...sadness...

the wife of a good friend passed away this morning after a long illness. she was 34.

pray for the family.

'merican ing-glich

Can you believe this??? It says that i speak "5% Yankee" and "0% Midwestern" !! Obviously their program is flawed. The only thing that saves this is that it has me speaking 4 times as much "Dixie" as "Yankee".

yep.

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

20% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

House Hearing On 'Warming Of The Planet' Canceled After Ice Storm

Some people seem to think that i have a low opinion of politicians. That's just not true.

Ocassionally they're good for some comic relief.

From the Drudge Report:
HOUSE HEARING ON 'WARMING OF THE PLANET' CANCELED AFTER ICE STORM
HEARING NOTICE
Tue Feb 13 2007 19:31:25 ET
The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather. The hearing is entitled “Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet?”

The hearing will be rescheduled to a date and time to be announced later.

DC WEATHER REPORT:
Wednesday: Freezing rain in the morning. Total ice accumulation between one half to three quarters of an inch. Brisk with highs in the mid 30s. North winds 10 to 15 mph...increasing to northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 18. Northwest winds around 20 mph.

That's what they get for trying to be "bummers" on Valentine's Day ;-)

The Machine Is Using Us !

If you never watch anything else on YouTube, you HAVE to see this !

And here is an interesting article by the fellow that put the video together. He is an assistant professor (cultural anthropology) at Kansas State University and the article is called "A Brief Philosophy of Anti-Teaching".

Its an interesting read.

Salsa Noches

Recently I received an email that said in part:
Just wanted to let you know that our Salsa company, SALSA NOCHES, will have a booth at the Tulsa Women's Living Expo this weekend. And, we are doing something new: We will be donating a portion of our sales to Cancer Research. Our Salsa will sell for $5 per jar (hot or medium) and $1.00 from every jar sold will be donated to support breast cancer research and local outreach programs. Come to the Tulsa Women's Living Expo this weekend at the Expo Building in Tulsa, OK and Stop by and say "Hello".

This was not some random spam - No Sir! This was an email from an old friend that I haven't talked with in (literally) years. And, since right now i'm just a short 16-hour drive away from Tulsa.... i'm gonna have to wait until they start selling SALSA NOCHES online.

Bummer.

Electronic Flotsam

When it comes to football i prefer FIFA over NFL (that means i prefer soccer over "football":-) but maybe the 'ole pigskin can actually be used to a good end. Check out this site that has the Christian testimonies of both Super Bowl coaches and some of the players http://www.beyondtheultimate.org/

Today is Safer Internet Day

We are raising a generation without privacy http://nymag.com/news/features/27341/index.html and apparently we are experiencing the first signifcant "generation gap" in ages.

i realize this entry isn't horribly profound but i'm rather distracted right now by a couple of large projects with looming deadlines.

The Down Side of Human Nature

A bit of levity. If you haven't yet seen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDPAUi3VPSo George Bush and Steve Bridges at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner April 29, 2006; you should. This is funny whether you like Bush or not. George W knows how to laugh at himself.

Here is a very funny lip sync routine with a cool finish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wcRkVpm03M

And, last but not least, some crazy Frenchmen (they could be French Canadians, i don't know) and their "Human Slingshot" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QokpXX9L8qM Don't worry, you don't have to speak French to get this one.

Now you ask "What in the world do any of these videos have to do with 'The Down Side of Human Nature'? (its an honest question)

While i suppose the original intent of YouTube (and other video posting services like it) was to allow people a shot at their "fifteen minutes of fame", the thing that impresses me the most is how people are so ready to be rude. Just flat vulgar, rude and obnoxious. It makes me wonder "Why, when these apparently intelligent people [they're smart enough to be able to use a computer, etc] could say *anything*, why do so many people invariably choose to be *so* rude, *so* vulgar and *so* obnoxious?" It really doesn't matter what the subject of the video is, if there are at least 20 comments, at least one of them will be along the lines of "thats the stupidest thing i've ever seen".

This is why Usenet and others have always maintained an etiquette - a standard acceptable to people willing to engage in thoughtful discussion.

Thats it - don't blame the computer - we were fine when it was all DOS. Windows is responsible for the downfall of modern civilization - you heard it here first :-)

Bad News/Good News

Bad News: The weather sucks (its cold & rainy), the office is cold (i'm on my lunch break), i've got a sinus headache (yes, i can tell one headache from another), and for some reason, i'm really missing my buddy today (he passed away 3 1/2 yrs ago)

Good News: At least its not freezing, i have my coat & hat & sit where nobody can see how silly i look so i could even wear my "huntin' gloves" if i wanted to, the ibuprofen is [sorta] working (better living through chemistry).

Missing my buddy makes me appreciate life. i miss not being able to talk to him about "mundania" - i know he would like the TV show "Heroes" and, even if we were in different cities, we would plan to see the movie "300" at the same date and time.
i'm pretty sure he would have liked Marvel's summer series "Civil War" and i would *love* to hear him rant about youtube or myspace.

The best news is that God has allowed me to meet new friends and maybe, just maybe, i can actually be a positive influence on a few people.

Frozen Austin

The co-worker that went to Austin with me last week described it today as "the worst week i have ever had traveling for work". That got me thinking - was it the "worst" week that i've ever had traveling for work? Thats hard for me to say because i don't usually think in those terms. But, to tell you the truth, the weather was horrible.

While i am not a "Pollyanna" at work, my co-workers have figured out that i'm not the "go-to" person for bad news when we're traveling. If they want to hear how horrible the hotel was or how bad the food was or what an awful situation we are in, normally i'm not the guy to ask. I'm such a hillbilly that i think its great that we stay in actual hotels and not in motels. (In a motel you can pull your car up to the door of the room :-)

My boss knows that, if she asks for it specifically, i will be blunt and brutally honest. And, to the credit of the co-worker that traveled with me, she is not a complainer, either. Her comment was just that - an honest comment.

Coming Home, Remembering

My flight will be boarding in a few minutes - i'm enduring an infamous "layover" because the only direct flight back was at an inconvenient time for me.

I've been out of town working this week so i again missed a chance to go skating with the youth group (Monday night), right now i am missing being at "Polar Express" with wifey and kiddo (an annual party at kiddo's elementary school) and because the weather was SO BAD in Austin, i didn't have a chance to go to Red's 100 yard indoor range to relax.

But i'm avoiding saying what is Really bothering me right now. i have worked almost three years on a committee for our state cancer registrar organization's website and now, when we have accomplished *so* much, i find myself with a painful case of writer's block. One of the major improvements that was added was a place for dedications to those who have battled cancer, both those we still have with us and those who have passed on.

I have been planning, since before it was talked about with TxTRA, to memorialize my best friend who died of non-smoker's lung cancer at the age of 31. One of the first webpages that i built was an attempt at this but it instead of being a memorial to the world it became my anonymous grief rant. To this day, very few people that know me have seen it.

With the dedication page on www.txtra.org, i am hoping to remedy this. The new dedication page will (hopefully) be a source of healing for others, as well. It is difficult for me to describe the friendship we had. In Spanish there is a hymn that says in part "Hay momentos que las palabras no alcansan" - roughly translated this would be "There are moments that words cannot touch" (but it sounds better in Spanish).

Oy! my plane is boarding - i have to run.

Getting To Know Your Friends and Family

i've seen this email before but had never thought of "blogging" it until i saw it on my friend Lily's blog http://adayinthelifeoflily.blogspot.com/ (Thanks for the idea, lily)
Feel free to "comment" your answers.

Welcome to the new edition of getting to know your friends and family. Copy and paste this entry into the comments and change all the answers so that they apply to you.

1. What is your occupation? cancer registrar
2. What color are your socks right now? black
3. What are you listening to right now? the dog barking at a cat and the gentle hum of the computer
4. What was the last thing you ate? Luca's pizza
5. Can you drive a stick shift? yes
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? green
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my spouse
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? (if you phrase it "Do you like the person that you shamelessly stole this from?" then the answer would be "Yes"
9. How old are you today? 30-something :-)
10. Favorite drink? Joya de manzana (Apple flavored pop from Mexico)
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? soccer
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? yes, and i've bleached it, too
13. Pets? current or past? currently one dog
14. Favorite food? chocolate
15. What was the last movie you watched? Ice Age 2 - The Meltdown
16. Favorite day of the year: Just one day?!? February 15th - all the unsold Valentine's Day chocolate goes on sale :-)
17. What do you do to vent anger? now i take a walk but i have a scar on my knuckles from the way that i *used* to vent...
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Lincoln Logs
19. What is your favorite fall or spring? Definitely fall. Spring cleaning makes spousey want to throw away my "stuff".
20. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
21. Cherries or blueberries? cherries
22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes, though this isn't being sent in the form of an e-mail, technically, I'd love to see how people respond. [ditto]
23. Who is most likely to respond? Don't know.
24. Who is least likely to respond? Not sure.
25. Living arrangements? With spouse, child and dog
26. When was the last time you cried? this question is proof that this was originally written by a woman - guys just don't (normally) ask each other this question.
27. What is on the floor of your closet? my shoes
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? n/a.
29. What did you do last night? Watched Ice Age 2 - The Meltdown
30. Favorite smells? spouse's hair
31. What inspires you? Friendship
32. What are you afraid of? not fulfilling my purpose in life
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheeseburgers
34. Favorite dog breed? Not really picky - any dog beats any cat any day of the week.
35. Number of keys on your key ring? It used to be 26 keys on one keyring but now its 5 on one keyring and 21 keys on the "extra" keyring
36. Number of years at your current job? 4+
37. Favorite day of the week? Friday
38. How many states have you lived in? 4 states and an American common wealth
39. Favorite holidays? Thanksgiving
40. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? Motorcycle - yes (owned one for a while). Heavy machinery - does 'fork lift' count? If so, then "yes".

I NEED COMEDY!!!

If you don't know why I REALLY need some comic relief right now then let me clue you in. A died-in-the-wool ENEMY of Liberty and the 2nd Amendment is now Speaker of the House.

YouTube to the Rescue (sorta)

Ask A Ninja How to Kill A Ninja
Craig Ferguson Money for the Blind
Little Britain Season 1 Episode 1 Part 1 (Not for the easily offended)
MarkDayComedy The Smiley Intervention

Islam As Mental Illness

The title links to the original post on The Gathering Storm. i have to give credit to Faultline USA. Read their entry here about some scary internet censorship. Google is apparently using its liberal-leaning muscle to censor the truth.

News You Can Use

Here's a special deal on a book that claims that it is not only the right but that it is also the DUTY of Christians to be armed. The author is from South Africa but it is an interesting idea, nonetheless. From World Net Daily.

Media Research Center's 19th Annual Awards for Worst Reporting - the 2006 "Winners"

NRA News.com

Intelligent Design vs. Evolution is now a table game ! (i guess it was inevitable)

And finally, in case you missed it, here is a cool rant on why you shouldn't buy a Microsoft Zune.

Happy Politically Incorrect New Year!

YAY!! Its 2007!

This year's word: change.
Some of these changes i am not looking forward to (several friends moving away) but some of these changes promise to be challenging and exciting (promotion at work - added duties and responsibilities)

One thing that will NOT change is that i plan to be just as accurate and politically incorrect as ever.

Let's have a great year and don't let our elected officials get away with anything.

(Or make resolutions that you know you can keep like "This year i will eat more and exercise less" :-)