Who knew? - It is more important to be liked at work than respected

Research at Columbia University shows that jobs, pay raises and promotions are more apt to be awarded based on a worker's charisma than on his or her academic background or professional qualifications.

Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas found that during corporate downsizings, hiring and firing decisions boil down to how well people are liked by their supervisors. "It's not enough just to do a good job; you have to be likeable in the eyes of your employer," says company president James Challenger.

The good news is likeability is a skill that can be learned.

Read more: Be Popular at Work: Four Steps

...the remedy for being limited to only one drink per person at open bar parties!!!!!!!!

The sweetest words ever written

It's been said that the richest, sweetest,
most evocative sentence ever written was:

Jesus wept.

The second richest, sweetest, most evocative sentence ever written:

There are no tropical storms in the Gulf at this time.

And Next Week, The Carver Revealed!

Is it just me, or did I have flashbacks from James Byrd in Jasper when the "black" nativity figure was being dragged behind that car in Nip/Tuck?

So, who is The Carver?

My guess is the totally insane plastic surgeon guy that Christian traded the sportscar with for Kimber.

How much caffeine is too much caffeine?

About 10 grams of caffeine or about 150 mg/kg can kill (via cardiac arrhythmias, electrolyte imbalances, cardiovascular collapse, seizures) about half the people who manage to consume this much (L50). For you coffee fiends out there, make that sure you don't overdo it. A cup of really good Joe can have 50-200 mg of caffeine. Here is a calculator that will help you to determine your potentially lethal dose (via the latte addicts at Fark.com).

From the "Its Not MY Fault" Department

Prejudice, racism, bigotry; A new mental illness? - Like any other phobia, psychiatrists are considering whether to classify some cases of extreme fear or dislike of selected groups (race, religion, sexual orientation) as a mental illness.

[In other news, a guy with the "God Hates Fags" sign has been wrestled to the ground, straight jacketed, given 50 mg of haloperidol and rushed to Whispering Willows state psychiatric hospital for evaluation.]

Earth Maps

I found this link to a thought-provoking map: it's a map of the world redrawn according to population. Each square on the grid represents approximately 1 million people.

The Western Hemisphere is just shockingly small compared to Africa or Asia. And don't blink, or you'll miss Australia.


There's also an interesting one there of the world upside down, and one of the true size of countries, which by necessity must distort shape. You may already have seen this map on TV's The West Wing.

Do these maps change your perception of the world?

(Source: msnbc.msn.com.)

Houston profile

This week a friend pointed me to a site that simply compiles information on various cities, including Houston. I'm not going to list everything they have here - browse the page if you want to see the whole array of stats.

The income and home value graphs are interesting with the expected "long tails." I think the year-round weather graphs are my favorite: temp, rain, humidity, wind speed, sunshine, cloudy days, and, my personal favorite, snowfall - where looking at the national average and range makes you very happy to live here. As you might expect, our average temps, rain, and humidity are higher than the national average, our wind speed is below average (a major factor in our air pollution, I'm sure), and our sunshine is just about average.

My least favorite part is the very scary looking EPA "Enviromap" of pollution.

Most surprising fact: we have 25 over-the-air TV stations? Can people actually pick up that many without cable or satellite? I had no idea.

If you have any nice pictures of Houston, they take uploads.

Top Cop Job in Freeport Has a Physical Performance Standards Requirement

Freeport's looking for a new police chief, but if you want to be considered for the position you have to run 1.5 miles in at least 16 minutes and 28 seconds.

And run 300 yards within 70 seconds.

Moreover, you have to do "leg presses, sit-ups and push-ups," the town's city manager told the local paper today.

No word on how many are required.

Twenty-five leg presses, 30 sit-ups and 40 pushups sound reasonable, even though I'm not entirely sure what a "leg press" is.

I'd have thrown in a high-jump requirement of at least 4-feet for those times when the chief has to crash through a plate glass window, roll on the floor and come up in a proper shooting position.

Google Transit: Not here yet, but . . .

I love the things Google is doing with its maps -- and that it has opened its design so others can play, too -- but this one has great potential: Google Transit.

It allows you to plot a trip using mass transit in . . . well, for right now, only in Portland, Ore. Other cities will be added, according to the Google Blog, and hopefully Houston will be one of them.

The site taps into publicly available route information from transit agencies. Houston's a possibility because Metro already has a trip planner. The data Google would need is already on the Web.

Update: Google has a similar service called "Ride Finder" in selected markets - including Houston. It is cool checking out the real-time locations of Houston area taxis.

News you can, um, use

Up to now, the newspaper was the only news medium you could take into the bathroom with you. Now there's this: News you can wipe with. (Or as I like to call it: "Read It And Wipe")


Ecccchhhh. Angel Soft (a complicatedly weird name, when you consider it. Kinda religiocoprapornographic.) offers tips on how to use toilet paper.

Update: Oh crap! It even gets better: a Japanese toilet seat/mp3 player.

Hey! My idea du jour: The Tampax iPod shuffle!!!!!!!!

9 out of 10 Afghans Say Life Is Better Thanks to U.S.

Those crazy Afghans! They aren't supposed to LIKE their life after the U.S. helped them overthrow their tyrannical leaders! Our liberal friends want them to hate us!

More than three-fourths of the people living in Afghanistan say living conditions, security from crime and freedom of expression have improved from the days when they were living under Taliban rule, an ABC News poll says.

On the questions of jobs and economic opportunity, people are evenly divided on whether economic opportunities are better or worse.

Almost nine in 10 — 87 percent — say the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 was a good thing for the people of Afghanistan. And three-fourths of Afghans say their country is headed in the right direction, far higher than in the United States, where only three of 10 say that.

The optimism comes in a country where people say by a 2-1 margin that their own economic situation is bad, medical care is limited and basic services like electricity are not available for many people.

Six in 10 Afghans say attacks on U.S. troops cannot be justified, while three in 10 say they can.

The poll of 1,089 adults was conducted by Charney Research with field work by the Afghan Center for Social and Opinion Research in Kabul from Oct. 8-18 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

What is wrong with these people? Don't they know they are supposed to hate the American infidels who invaded and are now occupying their county? Guess they don't get CNN there and haven't been listening to Democrat politicians in Washington who believe our presence in Afghanistan and Iraq is only provoking Muslims to hate and attack us.

the Flash Mind Reader

Can you figure out how this works?

click here

Cow flatulence breakthrough

Cows, it turns out, burp and break wind all day long, emitting about 14 percent of global methane gases. That's a problem "worth doing something about," said UK scientist John Wallace. And he has, Reuters reports, helping to develop a diet that makes bovine eruptions smell sweeter. In a 12-month trial, the new eats slashed ozone-damaging methane emissions by 70 percent. Still, even without this breakthrough, I'd rather live in the country.

Winning more trouble?

"Any problems people have, money magnifies it so much, it's unbelievable." Not unbelievable biblically, since Christians know that what's inside a person is more important than the external environment, and this story about lottery winners shows that.

Specific bible verses on the subject:

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)

So, now here is the question: Does reading this story and these bible verses make you feel better about not winning the lottery?
--Heck, not me. Human nature kicks in and tells me, "That wouldn't ever happen to me! Other people, yes - me, NO!" LOL!

Come on Lotto! MAKE MY DAY!

“The Economy is Booming”

And I blame Bush for these numbers!

Via Bloomberg.

U.S. economic growth rose at a 4.3 percent annual rate from July through September, the quickest since the first quarter of last year and evidence of the economy's resilience in the face of record energy costs.

The revised figure for gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced in the U.S., was higher than forecast and compares with a 3.8 percent pace initially estimated, the Commerce Department's figures showed today. Growth was 3.3 percent in the prior three months.

A second straight quarter of declining inventories will keep factories humming, providing fuel for an economy that's grown in excess of 3 percent since March 2003, the longest such streak since 1986. Consumer spending, construction and business investment were stronger than the government first estimated.

“The economy is booming,'' said Mike Englund, chief economist at Action Economics LLC in Boulder, Colorado. Englund correctly forecast third-quarter growth. ”As much as people may have been concerned about gas prices, consumers took the hit and now gas prices are falling.''

Strange how quiet our friends on the left have been about the lowering gas prices. They were just so darn excited when prices were high, and HOPING for bad economic numbers.

Their silence is just another stark example of how good news for America is bad news for the Democrat party.

Death is an equal opportunity offender

Back during Katrina, many national figures from Jesse Jackson to Al Sharpton to Louis Farrakahn jumped up out of thier hidey-holes and announced to the world that Bush bombed the levees in order to kill the black man. Those rumours continue to circulate even though it is becoming quite apparent that the 17th St levee was not only not built to print, but even if it had been, it would have failed when 11-12 ft of water was pushing on it, which is exactly what happened. The soil in the entire mississipi delta region is weak and poorly consolidated. The sheet piling only went 10 ft down, when the print called for 17-1/2 ft. But even had it been been driven 25 ft down, it still would have failed. These were built 10 years before Bush took office.

Today, I was listening to KSEV (Dan Patric's station)and heard a report that something on the order of just under 500 bodies have been positively identified and released to the families so far. Of those, 15 were hispanic, and the remiander was 50% white and 50% black (give or take a tenth of a percent or so.). Statistically the only demographic that suffered worse than any other was those over the age of 75.

So will we be hearing a version of the story that Bush bombed the levees to kill off medicare recipients now?

Music wants to be free

If Sony and other labels would just adhere to this Digital Consumer's Bill of Rights, the world of online music would be a much better place, both for the consumers and producers of music.

In the early days of the Internet, holders of copyrighted information were enraged by the mantra, "Information wants to be free." As scary as that is for those who make money selling information -- either in digital or analog form -- it's true, and not a new idea. Anyone who's ever told a secret they shouldn't have knows this.

Fortunately, there are some music-industry folks who get it, and as proof, Martin at gHacks.net has compiled a list of 40 sites that give away music.

Independent artists have even adopted a method to alert fans that they won't face 20 years of prison time for downloading their songs. In an effort to combat the FBI's Anti-Piracy Seal, they have created an alternative logo for artists who aren't concerned with file sharing and federal level copyright infringement.

Kathleen Blanco dilly-dallied as 1,000 people died

Louisiana's failed governor Kathleen Blanco is busy lately, trying to shift blame for the Hurricane Katrina fiasco on President Bush.

I don't forget history, and nor should you. Here's a reminder:

UPDATED: 6:42 pm CDT August 28, 2005
Gov. Blanco said President George W. Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding.

Speaking Sunday, Bush said that he "cannot stress enough the dangers this hurricane poses to Gulf Coast communities."

"I urge all citizens to put their own safety and the safety of their families first by moving to safe ground," he said.

WDSU meteorologist Dan Thomas said the dangers from the hurricane cannot be overstated.

"I've told some people in the newsroom, I think this is going to be the scariest moment of your life," he said.

Blanco screwed up. Bad. Now she's pathetically trying to shift blame for this fiasco.

PAY NO ATTENTION… !!!

… TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN electricity
leaking out of the Wham Bam Tram!!!

Republican gubernatorial primary - the fight starts!

We've all been waiting for the eye-scratching and hair-pulling to commence in the Republican gubernatorial primary. It's finally time to microwave Orville Redenbacher:

Gov. Rick Perry's campaign Friday accused Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, his Republican primary rival, of using her state office equipment to produce a campaign news release.
That prompted Strayhorn's camp to fire back and accuse a Perry aide of acting as a political operative even when he was working in the governor's press office at the state Capitol.

"Yes you did!" "No I didn't, but you did!" "Neener, neener!"

Another stimulating debate between the GOP leaders of the Great State of Texas on the difficult issues facing us. Repeat after me: "Adios, MoFos".

How To Control A Runaway Camel

I've always wondered what to do if my camel bolted while trying to park. Now I know.

"Hold on until the camel stops.
Whether the camel is running in circles or in a straight path, it will not run very far. The camel will sit down when it grows tired."

Cool Truck Pictures

Look at these cool TRUCK pictures

Leaving It On or Shutting It Off

Is it better to turn off the computer or can I just keep it on all the time?

You obviously save electricity when you shut down the computer after you are done using it, potentially around $100 a year depending on your system. However, starting a computer up cold every morning wastes a lot of time.

On the other hand, turning your machine off at night clears up items in the computer's memory and gives it a fresh start in the morning, which may make it appear less sluggish if you generally have a lot of programs running over the course of the day.

If you are torn between leaving it on or shutting it down, consider the third option: setting the machine to hibernate or sleep for the night. The computer uses minimal power in this state, but starts much faster than if it was started up cold in the morning.

It's Festivus Time -- for the Saner segment of the country

A hand-me-down holiday from the early Romans and, more importantly, “Seinfeld.” Festivus is a holiday about nothing in particular for people with nothing in particular to celebrate.

Media Life Magazine
... But a small segment of the country, perhaps a saner one, is up to something entirely different: preparing to celebrate Festivus. ...

The notion of a made-up holiday called Festivus got its first airing in a 1997 episode of “Seinfeld,” and it has since wormed its way into hearts of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Americans, who, fed up with the commercialism of mainstream holidays, now choose to celebrate the year's end in what amounts to a big goof on tradition. Celebrants gather round a metal pole, rather than a Christmas tree or Menorah. There's some whining in the place of carols. There's some wrestling.

The celebrations require few physical trappings. An aluminum pole of any height is required. But tinsel is most definitely not. Another no-no is gifts of any sort.

The holiday was introduced to the TV world by Frank Costanza, played by Jerry Stiller, in the now-famous episode 166 of Seinfeld. Costanza, according to the show, created the holiday as an alternative to the overly commercialized Christmas holiday. This wacky holiday, celebrated in the show on Dec. 23, wasn’t over until the host was wrestled to the ground.

For those who are exceedingly sane, be sure to purchase a Festivus Pole for home delivery at The Festivus Pole.

Sticks and stones ...

A leftist high school teacher in Vermont is in the hot seat for salting his vocabulary quizzes with liberal propaganda, tweaking President Bush and the Evil Empire of the Far Right.

The Associated Press reports that Bret Chenkin, an English teacher at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vt., gave the quiz several months ago, and it asked kids to fill in the right word on questions like this one:

"I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes."

("Coherent" is the right answer.)

Can you believe this guy is a so-called English teacher? A vocabulary test ... and he can't even spell "ensuring"!

Duke's money is still good in Texas

What do the following people have in common?

Kevin Brady
Michael Burgess
John Carter
Louis Gohmert
Randy Neugebauer
Ted Poe
Pete Sessions

Yes, I know, they're all Republican Congressmen from Texas. They're all also the recipients of campaign contributions from former Rep turned convicted felon Randy "Duke" Cunningham, and as The Stakeholder notes, they have not seen fit as yet to give that money back.

And why should they give it back? Well, for starters, this is where that money may have originated:

"Between the year 2000 and June of 2005 in our district, you conspired to accept bribes in exchange for performance of official duties. Did you do that?" [U.S. District Judge Larry A.] Burns asked Cunningham.

"Yes, your honor," Cunningham replied.

"Did you take both cash payments and payments in kind?"

"Yes, your honor," the congressman said.

So if any of these folks happen to be your Congressman, you might want to ask them what they plan to do with the Duke's money. Let me know what happens if you do.

Things that make Tom smile...

....in no particular order

Slip’n slides
Chocolate anything
Drinks served with umbrellas
Autumn leaves (red and yellow)
Good books (non-fiction)
Long Hot showers
Owning a holiday closet
Booking a cruise
Stained Glass Windows

Grandma Barton's: choo-choo-train-track cookies, chicken fried steak, cinnamon Rolls, Sausage Kolaches, & Gingerbread-boy cookies with M&M buttons

Remembering summers with Grandma Barton and making homemade noodles (24 egg yolks), then hanging them on the clothes line to dry

Remembering Grandpa Barton say: "Too damn much gravy", "People only hear 10% of what you say", "write it down and put it in a box - later if you write a book, you'll have to call it fiction!"

Thinking about going to Gaylen's deer lease in the "good-times" van and being sooo sick

Thinking about Grandma Beyer and "falling off the floor", "chimley", "black kernels in cream-of-wheat" & the "kitchen zink"

Remembering Alta Loma get-togethers & Playing in Grandpa Beyer's workshop

Roosters
Playing a game and remembering someone's made-up rules
NOEL/LEON
Smell of homemade apple pie
Fluffy beds
Puppies & small lap dogs
When my children have sleepovers
Massages
When someone asks me an "IT" question
When someone asks me a credit card question
Appreciative people
A smile from a stranger
A smile from a friend
Tulips
My kids
My kids going to school
My kids coming to visit
Talking to my friends
Being invited to lunch with friends
Laying and watching the stars
A good thunderstorm
Snow
A DJ who can work a crowd
The Nutcracker Market
Helping other people spend their money
Crisp air & burning ears on a winter-night stroll
A working automatic gate
Sharing a joke
Private family jokes
Mexican restaurants
Any restaurant with a complete separate margarita menu
$8 soap
The Convention Crew!
Convention Crew Shirts
Blue cheese dressing
Sour cream
Quesadillas
Taking a really good picture
Catching people singing in their car
Buy one-get one free (OK, anything free!)
Fig Newtons
Extreme Christmas decorations
Fleece
Betty BOOP
Riding home with my carpool companions....they really crack me up
“Honky-tonk badonkadonk”
GRITS!
Friday
Sweatpants
Chilly weather
Venti Mocha (Whole milk & with WIP!)
Rachael Ray and Paula Dean
The thought of chili-flavored Frito's in Acapulco
My leather jacket
Bath and Body Works
Long sleeved T-shirts
Halloween costumes
S’mores
Taking a nap on a Sunday afternoon
Reading fortunes out of fortune cookies
The smell of real vanilla extract
Fondue
Getting free tickets to an event
Changing into comfy clothes after work
Helping others do their job easier
Getting compliments
The way chenille feels

Thinking about Cedar Lodge vacations and eating left-over potatoes & onions (fried)

Thinking about giraffe’s long, very sticky tongues

John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders" song, even the elevator versions

Finding out a friend or co-worker is pregnant with triplets
Women in maternity clothes
Random giggles from children

The way the ocean tastes when walking up next to it

The songs "What Child is This” and “Mary, did you know”

Humming "It's a Small World" when I shower and "If I only Had a Brain" when I work . . . (Both songs crack me up . . . A lot)

Winning $$$ on a scratch-off lottery ticket

Tom's Pet Peeves - and "Yes" I have a few....

....in no particular order

People who do something they know is wrong - just because they think they can get away with it

Ties, Suits and Sport Coats (on me)

Grocery carts with one bad wheel
Shoppers that take up the whole aisle

Mumbling, then saying, "Forget it!"

When anyone thinks their "don't remember" might trump my "do remember"

Saying, "drop it" the moment a conversation veers into an unwanted direction

Cooks that don't clean up as they go
People that stack their dirty dishes on the disposal side of the sink

Greeting cards that throw sparkles, sequins or confetti on the hapless recipient

Using the TP down to the last ten squares without fetching a new roll

Having a drawer full (or more) of unknown cords, transformers, rechargers, adapters

Standing in my TV line-of-sight during the last 30 seconds of any show (Thank heavens for TiVo!)

Finding a TV remote in the car or anywhere else where it couldn't possibly be used

TV Shows or ads with doorbells, ringing phones, or alarm clocks!

Radio Ads featuring horns, sirens, or people yelling "Look out!"

Braille signs at drive through windows
Taking forever to leave a parking space while others are clearly waiting for it

People who put the coffee pot back on the burner with only an ounce of coffee left

Sneezing or coughing when you have a full bladder
No toilet paper or paper towels in public bathrooms

Standing in the way of folks wishing to use an escalator, moving sidewalk or doorway 

Keeping anything on the floor

Being put on the speakerphone without warning

Retail clerks that ignore the live customer to help one that interrupts via phone

When people think they own the world
When people think only about themselves
Parents who don't parent

People who blow their horn at you the nano-second the light changes to green

People who enter thru the exit and exit thru the enter. Can they not read what it says over the doorway?

Guys who wear wife-beaters in public...they call them undershirts for a reason

People who talk on their cell phone or to others during movies

People who pick their nose in public
Rude and mean people
Ignorant and racist people
Any Gap commercial

Famous people that name their kids God-awful names

People in bike clubs that ride 6 a-breast, blocking traffic - Single file please!

People that spell "you're" as "your" –or– “their” as “there” or “they're”
The incorrect use of "its" and "it's". "It's" is not the possessive of "it".

People who say Chipolte not Chipotle

Hearing "February" pronounced "Febyuary." (Also "nuclear" pronounced "nucyular," and "axe" instead of "ask.")
Hearing Irregardless - It is not a word people, it is redundant!

People who don't tell me their opinions and thoughts if they think that I will get angry or upset

The office sourpuss
Abuse of sick leave

pop-up windows on the web
Stale content on web pages
People that don't answer e-mail
Web pages that play music
The "REPLY ALL" email feature
Spam (email & food product)

Tags in shirt collars
Stickers on everything you buy
Littering



Slow traffic
Drivers who speed up when I change lanes in front of them
People who insist on passing and then drive slower than I was


Anyone who claims it is not "their job"
The race card
Scientology

People that think they are entitled to have the federal government help them in every situation

People that make their emergency at work - your emergency

Pink for girls - Blue for boys

Bank machine convenience fees

Athletes that complain about not being able to get by on $14 million a year

Women in ‘g-strings’ and low-rise jeans
Rubber neckers

CD Plastic wrap and sticker seals

Those advertising mail-in cards found by the dozen in every magazine

People who don't start writing their check until after all of their items have been rung up by the cashier

Batting One Thousand

All this talk about the 1,000th execution in the United States has me kind of depressed.

Virginia had a shot at it, but Warner backed out. South Carolina's next up to bat.

Where's Texas? Why aren't we in the running for the 1,000th execution?

Whenever folks talk about the Death Penalty in America it is Texas this and Texas that Texas Texas Texas.

Not now, though. It's all Virginia and South Carolina and crap.

Can't we fast-track some low-life in Huntsville to his date with the needle? What about that jerk who got away from the Harris Country lockup? Yes? No? How about Tony Ford? It's not like he's busy doing Christmas, Hannukha, or Kwanza shopping, you know.
Why not just ice him now? I mean, McRib is back, who knows how long it will last, and Tony gets a last meal, right?

Come on, Governor Goodhair, let's speed things up! Please? No?

I am so disappointed in my state.

When someone says - “Look at my clock” - Be Warned

I was surfing the web, trying to put together an Christmas list for my family - and I came across this clock from The Sharper Image.

An ordinary clock it is not. According to their website:

A motion-activated security video camera recorder is hidden inside a fully functional and discreet LCD clock that sits on a shelf. ..[and you can] play the full-motion AVI digital video files through your computer or laptop using the included USB cable.

How creepy is that?! They market it like a nanny cam or protection in case your house is burglarized, but COME ON. We all know what people will use this for.

The next time you decide to stumble home with that new “special” someone - and they offer to let you see their hot clock - well, you’ve been warned!

Who's sells the most bling in the U.S.?

It's not Tiffany's or Cartier. It's not even Zales or Kay Jewelers (despite the fact that, particularly this time of year, you can't turn on the television without seeing one of their advertisements). It's — drum roll please — Wal-Mart. That's right. According to National Jeweler magazine, an industry publication, Wal-Mart (and its Sam's Club sister) was the No. 1 diamond seller in America with sales of $2.6 billion last year. Zales was second. Costco was third.

Surprised? I certainly was, read the full story to see what to look for....

Did you hate the Hurricane Rita traffic?

Here's an opportunity to let the county government know about your experiences during Katrina and Rita. Go to County Judge Robert Eckels' web site and click on "I want to take the Katrina/Rita survey."

Here's the purpose, per Eckels' website:

"We need to document and learn from the incredible story that unfolded in Harris County," said Judge Eckels. "Working together, we had an enormous impact on the lives of the people of Louisiana who were driven from their homes by Hurricane Katrina. Then between 2 to 3 million people fled Brazoria, Galveston, and parts of Harris counties seeking safety from Hurricane Rita. There are lessons to be learned from both operations and we don't want to leave any stone unturned."

I took the survey, and it's mainly a census of who evacuated, from where, and how long it took. This kind of polling has already been done, in a more scientific way, by the Houston Chronicle and other outlets.

Therefore the real opportunity here is to directly communicate your thoughts and suggestions for how county officials can better deal with future hurricanes. Here's hoping those officials and their staffs take the time to read them and publish some kind of response.

Paris Hilton Screwing

See Full Picture

Engineering nerds perfect paper aircraft design. Win Nobel prize. Spark world peace

I've never been good a making paper aircraft...they always seem to go down in flames. But Leed's university engineering students have come up with a design that will hopefully avenge me.

Ever wonder why conservatives are so opposed to public school sex education?

I think it's because they tend to picture it to be something like this and no, it has nothing to do with actual sex, you silly twit (via a completely unrelated message thread at Fark.com).

Cindy Stands (sits) Alone

Cindy is in Crawford, but it looks like no one showed up to her book signed, except for a couple of news photographer types. Perhaps she hads got all of the milage there is to be had out of her dead son.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan waits for people to show up at her book signing near President Bush's ranch on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2005 in Crawford, Texas. Sheehan, whose 24-year-old Casey died in Iraq, called for anti-war activists to return to Crawford this week as Bush celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Thankfully, it's not called a Holiday Tree

Now that we have survived Thanksgiving, it's time to move on:

The Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration

Join Mayor Bill White welcoming the equally honorable Santa Claus to downtown (Where will he park the sleigh?) and the lighting of the official Christmas tree at City Hall.

Traditionally, the plaza is festively decorated and ringed with booths offering refreshments and holiday arts and crafts. Watch our famous skyline come alive with music, lights and fireworks!

City Hall Downtown, December 10th, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

What about Pancho Claus?

What the Pilgrims actually ate for Thanksgiving

When you're eating your leftover cranberry sauce today -- know this about the Pilgrims. Yes, they had cranberries. No, they didn't have sugar. I, for one, can't imagine cranberry sauce without a sweetener.

There's more. Turkey wasn't the only fowl the Pilgrims ate -- they also cooked cranes, partridges and, believe it or not, eagles. The History Channel, in conjunction with food historians, put together this list of food that was likely on the menu in 1621, at the first Thanksgiving:

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
Meat: Venison, Seal
Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
Fruit: Plums, Grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

On the same "Thanksgiving" subject.....LOL!

Things You Can Only Say On Thanksgiving

1. Talk about a huge breast!
2. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.
3. Its Cool Whip time!
4. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst!
5. Whew, that’s one terrific spread!
6. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat.
7. Are you ready for seconds yet?
8. Its a little dry, do you still want to eat it?
9. Just wait your turn, you'll get some!
10. Don't play with your meat.
11. Just spread the legs open and stuff it in.
12. Do you think you'll be able to handle all these people at once?
13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once!
14. You still have a little bit on your chin.
15. How long will it take after you stick it in?
16. You'll know it's ready when it pops up.
17. Wow, I didn't think I could handle all of that!
18. That's the biggest one I've ever seen!
19. How long do I beat it before its ready?

The Fool Strategy

We screwed up the prewar intelligence. We screwed up the postwar planning. We screwed up on interrogation techniques, we screwed up on financing the war. We screwed up on yellow cake and Mohammed Atta meeting Iraqi agents in Prague, we screwed up by discounting the non-discoveries of UN weapons-inspectors on the ground. We screwed up.

But we're not liars. We're fools. And the sooner the American public can go back to regarding us as fools, not liars, the sooner I can go back to doing the job the American people put me in office to do, the sooner I can get back to - not lying - fooling around with the national interest. Thank you.

Pop Quiz

Okay, here's a tricky question. A 20-year-old guy is dating a 14-year-old girl and her parents confront them when they get home after curfew and so he shoots them in the head and kills them and kidnaps, or maybe doesn't kidnap, the girl. How far do you have to read down in the story to find the words "home-schooled" and "Christian?"

Cheney's Energy Task Force?

The Washington Post has names, dates, lies.

More from the, "What will they try next" department....

iPod cradles carved from solid rock
An advertising company in Japan has made these $2500 iPod docking stations carved from giant lumps of solid rock. Only two have been made and neither have been sold yet. This is a natural DIY project -- someone do a HOWTO! Argh, Flash Link, click on iStones after it loads and curse stupid unlinkable Flash while you're at it

“If you can’t beat him on philosophy, try ethics”

The Democrats attempt to smear Sam Alito.

The world deserves better fraud

You know those bogus e-mails that litter your inbox with promises of riches if only you’ll divulge your bank account and PIN numbers? I got one today from a woman who’s dying of cancer and wants to will me $1.5 million:

I have been touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to the you for the good work of God, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband's hard earned funds ungodly.

Well, praise God!

Alas, she says I can’t come over in person to pick up a check (so as to begin my godly spending promptly), or even call to tell her how much I know the Lord (& Taylor’s) would appreciate her generosity:

At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact that my relatives are around me and my health status.

At the moment right now, her relatives and health status are keeping her off the phone, but not the Internet?

Do you sudoku?

It’s the puzzle that’s sweeping the nation. I got this one in 7 minutes, 40 seconds. Let me know if you get it faster.

Maybe the USA should adopt this strategy...

In Thailand, the warning images on packets of cigarettes, illustrate all sorts of nasty smoking outcomes, rather than a banal textual warning. Locals there report that each time they open the pack and have to see rotting teeth, it makes them really think twice about lighting up... (on the box tops, the image is pasted right on the top).
Link to full-size supermarket display.

UPDATE:
Singapore too has such disgusting warnings that even nonsmokers do not wish to look at the stackfull of cigarette cases in the shops. Here is a list of all countries with such warnings in place. Here are graphic images used in singapore cigarette boxes. (really disgusting!)

So thats how you do it!

This time-lapse Flash animation of a figure being sketched is too cool!

Note: Once it comes up and starts drawing, click on the 16X button at the bottom to make it draw faster.

WHAT? -- Bird killed for knocking over dominoes

The Associated Press reports that, "A sparrow knocked over 23,000 dominoes in the Netherlands, nearly ruining a world record attempt before it was shot to death Monday."

Too cute -- or just too sad?

Too cute -- or just too sad?
It's International Day of the Cute!

1. Let's order up a big bowl of awwwwwwwwwwwww for the 2008 Olympics mascots!

2. McSweeney's fake-sends a 4-year-old to the office for a day. Really, if you have a 4-year-old, I'd be happy to arrange a job swap.

3. And Matty B asks the key question that cuts across generations: Is this Charlie Brown tree -- at $24 -- cute or sad?

Graffiti - What can we do?

I have noticed a worsening graffiti problem in Houston. Private property owners are legally required to clean it up, but there doesn't seem to be much enforcement.

I think the secret to reducing graffiti is to undermine the motivation of the "tagger". They're trying to impress people and show off their tags. How can we demotivate them cost-effectively? Obviously, more enforcement and catching them is not very practical. The solution is to wipe out their tag immediately. As soon as it's discovered, by a citizen or police on patrol, it should be called into 311 and a 24-hour response team should be sent out to paint over it with some neutral color. Ideally, it shouldn't live more than a few hours before it's wiped out.

This should totally demoralize graffiti taggers. Why go to all that work when your "art" will become a gray blob by sunrise? Nothing to show off.

I don't really think the cost of this response team would be all that much. It could even be a single guy with a power painter, ideally with a cherry-picker truck like Centerpoint linemen to get to those difficult places. I think it should be run by Harris County just like the Motorist Assist Program. That way it will cover the whole county rather than just pushing taggers outside the city limits.

What I'm not sure about are the legal issues of painting private property. It's not really any extra work to clean up - it's just another layer of paint. Maybe the response team has to wait to get permission from the owner, but I think if they explain the strategy they could get pretty quick approval from most owners. A phone rep could even work to secure owner permission before dispatching the team to the site.

If anybody has heard about graffiti solutions that have worked in other cities, I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Windfall Profits Tax

A couple of days ago, this NY Times editorial dusted off about every archaic economic theory of the Carter Administration to promote a windfall profits tax on energy companies. So, since economics was one of my college majors, I was thinking about doing an Econ 101 post pointing out how the Times' position would actually make things much worse than they already are, which is really not all that bad (have you noticed what's been happening to the price of oil and natural gas over the past week or so?).

Then, somewhat surprisingly to me, I came across this Washington Post editorial that does does the job for me.

I don't know about you, but I find it quite refreshing that the Washington Post editorial page has come to understand that the market is much more effective than government in dealing with energy supply reductions.

Mayor's press release poses as reporting on KHOU

KHOU-11's Chau Nguyen follows up on Doug Miller's teaser about municipal wifi with coverage that amounts to a press release from the Mayor's office:

Mayor Bill White said that if all goes as planned, Houston could go Wi-Fi within the next few years. That would mean anyone could get connected anywhere in Houston.

"I think the public is ready for it," Mayor White said.

So just how would the public benefit?

The mayor picked Umesh Verma with the City of Houston Technology Task Force to lead the effort.

"We're talking about life-enhancing, life-changing experiences, hopefully for the better," Verma said.

Would it be too much to start with more basic matters, such as addressing HPD's manpower shortage and repairing potholes?

If the city can't manage those basics, it certainly doesn't need to be throwing millions of dollars at matters best left to the private sector.

“France continues to burn despite security”

Day 13: a curfew didn’t work. Imagine that.

Do women have a better sense of humor?

Quick list, my three favorite comedians:

1. Bill Cosby
2. Mark Lowry
3. Jeff Foxworthy

What do they have in common? None of them are women. But according to a study in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, women are more likely to enjoy a good joke than men. Here's a snippet from the story:

But they were surprised when their studies of how the male and female brains react to humor showed that women were more analytical in their response, and felt more pleasure when they decided something really was funny.

"Women appeared to have less expectation of a reward, which in this case was the punch line of the cartoon," said Reiss. "So when they got to the joke's punch line, they were more pleased about it."

This may be all well and good, but I still don't believe the no. 1 thing women are looking for is a man with a sense of humor...

Quote

“Like a person for his qualities. Love him for his difference.” - John Myers from “HellBoy”

Hmmm…..

Emotions

Thank you, Houston Chronicle, for confirming the fact that the Houston Texans are not a bunch of incompetent football-playing Vulcans, but a bunch of sensitive and emotional incompetents.

Not Looking Good

I might have chosen the losing side on the the Proposition 2 issue. This doesn't mean at all that I've chosen the wrong side. Just about all the right sided Texans are for Prop 2 and I feel like I'm standing alone. The thing is I understand how people are uncomfortable about gay marriages. I understand how they can feel that a homosexual lifestyle is wrong. But. . . To me the propositition is about hate, and intolorance.

Why should any straight person care if a gay person gets married? Its really none of our bussiness is it? I also feel that a marriage is between a man and a woman. Thats why I married a woman. If someone feels otherwise why should my beliefs be instilled on them. Its none of my bussiness. I nor anyone else should have to like it.

So I will vote against Proposition today knowing its a real long shot. Then again in 1980 I thought Reagan didn't stand a chance.

Turfboy

Sports Illustrated selected David Carr as one of the ten most disappointing players in the NFL this season.

I think the photo's a fake. Carr's upright and on his feet, eluding the defenseman instead of on his back and staring at the lights.

Are you Trapped in a Box?

If we are to have any hope of thinking outside the box, the first thing we have to do is recognize when we are trapped in one.
During a visit to the Mental Asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug." Do you want a room with or without a view?

Hateful, not needed

ROSA Parks said "no" to bigotry, hatred and discrimination. In her memory, we should also say no to Proposition 2. It is hateful and unnecessary.
Let the churches decide what is sacred, and let the local and state governments decide what is legal in their jurisdictions.
There is a difference — we call it a separation of church and state. We do not need a constitutional amendment for this or other restrictive human rights issues.

Did You Notice the Sandwich?

David Kiley of BusinessWeek reports that Subway unveiled its new Chicken Parm sandwich on the live episode of Will & Grace.(NBC, Sept. 29, 2005, 7:30 central).

Seems like a strange tie-in but marketers are increasingly grasping at straws to break through the clutter. If it's done in the right way, product placement can be effective. But if it's too obvious .... well, viewers can tune it out just like they do a commercial.

Perhaps a better link would be to have the character Karen endorse a particular brand of vodka. What do you think?

I'm Convinced That Better Communication Can Change The World

Okay. So maybe that headline is a tad overstated.

But I see so many situations -- business, organizational, personal -- that could be improved by better communication.

More honest communication. More timely communication. More detailed communication. More thoughtful communication.

The very essence of human interaction is one person sharing thoughts, feelings, impressions, information, ideas, vision, etc., with another.

Think about it -- you can't make anything, sell anything, buy anything, do anything, without being able to express yourself at some level.

Can you overcommunicate on an issue? Perhaps. But far too often, we err on the side of too little, too late, too difficult to understand.

Be an overcommunicator. Be prolific. Be precise. Be verbal. Make a connection.

This Is A Cool Map Tool

This Google map tool gives you visuals plus demographic information all with one easy-to-use interface. It's either very useful or a great way to kill an hour or two.

MREs for hurricane victims on eBay.

“If it’s true, that’s pretty reprehensible”. Government-issued MREs for hurricane victims find their way to eBay.

“It’s very easy to just dismiss anything I say”

Indeed it is, Your Royal Highness.


Prince Charles: "I find myself born into this particular position. I am determined to make the most of it."