Everythings bigger in Texas

A monstrous network of sheet-like webs covering several acres has been spun over trees in this state park 50 miles (80 kms) east of Dallas, baffling scientists who say it is an almost-unheard-of occurrence in the region.
"The dominant spiders here seem to be long-jawed spiders but this is unusual. Social spiders build communal nests in the tropics but the longjaws are not social," said Mike Quinn, a Texas state insect biologist.
"We still don't have a clear answer for what is going on here," he said as he stood beneath the ghostly canopy of webbing which shrouded a patch of oak and juniper trees.
The eerie scene evoked a B-grade horror movie. Thunder rumbled in the distance as spiders skittered across Quinn's wide-brimmed hat.
He was collecting samples by using a metal rod to thrash branches over a "beat sheet" -- a sheet nailed to criss-crossed pieces off wood into which bugs would fall.
A startling number of creepy-crawlers fell from a single branch which Quinn thrashed, including several long-jawed spiders, also known as orb weavers.
"You would not want to be the prey item on the end of that," Quinn said as he held up one of the aptly named long jaws, a spindly but sinister looking thing with fangs jutting out at the end of its raptor-like jaws.
There are 10 species of longjaw in Texas and Quinn said he needed to take the specimens to other experts to determine precisely which ones they were.
There were several other species of spider in the webs, including large garden spiders.
"I've never seen anything like this before," said Ray Owings, who had come from Tyler 50 miles to the east just to look at the webbing.
Other scientists agreed it was an odd affair.
"You see this more often in tropical rain forests. Longjaws typically make the classic kind of orb web and not a sheet web," Roy Vogtsberger, an assistant professor with the biology department at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.

FBI wiretapping system

"Building off the design mandates of CALEA, the FBI has constructed a 'point-and-click surveillance system' that creates instant wiretaps on almost any communications device. A thousand pages of restricted documents released under the Freedom of Information Act were required to determine the veracity of this clandestine project, Wired News reports. Called the Digital Collection System Network, it connects FBI wiretapping rooms to switches controlled by traditional land-line operators, internet-telephony providers and cellular companies. It is intricately woven into the nation's telecom infrastructure. From the article: 'FBI wiretapping rooms in field offices and undercover locations around the country are connected through a private, encrypted backbone that is separated from the internet. Sprint runs it on the government's behalf. The network allows an FBI agent in New York, for example, to remotely set up a wiretap on a cell phone based in Sacramento, California, and immediately learn the phone's location, then begin receiving conversations, text messages and voicemail pass codes in New York. With a few keystrokes, the agent can route the recordings to language specialists for translation.'"

100 percent

This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint... it goes like this: What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life? Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:
If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then: H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98% and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96% But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100% And,
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T 2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103% AND,
look how far ass kissing will take you.
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G 1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%
So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass kissing that will put you over the top. "REMEMBER SOME PEOPLE ARE ALIVE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHOOT THEM."

Whats really important

I ran into a stranger as he passed by, "Oh excuse me please" was my reply. He said, "Please excuse me too; I wasn't watching for you." We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said goodbye. But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, My son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. "Move out of the way," I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, "While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes." By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed; "Wake up, little one, wake up," I said. "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue." I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way." He said, "Oh, Dad, that's okay. I love you anyway." I said, "Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue." FAMILY Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

little known boy facts for all parents

1.A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. House 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the wouds "uh oh", you know, that it's already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 44-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4- year old Boy.
11. Play dough and microwave ovens should not be used in the same sentence
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15. VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20. The fire department in Nixon, TX has a 5- minute response time.
21. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
22. 80% of women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.
23. 80% of Men who read this, then will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid, just to see if it will make smoke.

Chinese bloggers beware

Reporters Without Borders criticized the Chinese government for what the press advocacy group considers a move to end anonymous blogging in the communist country.
The government, through the Internet Society of China, recently drafted a pact that was signed by at least 20 major blog service providers in the country, including Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp., the Paris-based watchdog group said Thursday.
"The pact stops short of the previous project of making it obligatory for bloggers to register, but it can be used to force service providers to censor content and identify bloggers," the group said in a statement. The pact, unveiled Wednesday, signals an "imminent" new wave of censorship and repression, the group said.
Blogging services, which make it easy and simple for people to publish writings, photos and videos on the Web, have become popular among individuals wanting to anonymously disseminate information that governments would rather keep confidential.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. A Yahoo spokeswoman referred a request for comment to Alibaba.com Corp., which manages Yahoo's China operations, but that company had not replied .
Microsoft, in an e-mail statement on Friday, acknowledged that on Aug. 21, MSN China, a joint venture with Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd., signed the document, which it says is "in line" with similar agreements adopted by other countries and organizations.
"Such self-regulatory codes are an effective means of helping to protect our customers from cybercrimes and other threats to online security and privacy, and to promoting a safe, friendly environment in which to enjoy our services," the statement reads.
Although it signed the document, Microsoft doesn't agree with some of its recommendations, such as requiring people to register with their real names for the company's Windows Live Spaces blog hosting and publishing service.
"It should be emphasized that these are indeed recommendations only, and we retain discretion to determine how to best achieve the overarching goals of the agreement," Microsoft said.
The pact "encourages" blog service providers to require that people provide their real names and contact information in order to let them post blogs, and then store the individuals' information, the press advocacy group said.
The pact also says blog service providers should "monitor and manage comments" as well as delete "illegal and bad information," according to Reporters Without Borders.
In its statement, the group quotes Internet Society of China Secretary General Huang Chengqing as saying: "Blog service providers who allow the use of pseudonyms may be more attractive to bloggers, but they will be punished by the government if they fail to screen illegal information."
China's Internet policies, such as the censorship of search engine results, have become a frequent target of criticism by organizations that advocate for human rights and press freedom.
These organizations, like Amnesty International, have also criticized Internet companies including Yahoo, Microsoft and Google Inc. for going along with Chinese government requirements that these groups charge violate human rights and press freedom.
The companies' defense is that they must comply with the local laws of the countries in which they operate.
Yahoo in particular has been blasted often in recent years for cooperating with the Chinese government and providing information that has led to the arrest of dissidents and journalists.
In April, the wife of an imprisoned Chinese dissident sued Yahoo in the U.S. for divulging information about her husband's Internet activity, which allegedly led to his arrest and torture. The suit was filed by the World Organization for Human Rights USA on behalf of Yu Ling, the wife of Wang Xiaoning, arrested in September 2002 on charges including "incitement to subvert state power."
This month, a U.S. congressional committee said it plans to investigate whether or not a Yahoo representative lied during testimony over the company's role in a human rights case in China that sent journalist Shi Tao to jail for 10 years.

Plastic

PLASTIC
It is something which our lives would be horrible without. The kids wanted a few of the twisted wind doohickeys to hang on the porch and the trees. As I watched it twist and turn, it really was enchanting. A simple twisted 50 cent piece of plastic, and it held our attention and amused us. Either we are REALLY bored, or it was sort of fascinating to watch. Either way- it's fun. It just goes to show that SO much of what is all around us is overlooked and not thought of in our daily routines. As I look around the room as I type on the plastic keyboard, I cannot imagine what life without plastic would be!

Banana Spider

Yesterday evening was a beautiful evening-slightly breezy and a few degrees cooler. Me and Billy-my little one-played in the yard with the plants and critters and had a blast. We came in at dark and ate a good supper. Then I saw one of the garden spiders building a web right in front of the screen door. We watched as it so diligently labored with the web, almost a work of art. I took a picture of it and left the web alone because it was catching lots of flying insects from the porch light. AAHHHHHH-life is good.

That is until 6:30 this morning as I opened the screen door, spider web forgotten in my morning haze, and wound up with a face full of web and one perturbed spider. Which led to me creating a new dance step and somersaulting off the porch. I looked at my empty coffee cup and sighed. Looked like it might not be the best of days. I gotta hurry up and get the new deck built which will be only 1 foot from the ground instead of the 4 and a half foot high porch.

Another day in the life of a demented Texan.

Lator gators.

2 moons in August

Planet Mars will begin to glow brighter in the night sky starting this August – brightest in 280 years!

Reportedly, it will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.
This will culminate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am.
It will look like the earth has 2 moons.

The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it this way again.

my crackpot friends

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitterf ailure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?”
“That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.”
“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

me---feminine???

Today I was accused of being feminine. The kids said their friends told them it looked like a lady lived in the house. I guess a clean house with a little tasteful decorations is a females duty. HAH-I hate a dirty house and I like to have a flower garden and decorations so the house feels like a home and looks decent. I told the kids it's their moms fault. Since she hasn't been around much-I had to blend the best of both parents into one.
Then smarty pants daughter asked if I was gay!! I guess I'll have to wear saggy pants with butt crack showing, holes in socks, spittoons sitting everywhere full of a brown creepy crawling concoction, with big mac wrappers laying all over, and park my motorcycle in the kitchen.
I am NOT gay in case any others ask. I just happen to have a little taste and I'm color coordinated and have a green thumb with an I.Q. bigger than my age.

Dreams

Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which, if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or a Shakespeare.
All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.
All men of action are dreamers.
Without dreams, there is no reality!
You can't just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You've got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.

Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.

To use or not to use

Scientists advise us to stop buying antibacterial soap, as it's no more effective than the regular stuff. And, using it introduces a risk of mutation of bacteria. From the article: "The team looked at 27 studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, and found that soaps containing triclosan within the range of concentrations commonly used in the community setting (0.1 to 0.45 percent wt./vol.) were no more effective than plain soaps. Triclosan is used in higher concentrations in hospitals and other clinical settings, and may be more effective at reducing illness and bacteria. Triclosan works by targeting a biochemical pathway in the bacteria that allows the bacteria to keep its cell wall intact. Because of the way triclosan kills the bacteria, mutations can happen at the targeted site... a mutation could mean that the triclosan can no longer get to the target site to kill the bacteria because the bacteria and the pathway have changed form."

Me oh My

No matter how you look at it-it's HOT here and very humid. After work I sat on the bench under the shade tree and just wilted. haha I also read my mail from Recruit Crawford Kevin W. MI. I finally got his first note home with his address and he said he's loving it. That made my evening much better. Me, Billy and his cousin sat and played with the critters under the shade trees and watched the first bands forming from the tropical depression at the coast. It ought to be a wet bugger tomorrow. Its ok as long as the temp will go down a little. Oh well-gotta go compose a nice fatherly uplifting letter to send to my little {LOL} Marine.

Later gators.

Seven principles of family values

Individuality
I am happy to be me. I accept other people just as they are. I like to share my ideas with others, and like to learn what other people like to do.
Integrity
I can do what is right. I am responsible for my own actions and always try to do what is right, when I'm with others and when I'm alone.
Industry
I always do my best. I work hard to achieve my goals and always do my best. Others can rely on me to do my work from start to finish.
Knowledge
I like to learn new things. I can understand the truth by asking good questions and working to find the answers. I feel happy when I use my knowledge to make good choices.
Compassion
I like to help others. I listen to what others have to say and try to understand how they feel. I use my talents and energy to help others who are in need.
Family
I love my family. My family is special and unique. There are ____ people in my family: (name each family member, youngest to oldest). We do things together and help each other to be the best we can be.
Optimism
I think the world is a wonderful place. My influence may be small, but working with others I can find happiness and help make the world a better place.

Bloggers are for real

ABC's Blotter blog observes that at least in the realm of US intelligence gathering, the "are bloggers real journalists" question is already decided. Despite the rap that bloggers simply bloviate and don't try to find things out, a conservative newspaper columnist Robert Novak once sniffed, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) have altered policies to indicate they're taking blogs seriously, and a growing number of public offices are actively reaching out to the blogosphere. The CIA recently updated its policies on Freedom of Information Act requests to allow bloggers to qualify for special treatment once reserved for old-school reporters. And last August, the NSA issued a directive to its employees to report leaks of classified information to the media — "including blogs," the order said."

My own little world

Today I cut the grass in the front which means I cut the right of way on both neighbors yards too so everything looks nice. I saw the neighbor lady coming over and she said I didn't have to always be doing that-but thanks so much. Then she said"Did I know her husband had died Thursday?" That kind of floored me. NO-I did not know that. She asked if I would cut the whole yard since she was headed to his funeral services and would have a lot of company. So I did.

But that sure made me think-I've only got two neighbors on opposite sides and both have had something happen to their husbands lately. I never even knew. I was so busy "in my own little world" that I forgot what a good neighbor is. Shame on me! I talk a lot of talk-better start walking the walk-huh.

Floorless

Imagine your at a friends house and need to use the bathroom. You open the door and this greets your eyes. This is only a painting on the floor-but it's awesome!

Amazing Tesla

In 1905, a team of construction workers in the small village of Shoreham, New York labored to erect a truly extraordinary structure. Over a period of several years the men had managed to assemble the framework and wiring for the 187-foot-tall Wardenclyffe Tower, in spite of severe budget shortfalls and a few engineering snags. The project was overseen by its designer, the eccentric-yet-ingenious inventor Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 - 7 January 1943). Atop his tower was perched a fifty-five ton dome of conductive metals, and beneath it stretched an iron root system that penetrated more than 300 feet into the Earth's crust. "In this system that I have invented, it is necessary for the machine to get a grip of the earth," he explained, "otherwise it cannot shake the earth. It has to have a grip… so that the whole of this globe can quiver."
Though it was far from completion, it was rumored to have been tested on several occasions, with spectacular, crowd-pleasing results. The ultimate purpose of this unique structure was to change the world forever.
Tesla's inventions had already changed the world on several occasions, most notably when he developed modern alternating current technology. He had also won fame for his victory over Thomas Edison in the well-publicized "battle of currents," where he proved that his alternating current was far more practical and safe than Edison-brand direct current. Soon his technology dominated the world's developing electrical infrastructure, and by 1900 he was widely regarded as America's greatest electrical engineer. This reputation was reinforced by his other major innovations, including the Tesla coil, the radio transmitter, and fluorescent lamps.
In 1891, Nikola Tesla gave a lecture for the members of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in New York City, where he made a striking demonstration. In each hand he held a gas discharge tube, an early version of the modern fluorescent bulb. The tubes were not connected to any wires, but nonetheless they glowed brightly during his demonstration. Tesla explained to the awestruck attendees that the electricity was being transmitted through the air by the pair of metal sheets which sandwiched the stage. He went on to speculate how one might increase the scale of this effect to transmit wireless power and information over a broad area, perhaps even the entire Earth. As was often the case, Tesla's audience was engrossed but bewildered.
Recently, a Tesla inspired levitating light bulb using wireless power transfer was successfully demonstrated. And Tesla thought of this in the late 1800's. I personally think he was one of the most ahead of his time geniuses that came along.

1-800-***-****

The bumper sticker on this truck says it all. This makes for a good hot Friday post.

See Ya

It's not about the money

Today at work, after a rather hectic week of everything that can break down-will breakdown, a young coworker said why didn't I come with him and go work in the oilfield. He said I could make 20 dollars an hour. I didn't mean to sound rude to this youngster-but I told him " kid-I have a degree in electronics and could be making 75 dollars an hour if I chose to." He shut up for about an hour and then he couldn't stand it no longer. HAHAHA-I was waiting for him to ask. Why are you here doing this kind of work if you could be making a lot more somewhere else, doing a lot easier work?

Wellllllll{sound like my dad-goood god} Money aint everything. Granted it helps a whole lot, can't live without it, but I've spent my career time with my family just down the street or close by if they needed me, I've taught them the value of a dollar{isn't much anymore}, I don't have no commute time, I know all adults names in town and most of the kids, kids teachers were my teachers, I've been happy and own what I want, I happen to enjoy working with my hands making things better, I couldn't ask to have been blessed with a better life than this. More money wouldn't have changed any of that for the better! To the contrary, a lot of things I have enjoyed would not have fit into my hectic schedule if I had worked at another profession. So I think I'm way ahead of the game.

That shut him up for a little while! hehe

later gators

crash course

In Egyptian myth, Apophis was the ancient spirit of evil and destruction, a demon that was determined to plunge the world into eternal darkness.
A fitting name, astronomers reasoned, for a menace now hurtling towards Earth from outerspace. Scientists are monitoring the progress of a 390-metre wide asteroid discovered last year that is potentially on a collision course with the planet, and are imploring governments to decide on a strategy for dealing with it.
Nasa has estimated that an impact from Apophis, which has an outside chance of hitting the Earth in 2036, would release more than 100,000 times the energy released in the nuclear blast over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometres would be directly affected by the blast but the whole of the Earth would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.
And, scientists insist, there is actually very little time left to decide. At a recent meeting of experts in near-Earth objects (NEOs) in London, scientists said it could take decades to design, test and build the required technology to deflect the asteroid. Monica Grady, an expert in meteorites at the Open University, said: "It's a question of when, not if, a near Earth object collides with Earth. Many of the smaller objects break up when they reach the Earth's atmosphere and have no impact. However, a NEO larger than 1km [wide] will collide with Earth every few hundred thousand years and a NEO larger than 6km, which could cause mass extinction, will collide with Earth every hundred million years. We are overdue for a big one."
Apophis had been intermittently tracked since its discovery in June last year but, in December, it started causing serious concern. Projecting the orbit of the asteroid into the future, astronomers had calculated that the odds of it hitting the Earth in 2029 were alarming. As more observations came in, the odds got higher.
Having more than 20 years warning of potential impact might seem plenty of time. But, at last week's meeting, Andrea Carusi, president of the Spaceguard Foundation, said that the time for governments to make decisions on what to do was now, to give scientists time to prepare mitigation missions. At the peak of concern, Apophis asteroid was placed at four out of 10 on the Torino scale - a measure of the threat posed by an NEO where 10 is a certain collision which could cause a global catastrophe. This was the highest of any asteroid in recorded history and it had a 1 in 37 chance of hitting the Earth. The threat of a collision in 2029 was eventually ruled out at the end of last year.
Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer from Queen's University Belfast, said: "When it does pass close to us on April 13 2029, the Earth will deflect it and change its orbit. There's a small possibility that if it passes through a particular point in space, the so-called keyhole, ... the Earth's gravity will change things so that when it comes back around again in 2036, it will collide with us." The chance of Apophis passing through the keyhole, a 600-metre patch of space, is 1 in 5,500 based on current information.
Uh-better call Bruce Willis and his team.

Wanna feel smarter

On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.) Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," --

"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --
Mariah Carey
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign .
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body" -- Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky, basketball forward .
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country" --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC. "I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." -- Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents.
"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it." --A congressional candidate in Texas .
"Half this game is ninety percent mental." --P hiladelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." --Al Gore, Vice President And "We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur." -- Al Gore, VP
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." -- Dan Quayle
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need ?" --Lee Iacocca
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A g enius is a guy like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." --Bill Clinton, President
"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." --Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record." --Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman

Feeling smarter yet?

Semper Fi

Good day Mates. Hope everyone made it through Monday ok. Last night after I went to bed, the tele rang and the oldest son called saying he'd made it ok. Thanked me for being strong when he needed it-so he wouldn't lose it and cry in front of his friends and family. He then informed me I was a royal pain in the butt and ought to have been a drill sergeant, but that it was ok, and he loved me and to squeeze little brother for him. I was proud and excited and wide awake as he hung up. As I stood up to stretch-I forgot about the good ole ceiling fan I installed and lost all knuckle skin on both hands. I promptly informed the fan what I thought about it.

Moral of the story-keep body parts out of ceiling fans.

Later gators

Hard weekend

Well- this was the big send off for my oldest son. I watched him being driven off into the wild blue yonder on his way to the airplane. He embarks on a 5 year endeavor in the Marine Corps. As a father-I am so proud of him. As a parent-I'm scared for him. As an informed Internet jockey- I'm REALLY worried about him. Oh well-he is almost grown and it's out of my hands now. That's all for now-my brains still topsy-turvy.

Later gators.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.
One realizes the full importance of time only when there is little left of it.
Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn't spend half our time wishing.
Time heals what reason cannot.
Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.
Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
A minute now is better than a minute later.
Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.
One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.
You may delay, but time will not.
Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.

Friedman vs Shermer

Stanton Friedman & Michael Shermer squared off on the topic of UFOs and ETs. Friedman characterized himself as a scientist who's been looking at the evidence for 49 years-- a 'Cosmic Watergate' has taken place, with cover-ups beginning in 1947, he declared. It's improbable that ETs are bipedal primates who just happened to find us with their craft, countered Shermer, the publisher of Skeptic Magazine. Friedman cited trace cases in which unidentified craft have left marks on the ground, as well as the sighting testimonies of trained observers. Shermer said the evidence for UFOs is largely anecdotal with unreliable witnesses, blurry photos and grainy videos. Until we have an actual craft to examine, there is no proof to connect UFO sightings with an extraterrestrial presence, he added. Some people (such as Betty & Barney Hill) have been abducted by aliens, and such claims should be evaluated on a case by case basis, Friedman stated. The claim that sleep paralysis triggers abduction reports doesn't account for cases where people are abducted from outside their bedrooms, he continued. Shermer believes abduction narratives are a modern version of the incubi/succubi reports of the Middle Ages. People are having anomalous experiences through hypnosis or sleep deprivation/paralysis and the current culture filters their interpretation of it, he explained. A Fast Blast poll conducted in the last hour found that 80% sided with Friedman, 20% with Shermer.

12 round bout

Noted Physicist, as well as renowned Ufologist, “Stanton Friedman” will debate skeptic, “Dr. Michael Shermer” on “Coast To Coast Radio” with host, “George Noory” tonight. On their web site, C2C writes, that they will be “debating SETI, UFOs, ET’s and religion, making contact, myth-making and aliens, space travel, and abduction cases.”Friedman, Shermer as well as George Noory all appeared on the “Larry King Show” recently; however, the anticipated rational, balanced, intelligent dialogue that was expected never came to pass. In its place was what appeared to be a predisposition on King’s part, reflected by, his at times, mildly sardonic attitude, combined with his meek administration as moderator of his own show. The latter permitted Michael Shermer to exercise his belief that “talking louder” and or “over people” would make him right. This being the case, there is great anticipation for a “properly moderated” debate where “both sides” can make their respective cases, and given equal time to rebut. Personally, one of the things that irked me the most on LK’s show was Shermer’s relentless discourse on science, or from “his position,” “the lack thereof” in regards to Ufology. He yielded the word like a sword, but wouldn’t let anyone, particularly Stan, to respond (or at least be heard) and “enlighten” him on the “supportive scientific evidence” apropos to the subject.Another faux pas of the King show was having so many guests on at one time; this might be a “lure” for viewers to “tune in” but makes for an “impossible forum” for an hour show less the commercials. Obviously, giving a couple of hours, or more for just two speakers/guests will allow for points to be made, as well as their respective rebuttals. Tonight’s show will certainly be one “not to miss!” Your bloggerooney predicts a “first round KO” by Friedman, after “pounding sagacity