Do evangelicals love big government?

In a Wall Street Journal editorial, Heather Wilhelm asks if evangelicals are learning to love “big government.” With evangelicals focusing on the environment, AIDS, and prison-rights, Wilhelm wonders if we are seeing a “new liberal breed of evangelical.” "Why are these people punting to the federal government?" asks Jay Richards, an evangelical and a research fellow at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. "You can't be compassionate with other people's money. Even worse, they're not thinking about the consequences of these policies. They're too busy feeling warm and fuzzy and absorbing liberal ideas."

The Astros now have a (gulp) $104-million payroll

Don't ever call our Uncle Drayton cheap. Ever. That's yesterday's news.

He has done a terrific job of growing the revenues. The Astros now bring in around $178 million. And the payroll has grown accordingly.

With the signing of Roger Clemens, the Astros have baseball's sixth-highest payroll and they're one of seven teams spending more than $100 million.

1. Yankees, $195 million.

2. Red Sox, $120 million.

3. Angels, $104 million.

5. White Sox, $103 million.

6. Astros, $104 million.

7. Mets, $101 million.

Drayton McLane is hoping for an insurance rebate on Jeff Bagwell's $17 million, but that's no certainty. Even though he doesn't know if he'll get a dime back on Bagwell, he spent the money necessary to re-sign Clemens.

"I suppose I'd better stock up on soap-on-a-rope."

SMART car comes to Houston - sort of

This past weekend while tooling around town inside the Loop (It is so cool living inside the loop!) I spotted a SMART car.

I couldn't believe the Lilliputian coupe so popular in European capitols like Paris and Rome was actually jockeying for position on Buffalo Speedway alongside Hummers, Mercedes and Ford F-150s. But there it was.

If you're interested in the micro machine that's EPA-rated at 40 miles to the gallon and starts at $25,000, it won't be easy to get one. Turns out, there's still no dealership in Texas.

But ZAP -- which stands for Zero Air Pollution -- the Santa Rosa, Calif.-based company that's importing the ultra-compact cars, wants to change that.

"The goal is to have a dealer in every major market. We're working on it," spokesman Alex Campbell said.

Currently there are only eight ZAP dealerships in the U.S., including two in Reno as well as outlets in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Seattle, Colorado Springs and Exeter, N.H.

People who just have to have one are picking the closest retailer and hightailing it across several states to buy SMART.

"Everybody loves a SMART car and, at the end of the day, I think everybody loves the idea of making cars cleaner and more efficient," Campbell said, adding that ZAP has been in business for 11 years selling electric cars, scooters and all-terrain vehicles.

DaimlerChrysler actually manufactures the SMART car, which runs on regular unleaded, but the company won't sell the two-man vehicles here even though they're sold in every other major market from Malaysia to Mexico.

The scuttlebutt as to why ranges from DaimlerChrysler not wanting to erode its luxury brand name in the USA to simply not wanting to make a bad business decision. In Europe and Asia consumers often buy into the aesthetic that less is more. But, generally, in the States, more is more.

At just eight feet in length, two SMART cars can park bumper to bumper in a single parking space. Eurofiles find them stylish. SUV devotees question whether they're really sensible transportation for this country's sprawling spaghetti bowl of highways.

One thing is a virtual certainty. With gasoline prices hoovering around $3 a gallon this summer....that might be mean more SMART cars in a neighborhood near you.

"Run on the Bank"

Too clumsy to exercise? Try the cordless jump-rope

If you think keeping fit is merely mind over matter, Lester Clancy has an invention for you -- a cordless jump-rope.

That's right, a jump-rope minus the rope. All that's left is two handles, so you jump over the pretend rope. Or if you are truly lazy, you can pretend to jump over the pretend rope.

And for that idea kicking around Clancy's head since 1988, the U.S. Patent Office this month awarded the 52-year-old Mansfield, Ohio, man a patent. Its number: 7037243.

What makes this invention work is the moving weights inside the handles. They simulate the feel of a rope moving, Clancy said. Well, it's only one handle so far because Clancy is waiting for financial backers before building its partner.

But why jump rope without a rope?

It's perfect for the clumsy, Clancy said. "If you are still jumping, you're still using your legs as well as your arms, and getting the cardiovascular workout. You just don't have to worry about tripping on the rope."

It is also good for mental institutions and prisons where rope is a suicide risk, said Clancy, who works as a laundry coordinator in a state prison. And low ceiling fans aren't a hazard any more, he said.

Daniel Wright, who features the cordless jump-rope on his Web site, can barely talk about Clancy's invention without laughing.

"What really grabbed me is the name," Wright said. "Take the cord out of the jump-rope, [he giggled] and that's what is the jump-rope."

The idea isn't all that crazy, said Mike Ernst, a professor of kinesiology at California State University in Dominguez Hills.

"I think it's silly but at the same time if somehow, some way it promotes physical activity, gets kids active, then I'm all for it," Ernst said.

The more he thought about it, the more Ernst said he could see the benefit, adding that the act of jumping, not the rope itself, is what provides exercise.

"Do you need to jump with a rope? You don't," Ernst said. "But I wouldn't buy the product, I can tell you that. I'm not an idiot."

High-tech handles aren't needed. You could even use toilet paper holders, Ernst said. On second thought, he wondered if he could patent that idea.

Interbreeding humans and chimps? Oh my.

I thought for sure this article on the complexity of the human-chimpanzee evolutionary split would generate a lot of news.

To my surprise, according to Google News, it appears to have passed quietly.

So I will summarize: The conventional view is that humans and chimps split off an evolutionary tree about 7 million years ago from a common ancestor, with no inbreeding. Science News picks up the story from there:

Previous work underestimated genetic similarities in people and chimps, the investigators say, and placed the evolutionary parting of these species about 1 million years too early.

Given the new genetic findings ... it's plausible that after a partial split, hominid interbreeding with chimps yielded fertile females and infertile males, Reich and his colleagues propose. Hybrid females would then have resorted to mating with fertile chimp or hominid males.

Because they would have produced fertile sons only when the mothers passed on X chromosomes mostly from one of the original species, this process eventually would have led to a final split.


Several anthropologists dispute this conclusion in the Science News article, which strikes me as a pretty radical shift in the prevailing views. Still, I have to believe we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of the power of genetics to illuminate the history of life.

Word smith

In the laupe, or the loup?

The laupe: I have no clue how to pronounce this word -- lawp? lowp? lope? low-pay? -- but I know a laupe when I see one.

Are you a laupe? Take the test and find out. You might be a laupe without even knowing it. In fact, if you are reading these words, you are almost certainly a laupe. And if you don't think so, you are just in denial.

Final Idol thoughts

Taylor sings his big song.

"I'm livin' the American Dream," he screams.

So we come back to the American Dream thing. Watching a lumpy, gray-haired, soul-singing dude win over an image-conscious country is really more than I could have hoped for from this show. When I first watched Taylor audition (when was that? three years ago?), I was impressed with his singing, but thought there was no way this guy would beat out all of the high-maintenance girls with their great abs and all of the pretty boys with their smoldering glances. Just no way.

This is an important moment. This is a win for every geeky, gangly, un-gorgeous person who loves music. I am proud to count myself as one of those people.

Beans for breakfast, beans for lunch...

It's bad enough when you get hemorrhoids and have to have surgery. Then this happens.

A seriously bad day for the poor guy.


"Flatulence is being blamed for bringing a hospital patient's operation to a fiery end.
The man suffered minor burns in a brief but "dramatic" operating theatre fire. He had gone into the Southern Cross Hospital in Invercargill to have hemorrhoids, or piles, removed and was singed in the "exceedingly rare" incident involving his own gas.
'This was thought to be flatus containing methane igniting,' a health source told the Weekend Herald. "There was a sort of flashfire and that was it, but it was fairly alarming at the time."

Arson is temporarily banned in Texas

Driving down the freeway this morning I saw this displayed on those electronic highway signs:I assume that once we get some much-needed rain, the arson ban will be lifted.

What's eating Al?

Good God almighty, someone please tell Al Gore that eating your way to the White House is not a sound political strategy.

I wish I knew how to acquit you

Finally, the photos of Bush and Abramoff surface. And here we all thought they might be something scandalous.As Jon Stewart said the other night, thank God there was no nudity.

Houston 1836: What's your take?

How does Houston 1836 grab you? For better or worse, it really is the name chosen for the city's Major League Soccer team.

In case you're scratching your head, wondering where on Earth such a name came from, think the Alamo, Sam Houston and the birth of a city — and a name sprinkled with a touch of European flavor.

The name's main reference is the year Houston was founded by John and Augustus Allen on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. It also marks the year Texas declared its independence from Mexico, the Battle of the Alamo and the defeat of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's Mexican army at the hands of General Sam Houston in the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution.

Houston 1836 will begin the MLS season on April 1 and will use the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium as its home.

Please post your take on the newly named Houston 1836?

That's hot...

Just when I've kicked my pricey and calorie-laden Starbucks habit, along comes a new selection of coffees for me to find irresistible. A very nifty coffee concept from Wolfgang Puck has me tempted to stray.

The new beverage makes coffee consumption a breeze thanks to a self-heating mechanism. Now, I'm no science whiz but I can tell you that when you push a button on the bottom of the can, crushed limestone and water mix to create a natural reaction which heats up the can's core. It takes six to eight minutes for the coffee get hot, and it stays that way for 30 minutes.

The coffee comes in French Vanilla, Mocha, Caramel and Espresso latte flavors and is available at Randall's and Kroger. The cans cost about $2 and while the taste isn't quite the level of Starbucks, the convenience and novelty of the product makes it worth checking out. And, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before every other hot beverage finds its way into one of these new cans.

A guide to men's resale shops

Not many men swing open their closet doors and moan, "I have nothing to wear!" But for those who do, heading to a resale shop instead of the mall can be a smart way to build a wardrobe without breaking the budget.

Men's resale shops aren't as common as those that cater to women, but Houston does have a few worth hitting. The upscale Men's Resale by the Village feels like any regular specialty store. Suits, slacks, jeans, button-down shirts, tuxedos, shoes and accessories fill the well-organized racks and shelves. Like other resale-store owners, Lily Lee accepts only high-quality items, which have been dry-cleaned, and she has a sharp eye for designer labels.

Shops like Men's Resale by the Village offer brand-name labels without the high prices.

"We take things that are in excellent condition," Lee said. "We also have people who bring in items that have never been worn, so there is a lot to choose from."

On a recent day, Lee received a slew of chinos from a local designer who wasn't able to sell them through local department stores. Lee priced the pants at $50, but they could have easily retailed for $200.

Suits in a range of sizes are another find. Armani, Zegna, Neiman Marcus and Calvin Klein are among the labels, and Lee said that the owners of M. Penner, a fine men's clothing store, are among the consigners at her store.

Most suits range from $59 to $99. Casual pants are $8 to $18, dress slacks run from $10 to $25. Watches are $45 to $68 and cuff links range from $19 to $35.

Lee splits the profits with the consigner 60/40, and pays monthly. The clothing needs to be clean, on hangers and from better department stores such as Foley's and Dillard's or other recognized labels. She won't accept items from discount or midpriced stores such as Sears or JC Penney.

Another men's resale option is the Red Door, also in the Rice Village. Women will find more than men, but tucked into the back of the store is a selection of men's suits and tuxedos. Brand-new dress shirts hang from the racks at a fraction of the cost finer department stores charge.

For contemporary clothing choices, Fashion Recycler on Westheimer is a hip resale shop that sells denim, pants and shirts. Much of the store's inventory is seasonal overstock from manufacturers that has never been worn.

Details: Men's Resale by the Village, 2437 Bissonnet. 713-522-5645.

Details: Red Door, 2532 Nottingham. 713-522-4343.

Details: Fashion Recycler, 1529 Westheimer. 713-529-7463.

Bad news on bird flu

Reuters reports: "The H5N1 avian influenza virus can survive for more than a month in bird droppings in cold weather and for nearly a week even in hot summer temperatures."

This is from the World Health Organization and strikes me as very bad news. It's one thing to get sick handling dead birds -- an activity easily avoided by many, particularly children. It's another threat entirely to have deadly virus hanging out in bird excrement, upping the odds of human exposure.

This article from USA Today puts into perspective fears of bird flu coming here:

There are no regular migratory bird pathways from Asia to the United States, but Pacific flyway birds can occasionally make it across Siberia to Alaska. It is conceivable that H5N1 could show up in Alaska and from there make its way down the West Coast or across Canada, (but) there is much less contact between migratory birds and poultry in the U.S. than in Asia. The chance of a bird flu circulating among our poultry is much less than in Asia.

All it needs is a halftime show

The closer we get to the Enron trial, the more it seems like another Super Bowl. First, there's the massive influx of reporters from around the world to offer up day-by-day coverage. Now, we find out the whole event starts with a coin toss to determine field position. Maybe Judge Sim Lake has a whistle and a robe with white stripes....

Oh baby, dance with me

I've got "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" stuck in my head. Seriously stuck. It's been in there for two days now. If it doesn't go away, I'll have to dig it out with a fork.

Oh everybody have fun tonight
Everybody have fun tonight
Everybody wang chung tonight
Everybody have fun tonight
Everybody wang chung tonight
Everybody have fun

Damn, it's catchy.

Mr. Echo - LOST

Mr. Echo's backstory has been the most interesting on Lost so far. For those that may have missed it, tonight on Lost we learned that Mr. Echo led the most evil former life of all the survivors. Even worse than Sayid.

Mr. Echo is a Nigerian who lead a brutal squad of narco-terrorists, kidnapping children and murdering anyone in his path. His brother was a Catholic priest who tried to save Mr. Echo, but due to various complications was on board the "heroin plane" that had crashed. Mr. Echo found his body, burned the plane, then made peace with himself. Mr. Echo has been saved.

We also got to see The Monster tonight. It is a black cloud of smoke. Mr. Echo met it head on, and for some reason The Monster backed off.

Wonders never cease....Levi's introduces iPod-compatible jeans

With a joystick remote control built into the watch pocket, the new jeans will allow wearers to play, pause, track forward or back and adjust the volume on their iPods without having to take them out of their pockets....A red conductive ribbon will keep wearers connected while allowing them to remove the iPod from their pockets to view the screen....

Note: I do want them, as long as they have a forgiving stretch to them. LOL

Seven science myths

Is it just me? I love these kinds of debunking lists. Especially since I have children and they are always tellin me what their friends have told them -- don't swallow that chewing gum, it will remain in your stomach for seven years. It can't possibly be true, but it's fun fiction.

To that end, Live Science has come up with a cool list of seven of the most popular myths in science. You can click through the entire list here, page-by-page. Here's a summary:

1. It takes seven years to digest gum: While it may prove a bit more difficult to break down than organic foodstuffs, chewing gum gets no special treatment from the digestive system.

2. The Great Wall of China is the only manmade structure visible from space: Astronauts can spot the Great Wall from low-Earth orbit, along with plenty of other things like the Giza pyramids and even airport runways.

3. Humans use only 10 percent of their brains: MRI imaging clearly demonstrates—with fancy colors no less—that humans put most of their cerebral cortex to good use.

4. Adults don't grow new brain cells: Studies have shown that neurons continue to grow and change well into the adult years.

5. Water drains backwards in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation: Water flow into the drain is to due its structure, not the Earth's rotation.

6. Animals can predict natural disasters: There is no evidence that animals possess a mysterious sixth-sense allowing them to predict natural disasters.

7. A penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian: A combination of its shape and wind friction means that, tossed even from the 1,250-foot Empire State Building, it would travel fast enough merely to sting an unlucky pedestrian.

Ok, so what myths did you believe? Until recently I might have believed nos. 3 and 5, but I've learned enough about science to not buy into them. However, no. 7 was completely new to me. What if I dropped a roll of pennies?

Oh, and if you're an animal lover, feel free to disagree with no. 6. I know you will.

A good haul for the day

People leave things on my desk. Yesterday, among other things, I got a tin of meat from Canada (uh, who left that and why?) a hat from a vendor (OK, actually I begged him for the hat) and a yoyo from a PR person. Pretty good haul.

Finding spa treatments for less

Soothe yourself and your post-holiday budget with a spa treatment from an area cosmetology school.

The new Aveda Institute in The Woodlands is one of several the environmentally conscious cosmetics company operates in the United States. Even if you don't live in the area, it's worth the drive.

The new Aveda Institute in The Woodlands has everything a spa should have, but will cost you much less.

Students learn about the company's philosophies and techniques at the 39,000-square-foot facility, then practice at a comfortable, modern spa -- equipped down to the requisite fluffy robes -- that is open to the public.

The real draw is the amazing prices. A 30-minute facial is $20; an hourlong treatment is $35. A pedicure is $14; manicures are $12; and body wraps are $40.

The spa also offers hair-care services ranging from a simple blowout for $11 to highlights starting at $30. While the services are performed by students, a licensed teacher is always on hand.

Have a few knots in your back? The thought of an inexpensive massage by a student intern trained at Memorial Hermann Massage and Spa Therapy School should make you even more relaxed. The $30 one-hour massages are performed at the Wellness Center near Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, which is a Zen-like spot in the middle of the city.

Remember though, that, unlike traditional spas, schools keep hours that are more convenient for the students than the customers.

Details: Aveda Institute, 19241 David Memorial, The Woodlands. 936-271-7700. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays;
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Details: Memorial Hermann Massage and Spa Therapy School, 7731 Southwest Freeway. 713-456-8116. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m.-4 p.m Saturdays.

Amazingly cool pictures for your inner space geek

I'll be brief here, because I don't have much to add. Here's a link to some terrific space photos taken last year and collected by Cal-Tech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Definitely go for the high-resolution flash presentation.

My favorites are the photos of the Earth and Mars. What are yours?

The lobbying that dare not speak its name

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