Gulfstream V executive jet reportedly used since Sept. 11, 2001, to transport suspected Al Qaeda operatives to countries such as Egypt and Syria, where some of them claim to have later been tortured

A search of commercial databases turned up no information on Leonard Thomas Bayard: no residence address, no telephone number, no Social Security number, no credit history, no automobile or property ownership records--in short, none of the information commonly associated with real people.

So who is Leonard T. Bayard? He owns one of nine company's that are allowed to land at any military base in the world. He removes people from this country to have them tortured and killed in other country's. The CIA most likely answers all his calls. Leonard T. Bayard is not real, but still a man with blood on his hands.

I have to admit this whole article is fascinating. Leonard T. Bayard equals conspiracy and secret society. Keep an eye on him he may become a conspiracy cult hero. Children may start to fear him when the lights go out.

Trivia question: #1 Who is John Galt?
Trivia question #2 What was Fernando Poo

Bundt

The creator of the bundt pan died. I am sad to say that I do not own a Bundt pan. Am I missing out on some cultural cooking phenomena? Also see this.

Duh!

Duh! Is back. Well written and witty. It is always fun to watch some one with a fair amount of good luck riding on a train that is bound to crash and burn at any moment.

White House paid commentator to promote law

Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same.

Is this ethical? Legal?

The campaign, part of an effort to promote No Child Left Behind (NCLB), required commentator Armstrong Williams "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts," and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004.

What happened to broadcasts integrity? paid propaganda? Is this how my tax dollars are being spent?

The contract may be illegal "because Congress has prohibited propaganda," or any sort of lobbying for programs funded by the government, said Melanie Sloan of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "And it's propaganda."

Yes- This is propaganda.

After Deadly Attack, Allawi Predicts More

After the deadliest attack on American forces since a suicide strike in Mosul 2 1/2 weeks ago, Iraqs prime minister warned that insurgent violence would only increase as the country's election draws near

Duh! It must be easy to predict the obvious.

A faulty theory of computer redundancy-

We had a plan and the plan worked for a long time. At my house we have two computers set up side by side. One for my wife and one for me. If one breaks the other one is up and running and we have no down time. The theory was good. But, we forgot about the bottleneck. The firewall/router! What happens when it dies? Strife! Anger! Withdrawal!

It was a rough 24 hours but we are back up and all the world smells like a rose. (I am 60 dollars poorer)

NBC's 'Fear Factor' Sued for Rat-Eating Episode

Watching contestants eat dead rats on NBC's gross-out stunt show "Fear Factor" so disgusted a Cleveland man that he has sued NBC for $2.5 million, saying he could not stomach what he saw.. . . . He said the show caused his blood pressure to rise so high that he became dizzy and light-headed, and when he ran away to his room, he bumped his head into the doorway

Should I file my lawsuit against Bush? Every time I see him my blood pressure goes through the roof and I feel nauseous.

What Wine?

What type of wine goes good with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups?

A nice Port? Night Train? Thunder Bird? . . . .

Tsunami Relief? A grand empty gesture?

Over at Swords Into Plowshares I just read a interesting post about the reality of governmental disaster relief pledges.

Those experienced in coordinating responses to humanitarian disasters are skeptical concerning how much of the money pledged will actually be delivered. Of $1.1 billion pledged by for the reconstruction of Bam, the Iranian city devastated by an earthquake exactly one year before the Indian Ocean tsunami, only $17 million has been delivered thus far. Governments, like individuals, do not always make good on their pledges.
Equally troubling is the fact that, historically, disaster relief contributions tend to come at the expense of existing humanitarian commitments. For this reason, humanitarian efforts in Sudan and the Congo are expected to suffer.

A pledge for help-- Empty words? Where does the money come from?

Coffee Pod Revolution

For years I have laughed at the single cup Coffee maker. Thanks to a great deal at Target I have been shown the light. Coffee should be brewed one cup at a time. The downside? Who ever made this device seems to think that filling a cup up with a few ounces of water actuality equals a cup of Coffee. Wrong. Everyone in the world uses a cup that holds more that whatever standard the Coffee industry uses to test their machines.
I bought extra coffee pods-- I hope they still make the pods when we run out of them.

Blog thanks, “Crushes”, “Blog It Foreword” (new feature lame title)

It is about time that I give some thanks and recognition to some of the Bloggers that make this all worthwhile. Some people call thanks like this “Blog It Foreword” but, I think that tittle is rather lame. Dru Blood refers to it as “Crushes”. Not a bad name but it does not reflect my personality. So I am stuck with no idea what to call this new feature. How about Blog Erections and Salutes? Or, Blogs to Cream your Pants Over?

To harsh of a tittle? How about Mquest Blog Salutes?

I will start with Dru Blood. For the months of November and December I was her Crush (top right corner right under the green star) What did she have to say about me? “Short, pithy, frequently funny...and I love that he's a dad who blogs about his kid.” I even looked up the word pithy just to make sure that she was not making veiled threats against my manhood.. .

Dru Blood- I have gotten the most amount of traffic from her site. Go on take a look at her Blog. Who is she and what is her Blog about? Single mom raising children, Homeschooling issues, Community, Anti-Bush rants . . . (general feminist, liberal, anarchist, communal slant on things)
She writes about anything and everything. I always get excited when I see that she has posted something new. Bookmark her site.

Dinner Poll

Who is eating black eyed peas today?

New Year Resolutions and Revolutions

Around the House (May be hindered by lack of money)
Clean Carpets.
Consider taking out carpet and cleaning up the hardwood floors.
Organize Photos
Make something cool and usable out of wood.
Make mulch / compost maker
Fix or redo main “cluster/hub” in sprinkler system
Organize the kitchen and cupboard (Keep it that way)
Clean dust books / bookshelves-- donate SOME of the books back to the library
Consider replacing main drain line from house.
Look into adding a sitting area on front porch
Organize Garage
Make shed-- There is a plan but, it will be a lot of labor and take a long time to complete. I look foreword to the challenge. But, I am not sure when a large enough block of time can be found to do it,
Look into adding more light into back yard-- So my son can burn off more energy after dinner.-- It gets dark early in the winter months.
Add ceiling fan to main entry room.
Have wife paint. Do NOT pick up a paint brush all year.

Adult Things and Responsibilities
Find a new job- Must have benefits
Make/Create Will
Go through all insurance documents and check coverage(s)
Continue to Raise a well rounded and balances child
Work on detail orientated skills
Work on listening skills

Wishful Thinking and Positive Thoughts
Win the lotto
Spend lots of time wishing for a free-- good quality laptop.
Go away for weekend without child.
Save money- Pay more debt off.

Writing
Practice and improve my writing
Keep Blog Going
Write the two children's books that have been stuck in my head for the last year
Start writing my fantasy novel
Start writing my novel
Create list and details of all Characters in Ulysses. (major work)

Reading
Read a average minimum of 1 / 2 hour a day
Read the classics in Lit, and Fantasy
Explore more of the realm of Magical Realism
Study more about writers in 1920's Paris
Re-read Ulysses
Read The Art of War, The Prince and The Inferno
Read Finnegans Wake (LOL)

Cooking around the kitchen
Have some fun with Solar Cooking
Using peppers from my garden make and bottle a batch of hot sauce
Use the slow cooker more than once this year
Make bread more often
Make more with grains
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Have a real dinner party for family
Use stand-mixer more often- I already use it a lot for masking pizza dough.
Try new recipes
Create the ultimate vanilla and peanut butter desert.

Gardening and Yard
Grow a better vegetable garden (I have always done well with this- But, I want a better one.
Remove tree stump from back yard
Do a quick CHEAP re- landscape of front yard planters
Begin some type of mulching /composting process
Create the ultimate seed starter system for the 2006 growing season. (with grow lights)
Improve water system for vegetable garden and vegetable pots

Exercise and mental health
Walk dog more often
Buy a pair of high quality non leather hiking boots
Meditation

Fun
See “The Dead” play more than once this summer- (If i write it down it will happen right?)
Begin my bid for presidency (set up exploratory committee)