EggsnGrits

Why your auto dealer wants your car to break, and that's a bad thing.

2011-03-15T07:56:00.000-05:00

"The Saab 9-2x was a huge mistake for Saab. It was not the type of car that a Saab buyer wanted, so it didn't sell. And, it was bad for dealers because it didn't break."
-- Actual quote (paraphrased) from two disparate organizations from within the Saab dealership ranks

I ask you to let that sink in for a moment. Say what you will about the relative merit of the 9-2x (I happen to think that it was a fine automobile), it's the second part of the quote that has my head spinning. Your dealer wants your new, warranted automobile to require repair. Your dealer actually relies on the revenue derived from those repairs for their survival.

I hear you say, "Yes, but most of the repair costs are born by the OEM." True, but do you want your car to spend time in the dealership garage? Do you want your car to fail? Most sane people would answer, "no".

The truth? If an automotive OEM such as our beloved Saab were to build a nearly faultless automobile, dealers would hate the thing.

It is hard reality that automobile dealerships in North America (and elsewhere, I presume) see your malfunctioning vehicle as money in the bank. Many of the large dealers employ highly-paid commissioned sales people as "service writers" that have incentive to sell services that you may or may not need. I've had my share of run-ins with service writers over silly extras that do little but fatten the corporate coffers. Fortunately, none of my bad experiences were with Saab dealers.

Before I'm misunderstood, please hear me out. I'm not saying that our dealers are bad people, nor am I saying that they don't act in the interest of the consumer. Most (nearly all) Saab dealers get very, very high marks for taking care of their customers. Many of our dealers are to be commended for searching high and low for new ways to accommodate Saab owners .

I also don't begrudge any of our technical wizards their payment. The experts assembled at our dealers cost money, and they deserve a profit for timely repairs. Their services are necessary, valuable, and generally worth the premium that they charge.

So what, exactly, am I saying? It's my position that our desires as owners and the wants/needs of our dealers aren't aligned. We, as owners, want to stay out of the dealer garage, but our dealers absolutely need a garage full of cars for revenue and survival. I'd like that to change. I wish that our dealers could profit while keeping our cars on the road rather than in the garage. In fact, I believe that it's a matter of critical importance for the future survival of any brand, including Saab.

Saab and other brands already face more and more competition building better and better cars. Cars that will require fewer repairs. Ads from Japanese OEMs already trumpet their reliability records. At some point, an over-confident or desperate brand (Hyundai?) will begin to compensate owners for trips to the repair shop during the warranty period.

So, how do we manage to align dealers and drivers?

I propose a simple solution in the beginning: have the OEM share portions of the unused warranty reserve to compensate the dealers for lack of reimbursed repair business. It's simple, but it's not sustainable. Over time, the warranty reserves will shrink to make the company more competitive, and, of course, the need for the repair shops will shrink, too.

I'm sure that there are other ways. Let's start thinking about it, at the very least. My two cents.

Counterpoint - Why GM isn't as bad as you think they are.

2010-01-08T21:42:00.005-06:00

Well, for the past six or eight weeks, perhaps longer, there has been ample negativity around SaabsUnited aimed at General Motors, or, as they are now officially named, Motors Liquidation. I use that new name for a reason. They have a real problem on their hands -- they don't make a profit. In fact, they've made loses for several quarters in a row. How far back this streak of loses goes it's hard to discern. Corporate entities make sport of accounting at times of reporting and disclosure.

GM is certainly culpable for a lot of things. They've been at best negligent in their handling of Saab from the beginning. The General isn't exactly known for subtleties of design nor marketing, preferring to blast by the other car makers in Corvettes with huge supercharged V-8s, Hummers that weigh 6000 lbs. and Cadillacs dripping in chrome. I still shudder when I remember all of the times I've heard Bob Seger screech "Like a Rock" during Chevrolet truck commercials. It's in the 10,000 range, minimum. I'll never own a Chevrolet truck for that very reason. They are, in a word, fallible.

GM is certainly maladroit at times, too. This week's announcement of a consulting contract to "wind-down" Saab on the day after the prospective owners were to formally submit bids for Saab is a prime example. Commanding Saab to cover the plug-in hybrid capabilities to be built into a Saab concept vehicle was a little over-the-top, too. You'd think that a company would have a coordinated development plan that would have had the Chevy Volt team and the Saab team aligned to work together, wouldn't you? My personal favorite was last month's conference call Q&A on the subject of Saab's wind-down. So many laughable moments, so many cracks in the spackle that it fell over under it's own weight. All topped off by trio of tweeting Twitterers live-blogging the call who misspelled "Sweedish" twice and insulted the intelligence of most who were paying attention.

Believe me, I too, marvel at the train wrecks that GM trots out for us seemingly daily. They are in many ways acting just like the wounded beast that they are.

That's when it usually hits me: These people are doing what they can in this extreme circumstance. That is, Motors Liquidation (nee General Motors) is wounded. They, to some degree, should be expected to act this way. People under pressure make mistakes. Organizations under stress don't always coordinate like they should. And, believe me, they are under serious stress. GM is a wounded beast.

"So what?" I hear you ask. "Am I supposed to feel OK about GM's miscues simply because they're currently mistake prone?" No, I don't expect you (or me) to feel better about the current situation. It's not good. Saab is in dire straits. However, I don't feel that GM is being malicious, nor do I think that they are inherently evil.

Here's my point: I'm weary of wild, flailing accusations about Motors Liquidation/General Motors by Saabisti and car lovers everywhere. Generally, these are the ones to which I refer:

"GM is just a bunch of greedy, money-grubbing stiffs!"

Yes, they certainly are. They must make a profit just as any other company does. For the average person at Motors Liquidation, they are praying that their nest eggs, which are tied up in worthless GM stock, will sustain their families through their retirement years. Their lives hang in the balance just like any worker at the Saab plant in Trollhättan. Yes, they need the money. That's how all car companies roll.

If you want to talk money-grubbing, we can certainly change the subject to talk about the margins on a Porsche or how Daimler abandoned the Chrysler Corporation with a quickie divorce after taking the V-8 know-how from Chrysler and the four-wheel-drive know-how from Jeep. That's classic greed if you ask me.

A sub-plot on this theme is that GM is "playing the market" to get better bids, create urgency to sell, etc. Yes, I, as an American taxpayer, hope that they are. That's what owners of assets do to sell them. Simply put: when Carlos Ghosn does it, he's a master negotiator, but when GM does it, they're the evil con men. It's all in perspective.

This is business, folks. It isn't pretty.

"GM is a bunch of short-sighted idiots!"

Yes, they certainly can be sometimes. However, if you look at their track record, they do some pretty darned smart things. The Chevrolet Corvette beat all comers in the most recent Car & Driver "Lightning Lap" competition. Competition that included Lotus, Audi and Porsche. The GM light trucks dominate several market segments. Their Korean and Chinese subsidiaries are selling huge volume. Oh, and while we're on the subject, Motors Liquidation sells almost as many cars as the largest car maker in the world even though it's wounded. They are not idiots at GM. They simply aren't. They aren't always smart, either, but they are no fools.

"GM just doesn't want to sell Saab."

I take Mr. Whitacre at his word when he says, "Show up with the money and you can have it." Liquidation Motors has to answer to a bankruptcy judge/tribunal/congress/whomever for all transactions! If you are bankrupt, you don't get to keep things or throw them away without a very, very good reason. You are obligated to make the most of the assets that you have.

It makes much less sense to shutter Saab than sell for the right price. Ahh… the mythical "right price". What is the "right price"? I don't know, but it's more than they've been offered to date.

Selling Saab means that Liquidation Motors/GM is yoked with someone else for a long time -- the life span of the upcoming 9-5 at the shortest period and probably beyond. This is much more than a simple sale -- it's more akin to a short-term joint venture with a buy-out clause. There is a risk and a cost associated with this arrangement from GM's perspective.

Finally, there is a certain benefit from closing Saab -- no more loses (at least on paper), other GM divisions can use the designs, some of the best people can be used to bolster Opel/Vauxhall, etc. That possibility is there, so any sale must bring more to Liquidation Motors/GM than those assets would bring if applied elsewhere. Simple math.

"GM's being cruel to Trollhättan and the Swedish people."

Well, since GM's Detroit-area operations axed some tens of thousands of employees, and GM closed 14 factories here in the United States before turning to Saab, I'd say that the folks in Sweden were given a few extra months (perhaps a year) longer than about 30,000 American workers. GM's been much more heartless here in the United States than in Sweden.

The rhetoric around SaabsUnited seems to be: "A job cut that happens to others is unpleasant, but a job cut that happens to me/Sweden/Saab is an outrage." Quite frankly it's unfair to GM/Motor Liquidation and it devalues he thousands of Americans that have lost their jobs, too.

"GM is completely directionless right now, they are adrift!!

Au contraire. Actually, GM's directions have, if anything, become more focused. Prior to the crisis, they had the bandwidth and capital that they were moving more or less in every direction at the same time. Bankruptcy has forced them to eliminate many of the less productive efforts. So, I think that most of the "directionless" claims should rightly be termed GM's simply not "going my way". There's a difference.

I could go on, but I think that you get my drift. GM deserves a heap of blame, but they are not worthy of the vilification they get.

Football time (Chicago style)

2009-07-30T22:46:00.001-05:00

Overheard at Starbucks in Des Plaines, Illinois (near Chicago O'Hare airport).

Guy #1:...russian russian russian Wisconsin russian russian russian Green Bay.....
Guy #2:...russian russian?
Guy #1:...russian russian Brett Farve Green Bay russian russian russian russian Minnesota russian russian
Guy #2:...russian russian russian T.O. russian russian?
Guy #2: (Laughing loudly) T.O.? russian russian russian

It's Football time, baby! Everybody loves the NFL!

Gangster Government!

2009-07-10T06:47:00.002-05:00

This is outrageous! Open corruption!

Jasmyne Crannick is on the money

2009-03-23T09:38:00.002-05:00

In her short essay (really, I guess that it's a post to her blog?) Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game, Jasmyne Crannick has it right: the entire system of government and finance is to blame for the outrageous behavior that is million-dollar bonuses for executives who have raised business incompetence to new historical heights. It's not that the administration nor AIG executives are to blame per se, but the system in which they play that is corrupt.

"Retention" bonuses of $1 million+? Are there that many jobs out there that pay this kind of jack? Would these people, who've proven to be ineffective and, in fact, contributed to the collapse of a corporate giant, immediately turn elsewhere for a million-dollar payday and find it? If so, I went into the wrong line of work! Even if this is real, how can we, the private investor, keep our money out of the hands of financial organizations that claim to "manage" one's money while doling out millions of it to these dorks?

I'm turning to a old favorite.

USAA. I am a USAA member, and I will be using them for the forseeable future for everything financial. Why? Because while everyone else was wringing their hands and asking for government money while allowing te executives to fatten their wallets despite poor performance, USAA distributed 13.5% bonuses to all of their employees regardless of rank, and returned over $500 million in funds to members like me through rebates on insurance policies and dividends on savings plans. Oh, and they are consistently near the top of the customer service ratings list for the Fortune 500. Come to think of it, I think that these two things are related -- they seem to actually value people and customers and follow through with their actions.

CNN Reports "Bank Presidents Flogged in Washington"

2009-02-11T18:04:00.004-06:00

Oh, how I wish this were literally true. Bank presidents. Flogged. I think that you could televise the event and make back a fair amount of the bail out funds in advertising. Wouldn't you want to see John Thain beaten with his $1400 wastebasket?

It simply doesn't stand to reason that:

- Merrill Lynch, a dying bank, entrusted with billions in assets from depositors and due billions in bail-out funds, hands out over $3.6 billion (that's BILLION) in bonuses to their employees, including over $121 million in bonuses for the top four executives alone. Over 700 employees received bonuses of $1 million or more. Is there any believeable scenario that would justify any of these payments? These executives failed in spectacular fashion; why are they so richly rewarded?

- Citigroup, a problem child for the last couple of years at least, was about to take delivery on a $50 million corporate jet just after taking about $45 billion in government bail out cash.

- Morgan Stanley decided to use the $10 billion or so in government aid to gorge itself on aquistitions like the Smith Barney unit of Citigroup rather than use the money as capital for lending and the like.

Meanwhile, their "non-troubled" counterparts in the banking business that didn't need help because they had actually been, well, prudent, in the past are left to plod forward without the benefit of the massive orgy of profit without risk. How is this in any way right? If you were the CEO of FifthThird Bank or Huntingdon Bank, wouldn't you be livid right now? You've worked day and night to compete with these crooks while they played fast and loose with little care about the risk, but you kept things on the straight and narrow to preserve operations for the long term. Now the market hands your rivals their comeuppance and they still have the upper hand due to the government bail out. It isn't fair. It simply isn't.

Shoot, I've worked for companies where even meager bonus plans were suspended because the company made a 5% profit rather than the "planned" 7%. These guys at Merrill Lynch lost more in three months than ConocoPhilips, IBM, HP or General Electric made in one year. That's not some "small difference", it's a staggering, corporation-crushing loss and you are handing out bonuses to the tune of $3.6 billion in government money?

I'm like everyone else on this -- these bankers are scum. Selfish money manipulators, they are no better than Ken Lay and Bernie Ebbers.

Obama is President

2009-01-20T21:11:00.003-06:00

And I guess that we now have something to say to Morrissey to convince him that America is just and free.

Other than that, it's been all glittering generalities.

I'm mildly optimistic since he's taken the opportunity to use the "honeymoon" period to break with some of the more parochial liberals on a few minor issues and appointments.

On the other hand, selecting a tax-evader for the Secretary of Treasury isn't exactly a solid pick.

We shall see.

I'll bet that Iran wants the US policy toward them to change

2009-01-12T08:28:00.002-06:00

From the Chinese news agency Xinhua, we have this article on Iran's hope for change in US policy towards them.

Of course, since Iran supports terrorism (and out right murder), builds nuclear bombs and seems to thoroughly enjoy extortion and threats against their neighbors, I would expect that they don't want that the United States to continue to oppose those actions.

I think that this picture from this January 6 2009 editorial illustrates pefectly why we should be wary of Iran:

Pinewood Derby, January 2009 Edition

2009-01-10T11:48:00.001-06:00

first pass pinewood derby car 3,
originally uploaded by eggsngrits.

Once again, it's time for one of those time-honored traditions of Cub Scouting: the Pinewood Derby.

Robert wanted to make a car patterned after one that we saw on the internet that was Sprite-themed. This is what we came up with. We'll see how fast we are on Monday....

The woman MSNBC calls "Peggy the Moocher"

2008-11-04T15:39:00.005-06:00

This is Obama's counterpunch to "Joe the Plumber" testimony for the McCain campaign.

She thinks that Obama will make her gasoline and mortgage payments go away! Classic. Obama all the way, baby! She's certainly made a choice that makes sense for her. I don't have that kind of "in" with Barrack Hussein Obama. I'm glad that she does.

Another media conspiracy theory

2008-11-04T09:36:00.002-06:00

Now that gasoline prices have returned to the $2 range, why isn't the media reporting it? I've seen some isolated stories in various rags, but nothing substantial in the national media.

I'm guessing that our journos do not want to recognize that the current administration fixed it or wasn't at fault in the first place.

Don't rely on the mainstream media for all of your news. They are not balanced. In fact, I don't even think that they pretend to be balanced anymore.

On the eve of the national election, some thoughts

2008-11-02T20:31:00.008-06:00

This is just a rambling monolog on things that I've observed and thought throughout the 2008 presidential campaign.

1. The way that we elect a president in the United States is simply awful. It's a beauty contest and liars poker wrapped into a process that takes much too long. By "beauty contest" I mean that the candidate looks good and sounds good on television in those 30-second sound bites. By "liar's poker" I'm referring to the propensity of the candidate to promise much more than they can deliver. Obama obviously wins the beauty contest portion and has bigger bets in the liars poker portion, so it follows that he will win.

One of the really horrible things about politics is that the candidates do not have to tell the truth about plans and promises made on the campaign trail, especially if those promises are in alignment with viewpoints of the liberal press. Any candidate may say anything about any program under the sun. On the other hand, they don't actually ever have to enact those programs; in fact, in many cases the candidates are actually precluded from enacting certain things that they are promising. A great example? Obama promising that he will get out of Iraq in two years. I don't think it's humanly possible, nor do I think that it is wise. That doesn't stop him from promising it! Likewise, John McCain has promised to enact legislation that re-regulates the banking and finance industry. By law, the banking business is regulated by Congress, not the president. The president may introduce legislation, but he cannot enact it. The point: in both cases the major party candidates have far overstepped their bounds in order to curry favor and votes.

2. I think that the pollsters are in for a rude awakening. 10% margins are the territory of myth in presidential politics. George Herbert Walker Bush's win over Michael Dukakis is the only recent election that had that kind of margin in the end.

John McCain may still win this thing. My thoughts:

- Why is Obama campaigning late in the game in a solidly liberal state like California? I think that it may be because his campaign camp knows that McCain isn't that far behind there, closer than the national pollsters would like to admit.

- Democrats, especially liberal Democrats, always under poll. Gore lead Bush by 4-5% in the polls the day before the election. He lost. John Kerry had a slimmer margin, but he was still leading in the polls the day before, too. I think that McCain isn't as far behind as the polls show.

- The Electoral College is an equalizer. The way that the politics for president work, it doesn't matter if you barely win a state or if you win by huge margins, you still get the same number of electoral votes. I think that the popular votes for Obama are concentrated in a few states and sprinkled in the rest. It will be interesting tosee if that's true.

3. Racism is alive and well in the United States. But I hear you say to yourself, "But the president will be a black man for the first time in history". You are correct -- I think that the majority of Americans (including me) are fine with a black man at the helm. I was absolutely, 100% behind a ground swell to elect General Colin Powell, the first black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first black Secretary of State as our first black President. I'd still vote for him today if given the chance. He's much better than either of the candidates that we have to choose from in tomorrow's election. I think that we are definitely over that hump as a nation.

However, I know for a fact that the black voters in this country "feel like they are a part of this process for the first time". That concerns me -- as Americans they couldn't embrace the process due to race? That's exactly what it comes down to -- black Americans were disinterested in white politicians. I have a real problem with that. Whites are lambasted for racial bias, yet blacks may openly flaunt theirs without ramification? It makes me think that black "injustices" are at least partially self-imposed.

4. Democrats and Republicans are exaggerating their differences. The more that I look at both of these organizations, the less I like them both. At the moment, I think that both of them spend so much time blaming the other that they've lost the ability to lead anything more than a parade. People, grasp this concept: more than half of what a president or legislator of either party will act upon is boilerplate. That is, the candidates agree on more than half of the issues and policies. Why aren't we talking about that, too? Instead they want to be different to their own detriment just so that they will get elected. It is assinine that a politician needs to alienate their fellow pols simply to get elected. It does nothing but drive productivity through the floor. It needs to stop.

5. Liberals are equally closed-minded as conservatives. Ever try to reason with a Prius-driving vegan liberal on taxation? You'll see that it's the same as reasoning with a HUMMER-driving cigar-chomping conservative on the same subject: no sale. Neither is willing to listen. They've both got everything figured out and everyone else is wrong in their view. Left-leaners, quit claiming the "high ground" as open-minded people. You aren't any more open than anyone else.

6. Liberals think that taxing the rich and corporations doesn't negatively affect the poor, but it absolutely does. Remember high-school economics and/or civics? When you write out the equation for Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the measure of how much money is in the economy in a given year, the term for all taxes is subtracted from the whole number. That is, any taxation subtracts from the whole economy. Period.

Taxing any segment of society (including corporations) means that those entities cannot spend as much on goods and services in the future. Therefore, the jobs that everyone enjoy, rich or poor, are compromised by lower overall spending. I believe that the "future" portion of this fact is not ever explained -- that taxing someone else sounds good, but ultimately that same tax will be a tax on you in near the future.

This is the most egregious form of lying currently used by the Obama camp. "I'll tax the rich." All that does is create a slanted playing field that gets smaller and smaller until both the rich and the poor are worse off than before. Of course, that's not said.

I could go on for days, but this is what I'm thinking about most in this election.

Hey Rosetta! Music Math

2008-10-27T19:29:00.003-05:00

= - fuzz bass + 18 years

Some things never get old

2008-10-27T19:21:00.002-05:00

This first aired on Sesame Street in 1969. My sister, in particular, knows this one...

Democrats fought regulation, Republicans wanted regulation

2008-09-30T12:26:00.003-05:00

Truly shocking video.

Democrats RIDICULING the regulator that blows the whistle on their cash cow!!!

How much cash? See this little clip!

Franklin Raines - $50 million in earnings from his four-year stint at Fannie Mae!

We have Sen. Chris Dodd (D) and Rep.Barney Frank (D) to thank for the banking mess

2008-09-28T21:30:00.004-05:00

OK, folks, let's unearth a little history that the mainstream media is skipping over to blame the Bush administration for failures at Fannie Mae and Fredie Mac. The part where Senator Christoper Dodd (D), chairman of the Senate banking committee, and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Rep. Barney Frank (D) got this whole ball rolling about six years ago with their active campaign to loan more money to people that wanted more money but didn't qualify forthat amount. This presumably directly benefitted their Northeastern districts more than others.

Senator Dodd wrote legislation in 2002 to relax the standards and Representatie Frank was right there with him, saying that we need more "affordable housing".

Barney Frank, in fact, denied President Bush's request for more independent Fannie Mae oversight in 2003, saying:

"These two entities—Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—are not facing any kind of financial crisis," said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. "The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing."

So, there we have it. Democrats who were there and pushed back on regulatory oversight of these two failed financial institutions. While there was still time.

So, how can these men now brow beat the President for not doing enough? They opposed him then when he spoke of the need, why the reversal now?

Is it because they'd rather lie and keep their jobs than clean things up? Probably.

To that end, I love Barney Frank's current press release:

The truth is when President Bush took office, and the Republicans controlled both houses of Congress, he did not make any progress on comprehensive legislation to reform the regulation of the Government Sponsored Enterprises. It was not until 2005, when the House, on a bipartisan basis, and over the President's objections finally passed a reform bill. It died in the Senate in part because the White House's failure to make it a priority.

Well, that's mighty noble of you, Barney, what with all of that bipartisan stuff that you're known for. Let's see, since you're taking credit for taking action there, I guess that you voted for that bill, didn't you? Let's see....nope, no you didn't. So, you're taking credit for an action that you fought against, and you're blaming the President for not taking the actions that you actively blocked.

Thanks for the banking scandals, Messrs. Dodd and Frank! You certainly know best.

US News

And, lest anyone should think that I'm a McMain McCain man...

2008-07-21T22:44:00.003-05:00

I dislike the recent advertising run by the McCain campaign on the price of gasoline.

"Pump" depicts Senator Obama and his liberal counterparts in congress as blocking potential solutions to relieve the rising cost of energy. In other words, to drill or not to drill? To subsidize or not to subsidize?

I know that Obama supporters will split hairs on Senator Obama's feelings on various solutions to defuse the specific tenets of this advertisement. Fine, do as you wish. The crticisms, while Obama lovers will cry about them, probably fit more than they don't, but every politician has his spin.

In truth, the brunt of this attack campaign should also be pointed back at Senator McCain. Not for his failure to champion any of the specific strategies mentioned, but rather because he is a part of the gridlock that has gripped our government for years. When congress can't claim any view longer than the current fiscal year, there's trouble a'brewin'. In other words, McCain's got no room to talk on this subject.

Pols should react when necessary, but I elect representatives in government to get out in front of these things. Is that too much to ask?

(By the way, I can't believe that I even wrote that McMain thing. I'd better get some sleep.)

Sigh. More Media bias. Admitted by the media themselves.

2008-07-21T22:02:00.002-05:00

First of all, let's just talk about the mass of coverage. Who's getting the good press?

CBS News reports a study by the Center for Excellence in Journalism (an academic organization recently separated from Columbia University) that shows the coverage gap to be significant:

In 77 percent of the stories, Obama played an important role, and 51 percent featured McCain.

"That's an edge," said [study author] Rosenthiel. "That is a big enough difference that it is an uneven playing field probably for McCain."

Secondly, this story about Senator McCain's travails with an Op-Ed piece written in response to Senator Obama's treatise on the Iraqi occupation in the NY Times has truly gotten attention from some writers with other media outlets, as follows:

LA Times writer Don Fredrick, on the NY Times defense of their rejection of McCain's writen piece:

Shipley may have been on slippery ground in touting the "new information" that Obama had provided; little leaps out in a rereading. Indeed, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee introduced several of his specifics with these phrases: "As I've said many times," and "As I have often said."

Obviously conservative writer Ross Balano of the Kansas City Star has this to say:

It should be noted that from 1995 until 1997 [NY Times Editor] Shipley was Special Assistant to the President and a Senior Presidential Speechwriter for Bill Clinton.

So, The Times reveals itself (as if there were any doubt) to be completely in the tank for Obama with the big three television networks.

Finally, about the recent overseas trip by Senator Obama to Afghanistan and Iraq (his FIRST):

Mr. Hounshell of Foriegn Policy has this to say:

A show of hands: Who remembers anything that happened during John McCain's travels to Colombia and Mexico?

Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

Well, I'd bet you have a good handle on what Barack Obama is up to this week. ...

His trip is getting major, wall-to-wall coverage...

Bias. Everyday, everyway! Whoo hoo! I love network wonks and idealistic journos choosing my president for me. It's much easier that way.

Read BOTH sides people. REALLY read. If you're already decided, you're probably woefully inadequately informed on the other candidate. READ. FOR YOURSELF.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS Swindle Update

2008-07-03T19:03:00.003-05:00

As you may recall, I have a Canon PowerShot S5 IS that has the "Lens Error, Restart Camera" or "E18 Error" defect.

Canon refused to repair it.

I called today to ask why Canon wouldn't repair the five-month-old camera, and I'll boil their position down to this: "It's not us, it you."

Canon, I will actively campaign against you. There are many ways, but I will create a stink big enough that you'll beg me to take a new camera from you. I will win.

It did feel good to smash the flawed PowerShot into shards of metal and plastic on my driveway this evening. At least I have that.

Shan Foster, former Vanderbilt Hoops Star, sings

2008-07-03T06:15:00.005-05:00

Shan: Great years at Vandy. OK singing.

However, you are in danger of not making the Dallas Mavericks roster. Concentrate on the ball, OK?

Just a suggestion.

Why is the San Francisco Chronicle talking about the Confederacy?

2008-06-29T02:06:00.003-05:00

Let a Southerner, a conservative or a pundit refer to the Confederacy as a voting block in public and the press would rip them to shreds.

Apparently, the San Francisco ~~Examiner~~ Chronicle, a liberal publication from one of the country's most liberal cities, can openly refer to the Confederacy as a place where Senator Obama can pick up some votes.

If the editorial were written by a Republican, the press would be all over him or her for "inflammatory and racist rhetoric".

Bias, people. You've got two media standards in this country -- one for liberals and one for conservatives.

Hard Eight Bar-B-Q Coppell, Texas

2008-06-28T11:44:00.006-05:00

One of the greatest things about my travels is absorbing the local flavor and color wherever I go. This week, I was treated to a great barbeque place in Coppell, Texas -- Hard Eight Bar-B-Q.

Right off the bat, the experience is a little different -- the line to get the food runs right past the HUGE grill that has all of the various meats (Texas smoked beef brisket, ribs, chicken, jalapeno sausage, smoked sausage, steaks and turkey) and numerous sides (potatoes, corn on the cob, onions, etc.). While you are standing over the grill, you order up what you want while a grillmaster cuts up the meat right there in front of you and puts it onto the scales to weigh. You get as little or as much as you want, you pay by weight. Walk inside to the salads and cold sides, get a glass of iced tea and pay when you've gone through the line. The beans and hot sauce are simmering in the dining room -- all you care to eat.

Wow, was it good! I had the Texas brisket, definitely the essence of Texas BBQ, with a few slices of the jalapeno saugage, some corn on the cob and a green salad. Top notch grub, I'll tell you now. Just feels good eating it. I wish that I'd gotten more of the sausage -- definitely a great flavor, and not really spicy-hot at all. Just a great smoky sausage with a complementary bite of the peppers. The brisket and sauce were very, very good, too. I would have liked a little more spice in the sauce, but it's still darn good. The meat was very tender and juicy for smoked brisket. Good stuff. The day that we were there they also had grilled shrimp which were also excellent.

I give the Hard 8 my hearty recommendation for those of you that visit the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Next time I go, I'm having some of the sirloin. Slow-cooked. Thick. With all the trimmings. I can't wait!!

One of the many victimized by the Canon e18 error

2008-06-23T16:21:00.005-05:00

I bought my wife a brand-new Canon Powershot S5 IS for Christmas this past year. I paid about $330 for it at Circuit City near where I live. It was fast and took much better photos than our smaller digital camera.

Five months later, the camera couldn't extend the lens fully and said "lens error, restart camera" in white lettering on an otherwise black LCD display. Restarting the camera resulted in the same partially extended lens that the same error message. A little online sleuthing revealed that this was a common error for Canon cameras, and it was formerly known as the e18 error.

I contacted Canon, and they asked me to send the camera into the repair center. About two days later, I got an e-mail stating that they would, upon initial inspection, fix it under warranty and send it back in about two weeks.

When I hadn't received the Canon Powershot S5 IS back in a little over three weeks, I tracked the repair online. I was shocked to learn that they claimed the the damage wasn't economically repairable and that it wasn't covered under warranty!!!

A phone call to them revealed that they claimed moisture damage caused this problem. Since I bought the camera in the winter months, I had barely even taken the camera outdoors, much less subjected it to anything resembling the pool or the beach. It's been indoors for all but one or two days of its life! If it does have moisture damage, I think that it's the most fragile camera I've ever owned and should only be operated in a dehumidified clean room.

I'm angry. And I think that I've got a reason to be.

After a little more online reading, I've come up with TONS of documentation on this widespread issue with Canon cameras. A small sampling of the 38,000 pages that Google can find with the words "e18 error":

http://www.e18error.com/ - This error is common enough to have its own website!
http://www.bitnet.cx/canon.html - A site that's logged over 5,200 individual instances of the lens error with Canon cameras.
Canon leaves camera customers in the dark from consumeraffairs.com
Digital Camera Disasters: Will Yours Get Fixed? from PCWorld.com

I'm planning to fight this.

The National Music Math

2008-06-20T14:40:00.008-05:00

= 0.7*+ 0.3*

This is the real Albert Gore, Jr.

2008-06-17T08:15:00.002-05:00

This editorial in the L.A. Times (I know, I know, can you believe that I'm quoting the stinkin' Los Angeles Times???) points out what I've said about Albert Gore, Jr. his entire political/public life: he's an opportunistic media hound that loves to be smugly superior in his "correctness".

Albert Gore, Jr. couldn't risk being wrong on the Democratic nominee, so he endorses Obama very, very late in the game, to the point of being irrelevant. I guess that being the Veep to Hillary Clinton's husband means nothing in this election? He has no loyalty to the people that elevated him from a Senatorial gig from an obscure Southern state like Tennessee.

You know, come to think of it, that's why the people of his claimed home state rejected him for president in 2000 -- he had no loyalty to us all of that time that he was in Washington. He was all about being condescending Mr. Smarty Pants and claiming to have invented the internet.

Mr. Malcolm, the author of the article, points to an even more scathing post from Joe Gandelman on a site called the Moderate Voice. Mr. Gandelman opines: "Perhaps one day someone will write a chapter about Al Gore in a new book titled 'Profiles In Uncourage.'”

People from other parts of the country often ask me two questions about Albert Gore, Jr.

Number One: Why didn't Tennesseans vote for fellow Tennessean Albert Gore, Jr. when it mattered?
My answer: He's not a Tennessean. He abandoned us when it mattered, and, truthfully, he spent his formative years in Washington, D.C. with his father while Albert Gore, Sr. was serving in the Senate. He continued into Georgetown University without missing a beat. He's a Tennessean in name only, and only when the name is convenient for him.

Number Two: Why do you always call Al Gore by his full name: Albert Gore, Jr.?
My answer: To distinguish him from his father, who was a great man in our country's history. Albert Gore, Sr. was a uniter, a man with friends on both sides of the aisle in Washington. A man with principles and a willingness to get things done. Albert Gore, Jr., on the other hand, is someone that is bitterly partisan and refuses to work on things the matter but have no political upside. In fact, I'll stretch that and say that the only reason that he does anything is to get the credit.

I'm glad that he's being exposed for who he really is.

Who does the media poll when they poll?

2008-06-16T11:22:00.004-05:00

According to NBC and CBS news, Mr. Obama is leading Mr. McCain in a preliminary poll, 49% to 46%, with a handful of undecided voters. A reasonable margin for presidential politics.

However, with a sample size of nearly a quarter of a million people, Strawpoll shows the opposite -- 55% for McCain and 45% for Obama. A huge sample size by polling standards and a huge margin by presidential election standards.

How do these people poll? To whom do they speak? Frightening. Democrats typically poll several points higher than election results, but this is a huge disparity.

Edit: As pointed out by Yonah, I didn't make this clear in the text: I think that neither of these poll examples are correct -- yet both sources would have you think that theirs is the one with validity. The fact that they come to completely different conclusions is what I find alarming.

Ahh.... Cincinnati Chili

2008-06-14T10:06:00.002-05:00

I was in Cincinnati this week. It's been a while, and I was travelling with someone who had never been to Cincinnati, so we headed to Syline Chili for lunch on Thursday.

It never disappoints. I love Cincinnati chili. It's such a treat.

I have mine four ways with onions. For those of you who are uninitiated, the "ways" break down like this:

Two-way: Chili over spaghetti.
Three-way: Chili over spaghetti topped with shredded cheese.
Four-way: Chili over spaghetti topped with shredded cheese and EITHER beans or onions.
Five-way: Chili over spaghetti topped with shredded cheese, beans and onions.

You eat it with a bib. What a beautiful lunch. I'd weigh 450 lbs. if I lived within 10 miles of a Skyline Chili or a GoldStar Chili.

Why would anyone re-elect this woman?

2008-06-03T07:19:00.002-05:00

This story about the financial ruin of a California Congresswoman made me wonder -- would anyone vote for her and, perhaps more importantly, why would would anyone vote for her?

According to the report (and this one), Rep. Laura Richardson, a California Democrat, defaulted on payments for all of her real estate holdings starting as far back as eight years ago, allowing her residence in Sacramento to fall into foreclosure. She's currently behind on the mortgages for two other properties in Southern California.

She blames her new job as Congresswoman, a divorce and the housing market in California for her troubles.

I say that the troubles are with the person staring back at her in the mirror.

First of all, how can a California Congresswoman(man) afford three homes in California? Answer: They can't unless they are independently wealthy from the start. Why would someone need three homes? Answer: he or she probably doesn't.

That begs the question: why extend yourself this far on credit that you can't repay? Answer: it takes arrogance or at least poor judgement. That's where I have the problem with anyone voting to re-elect this woman.

If she can't manage her own affairs, she certainly cannot manage the affairs of this country. No ifs ands or buts.

Don't men stand to let the ladies sit anymore?

2008-05-30T09:16:00.002-05:00

While in vacation in Chicago, I took that city's public transportation several times. I was the only one on the trams or the trains to give up my seat even for elderly ladies!! Is this practice dead? Am I the only one left?

I certainly hope not.

The perfect salsa

2008-05-19T12:25:00.002-05:00

Just in time for summer, here's my perfect salsa "recipe". Recipe is in quotes because you don't have to cook anything for this. You simply open up the jars and eat. That's my kind of cooking!!

Ingredients:

1 Jar Pace Mild or Medium Picante Sauce
1 Jar Mrs. Renfro's Green Salsa

Directions:
Pour a serving of Pace Picante Sauce into a serving bowl. Pour about 1/3 of that amount of Mrs. Renfro's green salsa into the middle of the bowl. DO NOT MIX. You will have a huge green spot in the middle of the red salsa. Serve with crispy, light tortilla chips, such as Santitas White Corn Tortilla Chips or, better yet, your locally made fresh tortilla chips.

With this arrangement, each consumer is able to scoop a little or a lot of the green salsa with the picante sauce according to taste. Perfect everytime!!

I know that it isn't "fashionable" to like a large brand salsa like Pace, but it's really very good. Great tomato, onion and pepper flavor with a hint of garlic and spice. The Mrs. Renfro's green salsa adds the heat with a strong jalapeno bite and a lot of complementary vegtable flavors.

I like the traditional picante sauces, you can go with the chunky stuff if you like.

I can eat a whole bag of chips at one sitting with this stuff. It is so freakin' good.

PS: If you are pouring over a dish, still keep the sauces separate until serving for customized heat for each person.

Escarleth goes home

2008-05-17T10:27:00.002-05:00

Escarleth Betancourt-Gutierrez is going home after a lengthy recovery here in Nashville.

Escarleth is a Honduran girl that suffers from scoliosis, curvature of the spine. Her condition was noticed by Dr. Jim Netterville while he was on his annual medical mission trip to El Pedregal, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. As a leading head and neck surgeon, Dr. Netterville uses his time in Honduras to treat people with disfiguring facial and neck tumors. He couldn't treat Escarleth, which weighed on his mind as he returned from the trip.

Back in Nashville, Dr. Netterville contacted a colleague at Vanderbilt Medical center, Dr. Gregory Mencio. Dr. Mencio has one of the most established practices in repairing spina bifida and scoliosis. Dr. Mencio agreed to perform the surgury for free, and the Vanderbilt University hospital waived many of the normal fees. The remainder of the costs were born by member donations from our church at Harpeth Hills.

Her back is now much straighter due to the stainless steel rods inserted in her spine, and her recovery was good.

I am grateful to have a great example like Dr. Netterville. Lead on, brothah!!

Franktown Rocks Basketball Game!

2008-04-21T19:54:00.002-05:00

Well, FranktownRocks.com went down for further development after running live for only a few hours. Apparently, the traffic was good and they've got a few things to work out before going live again.

In the meantime, check out the new Franktown Hoops game. This is a pretty good score, can you beat it?

President Carter -- Duped into being a pawn again

2008-04-21T08:09:00.003-05:00

Poor President Carter. He's announcing that Hamas will accept peace if the so-called Palestinians will accept the terms offered by Israel.

Is this really progress? I think not.

Hamas and the "Palestinians" are very closely aligned. Thus, their saying that they will accept if the "Palestinians" accept the terms can be self fulfilling -- if they like the terms, they can pressure Aboud to accept them, if they don't, they can pressure Aboud to dismiss them.

Pretty simple. And they get President Carter to make them seem like the good guys.

Poor Jimmy Carter. Naive and getting more gullible as he gets older.

Franktown Rocks Launches Today!!

2008-04-17T08:27:00.004-05:00

Today is the day, sign up for Franktown Rocks! Again, this is a kid's site with music and games. Online music lessons, Flash games and funny characters! Rob promises a new game every month!

You make the call: Embarassing or Dignified

2008-04-09T20:08:00.007-05:00

In AOL's recent NCAA Tounament Alumni Roll Call, I culled these two examples of graduates from individual universities in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

First, Marquette University.

Then, Vanderbilt University.

I know which one I favor. And not just because I went to Vandy, either. That Lesko guy is creepy. With a capital question mark.

Quite possibly the funniest dog picture ever

2008-04-05T11:05:00.001-05:00

More at faildogs.com

Our friends at Franktown Rocks are at it again!

2008-04-04T20:57:00.003-05:00

Beat this score at the Picnic Defender game.

It ain't easy, I'll tell you.

Fail Dogs

2008-04-04T16:25:00.001-05:00

This is a new website, I think.

Very funny pictures of dogs NOT doing as they are expected.

Click here for Faildogs.com

Apple Notebook Hacked in under Two Minutes!!

2008-03-28T09:19:00.002-05:00

Apple has long bragged that their operating system and programs are much more secure than Windows.

Not anymore.

Yes, my Windows XP machines may need security and anti-malware software packages, but at least it takes longer than 120 seconds to access my information.

Things that make you go hmmm.....

There's always Room in the Inn

2008-03-28T08:25:00.002-05:00

Another night last night serving our visitors from the Nashville Campus for Human Development.

It's just caring for 14 men for a single night. But there's something very satisfying about giving them a place to sleep where they won't be ripped off, a hot shower, a chance do do some laundry and sharing a hot meal or two with them.

My favorite is cooking a big breakfast for them before they load into the van at 6:00 am to go to work or school that morning. They rarely get a hot breakfast -- mostly just cereal and donuts. My friends and I make eggs, grits (duh), sausage and toast (biscuits are a little too much work at 5 am). Fourteen men make short work of four dozen eggs, four pounds of sausage, a pound of grits and three loaves of Texas toast!

The children help to set up the bedding, set the tables, prepare the showers with clean towels and soap, and serve the men their beverages. They love it!

The ladies generally cook dinner, but if Mark's in the kitchen everybody else just stays out of his way.

An evening well-spent.

The 1924 Nashville City Phone Directory!

2008-03-26T16:01:00.002-05:00

You never know what you'll find on the internet!

Click here if you want to take a look at the entire 1924 Nashville phone directory.

There are other cities posted -- click through to see if your town is there!

I like this approach and slogan

2008-03-26T10:35:00.003-05:00

I'm not 100% sure that I agree with the AARP on everything that they've rolled into this campaign because I've yet to read all of their ideas, but I definitely love their slogan and the logo that they've created.

Generally, I run conservative, but really I'm a Libertarian at heart. Someone that believes that government should generally shut up and get the heck out of the way. I, for the most part, believe that government should use my/our money to protect our borders, keep the peace and maintain common infrastructure and little more.

All of the partisan bickering and grandstanding is wasting time, effort and funds that we need to apply to the issues at hand -- because they aren't going away without action. And, for the record, Nancy Pelosi's whining and Lindsey Graham's introducing symbolic bills and resolutions to prove points isn't getting anything done.

Both parties have problems. Both sides of the aisle are at fault. Let's find something that works.

That current way isn't working.

Ling Ling Pot Stickers Rock!

2008-03-25T20:16:00.005-05:00

This is one of those "Dad's cooking tonight" meals that the kids and I love.

Ling Ling potstickers (with the included dipping sauce), sticky Asian rice and a green veggie on the side, typically steamed broccoli.

They come frozen in a huge package; we eat half the package at an average dinner. The best part -- they are done in ten minutes! My daughter can practically eat her weight in them. My son can eat his weight in just about anything, and these are no exception.

We had them tonight. Mom's got to get some more at Costco on the next trip!!

Even More evidence of media bias

2008-03-18T08:03:00.003-05:00

This story about former Governor of New Jersey, Jim McGreevy, as tawdry as it is, doesn't mention his party affiliation.

An acrimonious divorce, kinky sex, lying under oath, homosexuality, creating sham jobs for his homosexual lovers and embezzling state money for pleasure trips is apparently too hot for the journalists. They couldn't possibly mention that he was a DEMOCRAT. Party affiliation isn't mentioned ONCE.

People, Gov. McGreevey ADMITTED these things. Yet he gets a PASS from the press. Larry Craig was ALLEGED to approach someone in an awkward situation for sex ONE TIME and the Republican party affiliation is mentioned in the opening!!! And this is from FOX NEWS, supposedly the most right-leaning network!

Oy. My head hurts.

Win a New Toughbook CF-52!!!

2008-03-17T20:00:00.005-05:00

One of my Panasonic Toughbook dealers is running a great promotion on the relatively new Toughbook CF-52 15.4" wide-screen semi-rugged notebook.

I think that the video is a bit risque, but, if you identify the ten references to 52 in the short, you can win a seriously great portable computer.

Of course, you can also win $5200. Not bad for a few minutes of work!

Yawn. This is news?

2008-03-16T20:41:00.002-05:00

Really, honestly, I don't care about some politician's tawdry prostitute.

I don't care what she looks like.

I don't care what her name is.

I don't care what she wants to be.

I don't care if she thinks it's all unfair.

Why is this story in the news? Are people that nosy? Is this what selling newspapers has come to?

Very sad. Very sad.

Franktown Rocks Pizza Game!

2008-03-14T14:25:00.005-05:00

Our friend Rob is at it again! He's released the preliminary version of the Franktown Rocks pizza making game!

You can get a "job" at Rolf's Pizza Parlor just by clicking here. Once you're making pizzas, you have to keep up with the customer demands or you can get fired! That means no burnt pizzas, no pizzas with the wrong ingredients and certainly no slacking!

By the way, Rob is a Christian, and he's planning to work those themes into his kid's site. Since he will be accepting sponsorships from companies, he's going to be a little limited in what he can put on the site, but all of the activities are based opon living the right way. Since music will play a large role in this imaginary town, he will be selecting Christian artists and uplifting music rather than the typical pop music fare.

Have fun!

More Media Bias

2008-03-11T07:52:00.002-05:00

The unfortunate case of New York governor Elliot Spitzer points out another case of media bias.

When a Republican in office is exposed for scandalous behavior, the headlines read "Republican Senator in Trouble" -- a smear on the whole party. However, when a Democrat, like Gov. Spitzer, is embroiled in scandal, he stands alone. The headlines read, as in the referenced article, "Is scandal enough to sink Spitzer for good?".

I might also quible about the wording a little; this headline is simply a question, not a condemnation. Compare that with "Idaho Senator Larry Craig Busted in a Gay Sex Sting". Certainly more inflamatory.

Bias. The media leans left. Always remember that.

Hidden Talents

2008-03-08T15:41:00.003-06:00

Jim Knight, a friend of mine from church, has always been a person of hidden talents. He's a recently retired airline pilot, flying mostly DC-10's for FedEx for many years. His chosen vocation has allowed him ample time to pursue a number of interests -- he spent months in the hurricane Katrina relief effort, and he's restored his share of cars and Cushman minibikes. Additionally, our congregation's music leader, a perfectionist of sorts, gives Jim this high praise about his singing abilities: "Jim has a habit of actually reading the music and actually singing it as it is written."

But I had no idea that he was also an author of an authoritative work on American gangsters of the 1930's. Sometimes it takes a newspaper man to bring these things out!

See pics of his car below. Click to enlarge.

The Raveonettes

2008-03-06T15:27:00.004-06:00

The Raveonettes. Denmark's answer to our own White Stripes, in a way. At least on the surface since they are a rock-n-roll man/woman duo playing very sparsely arranged music.

I suppose the comparison should end there, since the Raveonettes seem more influenced by shoe gazers My Bloody Valentine and Lush than anything closely resembling the White Stripes. Additionally, it is the female half of the duo providing the vocals here.

I like them.

If you like feedback, distorted guitars and languid, even halting delivery, the Raveonettes are for you. Check out their recent record, Lust Lust Lust -- it's a keeper.

Watching the History Channel - Old Testament Edition

2008-03-02T21:46:00.003-06:00

Most of the "extra" (apochryphal) stories that provide some color behind the Old Testament I know a little about. For instance, Bel and the Dragon that illuminates the tradition of Daniel, for example, I've heard different arguments about. In truth, it doesn't contradict the story of Daniel, it simply provides more of the same types of stories about Daniel's resistance of the Sumarian (Babylonian) culture of idol worship. OK, whatever.

However, I'd never heard the Lilith story -- Lilith the first wife of Adam.

Apparently, the story goes that she was made from dust as was Adam -- and becuase of her equality, she and Adam didn't get along. In a rage, she spoke the name of God (the Jewish Yaweh) and was immediately drawn up into heaven. Forever cursed since she refused to return to Adam, Lilith then becomes an evil spiritual being blamed for everything from infant deaths to male infidelity.

Seems a little far-fetched. But, some of the Bible is that way.

Of course, this isn't the Bible.

How to fight aging? Be born on Leap Day!

2008-02-29T07:44:00.003-06:00

This is a quick shout out to my nephew, Alex, who was actually born on February 29. He's actually eight today, but this is just his second actual birthday.

Happy Birthday, Alex! Two or eight, take your pick.

P.S. When he's 56 and he has the option of being 14, that's when the advantage will hit home...

Will Ferrell K.O.'s Bill Walton at H.O.R.S.E.

2008-02-27T15:43:00.002-06:00

Great to see Bill Walton lose...

Laptop Explodes at LAX!

2008-02-22T20:08:00.002-06:00

A video that appears to show a laptop computer exploding at LAX airport has surfaced from the depths of the internet.

I happen to work for a laptop computer maker, one that has never made an exploding notebook. I can't really make too much of this since this specific laptop looks to be ancient -- I'll guess it to be at least five years old. From the video, it's difficult to tell who the manufacturer was.

My guess -- Compaq.

Williamson County again ranks among the richest in the country

2008-02-22T19:51:00.005-06:00

It's simply a quirk of how the county lines are drawn, but Williamson County again ranks among the top counties in per household income.

Sixteenth. Williamson County ranks number sixteen after counties mostly in the Washington, D.C. area and in the New Jersey suburbs.

It does have its benefits -- our tax base is able to pay for some great amenities and great schools. We are indeed blessed.

Franktown Rocks is coming!!

2008-02-21T18:16:00.003-06:00

After years of developing websites and music for businesses, Rob and Deb, some friends of ours here in Franklin (by way of Minnesota) have gone on their own and developed a website for kids that features a "rock n' roll" theme.

They will soon be online and ready for gaming!

As friends and neighbors, we (and by "we" I mean my daughter) have played the delta version of the site, and I must say that I'm impressed. The instruments sound great, and you can really play music if you get the hang of it. On top of that, you can play music from the music bar, and the town is pretty well stocked with stuff to do.

http://www.franktownrocks.com/

(Personally, I think that I'll be a bear. Skunks, pigs and hamsters? I don't think so.)

Just to prove my point...

2008-02-20T19:39:00.002-06:00

Mrs. Clinton has once again trumped up something against Senator Obama because she's behind and she's desperate.

As I've said before: she's showing her true colors: she'll do anything to get elected.

How to earn EASY money? Retire from the NBA

2008-02-20T11:23:00.003-06:00

I'm NOT talking about how NBA players banked cash while they were playing, nor am I taking about the likely generous NBA pension.

I'm talking about Keith Van Horn, a player that hasn't played in over a year, signing a $4.3 million contract to "play" in New Jersey -- and his contract expires in June.

Why would he make all that money for NOT playing?

Because the NBA collective bargaining aggrement stipulates that NBA trades must "balance" in salaries and cap space. So, to allow the New Jersey Nets to trade the ultra-high-earning star point guard Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks, the Mavs had to cough up equally high salaries to offset his contract. Even after throwing in a few others, the Mavericks had to sign Van Horn to an absurd contract and put him on a plane to New Jersey just so the Nets could cut him.

I want Van Horn money. That's for sure.

Rational, thinking people, those Democrats

2008-02-19T19:59:00.004-06:00

Evil GOP Bastards.

Yes, I certainly want to throw in with these jerks.

Could they be any more childish and pedantic?

Honestly, I vote for the right candidate without regard for party, but when I see stuff like this, I want to vote against their smug, holier-than-thou, "obviously we know best" attitude. They are obviously NOT interested in debate, nor are they "OPEN MINDED" about any other point of view.

Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton is electioneering again

2008-02-19T19:28:00.005-06:00

Mrs. Clinton denies originating and/or emphasizing the current flap over "plagiarism" of speech lines originally from Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts that found their way into a speech given by Barack Obama.

Her nose is growing. She and her campaign have been beating this drum for days.

You see, Hillary Rodham Clinton doesn't care what she has to do to get elected; she just needs to get elected. Her tactics willingly include lying and using a wedge issue like this.

You see, you can't use wedge issues when you negotiate with other heads of state. You can't lie about what you've done when the world is watching.

Toshiba loses another battle in the tech world

2008-02-19T12:33:00.002-06:00

Toshiba gave up on their dream of owning the technology that will supercede the conventional DVD format. Their HD DVD was more backward compatible and perhaps more reliable than the rival Blu-Ray DVD from Sony, but the Sony technology was superior in performance and had the market connections to make some very desirable titles available ONLY in Blu-Ray. The later ultimately made the difference when Warner joined the Blu-Ray-only distribution network, thereby killing the HD DVD.

By ceasing all production at the end of their fiscal year (March 2008), Toshiba is taking a huge loss and stranding some customers much as it happened with Sony Betamax video cassette users in the 1980's.

Well, now I can go out and buy an HD DVD player....

The number one reason that I fly Southwest.

2008-02-09T09:04:00.001-06:00

The government released the air travel statistics for the 2007 calendar year. Southwest ranks third in on-time flights behind Aloha Air and Hawaiian Airlines, two airlines that I don't get to fly very often (eye roll). This puts Southwest as the number one "national" carrier (Southwest is not truly national -- they do not fly to some major airports).

For the record, the number two reason that I fly Southwest is that their pricing policies are realistic -- they show the fares available for all flights an all potential routes on their website, and changing routes later doesn't require "change fees" and last-minute fare gouging. If a cheap fare is still available on the selected flight, you get it. You are simply charged the difference between your previous fare and the new fare, if any. Reasonable. Easy to understand.

Fly Southwest. You'll be glad that you did.

The Worst Gadgets

2008-01-29T11:35:00.000-06:00

My goodness, my goodness. Just when you thought that things couldn't possibly be worse than a robotic rubber monkey head, you're proven wrong.

There are some real doozies in this list, but my favorite has to be the USB Audio Turntable. And, I still have quite the collection of vinyl to convert! It's something akin to using a 100 dpi scanner to preserve the nuances of the Mona Lisa to me. Useless.

Frozen Head in Fall 2007

2008-01-27T21:33:00.001-06:00

Frozen Head,
originally uploaded by Michael Hodge.

Michael Hodge has some great photos of Frozen Head State Park and environs (near LIberty, Tennessee), including a number of incredible close-up shots of flora and fauna of the area.

Great viewing, and thanks for sharing, Michael!!

Reklame Saab 900 Turbo (1980)

2008-01-26T21:43:00.001-06:00

Reklame Saab 900 Turbo (1980),
originally uploaded by jens.lilienthal.

This is the coolest Saab 900 Brochure ever.

Check the color of the car!!

The Lane Motor Museum, Nashville

2008-01-26T21:23:00.000-06:00

I've only recently become aware of Mr. Lane's collection on display right here in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.

Over 200 cars, most of them rare and European. For example, the Lane Motor Museum has the largest collection of Czech-built cars outside of Europe! A few Saabs in there for good measure, and I really love those old Citroëns.

He has a few interesting prototypes that certainly have some history, and a propeller-driven car built in France in the 1920's!

I'm going to have to pay Mr. Lane a visit very, very soon!!

If liking this is wrong, I don't want to be right

2008-01-23T12:55:00.000-06:00

Apparently, a few miscreants out street racing with stollen stuff in their cars are not getting their vehicles back -- a judge ordered them crushed.

I've never seen so much rice squeezed in my life! I love it!

When they say it tastes bad, you'd better listen

2008-01-21T09:05:00.000-06:00

I've had a minor chest cold that simply will not leave me. Normally, I'll take the Robitussin original or the generic equivalent. The primary medication is Guaifenesin, an expectorant that has been in use for years.

Well, Publix was out of my normal brand when I stopped in last week. However, they had another brand, Buckley's, that I had never used, but figured that it was the same thing; after all, it was 100mg of Guaifenesin per dose just as I was used to with the other stuff.

Wrong.

Buckley's tastes like menthol fish oil with a dash of red pepper and a hint of Pine-Sol. It is awful; that cough syrup has one of the worst tastes that I've ever even dreamed of. It's so bad that the Buckley's people are actually proud of it.

Just two words: never again.

The Southeastern Conference - the premier college football conference

2008-01-08T16:18:00.000-06:00

Pat Forde is pretty opinionated, but, boy, this column has to hurt Ohio State and Big Ten fans.

He rips OSU for their cushy schedule -- I guess the Bog Ten ain't what it used to be. He also gives them grief for being unable to beat SEC teams in the post season:

If you've ever seen lions maul a water buffalo, you've seen the last two title games. You've seen a fierce pair of SEC teams -- Florida last year, LSU this year -- blow the vulnerable Buckeyes back to the Bratwurst Belt by a combined 41 points. You've seen the best of one league flex, and the best of an inferior league collapse.

In a final insult, he adds this little gem to his screed:

And he [Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel] should know not to bring that weak Big Ten stuff back to the BCS National Championship Game again next year.

Ouch.

The chilliest Internet fun going!!

2007-12-27T07:45:00.001-06:00

Chilly Willy! Great cartoons. My daughter got a toy penguin for Christmas and dubbed it 'Chilly'. Of course, she was completely unaware that Chilly Willy even existed!

I turned to the Internet (What did we do without it? It boggles the mind.) and discovered a great Chilly Willy site with all of the old Chilly Willy cartoons posted for download! Click on chillywillyfan.com to see for yourself!

I suggest "I'm Cold" and my daughter likes "Half Baked Alaska" because Chilly Willy is cute ordering the pancakes ("uh-huh, more butter", "uh-huh, more syrup").

Enjoy!

One of the best deals on the internet

2007-12-26T19:52:00.000-06:00

If you wear neckwear and haven't tried the Tie Bar, you should.

Have you, like me, ever wondered why such a small amount of silk and backing fabric should cost $50 or $100 in a department store? If you have, these guys are a breath of fresh air. No frills, just great ties.

The quality is unbelievable, better than some ties that I've paid over five or six times what they charge for theirs. However, they stick to their guns, and they only ask $15 for a 'regular' size, and $20 for an 'extra-long' tie (that's the one that I get).

A flat $5 for shipping for your entire order, no matter how many ties, and you get them in about three days. Such a great deal that I can't believe that they aren't inundated with orders.

Kudos. A great quality product at a great price. Try them and see!

Close to Home - really.

2007-12-23T20:20:00.000-06:00

We threatened (good naturedly, of course) one of my neighbors with similar fate when he began to circulate at the street Christmas party with some faux mistletoe.

Old-school fun foods that are surprisingly good

2007-12-20T11:14:00.000-06:00

I'm a man of simple pleasures for the most part -- some eggs and a little grits, I'm happy.

Here are a few of the fun snack foods that I've recently become reacquainted with recently that are still pretty darn good, even with fancier competition:

- Nabisco Nilla-brand vanilla wafers. Wholesome cookie goodness. Far from being a 'plain' flavor, vanilla is really pretty good. And, I like the texture, too.

Aside: A former Tennessee governor, Ned Ray McWhorter, used the phrase, "Just give me a cup of coffee and two vanilla wafers and I'll go to work for Tennessee" as his campaign slogan. Really.

- Necco Wafers. These little not-too-sweet discs of chalky candy are very good, too. Subtle.

- The original Reese's peanut butter cups. Why do they persist with the different configurations of the cup (dark chocolate, white chocolate, etc.) and different candy bars? So many kinds. What's wrong with the original?

- Raisins. I really like the golden raisins, but the regular ones are good, too. They keep jazzing them up with Craisins, dried fruit mixes, etc., but regular raisins are just plain good.

- Carmel apples. With a really tart Granny Smith apple. Messy, but who cares? It's good.

- Cheap fruitcake. I really like fruitacke. I'm probably the only one that you'll ever meet that won't make fun of fruitcake at Christmas time. I'm a Claxton-brand man, but others are good, too.

- Charleston Chew. This candy bar rocks, and the minis are even better. Chewy and vanilla/chocolate goodness.

- Original Fritos. I don't need no stinkin' Fritos with cheese or ranch or barbeque flavor. Just the original. You know, the ones that the Frito Bandito sang about.

- Hot Tamale candy. These cinnamon jelly beans rock! As a special treat on long road trips, I get the kids the fruity relation, Mike & Ike.

So, if the hunger pangs are "stickin' like duct tape", then give one of these a whirl. You'll be glad that you did.

Christmas Mythbusters

2007-12-19T17:26:00.000-06:00

Andy and I have "discussed" (quotes because it's all e-mail/blogger stuff) about the traditional Christmas views and how I'm different than most Christians -- Christmas to me is a completely secular deal. Every day is Easter, every day is Christmas, so the special holiday stuff is just that -- special holiday stuff. No more, no less. I still enjoy Christmas, it's just all about the fun.

There are a number of myths and misconceptions surrounding Christmas, and here are a few. I'll bet that you didn't know at least a few of these.

- The song "We Three Kings" is full of baloney. First of all, they are known as "wise men" in the Bible, and they probably worked for a king, but they weren't kings. They were astrologers who used the stars to guide the ruler with whom they associated. Secondly, we haven't a clue as to how many "wise men" actually visited the baby Jesus; we only know that there were more than one (plural) and that they brought three gifts: gold, frankensence and myrrh.

- The concept of three wise men in a nativity scene is in error. The Bible says that the wise men first consulted with Herod in Jerusalem (three days on foot) asking where Jesus had (already) been born (Matt. 2:1), then saw Jesus "in the house" (Matt. 2:10). Jesus wasn't born in a house, he was born somewhere with a manger. Therefore, these men came sometime after the birth -- at least a number of days, so they weren't at the birth scene with the manger, etc. And, again, there is no Biblical nor historic reference indicating that there were exactly three wise men (see above).

- A wooden shed as a stable and a wooden manger are likely in error, too. This one isn't for certain by any means, but the custom in that time and in modern times in Judea is to use a cave below the city to keep livestock. The shepherd would gather the sheep into the cave and lay down to sleep across the opening to ensure that the sheep wouldn't get out. Likewise, the manger was usually a crude trough made of stacked stones near the entrance to the cave.

- Jesus was not born on December 25, A.D 1. Of course, this one is a biggie for some folks. It's not hugely important to know the exact date, but the time was likely in the early autumn, for a couple of reasons: 1. The shepherds were still in the fields, which they wouldn't have usually been in December, and 2. from Luke 2:1-2 we know that Jesus was born during the first census taken by Quirinius, and a winter census would have been a real hardship for travel during the rainy winter months. About the year: the Romans were good record keepers, and that census was likely taken in 4 B.C. I say 'likely', because there is a little doubt about how our modern calendar and the Roman calendar match up. To further drive this point home, we also know that Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., and he certainly was alive when Jesus was born (Matt. 2:1-3).

- The wise men are likely of the same ethnicity. Many nativity scenes depict the wise men of three varying ethnicities. However, there is evidence to the contrary. First of all, the Bible records that they "from the East" (Matt. 2:1). A single direction. Secondly, the Bible records that "they returned to their country by another route" (Matt. 2:12). A single country. It certainly is possible that they were of different origin and living in the same place, but it isn't likely, especially given that they were likely high-ranking advisors to their king.

- Silent Night - NOT! We know that the birth process ain't no box of chocolates for the mothers among us, and presumably, since Jesus was born a man just like us, there was some discomfort involved. Strike one. Second, the town of Bethlehem was crowded -- remember the lack of room in the inn? There were people everywhere camping out, etc. Strike two. Then, the angels get in on the act, singing praises and bringing the shepards to see Jesus (Luke 2:13-20). The shepards start spreading the word, too! Strike three. It wasn't a very silent night, no siree Bob.

There are other misconceptions, but these are the ones that I always marvel at -- do people really read their Bibles? Really?

Ten car stunts that you should NEVER try at home

2007-12-19T12:54:00.000-06:00

When you get drunken Canadians around the winter beater during the week and a half of summer that they get in the Great White North, some pretty bizarre things happen.

Click the link on the title for ten of the most You Tube -able moments in automotive stupidity.

Warning: seriously crude language.

Enjoy!

Coffee, tea or a dead passenger?: this one hits close to home

2007-12-19T07:42:00.000-06:00

How did I miss this one earlier this year?

It seems that a top-level British Airways frequent flyer awoke from a nap on a British Airways fright from India to discover that flight attendants were seating a woman who had died in the economy cabin minutes earlier beside him.

Get this: when he protested, the attendants told him to "Get over it."

Boy, that certainly puts the stiff in the British upper lip, eh?

This is very true.

2007-12-12T15:56:00.000-06:00

I do not know why the fashion industry insists on ultra-thin women. It simply isn't realistic nor is it particularly attractive.

I was surprised that this article quoted that 80% of men favored "voluptuous" women, but I'm not surprised that preference is a majority.

Michael Vick deserves punishment, but 2 years??!

2007-12-10T14:00:00.000-06:00

This sentence is way too harsh. Two years -- some people doing really nasty things like selling drugs or cheating people out of their lifesavings don't get jail time. This is insane, if you ask me.

A hefty fine plus six months and community service. That's more in line, I think.

Perhaps he knows that he'll get out in a few months. I hope so.

Predators vs. Ducks: We win!!!

2007-12-09T14:47:00.000-06:00

My son and I were able to use some tickets from our neighbors that couldn't go to the hickey game last nigt (thanks, Ray!). The Predators beat the defending champions, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 4-2.

The win was great, but, perhaps even better, we witnessed a singular accomplishment: Jordin Tootoo notched his second career Gordie Howe Hat Trick (a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game). Jordin Tootoo is a very popular player with the Nashville Predators and has been since he was drafted in the amateur draft six years ago. In part because he was and continues to be the only Inuit player in the history of the NHL, and he's an exciting player to watch -- he hits often and hits hard.

Jerred Smithson added a short-handed goal in the final period to ice the win. Go Preds!!

Ewww. Warning!

2007-12-09T12:20:00.001-06:00

As a FREQUENT hotel guest, I rarely touch anything in the room if I can get around it.

This is just one more reason why. Use the plastic cups. Period.

Gen-Y: What an annoying bunch of whiners

2007-12-08T09:28:00.000-06:00

They demand things on their terms. They resist teamwork if it involves discomfort. They insist that they aren't wrong, continuing to argue well past the time to realize that they need to shut their mouths. If they aren't spoon-fed, they won't take action on anything.

Generation Y drives me crazy.

In the past week, I've encountered three separate episodes of egregiously bad Gen-Y behavior, and I've pretty much had it. I refuse to continue to coddle these children that have been coddled their whole lives and continue to act like spoiled brats well into young adulthood.

The first episode involved a work-related he-said, she-said scenario between two people that are in support roles in a company affiliated with mine. One Gen-Yer insisted that she was prompt and absolutely correct, while the other Gen-Y wonk was hung up on a deadline that had supposedly passed without the "correct" action. Well, I had information that showed that our female participant had indeed done the right thing in timely fashion -- her male counterpart was wrong. It was no big deal, I didn't even comment actively -- I just forwarded a previous e-mail from our customer with the note "FYI" to both of them. I checked the item off my list, thinking that the paperwork should go through, no problems. Except that Mr. Gen Y was all pouty and refused to cooperate. When he forced me to call someone else there to get things moving, he then blamed me for being difficult to work with!

Score: Stubborn refusal to admit fault, petualant lack of cooperation, finger-pointing.

The second was clearer cut -- a college student in a class that my wife is teaching actually reported my wife (a teaching assistant while she's earning a graduate degree) to the course professor because she wouldn't accept an assignment a week after the due date. Because of the nature of the assignment, it was to be submitted in print form (most of their assignments are submitted online). On the due date, the student claimed that the assignment was "on my thumb drive" yet had some trouble printing it out. Wanting to be reasonable, my wife gave the student the remainder of the day (about 4 hours) to submit the work, even referring him to the department technical support staff to help with the printing issue. Of course, a week later, the student had yet to turn the assignment in, so that was that. However, the student reported my wife, saying that he had "disrespected" him by disallowing the tardy assignment, saying that he was "too busy" that day to print out the requirement.

Score: Unwilling to work for achievement, expectation of special treatment, refusal to accept responsibility for his own actions.

Finally, another one that really kills me -- the know-it-all. I'll accept that in my youth, I was something like this, but I generally knew where my knowledge was and wasn't. That is, I didn't argue about things with people that obviously knew more than I did. Well, in this case, a kid born in the 1980's wieghed in with a strong opinion of the political landscape in that same decade -- when he was a toddler. And he chose to debate two men that were in their twenties and thirties during that same span. Spouting ascerbic rhetoric, he instantly claimed that he didn't approve of this person and that group, etc. Meanwhile, I was incredulous. I simply couldn't believe the arrogance and brazen condescension. Obviously, we didnt know a thing about the 1980's; he was going to tell us. Unbelievable.

Score: Arrogance, moral superiority, using opinion as fact, refusing to listen to others.

Spare the rod and spoil the child. That's pretty wise. I really wish that boomers had heeded that advice.

Great Work, John and Wayne!!

2007-12-07T07:38:00.000-06:00

John and I have known each other for some time -- I first met him about 20 years ago. He knew my sister while they were in college together, and I met him during that time. Fast forward about 12 years, and we found ourselves attending the same church and getting to know each other better. John and I have a lot in common.

We've since moved to a different congregation, but I still talk to John on a regular basis -- he and I had a Friday morning Bible study together for two or three years along with five or six other guys. Great stuff.

Now John and his co-founder, Wayne Howell, are coordinating a great mission in our small town of Franklin, Tennessee called Franktown Open Hearts. They've got a great website designed by some other good friends of ours, Rob and Deb.

Allen Gentry gives a great video testamonial on the site. For those of you outside our community, Allen is a well-known local man that I like to call the "unofficial mayor of Franklin" because everyone knows either him and or his father. They are fifth-generation farmers on the same land just outside of town. Each fall, they open their farm to local families with animals, games, pumpkin patch, etc. during the fall season and he hosts a children's day camp on the banks of the Harpeth River during the summer months. Allen and his family are leaders in the community and in the same church that John attends and that we formerly attended. His video is sincere and from the heart, I assure you.

Great stuff, John and Wayne! You have my support.

Jason Whitlock makes some sense...

2007-12-06T07:33:00.000-06:00

Jason Whitlock is a sports columnist. A pretty good one.

He's got an opinion about the deaths of a few of our famous athletes this year.

I don't agree with his rhetoric necessarily, but I do agree with the double standard that he's pointed out.

It's time for someone to stand up and change this culture of violence.

Music Math, lesson 2

2007-12-05T13:09:00.000-06:00

= 3/4* + 1/4*

Music Math, lesson 1

2007-12-05T12:45:00.000-06:00

= +

My eight-year-old daughter, the knee surgeon

2007-12-04T14:04:00.000-06:00

Like most cyber-savvy girls, my eight-year-old daughter is into Club Penguin, Webkinz, Barbie.com and CartoonNetwork.com. But, my wife and I knew that she was onto something different when we recently asked her what she was doing online, and she answered matter-of-factly, "I'm doing knee surgery." What??

Turns out that it was true. She had clicked on a link on one of the other sites (I think that it was the Yahoo! Kids page), and she was ready to operate!

Check it out here.

If we can keep her interested long enough for medical school...

Not liking today, December 2

2007-12-02T14:35:00.000-06:00

Today is one of my least favorite days of the year. Some folks don't like tax day, others aren't too keen on annual visits to the dentist. For me, the day that we drag out all the Christmas decorations is no fun.

Why? Because I don't particularly care for the look of Christmas, and I view the trappings as unnecessary detritus that will simply be in the way for a few weeks and will require a lot of storage effort later. It's always much too stressful; everyone fusses and fights about what to display and where it should go. I'd really just rather watch football.

To top it all off, my religious tradition does not attach any special significance to Christmas. To us it's simply a secular holiday, and that's fine by me. The Bible says absolutely nothing about celebrating Jesus's birth, and Christmas is really a man-made holiday with traditions built upon Northern European pagan winter solstice rituals, so I think that we are on solid ground here. Therefore, I don't even get that win in the Christmas season. In fact, "Remember the reason for the season" slogans just remind me that the Norse were too superstitious to allow the solstice to go by without a collection of fertility symbols (fir and mistletoe, two plants that are still green at that time of year, and a winter father figure bringing the gift of spring) in their homes and on their person, nothing more.

(By the way, Easter is the real Christian major holiday in my view. We are commanded to celebrate Christ's resurrection every day, so in that way, Easter is a day like any other. However, we know the exact date of the resurrection from Biblical writings, so I'm good with special emphasis on that day each year.)

So, Merry Yuletide. Or whatever you celebrate. I'll have fun with the kids, but I wish that we could compact the whole thing into a couple of days. That's just my take.

Just so everyone knows that it isn't just Americans....

2007-11-16T08:16:00.000-06:00

A few Russian doomsday nutcases have holed themselves up in a cave in central Russia. Something akin to what we in the US hear from time to time from places like Montana or Idaho. Sad, really.

These people are claiming Christianity as their cause, and many of our own end-of-the-world cults do, too. I've always wondered why they think that they are exempt from the statement: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Mark 13:32 (NIV) If they are true believers, they should know that they are clueless about the end of the world, and they are commanded to "keep watch" as a faithful servant. I don't call quiting life and living in a cave exactly "keeping watch".

If they would just read instead of getting all worked up, they could save themselves a lot of grief.

November 1 - The Taxman Cometh!

2007-11-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

"What?", I hear you ask. "April 15 is the day of taxation, not November 1."

Au Contraire.

November 1 is the primary collection day for the Official Parental Chocolate Tax. To wit:

Parental Rights and Values Writ, Section 44, Section 2, Paragraphs iii and iv:

"And for every amount of sugar-laden treats, candies, cakes, cookies or dishes acquired by children for being children whether at Christmas time, birthdays, Halloween or other such occasion that the child will be bestowed with aforementioned goodies, each parent will be allowed to consume as much candy or other sweets in the amount necessary to sate their own sweet tooth and/or limit ingestion by children so as to stave off obesity, tooth decay, diabetic shock or excessive sugar rush. At no time shall any child win any argument to retain any morsel that they deem superior nor shall they say "STOP DAD! THAT'S MY LAST CRUNCH BAR!!!" and get any sympathy from either parent.

Furthermore, this levy (known as "Chocolate Tax") may be exacted at any time or place without regard to whether the child has availed himself/herself of the stash in a timely manner. That is, the argument, "I WAS SAVING THAT!!!" is meaningless under this statute. Of course, for maximum effectiveness, specific dates such as November 1, December 25 (afternoon collection) and February 15 should be observed with vigilance."

So, tell the kids to let go of the Crunch bar. It's yours. By law.

Cub Scout Campout!

2007-10-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

Great campout this weekend with the Cub Scouts -- see pics here.

All the usual stuff -- camping (duh), games, food, hiking, and the great outdoors. This time, we got to use the rope climbing obstacle course, which was a lot of fun for the boys.

Good times.

Swine and Noses 2007

2007-10-11T20:33:00.001-05:00

swine and noses 2007,
originally uploaded by eggsngrits.

Here's the newspaper article on the big hog callin' win!

The 2007 Country Ham Fest Hog Callin' Champion!

2007-10-06T19:29:00.001-05:00

hog callin champion oct 2007 1,
originally uploaded by eggsngrits.

My wife is your 2007 Country Ham Fest Hog-Callin' Champion!!

Soooieee!!! Piggy piggy piggy!!

More pics on my Flickr page.

The clarvoyant phisherman

2007-09-06T07:26:00.000-05:00

Like the rest of you, I get probably two of these everyday. Phishing e-mails masquerading as legitimate e-mails from companies like PayPal, eBay, Citibank and on and on.

This one has a special place in the phishing lore. You see, I received it today, September 6, 2007. If you read the e-mail, it's predicting that I will be hacked on September 10, 2007. So, this is a nice bit of warning.

Hmmm.... if I change my password now, will this e-mail never happen? Because then I will have theoretically thwarted the attack, rendering this e-mail moot. Or will the universe collapse? Yikes! Tough decision!

Not everyone likes Apple!!

2007-09-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

Michael Whitford, for one.

Too funny.

More here:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/macbook-cannot-start-without-ac-adapter/52230563
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/macbook-pro-issues/4140788931
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/macbook-screen-flicker/3924638351

Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) lives in Tennessee!

2007-09-02T12:07:00.001-05:00

Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia),
originally uploaded by Michael Hodge.

What a picture. You can't make this stuff up! This guy has several caterpillar shots -- amazing!

Bing, Bing: He's soooo right!

2007-08-25T13:12:00.001-05:00

Stanley Bing, whoever he is, is very, very good. Good with the written word. A humorist above most, a business humorist without peer.

His recent essays on grammar are classics, and I feel the same way!

Lying on video -- you've got to do better than this!

2007-08-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

Some old bag in Australia decided to avoid the interviewer's questions by feigning audio malfunction. She then reveals that she can actually hear the man by becoming indignant about what he says! Classic. See it here.

East and West - A Critical Difference

2007-08-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

Over the last two weeks, our news outlets here in the United States have chronicled the saga of 18 miners trapped in a Utah mine. The company drilled hole after hole to find them, and we, as a nation, were watching. We cared about them, those 18. Indeed, in other times, we've watched and hoped for as little as one or two trapped miners in places like West Virginia, Kentucky and Wyoming.

Contrast that with Chinese mines. In this story, Chinese families, distraught over the lack of regard for human life by the company that owns a large mine in Eastern China, stormed the buildings occupied by the owners and smashed all that they could. The toll? Nearly 200 workers. And there are little or no real rescue efforts, and the mining company failed to heed the warnings that their employees would be trapped by the floods.

The punch line? An AVERAGE of 13 miners are killed in mining accidents in China every day. Thirteen a day. Killed. In this country, such an industry would be outlawed. Every one of us would be unhappy about it.

I draw the conclusion that we have a higher regard for human life and dignity in the West. That may be the wrong leap of logic, but that's my view.

Some days, I certainly feel this way

2007-08-09T19:18:00.001-05:00

Take this you guy with the camera,
originally uploaded by Ozan™.

Not necessarily monkey-like, mind you, I just feel like telling everyone to get lost!

Little Sven

2007-08-09T12:54:00.001-05:00

Rob can tell you -- I used to have a Saab named Sven. He didn't look like this one, for sure!