Petey on his perch

Petey has a part of the couch where he likes to sleep at night.

Hey, I'd like to sleep. Leave me alone.

And then I went and put this round of pics on my computer :)

The Bonuras turn tragedy into greed

Ever since I heard about this I've wanted to write about it and I've finally found the time to sit down and write about it.

The Beaumont Enterprise: West Brook soccer player's family sues bus company, driver

The family of a student killed in the March bus accident involving the West Brook High School girls soccer team sued the bus company and its driver Wednesday.

The lawsuit, filed in Jefferson County district court on behalf of Alicia Bonura's family, alleges the bus chartered from Sun Travel was unsafe and that the driver was negligent.

[snip]

The lawsuit seeks both actual and punitive damages from Sun Travel and Lorri Ann White, the Silsbee resident who drove the bus.

The manufacturers of the bus and its parts also will be added as defendants in the lawsuit, Ferguson said.

Did they miss anybody? Michael Jackson? The Pope? Santa Claus?

According to a preliminary accident report from the Department of Public Safety, an eastbound pickup truck hauling a trailer lost part of its load of insulation.

The bus, heading west, swerved to the right to avoid hitting the insulation, going onto the grass. The bus driver veered left in an attempt to regain control of the bus.

She then took "faulty evasive action" to the right, causing the bus to tip over on its left side, the report said.

Do accidents just not happen anymore?

Anytime you see something fall in your path in the road you do your best to avoid it for the simple fact that you don't know what it could be. It's just instinct.

If anybody's responsible, it's the guy who didn't secure his cargo to the trailer. I'm surprised they didn't name him in the suit.

Of course, now that I've mentioned it, he probably will be.

The Bonuras hope the litigation forces the bus industry to adopt seat belts and safety glass windows, Ferguson said.

As a wise man once said that if something looks like bull and smells like bull, then it probably is bull.

That line should read something to the tune of "The Bonuras hope the litigation forces the industry to give them tons of money so they'll be able to retire early thanks to their daughter's tragic death, Ferguson said."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if that's REALLY what you want, then you push the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the governmental entity that is responsible for setting safety standards for the bus industry. According to a story written by the Houston Chronicle shortly after the accident, seat belts are not required.

Chron.com: Warnings for bus seatbelts went ignored

But federal regulators have continued to rely solely upon what experts call "compartmentalization" to provide the same protection that has been used for decades. This system uses an "egg carton" design, or cocoon-like environment of well-padded, high-backed, solidly anchored seats to protect the passenger.

"While there may be some benefit in lap-shoulder belts, we wouldn't require them on charter or school buses," said Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington, D.C.

[snip]

The federal agency conducted tests in 2002 that proved lap-shoulder belts would provide more protection than compartmentalization alone. But Tyson said federal officials don't think such restraints are needed, as they are in cars.

Sounds to me like the group needs to be pressured.

Personally, I think that her parents are just looking to make money pff pf their daughter's tragic death.

If the Bonuras want their daughter's tragic death to really mean something then they should be in Washington, D.C. fighting to get tougher regulations instituted instead of lining their pockets by suing the people who followed the weak regulations that are on the books now.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Bowling for Soup has some advice for you

From their song "Last Call Casualty"

So if I get drunk can call you up don't get pissed and don't hang up

Anywho.... I finally decided to buy their CD "A Hangover You Don't Deserve" Yea, I know it came out in '04. I really don't keep up with music too well, what can I say?

I need to pick up some more of their CD's sometime soon.

My "off to Houston" checklist

I never do this, but what the hell.

1. Go by Texas and the Territories in the Galleria to pick up a Native Texan bumper sticker for Kerri, who's moving to Canada next month. You can't forget your roots :)
2. Visit Fry's. No real reason, just to look around a little.
3. Hunt down an EZ Tag store and trade in the old kind for the new one. OK, I think I'll explain this one. Basically it's a little radio transponder thingy that lets me drive on the toll roads over there without having to stop to pay. Instead, it deducts the toll from a pre-paid account.
4. FYE. Because I can never have enough CD's.

Thst should do it...

Manager flips out

You've probably already seen this, but....

Story

Yea, I know I've been neglecting this place

I've just got bigger things on my mind than this blog right now.

That one friend of mine is still having a little trouble with that whole deboccle with her ex-boyfriend, but she's doin pretty good, I've been a little under the weather, and other good stuff like that.

Regular blogging will resume whenever the hell I decide it will.

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Related posts:

• 6/19/06 - The hardest thing I ever had to do
• 6/20/06 - Some people just aint worth the lead or powder that it takes to shoot 'em

By order of Bruiser, dogblogging is cancelled this week

He'd rather me talk about the horrendous week he's had.

I really don't think it's been too bad, but with him being the creature of habit that he is it's been horrible for him.

Anywho, here's what's goin on.

Monday morning, my grandmother flew to Seattle to spend the week with my aunt who lives in Alaska. It's something that they do every summer.

Last year when this happened, Bruiser had been around this house for about a week, still a pup. He wasn't THAT attached to anybody here yet, so it wasn't too big a deal.

In the year, he's gotten pretty attached to her. When he takes a nap during the day, it'll usually be near her. And at night he'll be curled up right next to her in bed. That's just his thing, I've gotten used to it.

Monday night was the worst night. He didn't want to sleep for anything and even wandered to the door and whined that he wanted in. Poor guy. I didn't get that much sleep either thanks to that.

Since then, he's gotten used to it. He's been sleeping with me.

Now, she gets back tonight around 10:30 and I know the boys will all be glad to see her and have things get back to normal.

And, honestly, I will too.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

I've got some ideas....

I've got a couple ideas for the next edition of Celebrity Chat Express, I just gotta get around to writing them.

Until then, take a look at the past editions:

• Evil Glenn's evil holiday
• Bill meets The Jack Attack
  

Season Ticket Redux

Today I visited Steve.

No, not this Steve:

This one.

Why? To get Texas Wildcatters season tickets. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to afford them and the Texans tickets that I bought a few months ago, but since I've had insane contributions to the Justin's Broke Fund (NOT) I was able to...

The seats are close to what I've had before, so I'm happy.

BEGGING NOTE: Click the button below to contribute to the Justin's Broke Fund. Not that I need it, but hey :)

(Cross-posted at Through Our Eyes*)
*Minus the begging

Some people just aint worth the lead or powder that it takes to shoot 'em

But who am I referring to???

Frankie, the guy that cheated on that friend of mine. He's a major idiot. He told me today that he thinks she'll come around and get back with him.

If I thought he was worth it, I'd beat the shit out of him.

The hardest thing I ever had to do

A little while ago I had to tell a pretty close friend of mine that her boyfriend cheated on her.

*sigh*

This doing the right thing thing really, really sucks sometimes.

I pretty much set them up together too...

*sigh*

Last time I do that.

I swear, I thought the fucker was better than that.

My first blogson

Pack, a guy I know from a message board I post on, has started I live for this. It'll be primarially a sports blog.

I have a blogson! Yay!!!

Don't call for sweeps

Just don't.

Laurence said that the 'Stros should sweep the Royals easily. They dropped two of three.

The same thing happens whenever I call for them, so I know from experience....

Don't call for the sweep kiddos, it never pays off.

Technorati Tags: Astros, sweep
(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Nice guys don't always finish last

Kindness pays off.

I'd mentioned before that I was going to the 'Stros game and got a kickass seat in the front row in right field.

Anywho.... I got there early enough to take in batting practice. I usually do that just to take a walk around the park and relax.

While the Royals were taking BP, one of the Royals players tossed a ball that didn't quite make it into the stands in my general direction. I caught it.

Being the nice guy I am, I gave it to a little girl that was standing next to me. He was tossing it to her anyways, she just bobbled it. She said thank you and I was happy :)

Anywho.... After BP was over, one of the season ticket holders that was sitting next to me gave me one she's gotten. She said she had tons of 'em so it wasn't a biggie.

21 years and I FINALLY get a ball. I was so pumped.

Oh yea, the game. It sucked. We lost 7-2.

Technorati Tags: Astros, karma
(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Taking a peek

Petey, what the heck are you doing???

Probably trying to get some petting...

For more petblogging, check out this week's Friday Ark.

Technorati Tags: beagle, dog, dogblogging, bruiser, friday ark

It's like hitting the lottery.... but not.

I managed to snag a seat on the front row of section 153 (seating chart) for tomorrow night's 'Stros game against the Royals.

I keep a glove in my car... :)

I'll be the guy that manages to hold on to his beer while I make a spectacular catch.

No beer for me. Not at $7.50. Too expensive.

(cross posted at Through our eyes)

Brain buckets

With the recent crash of Ben Roethlisberger, the debate over motorcycle helmet laws has picked back up.

Most say that the statistics show that they're benneficial.

I don't think so.

Wanna know why? Read this article from Forbes.

I have a motorcycle license. I have since I was 17. I don't own a bike right now because, for my family's sanity, I hung it up after my dad died in an accident two years ago. He wasn't wearing a helmet, but it wouldn't have done any good.

Before then, I wore one. I didn't have an option since I was under 21...

I'm looking to get a bike again sometime soon. When I do, I don't know if I'll be wearing one or not.

I always have worn one, so that's what I'm comfortable with. On the other hand, I have gone without a couple times, and it's not THAT big a deal, long as I get something over my eyes just to keep stuff out of 'em.

Odds are I'll wear one just to shut up my family.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Cruising the Vista

I just ordered a copy of the beta for Windows Vista.

Two to four weeks to get the CD in, then i'll install it and say what I think about it.

This won't hurt me a bit

AP: Court Eases Rules for Appealing Lethal Injection

The Supreme Court made it easier Monday for death row inmates to contest the lethal injections used across the country for executions and to get DNA evidence before judges in a pair of rulings that hinted at fresh caution on capital punishment.

"Waah. It might hurt when they kill me."

I'm sure you were sooooooooo concerned with weither or not your victim would suffer pain.

Tough shit, scumbag.

In a related note, why are people who are on death row put on suicide watch? Are we just that vengeful that we have to do it ourselves???

(Cross-posted at PyjamasMedia.com)

Big Ben may be a really good quarterback, but he's also an idiot

AP: Steelers QB seriously injured in motorcycle crash

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was badly hurt in a motorcycle crash today and undergoing surgery. The extent of his injuries was not known.

Roethlisberger was in serious but stable condition, said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma at Mercy Hospital.

"He was talking to me before he left for the operating room," Jones said before the operation. "He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened. He knows where he is. From that standpoint, he's very stable."

Do these guys not read their contracts? They're not suppossed to be riding bikes. Period.

And even if that isn't in there, he shouldn't be just because of the risk of getting hurt. The kind of money you're making says it all.

And I love all the reporting about not wearing a helmet. The whole helmet argument is a joke. Don't believe me? Take a look at this article that ran in Forbes in 1999. You'll be surprised.

They love me, they really love me!!!

My recent brave venture into that project crossing the MSM and the blogosphere, Through our eyes, got some pub in the paper today.

Wonder what kind of a traffic spike this'll get them.... and me...

I'm ready for my close-up

You're gonna make my head look big...

But it looks so cool.

More petblogging goodness can be found at The Friday Ark, hosted by The Modulator.

Technorati Tags: beagle, dog, dogblogging

And another one bites the dust

This is a big one...

AP: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in air raid

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq who waged a bloody campaign of beheadings and suicide bombings, was killed when U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on his isolated safehouse, officials said Thursday. His death was a long-sought victory in the war in Iraq.

Here's what I wanna know.

I see this as the equivalent of bagging a 30-point buck in the woods.

Do you take al-Zarqawi's head to the taxidermist, mount it on a piece of wood, and hang it on your wall?

And occasionally my brain kicks in too

I went to the Astros game yesterday. It was a day game, starting at 1 PM.

We beat the Cubs 1-0, but that doesn't matter here.

I was going with a friend of mine who lives on the north side and all week I was thinking "oh, great, I'm gonna be stuck on 45 in rush-hour traffic."

And then it hit me!!!

I've got someone with me! I can use the HOV lane.

There's an HOV entrance ramp where I usually get on 45 north from downtown anyways, so it wasn't that far out of the way and I certainly wasn't complaining about going 60 while the "regular people" were going 35.

It worked, so I aint complaining.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

An experiment...

I'm going back to the old template just to see if something is gonna happen.

The reason is classified.

UPDATE: Changed my mind... the 'Stros were sucking before I changed to this template... it's not gonna help. :(

The cure for all that ails your team

Play the Astros.

Lately we've been the whipping boys of the NL, dropping three of four to Washington,.two of three to Pittsburgh, and being swept by the Giants and Reds, all teams that were struggling going in to their series.

So, who's up next?

The loveable losers known as the Chicago Cubs. They're 22 and 33 and have been struggling with injuries most of the year.

MAYBE we can put a stop to it and get rolling. I'm startin to wonder though.

At least get me a win Wednesday when I'm there...

In other Astros news, Craig Biggio is leading all-star balloting at second base as of the last count. We'll see if that holds since there's no real outstanding player at second base this year.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Blogging has been light because...

...I pulled a muscle Saturday night... at least that's what I think I did...

Yea, ouchies, i know.

I'll be fine...

When Bear was a puppy

We didn't take many pictured of Bear as a puppy, but we do have this one that my brother took with him.

OK, you can put me down now!!!

That pic has to be a year and a half old...

For more petblogging goodness, check out The Friday Ark.

Technorati Tags: puppy, dog, dogblogging

Is it too soon?

Is it too soon to crack jokes about last year's disaster of an evacuation???

Laurence has, so I guess I'm ok for it too.

All these signs were made using Kurumi.com's SignMaker application and are what I think signs along our evacuation routes would say if they could speak.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

CCE: Evil Glenn's evil holiday

(A Filthy Lie)

I just happened to pick up this conversation overnight.

	TheyCallMeLucifer: so, waht r u doing for my big day, glenn? TheyCallMeLucifer: what* PassThePuppies: WHAT DO YOU MEAN your big day, Satan? TheyCallMeLucifer: tuesday is june 6, 2006, a.k.a. 6/6/6 PassThePuppies: Indeed *thinks about it* TheyCallMeLucifer: tyt PassThePuppies: I KNOW!!! TheyCallMeLucifer: what did u come up with, glenn? PassThePuppies: I'VE BEEN LOOKING for a good time to launch my Tennessee Fried Hobo chain of fast food places. That would be a perfect day to do it. TheyCallMeLucifer: yea glenn, that'd be cool, but teh blogosphere's already found out aboot it. TheyCallMeLucifer: the* and about* TheyCallMeLucifer: sheesh, you'd think i was canadian or something. aboot, i swear.... PassThePuppies: heh PassThePuppies: WELL, I NEED TO come up with something else, don't I? TheyCallMeLucifer: yea, that'd be nice PassThePuppies: I THINK I'LL SACRIFICE a hobo and a couple of virgins to you and then drink a puppy shake. A hard puppy shake. Nothing like a little Jack and puppy. :) PassThePuppies: I'LL EVEN WRITE ABOUT IT on my blog. TheyCallMeLucifer: sounds good to me... PassThePuppies: AIGHT DUDE, I gotta go find some virgins that would be acceptable to you. This is Tennessee, decent-looking virgins are really hard to come by 'cause they all seem to be attracted to their cousins. TheyCallMeLucifer: good luck with that, dude. later PassThePuppies: LATER
	Click on someone's picture for more info. Justin's Random Thoughts

I can't really say that I'm surprised by this.

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You can find all CCE posts by clicking here.