Big Boy

Just filed my last payment with a service provider via the phone. It's probably the first time that I've had to navigate a phone interface via voice commands. You really need kind of a prompt, like the beep of an answering machine, to tell you when they are expecting an answer.

ME (to kids): No, you can't do tha..
HAL 1000 Please say the last four digits of the primary's social security number.
ME; t yet. Two Four.. Hey I said not to do that right now.
HAL 1000 That was: Seven Two Four Eight, right?
ME: (sigh) No

(What happens if your in your car or watching TV and the audio your listening to 'takes over'?)

HAL 1000 What would you wish to do today?
ME: Go outside and ...
HAL 1000 Ok. Please shout your favorite sexual position.
ME: Ride your bike!
ME: I need a
HAL 1000 State your blood type.
ME: beer.
HAL 1000 Thank you. Child and welfare services have been notified and are on their way.

Equal Rights for Bloggers and Every Day Citizens!

Guess the priveledged reporters and legislators aren't the only ones who deserve 'protection'. Apple loses court bid to identify sources - Court: Online reporters, bloggers entitled to same journalist protections

Hooray...

Living Apart, Still Together

Mrs and I are cracking up watching Good Morning America's segment on a couple, not married, who see one another but aren't living together, and don't plan to. He's got a batchelor pad in the city, she's got two daughters and live in the burbs. He pays for food but they've got seperate living situations and financial lives. They have a long term relationship and look forward to keeping it, they just don't intend to get married.

He comes over, spends time, cooks, shares meals, helps with the chores and even does some cleaning, if you know what I mean, nudge nudge, wink wink...

The irony? Isn't that what we used to call dating? Even people who have kids and were previously married do date again.

God Bless Our Fallen

Thanks to all who've given the ultimate sacrifice defending [i]and fighting for[/i] freedom.

Thankfully, all of my relatives - my father, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my uncle, and even my Confederate general on my grandmother's side (don't we all have one down here?) have survived their tours of duty.

And while this day specifically honors our fallen, I want to thank anyone who's ever served.

Sleeping Kama Sutra

Losing weight means that you sleep better. Not only that, but you can sleep in many more positions, comfortably.

Yeah, the Fair Tax will NEVER Catch On...

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, about 4,500 "raucous anti-tax protesters" filled a local convention center last night to support the "call for the end of the federal income tax and the creation of a 23 percent national sales tax to replace it."

Citizens were there to see and listen to WSB radio talk show host Neal Boortz and U.S. Rep. John Linder, Sean Hannity, John Stossel and Clark Howard proposed changes to our current tax laws.

Apparently, the size of the 'protest' was so large that the fire marshal forced event organizers to deny 2,000 more attendees access to the event. They instead had a tailgate party in the parking lot and listened on the radio.

Mexico Depends on US for Survival

I sure wish the Mexican state would fix its own economc problems. But they are too used to the mother's milk from America that they've been feeding on. Rather than deal with corruption and stimulating their home economy, conditions are more favorable for 15% of Mexico's workforce to migrate to El Norte for labor and cash.

That cash is then transfered via wire transfers back home to support their family and prop up the shaky Mexican economy. Mexicans in the U.S. send about $20 billion a year back to their homes in Mexico. This amount exceeds Mexico's income from all oil exports and is much higher than Mexico's revenue from tourism.No wonder the Mexican government publishes an invasion guide to their citizens with tips on how to successfully infiltrate Americas' borders and job market.

Dixie Chicks

Boy, the Dixie Chicks' PR folks sure have the full court press on. Just saw in interview on ABC about their 'problems' with infertility. The two 'lesser' stars of the trio apparently had problems bearing children. The PR folks must be pushing them to do non-political interviews that will de-demonize them and reach the emotions of Americans, especially women.

But, as Teresa of Technicalities has pointed out, the Dixie Chicks have alienated their fan base, the younger country music audience. Maines was quoted in late January on entertainmentweekly.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."

Maines also said, "I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life."

I remember watching a story on them and how they got to where they are today. They got their start playing in country fairs or the like. Playing to the common country folk who had a thing for some good fiddling and appreciate their music. Well, apparently, they aren't 'country' anymore. Despite the good fiddling.

That bodes well for the Dixie Chicks as the country base seems to have soured on them. Consumer economics (aka censorship) reared its ugly head and they are not getting much, if any, airtime on country radio. That shouldn't be a problem for them however. After all, while touring in Europe, lead singer Maines was quoted as being ashamed to be from the same state as President Bush, and we all know from poll watching, that EVERYBODY hates Bush. There's no excuse for them NOT to succeed with their latest album.

Except that maybe the public, even the non-country, leftist leaning, 'Bush hating majority' doesn't want to hear their music either.

Barbaro's 30 Minutes of Fame

I don't mean to be a callous bastard, but enough of the injured horse already.

I love animals, but this guy got top news billing in the news cycle for two days. He's still getting heavy coverage today.

I wonder if this gets more 'importnace' since this drama was captured on video and we got to experience his anguish.

I mean it's taking away valuable news time from important stories like American Idol and such. ;P

It always amazes me how much of news coverage is trivial.

What's In Your Wallet?

I remember growing up and watching the Bloodhound Gang and loving every minute of it. I'd stay up late as possible to catch glimpses of Quincy before being shooed off to bed.

I sit here in bed next to the Mrs. and am watching the CSI finale (taping Will & Grace) and I can't help but laugh. Most of the crime scenes in my favorite crime/detective/dramas are immaculate except for the innard debris. If something happened to me at the shack, the poor local CSI's would find my 'life' all over the place.

A tin of popcorn by the TV, two hampers of dirty laundry in the corner, floors in need of vacumming, clean laundry waiting on the couch for someone to fold it...

Warrick just picked up a "vic's" wallet in a hotel room and inspected it for money. "Wallet's empty." He states. Ha! Pick up my wallet at my crime scence and you'll be picking up stuff for hours!

A coupon, receipts from fast food purchases, a lot of prescription/medical receipts, couple of notes, gift cards, famly pics, credit cards, ids, medical cards... but no money. I don't (often) put money in my wallet anymore. That goes in my front pocket.

If the crime scene investigator opens my wallet, he's in for a suprise. I'll be lying in a pool of my life's debris and snickering when he says, "Wallet's empty. Musta been a robbery." :P

Sce|\|ic Air Por|\|

Check out the Swiss doing it in the mountians...

Immigration Takes Center Stage

Bottom line:

After 9/11, we still haven't closed our borders and made things very difficult for illegal immigrants, hijackers and thugs to cross our borders. Just like the TSA and airport security checkpoints, border crossings are there only to annoy the lives of average law abiding citizens.

It IS a matter of national security and in that regard, get the National Guard out there to recon and spot border crossers. Then notify the proper authorities (airlifted border patrol backed up with SUV convoys) to round 'em up and send them back.

If necessary, start training the National Guard in enforcement duties (aka Military Police) to be able to assist in detaining foreigners trying to sneak into the country. And while we're at it, get the Coast Guard suitably equipped to handle the potential shift of immigrant migration via the oceans. Heck, if the Coast Guard can arrest & fine people, why can't the National Guard? Or am I off base there?

Just like when you enter an amusement park or a shopping store, they close their doors at the end of the day. Then they shoo everyone out. Put another way - America's illegal immigration spigot is wide open. Turn it off first. We can, need to and must sort out the rest later.

Call 911! Seat Implosion!

Sitting here 'working' on my front porch and enjoying the impending ice age May weather when I notice my battery power is down to 18%. I lean over the edge of my lawn chair and notice that my power converter isn't plugged into the cord properly and as I lean further to fix it, my chair fell apart under my seat! Here I sit in a precarious position, blogging away while the mocking birds laugh at me. Time for a new lawn chair, and a winch...

And wouldn't you know it? The kids are up the street and have gone inside the boys' house. Not around when you need them, the ungrateful, good-fer-nuthin...

And, no cat, you're not helping either.

Oh well, guess I'll have to extricate my dasypygal self from this seat implosion.

Google Maps Misleading

I really dig Google's map application on the web but it's misleading at times. Take the suburb of Vinings, GA for instance. I-285, or more commonly known to Atlanta residents as "the Perimeter", appears nowhere on the map.

Instead, it shows GA state road 407, also named the James E. Billy McKinney Highway, a former Georgia State Representative. Yes, this is the father of one Cynthia McKinney.

Problem is, no one except the McKinney family calls this major thorofare by any other name except I-285 or the Perimeter.

Lesson? Don't completely rely on web based map programs for your directions. Especially from a company who is more than willing to kow-tow to the likes of Chinese political interests and such. Surely they'd be likely to curry favor by using the least known moniker for a US interstate?

Global Warming Futures Dropped This Week

Fans of global warming and its impending arrival were sorely disappointed this week as Atlanta's temperatures struggled to break 75 degrees. Been an awesome May as far as I'm concerned.

You Know You've Got It Bad When

You go to your dermatologist for a rash, and he rushes out of the office to get his camera.

(Not me, a friend some time ago, just prior to his wedding.)

Sensuous Honeydews

No, I'm not talking about boobies.

I'm talking about around the house duties. We've got two kinds here at the shack.

Honeydews, or Honey Do lists, as in chores and what-not.

And then there are Sensuous's, as in Since You Was Up, kind of things.

That is all. :P

So, Can You

This Government School product knows his geography. I got 147 out of 150 points on this test.

Woulda done better but one or two of those NE states overlap. And I was trying my best to answer quickly. But still, that's a 98% success rate. That's an A in anybody's book, right? :P

Local Church Covers for Police Officers

Keeps Atlanta Police Officers insured until 2009.

Police officers, like all city of Atlanta employees, can secure a basic life insurance policy that provides the equivalent of a year's pay. An officer at a starting salary of $30,000 would contribute about $2.30 a week for that coverage, said Louis Amis, the city's director of employee benefits. A $70,000-a-year officer would contribute about $13.80 a week for $70,000 in coverage. Amis said he thinks most officers opt for at least basic coverage.

The city will pay funeral costs up to $7,500, Amis said. When officers are killed in the line of duty, their families receive the officer's salary for two years, and a portion of the officer's pension, said Atlanta Controller Ray Zies.

The congregation at Peachtree Presbyterian wanted to reinforce the support that officers received from the city. Glover, president of Turner Enterprises, and Wilfong, former chief executive officer of SunTrust Bank in Atlanta, consulted with Dave Wilkinson, president of the Atlanta Police Foundation, to craft a plan. First they made a few calls to business contacts. Then members of Peachtree Presbyterian, one of the largest Presbyterian churches in the country, made personal contributions, Pentz said.

...

With $132,000 in hand, they were able to buy coverage for all APD officers through Jan. 1, 2009. Any new members of the force who join between now and then also will be covered. Members of the church are working on extending that coverage for three additional years.

Angels Over Atlanta

Took my wee ones to the airshow at Naval Air Station Atlanta over the weekend.

Got there 'early' and spent a halfhour+ in traffic outside the gates to Lockheed. Then spent another hour and a half, transiting the line to the buses, the security checkpoint and the bus trip to the tarmac. Really wish they could tighten that part up, but all in all, it was acceptable.

Got to the show a little late as a result. Would have loved for my kids to have seen the quieter prop events that kicked off the festivities but we were just in time to see an F-15 rock our world. It was very cool, but overwhelmed 5yr old Bubba.

We'd been watching the inbound air traffic to NAS Atlanta all week from our abode here. We've even been able to catch the Blue Angels practicing as the circled overhead or ran through their higher altitude maneuvers.

Didn't stick around long after the Sabre, F16 and F15 flyovers. We had a sporting event to get to afterall. The airshow was just the beginning of a very busy day for us. Did our part for the economy and made a donation or two while we were there.

Got up and close with an F-22 Raptor too. My neighbor helped build it. Swear I've seen one overhead recenlty in desert camo. Wonder if they're getting any practice in the middle east?

Economics Should be a Required HS Subject

In light of the recent 'gas crisis',

Micro and Macro Economics should be required subjects for High School students in my opinion. It ought to be fun and engaging and revolve primarily around hands on simulation of moderatly complex industries - ie Gas.

Students should learn how the basic supply & demand economics work in an industry. From the cost/profit of retrieving oil, to shipping it, to refining, to distribution, to the end consumer. They should explore rent control issues. The should see in class simulations what happens to consumers in a monopoly, and what happens to consumers in a competitive industry. And any student/enterprise should be charged with making money and to 'sell' or leave the industry when they believe it is right to do so.

I'm shocked at the lack of understanding by Joe Blow other than how economic issues affect their wallet. We're well on our way to a government run economy.