Well I'd say I came out ahead

Saturday I took a trip out to L'Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles to do a little gambling.

I'd said before I left that my limit for money lost would be $40, and I did a pretty good job at sticking to it.

The buffet was actually pretty good. Great gumbo.

When I got in the casino area the first thing I noticed all the smoke in there. Nothing big, just not something I've seen in a while with the smoking ordinance and all.

Mostly I just stuck to the penny and nickel stuff, but I took a few spins at a quarter slot just for the hell of it.

Toward the end I was down to about two bucks left on a penny machine and then I got on a bit of a run, briefly getting above $20 before calling it with about $18.70 left.

I felt like I'd won with just that.

Technorati tags: L'Auberge du Lac, casino, gambling
Crossposted to Through our eyes

Blogging will be light today

Blogging will be light today because my cousin keeps screaming "Vegas, baby!"

There's just one problem: We're going to Lake Charles to gamble, not Vegas.

It does kinda look like you're descending into Vegas when you come down the big I-10 bridge at night going westbound, even if that's just refinery lights.

Maybe that'll shut her up.

Regular blogging will resume tomorrow.

But he didn't mean it bad!

About an hour ago Bruiser decided to show us just how much he loves us.

He ran inside with a dead rat from the backyard and dropped it in the dining room.

We didn't exactly love him at that point.

My poor grandmother started screaming like a little girl and ran outside shouting "GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!!!"

So I did.

He better not try to lick me anytime soon.

Technorati tags: beagle, rat
Cross-posted to Through our eyes

Blogging has been EXTREMELY light...

...because I've been sick.

Sorry, no funny eacuses. That's Laurence's job.

Regular blogging will resume tomorrow... hopefully.

Proud of my boys

The Texans may have fell to the Titans 28-22 today, but I'm still proud of 'em.

They showed some fight and an unwillingness to just sit back and take it.

I mean, they could have mailed it in down 28-10 with about ten minutes left, but they fought and managed to keep it interesting all the way up to the attempt at a 1982 Stanford-Cal or Music City Miracle type of play.

David Carr was not at the top of his game and was benched in favor of backup Sage Rosenfels in the third quarter. Rosenfels rose to the occasion by passing for three touchdown and getting the Texans back in the game.

Just don't look for a quarterback controversy. Carr had a bad game. They happen. Just look for him to be on a short leash should he struggle in the next game.

Technorati tags: NFL, Houston Texans, Texans, Tennessee Titans, Titans, David Carr, Sage Rosenfels
Crossposted to Through our eyes

And we're back

I just got home from the first Wildcatters game played in 18 months.

And.......

THEY WON 6-4!!!

There were TONS of penalties, which has been pretty common this year with stepped up rules enforcement, something that the players haven't adjusted to yet.

They are better than the team two years ago. I'd say how, but it's an improvement in every facet that you can improve.

NOTE TO SELF: take my ticket stub by a local Burger King sometime in the next week and get my free double cheeseburger.

Government in your bedroom

NOTE: This post might push the envelope just a little when it comes to decency, but I'm only doing that to make my point.

Hat-tip: Beaumont Underground

Beaumont Enterprise: Three Beaumont shops face obscenity accusations

Police raided three Beaumont businesses Wednesday suspected of selling pornographic videos and sex toys that violate the state's obscenity law.

Officers seized hundreds of items from Bare Necessities in the 2500 block of Interstate 10, Krazy Katz in the 6300 block of Phelan Boulevard and Sunrise Records in the 2400 block of 11th Street, said Beaumont police Lt. Jim Clay.

Store employees present during the raids - nine in all - were arrested and face a Class A misdemeanor obscenity charge punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Among the items seized were devices such as vibrators and hard-core adult videos depicting different forms of sexual intercourse, Clay said.

I've never been in any of these places and have only known about Sunrise Records, so I can't speak for any certainty about what's been going on in these places, but I do find it odd that the government sees it necessary to regulate this kind of thing.

I've long felt that anything involving sex that does not harm another individual is none of the government's business, and I don't see how ...

Texas law prohibits the sale of devices designed or marketed primarily for genital stimulation.

... selling ...

It is also illegal to own more than five such devices.

... or owning such things harms people.

I could very well be wrong about this, but in my twisted little mind I'd think that things like that, when either kept to yourself or used with a consenting partner of legal age, would be of benefit to society.

"Why the heck would you think that?" is probably what you're thinking.

For using them alone, these "devices" would help a... for lack of a better term... sexually frustrated person relieve some frustration themselves, instead of resorting to hookers or, heaven forbid, rape.

As far as couples are concerned, after being together a long time many couples get bored with their sex life and their marriage deteriorates as a result of it. Bringing in "devices" can help make that aspect interesting and fun again which helps marriages last.

Yes, I know sex isn't the most important thing in a relationship, but it's still up there and a fairly important aspect.

Don't the police have more important things to take care of anyway, like catching REAL criminals? You know, those people that actually do harm to others.

Technorati tags: Beaumont, Texas, obscenity laws

Brain farts

Last night during my softball game I was playing third.

I made a pretty good stop on a grounder hit my way and threw it to second.

There was one problem with that... nobody was on base, so the play was at first.

Oops.

Technorati tags: softball, stupidity
Crossposted to Through our eyes

Making the gecko happy

I got car insurance today, switching from AIG (who my mom had) to GEICO.

I'm just hoping that the gecko can teach me to lick my eyeball, cause that's pretty cool.

Not that I'd want to, but I'm sure I could pick up chicks with that stunt.

This reminds me to remind you, my readers, to click on the Justin's Broke Fund link on the right if you feel it necessary to help ease the pain of that purchase. In return you'll get a free lifetime subscription to this blog and an email thanking you profusely for your donation.

Technorati tags: GEICO, gecko, GEICO gecko, car insurance, blegging

When you have Texans season tickets...

...everybody wants to be your new best friend.

A gal on my softball team found out that I have them and asked if I had any free ones.

Since I bought two tickets, I told her something to the extent of "program your number in my cell and I'll call ya tomorrow."

Before you ask, she's married.

And her husband could easily kick my ass.

Technorati tags: NFL, Houston Texans, Texans, season tickets, new best friend

And the puck drops...

Beaumont's hockey team, the Texas Wildcatters, won their first game last night 5-2, making this the first time in the team's brief history (this is their third season in the ECHL).

This year looks like it's going to be a much better team than they put on the ice the previous two seasons. They didn't play last year thanks to Rita, but this year's team looks to be WAY better than the previous years, which makes me happy.

It's just a shame that The San Diego Gulls are no longer in the league, or I'd probably make another friendly bet with K T Cat.

UPDATE: No good things can last forever, as the 'Catters were dropped 5-2 tonight

Technorati tags: Texas Wildcatters, ECHL, hockey
Crossposted to Through our eyes

And BOOM goes the... hoax?

AP - Threat against NFL stadiums a hoax, FBI says

MILWAUKEE — Internet threats of "dirty bomb" attacks at NFL stadiums this weekend -- including Houston's Reliant Stadium -- were a hoax inspired by a writing competition between two men trying to come up with scary threats, a law enforcement official said today.

The threats, which were posted on a Web site last week and mentioned stadiums in seven U.S. cities, were deemed to be false by the FBI today after agents questioned a 20-year-old Milwaukee man.

I wasn't worried about that anyways, but my mom was a little freaked out since the Texans game was one of the "targets" of the "attack," something that the team addressed in their pregame email to season ticket holders.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

We want to emphasize to you that our number one priority has been and continues to be providing a safe gameday environment for our fans, staff and players.  We continually evaluate our security measures with the help of the National Football League as well as national and local law enforcement agencies to maintain plans and facilities that are on the leading edge.  We look forward to having you with us this weekend here at Reliant Stadium as your Houston Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Due to the warning from Homeland Security, Kirby Drive will close earlier than usual this Sunday.  Kirby will now close at 10:00 a.m.  If the early closure affects your arrival to the game, here is a link to our parking lot map.  Just click the appropriate parking lot and you will see a detailed map to plan alternate routes accordingly.

Similar precautions are being taken at other stadiums around the league.

For those that don't know, Kirby runs right along the east side of the stadium and is closed off at gametime anyways.

As far as the game, all I'm going to say is that it should be a hard-fought game, as Jacksonville games always are.

Technorati tags: NFL, Texans, terrorism, hoax
Crossposted to Through our eyes

annoyance

(context)

There is a Nerd stuck under my CTRL key.

---

Since evil fake twin sarahk isn't updating, someone has to pick up the slack.

Technorati tags: Photoshop, nerd, sarahk, Frank J., IMAO

No softball game today...

...Not that I'd know why.

Nah, that wet stuff falling from the sky couldn't have anything to do with it...

Technorati tags: rain, softball
Crossposted to Through our eyes

Hillary's Baggage

Hat-tip: TechBlog

The Houston Chronicle's Nick Anderson has a blog where he posts all his editorial cartoons.

Yesterday he posted a video that they put up on YouTube this morning. It's well worth watching, so have a look:

The Democratic Party's response to just about anything

Not my words, but worth sharing.

"You're ugly, you're stupid, and you smell funny"

That was from a caller into Sean Hannity's radio show on Friday.

Just don't ask me why that was on the radio. I'm not even sure.

Camera phones and pets

NOTE: links may contain sound, so you might wanna grab some headphones if you're at work

I got a new cell phone yesterday since my old one was about to give out. It's got a pretty suimple (read: poor quality) camera on it.

This afternoon I decided I wanted to get a shot of Bruiser to use as my wallpaper.

No problem, right?

Hardly.

When I got out the phone and started aiming it at him the first time (in my bedroom) he saw something shiny in my hand and must have been thinking "oooh, it's shiny and new. I must investigate" and then proceeded to walk up and sniff it, then darted out of the room.

I followed him and he decided to stay still and let me. The problem is that the camera w2anted to use the little built-in flash and that made his big brown eyes a really bright greenish color, so that's no good.

Since he wanted outside anyways, I threw on some sandals and went with him, where I finally got something that works.

Crossposted to Through our eyes

Cory Lidle

ESPN.com - Lidle dies as plane crashes into Manhattan high-rise

NEW YORK -- A small plane with New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle aboard crashed into a 50-story condominium tower Wednesday on Manhattan's Upper East Side, killing at least two people -- including Lidle -- and raining flaming debris on sidewalks, authorities said.

Federal Aviation Administration records showed the single-engine plane was registered to Lidle. A law enforcement official in Washington, speaking on condition on anonymity, said two people were aboard, and Lidle's passport was found at the crash scene. The plane had issued a distress call before the crash, according to the official.

I don't care how much you hate the Yankees, but you have to feel bad about somethin like this.

Keep his friends, family and teammates in ya prayers.

Elsewhere

• Deadspin - Plane That Crashed Into NYC Building Flown By Yanks' Cory Lidle
• Lone Star Times - Small plane crashes into NYC high-rise

Crossposted to Through our eyes

If only all product images could be like this

Dallas-based Woot.com brings us two wonderful pieces of art with today's deal, an Archos AV500 30GB 4” Portable Media Player, both having to do with recent sporting events.

And since the item is over $50, texas residents can use the coupon code "TAXSUCKS" for free shipping as their best attempt to make up for you having to play sales tax on it.

Crossposted at Through our eyes

The Texans aren't losing ...

... but they're not winning either since it's their bye week. :)

uh... nevermind

I was going to blog about the Governor's debate last night...

Then I came across this and realized I couldn't top it.

So... um... enjoy, I guess.

Sick as a Dog (Jam)

I don't like calling in sick.

But I did today.

Thanks to this stomach bug that's decided to pay me a visit, I'm not working Dog Jam 2006.

This is the first one since it moved out to Ford Park that I've missed.

Oh well, I've seen all the bands there that I wanted to before.

Oh well.

Crossposted to Through our eyes

Bye week

It's week 5 of the Texans 2006 season.

The Texans' bye week.

I've had a dilemma all this week trying to figure out what I should do this sunday since my guys won't be playing.

I'm thinking mexican food. Maybe a margarita.

In all seriousness, I see this as a good thing. It gives the guys an extra week to prepare for what, at least to the fans, is the biggest game they've played since their first regular season game ever in 2002 while our opponent has to deal with an insanely hyped-up game.

That's right, we've got the Cowgirls next week in Dallas.

For those that don't know, back in 2002 the Texans pulled a huge upset and beat the Cowgirls 19-10 at Reliant on Sunday Night Football (way back when that was on ESPN)

It can't come soon enough.

Crossposted to Through our eyes

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it

It's often said that Voltaire said that, but that's disputed.

But that's not the point of this.

As Dennis Miller would say, "Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here," but I'll defend anybody's right to say what they think, no matter how idiotic it is for the simple fact that I'd like them to do the same for me.

Once in a while, though, people test that policy of mine.

One example of this would be Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, which plans to protest outside Staff Sergeant Edward Reynolds' funeral on Saturday. Reynolds died last week in Iraq.

And they're not protesting the war or anything Reynolds did.

They're protesting that he was fighting for a government that they believe is not tough enough on homosexuals.

Jonathan Phelps, a spokesman for the church, told KFDM:

"About 16 years ago, we took to the streets, preaching with picket signs. Our core message: God hates fags."

I've always believed that you should hate the sin but love the sinner. I also believe that God sees it the same way.

Fighting against us

"These soldiers who are coming back increasingly in body bags are the direct result of the wrath of God. They couldn't be marching down Main Street if we didn't have a nation of fornicators and adulterers. What gets God raging mad is when this nation has turned on its prophet. God is now fighting against the nation."

God fighting against the United States? That's got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. If God wants to fight against a country he's not going to see to it that a couple thousand of their soldiers die in a far away place. This is the same God that these people, and myself, believe flooded the earth, leaving just Noah's family and two of every animal alive. The same God that sent ten plagues upon the Egyptians to convince them to let the Israelites free and parted the Red Sea to allow them to escape after Pharaoh had a change of heart. My point is when God does things, He does *BIG* things. He'd  take out everybody in one fell swoop with an incident of proportions that we couldn't begin to fathom, not sporadically kill soldiers with roadside bombs.

Patriotic pep rallies

The article goes on to say:

"If families didn't turn funerals into patriotic pep rallies, we wouldn't travel to Beaumont, Texas," said Phelps. "But they're saying 'God bless America,' and we feel like we have to make sure our message is heard. This is a big patriotic pep rally and they don't want any dissenters. This is the only legitimate forum to send our message."

Patriotic pep rallies? Excuse me??? A funeral is supposed to be a celebration of someone's life and Staff Sergeant Reynolds died defending the country that he loved. If there wasn't an element of patriotism in the funeral then I believe that the man was not truly honored in the way he should have been.

And imagine that, not wanting dissenters at a funeral. Excuse me for thinking that a family grieving over the loss of their son should not have to deal with a bunch of wackos saying that their son was fighting for "a country that enables homosexuality." Let's say that one of these people dies in a tragic accident. Would they all want a bunch of gay pride protesters at the funeral protesting what they were doing? I seriously doubt it.

Supporting immoral behavior

Emphasis in the next quote is added by me:

Phelps said the church doesn't believe God has blessed America. Instead, he says members of the church believe God has turned against America because of what he calls our government's support for immoral behavior.

The U.S. government's job, as outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution, is to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." I don't see anything in there about legislating morality, which is basically what these people want. Wwither two guys or girls can sleep with eacho other does not, in my opinion, fall into that scope so I don't believe it's the government's job to get into it.

It's their right

To sum it all up, I believe that these people are sadly misled and their actions are despicable. I also believe that, no matter how horrible or despicable their protest may be, it's their right to do it. I also believe that Staff Sergeant Edward Reynolds would say the same thing, as he was in Iraq fighting for our rights.

As Dennis Miller also would say, "Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

Let me know what you think in the comments, but please keep them to the issue at hand and not about the war itself as comments that don't pertain to the issue at hand will be deleted without notice.

(Crossposted to Through our eyes)

My delimma

I've been wearing a t-shirt for a certain blog that gets linkage here under my softball shirt the past couple of weeks.

Now I can't decide if I wanna wear it or not.

In the past two weeks I'm 1-3 with a run scored.

Which sounds good until you look at the other stats.

I've also got an error (A F***ING POP-UP that kicked off the heel of my glove... I'd call it an error.) and two K's... at least one with RISP.

Not too good of numbers. Esp. considering I didn't strike out once last season in three games before Rita blew through and cancelled everything.

The one hit I got was with nobody on to start an inning and traveled roughly two feet, getting just enough of the ball to slam it down into the dirt in fair territory that I probably only beat out because the catcher would have had to throw it above me to get it to first base in time.

So, what do y'all think? Should it stay or should it go? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Crossposted to Through our eyes

"Not quite the man he used to be"

When I bought Bruiser, I decided I'd take a while and decide weither or not I was going to breed him. It took a while just cause I wanted to be ABSOLUTELY SURE before I got him neutered if I decided to go that route.

Anyways, I decided not to so I got him an appointment with the vet to get neutered.

Friday was the big day. He knew something was up because he didn't get to eat this morning and he hadn't had any water since sometime last night.

About 8:30, I put a leash on him and told him we were going for a drive. He likes the car, so he didn't mind that part one bit.

When we got to the vet's office he surprised me. He usually puts up a fight when he realizes that's where we are, but he walked right in. Maybe he thought they'd have food or water for him or something.

We left him with the sweet nurse who told us he'd be "not quite the man he used to be" at 4 when we picked him up.

The surgery went well and we picked him up a little after 4 because my grandmother was gonna drive to pick him up and my aunt wanted to come along. They were watching a movie in the living room and I came in and said "look what time it is," so we scrambled out the door right at 4.

He was a little slow gettin around, which wasn't a real shock because he'd been sedated, but other than that he was fine. Once we got him home, he crashed in the living room and slept for about four hours.

When he woke up, he wanted to go outside and do his business, then he jumped on my bed and crashed out for two or three more hours and I took him out again. After that it was time for him to call it a night.

The sleeping foesn't bother me, I know he's still pretty groggy from being sedated for the surgery, I know I would be too. The good news is that the sedation didn't make him sick to his stomach like the other two dogs got when they had it done.

He should be about back to normal tomorrow, we just have to make sure he doesn't push it too hard too fast.

Well that and try to keep him from licking where the incisions were made for about a week since he's got the disolving stitches.

I figure enduring this for a few days would be better than the hell that would come if he got out the backyard and knocked up someone else's dog.

It's just the responsible thing to do if you're not going to breed them. And if you are going to breed them, make sure there's NO WAY they can get out of your yard.

My mom, who breeds Shetland Sheepdogs, would agree.

Crossposted to Through our eyes

T.O. watch 2006

Here we go again.

Dallas police are saying that Terrell Owens tried to OD on pain pills.

And T.O.'s people are disputing that claim.

As you can see, ESPN has gone into 24-hour coverage of the story. Or non-story, depending on who you ask.

Bill Parcells said earlier this week in a press conference that he's been having an adverse reaction to the pain pills he'd been given, which happens to a lot of people.

Am I the only person who thinks that what happened is as simple as that???

Crossposted to PyjamasMedia.com, I live for this...

Five words I didn't expect to say a week ago

"I just bought playoff tickets."

The 'Stros looked dead in the water.

But then they swept the Cardinals at home.

With the Astros 5-4 victory last night in a make-up game in Philly and the Cardinals dropping one to San Diego 6-5, the 'Stros are now three games back in the loss column with 6 to play. Basically that means, we have to win three more than the Cardinals do to tie the division.

The good news for that is that, if the game can impact the playoff picture, the Cardinals will be playing a make-up game against San Francisco on Monday, giving them one more chance to lose.

Then, if the division ends up tied, the Astros and Cardinals will meet for a one-game playoff on Tuesday in Houston since the Astros won the coin flip with them a few weeks ago on Monday to decide who gets home field. Basically, the team who wins that game will go to the playoffs and the team that loses will be cleaning out their lockers the next day.

Anyways, yesterday I got an email from the team about a playoff ticket presale that began this morning. Since money is refunded if the team doesn't make it, it's a no-lose situation.

I leave you with two more words I didn't expect to say a week ago:

I BELIEVE

Crossposted to Through our eyes

The cure for all that ails you...

Or at least your NFL team...

(perscription image found on Google image search)

Or your Pop Warner team, for that matter.

I'll sum up the last game in two words: "we suck"

Crossposted to Through our eyes

Rocketman's last home game is yet to come

The Houston Chronicle - Clemens to make another home start Sunday

Roger Clemens will start Houston's home finale against St. Louis on Sunday.

[snip]

Before leaving Minute Maid Park on Wednesday evening, Roger Clemens approached Astros owner Drayton McLane and said he'd consider pitching in the club's final home game of the season Sunday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

"He reported he feels pretty good and he feels he can do it," Garner said. "The other thing is, we have to do as good as we can against St. Louis."

Clemens threw six scoreless innings Wednesday to beat the Cincinnati Reds before a crowd of 31,928, which gave him multiple standing ovations, including a 90-second one that drew a curtain call and a salute from the future Hall of Famer.

It's not like we're gonna go to the playoffs, so I'm fine with it.

Plus. I've got a feeling that Clemens will be back next year. With only pitching about half a season, his body won't be aching nearly as bad as it would normally be at the end of the year.

That and Koby, his son who is playing in the 'Stros minor-league system, will nag him to come back. The thought of playing alongside his son (As Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. did) during September callups next year would be awfully tempting.

I MIGHT go to the game Sunday night. Depends on if the guy going with me to the Texans game is willing to pull the double-header and go to both games.

Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Blogging will be light for a while...

Blogging will be light for a while because my aunt is in town.

Not to be confused with an ant. She doesn't die when you sprinkle poison on her bed and spray it with the water hose.

She just gets pissed and then I have to sleep on the couch while she uses my bed.

That means a big lack of sleep.

Regular blogging will resume at the end of the month.

Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Carnival of the Cats #130

It's time once again for the Carnival of the Cats.

But wait.... Why is a dog helping host???

Bruiser says it's because "I like anything that'll play with me," which. knowing him, is so true.

That and the doggie carnival doesn't like him. Something about eating too much and puking on the carpet.

So we bring you the 130'th edition of the Carnival of the Cats.

Is there anything cuter than a picture of a baby and a cat?

We've got one outside and looking for trouble and some good news about the Wild Animal Sanctuary.

Tigger the Terror gives us a list of oils that are considered "must-haves" for both human and animal first aid kits.

Kirbside shows us Patch and tells us how he got that name.

Is Ted good or bad? Use this easy reference to find out.

Rico Loco had a bit of a misadventure. *growls* I guess Brusier's not happy about the dog remark. *rubs Bruiser's belly* OK, he's fine now.

If you lie down on Rahel's foot, you get your picture taken. She also got to pet a leopard.

Ferdy takes some time to relax.

Unlike this cat (found via Google Images search), Miss Chloe's not psychic but she is sitting in sunbeams and wants you to stop staring. I was always told to never stare, but take quick glances.

Who said cats and dogs can't get along? Not these cats and dog.

Ever wondered what your cat would say about you? Take a look.

Mister Gato needs a nap.

Neighbor cats pay Blueberry a visit. And Laurence shows us some video of one.

Harley and Tinker get a new tree and scratching post.

Aunty Holly gives un insight on feline communication.

What? That's not a bed? It is now... Or maybe it is a bed.

A "death ray" and an "unusual meeting"

I never wake up a sleeping dog. I guess cats are just nicer.

Nardo finds time in his day to irritate Piper.

If there was a project like 2,996 for cats, one of the profiles would look something like this.

You're gonna have to find me before you do that.And Watermark, too.

Tiger may be getting older, but he's still got some spunk.

Enjoy catnip responsibly, Always designate a driver.

A little Tai Chi never hurt anybody.

And we've got watch cats. Do they meow strangers until they go away?

If you tempt a cat with a string long enough they'll attack.

Laundry baskets seem to be a popular place to hide.

I've heard of fast food. Is this fast fun?

Deep thoughts.

Kate learns more and more about her cat.

Someone might have a headache.

I'll relax wherever I want to, thank you very much!

Catymology brings us a cat-themed Thursday Thirteen.

Finding a stash of mice is a good excuse to look like you know you're all that.

Trips to the groomer are not always welcome.

Now THIS is my idea of exercise ;)

Cato cuddles up with Google.

We're tired.

We've got an update on Ivy, and a look at things in history that have happened in her life.

It's a law of nature. When you pull out the camera, your critter must stop doing whatever caused you to pull the camera out.

Alright, that's All I've got except for a couple of housecleaning-type notes:

• If you see anything we messed up, email the human (contact info in the sidebar here) and he'll fix it soon as he gets a chance. He knows he's prone to screwups, so it's no big deal.
• Laurence asked me to remind y'all that you can still use Blog Carnival to submit your entries since Ferdy and Bruce have shut down their carnival submission form.
• The next CotC will be at House of Chaos.

And I think that's it. Thanks to Laurence for letting my little corner of insanity host and for all the people who have submitted.

I leave you with Cats in ur stuff doing things. Blame the guy who made it for typing like an idiot.

Getting ready for the Carnival

I'm working really hard with Bruiser to get the Carnival of the Cats ready to go up.

Bruiser thought he needed a break, so...

What? It's hard for me to type.

Who Screwed Roger Clemens Bingo

Since Lair's traveling, I decided to play here.

For those that don't know, here's how it works:

The rules are simple:
Screwups like fielding errors turn your square red.
Outs turn your square red based on LOBs and rally-killing factor.

And here's the JRT version of the bingo card (which is much prettier)

B	I	N	G	O
Chris Burke	Aubrey Huff	Brad Lidge	Luke Scott	Craig Biggio
Dan Wheeler	Morgan Ensberg	Wandy Rodriguez	Lance Berkman	Mike Lamb
Eric Bruntlett	Chad Qualls	PHIL GARNER	Jason Hirsch	Matt Albers
Trever Miller	Willy Taveras	Dave Borkowski	Adam Everett	Orlando Palmeiro
Jason Lane	Russ Springer	Humberto Quintero	Charlton Jimerson	Brad Ausmus

And my spin on this, the one thing that's been missing IMHO:

ROGER DOING IT TO HIMSELF = 4 Points

I'm planning to loveblog it, but for sure I'll update the card postgame with everything that you could possibly need to know about how Roger clemens did ot didn't get screwed..... but who are we kidding really, he's gonna be screwed.

I'm tallying points.... the points will determine what shade goes in the square. 9 points is Phil Garner red.

Blue's got a REALLY tight zone behind the plate tonight.

Top 1st:  Groundout, K, Walk, SB (infield was playing deep, they gave it to him) Ryan Howard gets intentionally walked because of the steal. Bases loaded with another walk. Grand slam. 4-0

If anybody screwed anybody here, it's the two non-intentional walks Roger gave up. Roger now has his own score, so +4 for the earned runs

Willy T snags the third out in left-center.

Bottom 1st: Willy T beats out one of those hits that only Willy T gets. Bigg pops out. (+1) Ensberg K's (+1), Berkman flys out, leaving a LOB (+1)

Top 2nd: Bunt hit attempt fails, walked the pitcher (Roger's obviously not getting ANY slack cut him by the blind guy behind the plate), Fielders choice towards first for the second out, roger couldn't get to first in time for the DP, which woulda been tough anyways. Ausmus sails a throw to second (+1), grounder to second for the last out.

Bottom 2nd: Huff walks, Scott GIDP (+2), Everett groundout.

Top 3rd: Groundout to 1st, K, flyout.

Bottom 3rd: Ausmus flys out, Clemens K's (no points, he's a pitcher), Willy grounds out.

Top 4th: Single, double, K, Walked the pitcher AGAIN, 6-4-3 DP

Bottom 4th: Biggio K's (+1), Ensberg HR's, making the score 4-1. Berkman flies out to left. Huff walks. Scott jacks a 2-run HR making it 4-3. Everett lines a single to center. Ausmus flies out in foul territory.

Top 5th: Groundout x2, K.

Bottom 5th: Palmeiro, PH for Clemens, grounds out. Willy T does the same. Biggio pops out.

Top 6th: Chris Sampson is in to pitch. Flyout x2, groundout.

Bottom 6th: Ensberg K's (+1), Berkman grounds out, Huff walks for the third time tonight. Scott flies out, leaving a LOB (+1)

Top 7th: Flyout, next two ground it back to Sampson.

*stretches*

Bottom 7th: Everett one-hops to 3B, and he's out. Ausmus singles to right. Lamb PH's for Sampson and flies out. With the guy on base not advancing, he get a +1. Willy hits into an odd 3rd out (+1)

Top 8th: Trever Miller's in now. K, groundout, single.

Qualls is coming in now. NO, I WILL NOT do the ooogah-boogah dance. He gets a grounder, makes a tough throw and gets the out.

Bottom 8th: Biggio flys out to right-center, Ensberg grounds out. The Phils are bringing in a lefty to turn Berkman around. Berkman singles to left. Berkman caught stealing.... may have been a bad call, but that was stupid and a potential rally-killer, so +3.

Top 9th: Walk, pinch-runner gets picked off. Groundout, single. The sausage race beater-upper, Randall Simon, K's swinging.

Bottom 9th: Flash (Gordon) is in. Huff gets to second on a hard grounder that gets by the first basemen (ruled an error). Carlton Jimerson sent in as a pinch-runner. Scott pops it up (+1). Burke PH's for Everett and beats out an infield single. Jimerson does not advance. Lane PH's for Ausmus and loads the bases on a dropped ball. Quintero PH for Qualls with the bases loaded and 1 out and grounds into a game-ending DP (+3).

The Verdict: Clemens did it to himself with the walks and grand slam in the first. Quintero didn't screw Clemens because he would have had the loss anyways.

Who, in your opinion, screwed Roger the most? Or did he do it to himself? Sound off in the comments.

Off to Sherman we go!!!

(Click here to see a map showing where Beaumont and Sherman are)

I had a bit of a road trip on Tuesday.

We went all the way from here to Sherman and back to pick up a couple of shelties for my mom, who is getting into the business of breeding them.

It was a long drive, and meeting my mom in Houston didn't help any.

Anyways, I left the house about 5:30 and met her at her house about 7 AM. We stopped for breakfast along the way at a McDonalds in Madisonville, and got to Sherman about 1, which was at least an hour before I thought we would have. We spent about 30 minutes at the house looking at them and then got 'em in crates and started heading home.

Well, one of the pups had a tough time. She got carsick and wasn't doing too well at first, but seemed to be ok after a while.

We were back at her place in Houston at about 6:45 and the pups were happy to just be on solid ground. The carsick one became energetic all of a sudden and drank loads of water. She was fine.

I took a break there and then left for Beaumont at 7. I didn't hit any traffic on the way home and was back here, worn out, at 8:30. I checked my email and did a few things, then went to bed and got the best night's sleep I've had in a long time.

Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Linda C. Lee

NOTE: In honor of the victims of 9/11, 2,996 was created as a tribute to the victims of that horrible day with the intentions of remembering the innocent victims and not their murderers. This is my small contribution.

---

Linda C. Lee was the kind of person that most of us (myself included) wish we could be.

She was a graduate of the University of Maryland, a senior associate at a financial services firm, and your friend, weither you knew it or not.

Friends decrribe her as having an amazing ability to make friendships and having the ability to make you feel like the most important person to her, wanting to know everything that's going on in your life.

She also loved adventure, often sneaking off to New York City for the weekend with friends while in high school. As they became young women, they would try to convince taxi drivers to let them drive.

At age 34, she was attending a technology conference at the World Trade Center when it was attacked.

Her memory will live on through the Linda C. Lee Memorial Scholarship at the University of Maryland, established by Jennison Associates LLC, her employer, and her friends and family.

It's stories like her that, for me, re-enforce why we should never forget.

---

NOTE CONCERNING COMMENTS: This post is about rememberance, not politics, or anything else for that matter. Comments that don't fit that profile will be deleted without notice.

Carnival of the Cats

The 129th edition of the Carnival of the Cats is up at Begin Each Day As If It Were on Purpose.

So, where's edition #130 going to be?

Oh, it's here!!!

Info on how to submit (as well as anything else you could ever need to know) can be found here.

I'm back in the 100 Word Stories Weekly Challenge

The 100 Word Stories Weekly Challenge is now old enough that I can go out and get drunk with it, since the 21st edition is out today.

After a loooooooooooong haitus (and being begged by Laurence in an email), I wrote a 100-word story about this week's theme, Time Travel.

Listen to it at the first link above and vote for me.

Oh? You don't wanna listen??? I could understand since it's 27 minutes long, so I'll go ahead and post my story's text.

It's 2021 and the Weekly Challenge podcast now runs three hours long.

In the boardroom for a major accounting firm, they're discussing what
to do about this "pest" that's killing productivity in their offices.

"We could block the server so people can't access it from here"

"Are you nuts? They'd revolt."

"How about we fire people who are caught listening to it at work?"

"We'd lose everybody"

"We could ask time-traveler Steve to prevent the challenge from ever starting."

"I'll ask him in a couple hours. He's listening to it right now"

Luckily for us, he didn't accept the mission.

Now go vote for me ;)

Technorati Tags: 100 word stories, podcasting, Weekly Challenge, time travel
Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Why Christians aren't taken seriously

Yesterday someone calling themselves CaptainChurch posted a comment with tons of links to my Rec League Softball post.

I deleted the comment and sent an email saying to not spam here.

Could I have been nicer? Probably. I was a little irritated at the time. But I could have really been an ass and hurled a few f-bombs his way. But I didn't.

Judging by the response you would have thought that I'd ripped him a new asshole or two.

Just so you know, according to CaptainChurch, I'm a "heartless, loveless FOOL ... only interested in [my]self ... inhuman creature, loveless & poison to all around you," was told that "this saves lives," and to "Go to HELL!!"

I simply pointed to the comment policy, and then said:

You really do seem concerned about saving lives if you're telling me to go to hell. REAL Christian-like.

It's people like you who are the reason people don't take christians seriously.

Never heard back from him... imagine that...

What an idiot...

Just to make everybody jealous...

Enjoy this link showing what gas prices are locally.

More coming later.

Rec League Softball

No, it's not just for old guys.

I play on a slow-pitch co-ed team that's loosely affiliated with my church. And when I say loosely I pretty much just mean that "First United Methodist" is on the t-shirts.

We started playing last fall before Rita. The season was cancelled after she blew through because of damage to the fields.

But we're back now amd I can't wait.

The season starts on September 11th and runs until sometime in November I believe, but it can't get here soon enough.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Terror Preparedness Tips

Or just some recycled emails.

These are coming courtesy PNN, a local satire site that I enjoy taking a look at once in a while.

Blogging was light because . . .

. . . I've been having prioblems with my ISP.

I usually blog at night after my girlfriend, who I love more than anything else in the world, gets off her IM platform and goes to bed. We both prefer IM to talkin' on the phone, but that's another story for another day.

Anyways, Friday, Sunday, and Monday nights my internet service was slowed to the point where it was bascally unusable for pretty much anything other than running MSN Messenger, and it was even giving that issues.

And since the web was down, so was my blogging.

Regular blogging will resume after I get some sleep..... unless it flares up again.

When I get an idea, I work on it until it's done...

Which is probably why I'm posting this at 3:20 AM

Anywho, here's my idea I had:

And Pluto is REJECTED!!!

I also made a YTMND out of it, if you wish to check it out.

If you have a better idea for a sound effect, let me know in the comments.

Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Nice shot, sir!

It's like Beer Pong... but not.

(Hat-tip: Deadspin)

Can you really even consider this an appearance?

I found this on YTMND and thought it was worth sharing.

Ann Coulter's BRIEF appearence on Adam Carolla's radio show

You can thank me later.

Wow.... I thought it was next week

I look at the 'Stros schedule online.

And then look at my desk.

And it's then that I realize that this Friday Nickelback, Hooobastank, Chevelle, and Hinder are rocking the Toyota Center in Houston.

I thought that the concert was another week off.

Maybe it's good that I've been keeping the tickets on my desk.

Technorati Tags: Nickelback, Hoobastank, Chevelle, Hinder, concert, Toyota Center
Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Turnabout is fair play

I only being this up because K T Cat loves to bring these things up

I know I've said before that the score doesn't matter in NFL preseason games, but when you're being shut out 17-0 at the half the otherwise insignifigant score speaks volumes.

How's your confidence in the Saints now?

He only talks because he's nervous.

(A response to this post)

I've always thought that a quiet confidence is the best way to handle a bet, only speaking up in response.

K T Cat, however, takes a different philosophy, trash-talking at every chance necessary. Probably because he's nervous, because nervous people tend to talk a lot.

Our Maximum Leader is really scrapping to find things to attempt to beat down my Texans with.

This time it's  ESPN's NFL power rankings, saying that I should wave the white flag because the Saints are ranked three slots higher than the Texans.

While we're at it, let's look at the Preseason AP Top 25 and declaring Ohio State the national champs.

And, plus, this is ESPN, the same network that makes up "trade rumors" (like we're really surprised anyways) and can't get enough of Yanks-Sox or T.O. Can you really take ANYTHING they say seriously???

Speaking of T.O., y'all play the Cowgirls on Monday Night Football. I'll have the game on and will certainly watch what the first-stringers do, since their time in is all that REALLY matters anyways.

I look forward to seeing the red and blue on your blog in January.

A series of tubes

As someone who knows the inner workings of the internet, I've felt for a while that it's something that the government should stay out of.

This is just a reminder why.

Congress, please regulate something you actually know something about.

Technorati Tags: internet, congress, The Daily Show, a series of tubes, Ted Stevens, incompetence
Cross-posted to PyjamasMedia.com, Through our eyes

281

Craig Biggio got plunked in the top of the 5th by Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets.

There'll be more info over at Plunk Biggio...

Technorati Tags: Plunk Biggio, Craig biggio, Ben Sheets, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers
Cross-posted at Through our eyes

I promise you...

...not all people from the south are like this...

Just certain people from Louisiana...

Technorati Tags: Britney Spears, home video, south, Louisiana

I would SO buy Scott Van Pelt a beer

Last week, Deadspin had this interesting post up, a voicemail that ESPN SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt left on a woman's cell phone.

Take a listen. To all of it. You'll need to to get the rest of this. It's safe for work, trust me.

Tonight, on the 10 PM CDT SportsCenter, he referenced the voicemail in his introduction of the Top 10 List for the night by saying something to the effect of.

Everything you're about to see has passed everything on my checklist. And it's a lengthy checklist.

As someone who appreciates self-deprecating humor, I'll buy the man a beer any time.

Technorati Tags: ESPN, SportsCenter, Scott Van Pelt, voicemail

Doomed? Hardly.

(A response to this post)

Bragging about a 19-16 preseason win, huh?

It's the preseason, the score doesn't matter. But if I did I'd point out that the Texans defeated the Chiefs 24-14.

Our defense was strong and the new Denver-style offense was looking good too.

Simply put, I'm not worried about it.

Let me know how they play Cleveland on September 10 when the games start to count.

Extending the olive branch... again

Bruiser will be assisting me in hosting the 130th edition of the Carnival of the Cats on September 17th. The previous edition of the CotC that we've hosted can be found here.

You know, I'd have a cat if I could, but we've got enough critters around here as it is.

FYI - This week's edition is up at Blog d'Elisson.

Technorati Tags: Carnival of the Cats

Testing Microsoft's new toy

 Microsoft just released the first beta for Windows Live Writer, a tool that brings WYSIWYG blog publishing to a whole new level.

Don't believe me, just check out this screenshot:

(Click for full size)

So far I'm liking it....... if I could just get a Technorati Tag plugin... And scroolbars. For some reason, the web layout isn't showing them for me for my blog, but it's showing them for Through our eyes.

UPDATE: One of the members of the dev team for the software left a comment about the scroll problem here. I've sent him an email with the stuff he asked for. We'll see what happens.

Technorati Tags: Windows Live Writer
Cross-posted to Through out eyes

Bruiser missed y'all

Yea, I know, I've been slacking off on the dogblogging lately.

A lot.

Anywho, I'm back to doing it, so rejoice!!!

And Bruiser's happy too

Honestly, as long as these silly humans feed me, I could care less if I'm on your blog or not.

Good, because I'd just tell ya "tough" if you had a problem with it.

Don't forget to check out The Friday Ark over at The Modulator.

Technorati Tags: Bruiser, Beagle, dog, dogblogging, friday ark, food

Could you spare a couple???

From the comments to the last post:

Could you guys loan some runs to the Padres?  We've been losing a bunch of one run games lately.

Maybe after y'all leave Houston on Sunday ;)

Technorati Tags: Astros, Padres, help we need runs

OK guys, y'all can save a little

The Astros are up 10-0.

After three.

Y'all can save a little for tomorrow, guys.

Really, is it just me or do they seem to not be able to score for anything the night after one of these kinds of outbursts?

Technorati Tags: Astros, Pirates, blowout
Cross-posted to Through our eyes

Quick question...

What's my ex-girlfriend doing to this boot?

BREAKING NEWS

PARIS - Earlier today it was announced that Tour de France winner Floyd Landis' "B" sample tested positive for both excess and synthetic testosterone.

Landis' camp released a statement saying "The French are simply trying to catch Floyd ridin' dirty."

The statement went on to say that "You have to remember something about the French. To them, any amount of testosterone is an excess, and since it doesn't occur naturally in their bodies it has to be synthetic. We intend to prove this in the appeals process and have his name cleared."

The appeals process could take six months.

Technorati Tags: Floyd Landis, Tour de France, testosterone, satire

Finally....

My Texans tickets came in today. Finally.

This is my first year as a season ticket holder, but I've been told that this is by far the latest they've been sent out.

Anywho, if you're curious, here's what my tickets and parking pass look like:

Their first preseason game is next saturday night and the regular season opens up in September. I'm looking for them to go about 8-8 this year IF the offensive line can hold up.

Maybe playoffs next year.

Technorati Tags: Houston Texans, season tickets
Cross-posted to Through our eyes

They're not making the playoffs....

BREAKING NEWS

LONDON - Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for excess testosterone after stage 17 of the Tour De France.

"We're baffled that anybody in France would have any at all, let alone an excess," said an official with the tour that spoke on condition of anonymity.

He went on to say that a raid on Landis' hotel room found a pair of testicles, something else the French aren't familiar with.

Technorati Tags: Floyd Landis, Tour de France, satire
Cross-posted to Pyjamas Media.com

Changes at the New York Times

(A Precision Guided Humor Assignment)

The New York Times has been making changes to save money. Apparently letting out secret government programs isn't as profitable as they thought it would be.

They're starting to think outside the box.... at least for a newspaper.

Main thing they're doing is messing with their departments on the content side

COPY EDITING - Outsourced to India. Considering the quality of most copy-editing by people who speak english, there should be no noticeable difference.

SPORTS - Sports bloggers. Most likely Deadspin.

NEWS - Monkeys, just to piss off FrankJ.

FEATURES - High School newspaper departments will rotate this job.

WEEKEND MAGAZINE - They're just going to toss in stuff like SI, People, and Newsweek. They were going to do Penthouse, but there were objections for some reason.

What? They wanted to do it for the articles!!!

Unfortunately, that's all I know about.

Technorati Tags: New York Times

I don't care if you pay me millions, I will not call them that.

This has to be worse than when the Angels changed their name from "The Anaheim Angels" to "The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim"

Houston Business Journal: Chick-fil-A 'fowl poles' to make debut at Minute Maid Park

The Houston Astros and Chick-fil-A have inked a sponsorship agreement through 2008 that will bring the restaurant chain's "Eat Mor Chikin" Cows to Minute Maid Park.

The Chick-fil-A "Fowl Poles" will make their debut on July 25 for the start of the Astros' homestand against the Cincinnati Reds.

The yellow right-field and left-field poles will each feature three renegade cows wearing Astros hats. The baseball-themed cows will be hanging off both poles in fair territory and carrying their message of "Eat Mor Fowl."

The only thing "fowl" about this deal is the pun. It's just pun-ishing.

No, I will not refer to them as the fowl poles when I'm at the game Thursday night. I despise the nickname that much.

Technorati Tags: Astros, Chick-fil-A, fowl
Hat-tip: blogHOUSTON's Bad Sports - Fowl poles coming to Minute Maid
Cross-posted at I live for this, Through our eyes

Where's my street???

No, really, where is it???

I guess it's under there somewhere...

Just don't have the bottom fall out on the way to Houston this time, please.....

Technorati Tags: rain
Cross-posted at Through our eyes

Dogblogging may be late this week

I'm working a concert Friday, so I may not have time to take care of dogblogging before I depart to get there and work in the hot July Southeast Texas weather.

If you're curious, it's Dierks Bentley.

Just don't ask me what to expect, besides drunken rednecks at the end of the night.

Don't go cheap on hardware

When I bought all the parts for my computer I bought a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive on the cheap.

I know now that it was a mistake.

The worthless piece of junk has already died on me, giving me an excuse to do the upgrade to that drive that I've been wanting to do for about a month now so I'm not too upset :)

NOTE TO SELF: Don't buy Emprex.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

How soon until the media freaks???

I looked at Weather Underground's tropics page this morning and noticed that a tropcial depression is off the coast of North Carolina.

So, how long will it be before CNN, FOX News, and the rest will be providing 24-hour coverage of "the next Katrina?"

News today isn't about news, it's about hype. Making things sound worse than they are.

When Rita was approaching someone on one of the networks said something to the effect of "Beaumont will be ground zero for Rita," totally freaking out a friend of mine in St. Louis and keeping my cell phone busy while I was trying to sleep after that hellatious evacuation experience.

THIS is why men don't ask for directions

Just in case you were ever curious.....

Personally, I have a GPS unit in my car so I don't need to.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

Petey sucks at hide and seek

Unlike the other dogs, Petey really doesn't like going out in the backyard.

We really don't force the issue and make him too much, but when we do, he tries to hide from us.

He always hides in the same place so it doesn't work too well and he gets dragged outside.

When dogs get sick

Last night Bear had an upset stomach )I'm guessing) and threw up three times last night.

He's fine now, just had a few messes to clean up.

He's tough like that.

Anyways, if your dog gets sick like that and you want to do something for him that's simple, go out and buy a box of those chewable Pepto Bismol tablets and hide one in something appetizing. A SMALL (because too much can be bad for them) slice of cheese or canned dog foodwill get the job done usually.

That trick might work for cats too, but I'm not sure since I don't have any, although at least one blogger I know thinks I should.

Bear decided he wants a pic

Bear, the "elder dog" of the bunch isn't a very big fan of the camera, but when he makes an appearance you know it's good.

No, don't throw the ball right now, I just wanna lay here.

For more petblogging goodness, check out The Friday Ark.

Technorati Tags: dog, dogblogging, friday ark

Huff-ing (and other moves by the 'Stros)

Chron.com: Astros deal prospects for D-Rays' Huff

The Astros shook up the roster Wednesday, acquiring outfielder/corner infielder Aubrey Huff from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They also demoted slumping outfielder Jason Lane to Class AAA Round Rock.

“Huff brings to our club a polished, veteran professional hitter, something that we’ve been looking for, for a long, long time,” said general manager Tim Purpura. “The beauty of Huff is that he plays first, he plays third and he plays the outfield."

I really like this. We get a proven hitter in Huff who tends to play stronger in the second half and back up Berkman in the lineup. Odds are he'll split time between the outfield and third base unless Morgan Ensberg can get his stuff together and start producing with the wood again.

Let's just hope it doesn't take him long to adjust to wearing an Astros uni.

As far as sending Jason Lane down, well, it was needed.

Astros.com: Astros name Berry interim hitting coach

The Houston Astros announced today that the club has named Sean Berry interim hitting coach. Berry replaces Gary Gaetti, who has been relieved of his duties. The announcement was made by general manager Tim Purpura.

Berry was in his second year in the role of Minor League hitting coordinator for the Houston organization. He spent the previous two seasons (2003-04) on the coaching staff at Double-A Round Rock

This has got to be a good move considering some of the guys haven't been able to hit their way out of a wet paper bag lately.

I really can't say too much on this subject, so I'll just point you to the writeup on blogHOUSTON about it.

Technorati Tags: Astros, trades, Aubrey Huff, Jason Lane, Gary Gaetti, Sean Berry
(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

WHAT I WANT, a letter from KIM JONG IL

(A Precision Guided Humor Assignment)

Dear America,

I, Kim Jong Il, am a simple man. There's not much that I want from people, weither it be the United States, mywonderful citizens, or anybody else.

The United States seems to be concerned with the missiles that I launched last week and wants me to stop. They also refise to meet with me one on one to see what I would like to stop.

They're fools, it won't take much for me to leave them alone.

This is all I ask:

• A cut in the proceeds from Team America: World Police since my likeness was used in the movie.
• Tickets to the Super Bowl
• A Hawaiian vacation

That's not too much to ask, is it?

Sincerely,
Kim Jong Il
North Kirean Dictator

Technorati Tags: Kim Jong Il, Super Bowl, Team America, Hawaii

I'm BACK!!!

After a hiatus from blogging that was totally unintentional, I'm back.

That Life thing's been keeping me busy lately, so you can't say that I don't have a life anymore :)

Technorati Tags: life, hiatus

The 'Stros are .500 and facing down the Cardinals next

Yesterday's defeat of the Cubs squared the Astros record at 41-41, and just 4 games back of the division leaders, the Cardinals.

The struggling Cards (3-7 in their last 10) begin a four game set at Minute Maid tomorrow night and I'll be at the first game.

I sent a friend of mine that lives in St. Louis a text message earlier telling her that the 'Stros would take 3 of 4 in the series and she replied with "Cards suck! Go killer b's" and then told me to have fun at the game.

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)

The "ignorant and insensitive" one responds

This post is in response to a comment (#6) left in my post "The Bonuras turn tragedy into greed" from last week. Since responding to the comment would have brought a really long response I chose to write a new post.

I think your words are both ignorant and insensitive, and to label the actions of the Bonura family “greedy” is plain asinine. The whole event is a tradegy, and there is no doubt that a lawsuit will not get the family what they really want, but that does not make them greedy.

I've been there. My dad died in a motorcycle accident. I've dealt with tragedy and the legal system. I know what it's like, and I feel for them. Disagreeing with their actions does not change that one bit.

First of all, sueing a company which fails to perform an action is contractually obligated is standard practice, that is what gives us the ability to take such legal action. Not only did the company and the driver fail to meet their legal obligations, the family actually was harmed, and in the greatest way possible. It would be absolutely ridiculous and unheard of for the family to not take legal action! Yes, accidents do happen. However, if the bus and driver were as safe as they were guranteed to be, the family would be in a very different place today.

No. The bus company met their legal obligations when it came to the bus. It met all of the federal regulations on the book. They aren't obligated to provide safety glass or seat belts. Don't like it? Take it up with the NHTSA.

Thanks to an accident that I was involved in a few months after I got my motorcycle license I have bad knees. What happened was that I locked up the front brake and came off. No other vehicles were involved and the wreck was 100% my fault. Should I sue the bike's manufacturer because they didn't provide adequate knee protection, something that's not required by federal regulations? No, suing them would be silly. I knew what the potential risk was, took it, and got burned.

Anytime you get into a vehicle you accept a certain amount of risk. If you don't want to accept that risk, don't get in.

As far as the driver, she was forced to make a split-second decision and did what she thought was necessary to keep the kids on that bus safe when she swerved to get out of the way of the debris in the road. What happened is tragic, but knowing what I do about the accident I can't say with any certainty that the poor woman could have avoided it. Because of that, I can't blame her.

The way I see it, you can't really blame anybody.

Second of all, your reason to single out the Bonura family is beyond me. Every family of the students on the bus has legal representation against the driver and/or company, as well as the school district.

They got "singled out" because they filed the suit. Getting an attorney is the smart thing to do when you or a family member or involved in an accident to walk you through the legal process. It's stupid not to. I don't have a problem with that.

Lastly and mostly, if you think anybody is "making money" off of this accident, you are sadly mistaken. No matter what size of monetary compensation the families recieve through the suit (which I gurantee will be no fortune), they will not be making any kind of profit. Not even close.

I established in my previous post that suing is not the way to get the regulations changed, which they claim is the reason for the suit being filed. So why are they doing it? If you know then please enlighten me. I am "ignorant" after all, what do I know?

(Cross-posted to Through our eyes)

HELP!!! I've been tagged!!!

I really hate these things, but I asked for it, so here goes nothin.

4 jobs you've had:
1. Computer tech
2. Construction
3. Photographer
4. Usher at Ford Park

4 movies you could watch over and over:
(NOTE: I don't watch movies much)
1. Field of Dreams
2. Meet the Parents
3. Meet the Fockers (which I think is better)
4. Anchorman

4 places you have lived:
1. Beaumont
2. Fort Worth (briefly thanks to Rita)
3. Houston (briefly)
4. Did I mention Beaumont?

4 TV shows you love to watch:
1. 24
2. House
3. Astros Baseball
4. PTI

4 places you've been on holiday:
1. Denver, CO
2. Panama City Beach, FL
3. Cabin in the middle of nowhere near Abilene
4. Washington, DC

4 websites you visit daily:
1. This Blog Is Full Of Crap
2. The Scratching Post
3. Woot!
4. The Houston Chronicle (sorry Pete, but their site is better)

4 of your favorite foods:
1. Chicken anything
2. Pizza
3. Steak
4. Cheeseburger

4 lucky people to tag:
1. K T Cat
2. Pack
3. Any Through our eyes blogger that wants to
4. See #3

(Cross-posted at Through our eyes)