Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Six of One...

I apologize if the music you are hearing is a little grinding on the nerves. I kind of like it, and there is a reason it is playing now. I have always thought it was pretty cool when the same song gets made in different ways. Music is awesome that way. Don't like a song, change it to fit your style. Don't like a style, but like the song, change it to your style.

One of the most versatile songs has to be "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", as you can see from the playlist. I don't expect anyone to suffer through the entire versions of all those. But take a moment to tap on each of them, and see what I mean. Some, like what you are listening to now, are rock based and loud. Some have changed the intro, but kept the main tune. I think IZ (Israel Hakinakinakiolo'aloha) has one of the most interesting, and beautiful, versions. I first heard it at the end of a movie (don't get me to lying about which one), and loved it.

This song has been through Hollywood musical, blues, rock, country, Broadway, adult contemporary, big band, et al. It has been twisted, pulled, pushed, hurried, slowed, mangled, straightened every which way but loose. It is a timeless tune. Many a version has been mimicked by big names and small, alike. Through it all, though, there are still only a handful that can never be topped.

Have fun, see what you think. Enjoy.

Monday, August 27, 2007

How Bad is It, Doc?

65%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Mingle2 - Dating Site

Life Preserver

It is amazing who you can connect to.

A good friend of mine, a work colleague, was mentioning in passing that his brother was a sculpturer. He then showed me this web site: Bronze Wildlife Sculptures--Fine Art Sculpture by Raymond Gibby

At the bottom of the page is a large fish. This artist is in negotiations with Bass Pro to build something like this that is about 20 feet high. Many of these sculptures are about 3-4 feet tall.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Impeach Clinton

Take a look at this opinion in the Arkansas Traveler (U of A newspaper).

I agree with the writer. I think Bush should be impeached... along with Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Laura, Jenna, John Roberts, and Bill Gates. And just for good measure, I'm in the process of writing up articles of impeachment against Mitt Romney, John McCain, and the Rudster. But since neither of them have been crowned king apparent by the MSM, I think it is time we begin preparing proceedings against Hillary, as well. In fact, in a sense, I am hoping she wins. That way we can all just recycle our old "Impeach Clinton" bumper stickers. Only this time, they will be a little more appropriate, what with the "and her husband, too" punchline.

Childhood Idealized

I want to thank the Born Again Redneck for a wonderful post regarding the relics and joys of his childhood. My girls have a PS2, a computer, satellite and other distractions unintentionally intended to keep them indoors. I guess we use them to give them something to do while they are indoors, but I'm afraid they work in reverse, more often than not.
I was fortunate as a boy to have begun life on a four-acre farm in a small valley community in northern Utah. I remember a few toys, like wooden blocks of various shapes and sizes, HotWheels, and Legos. Any combination of these provided hours of imaginational entertainment. But most favorite of my childhood memories came from the hours spent roaming the barn and shed, climbing the rafters, making mud pies on the sheep hay trough, and riding my bike up to the canal that ran through the town.

My dad then got a job in Tulsa, and we moved into a neighborhood that was under construction. Talk about a young boy's dream playground. There were always sand piles to dig through, jungle gym house frames to climb and explore. Best of all, there were streets to bike and roller skate on. It was not an uncommon day to have 10-12 neighbor kids riding their bikes around the streets, erecting scrap plywood ramps, and finding awesome trails with natural ramps. Falling off your bike at the end of a jump was a regular occurrence, that's why God invented the band-aid and arm sling. We were the bicycle repair facility of the neighborhood. My brothers and I could disassemble a bike, shift a few parts around, and wind up with a new bike in a matter of an hour. At one point, I was charged with the task of sorting the build-up of bike parts in the back yard. I had a pile for wheels, another for handle bars, another for sprockets, and so on. They were pretty sizeable piles at one point.

One day, while riding down the street, I found where a neighbor had thrown a frame in the trash. It looked cool, so I grabbed it and brought it home. After separating the rear bars, where it looked like it had been run over, I sanded it down and repainted it. It was my first experiment with two-tone paint, and for a 10 year old, it wasn't too bad. I threw some parts on it, and came out with a good solid bike.

Two weeks later, my brother had decided his bike needed an upgrade, and for some reason mine become a donor. It wasn't anything, though, for me to throw together another one, and I was back in the pack. We never really got into the newer alloy Mongoose bikes. We just couldn't afford those. Ours were always heavy, but not always as sturdy as those newer bikes.

School was in another neighborhood, about a mile or so away. There was a bus that stopped by my house, but it was nothing to ride to school. I got to where I could stand and pedal without holding the handlebars. That was freedom. Now and again, my brothers and I would gather a few friends for a bike rally, and head to the swimming pool, in yet another neighborhood. Sometimes, we looked like a motorcycle gang, hogging the street.

I don't know at what point riding bikes became a thing of the past.

A couple of years ago, at a garage sale, I came across an old mountain bike and offered $5 to take it off the guy's hands. It didn't fit in the car, so I rode it home. What an exhilarating thrill. The wind in my hair, the road beneath my feet. Zig-zagging across the road, dodging pot holes. Where had those days gone?

I have begun taking my older two on a bike around the neighborhood. They love it. And I love when they attempt to commit me to the next day after dinner. There is a comic book store about a mile away. I think I might take them down there today.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Y'know, it's hard enough to get thru a conversation about living in Arkansas without discussing the legalities of marrying one's cousin, which then gets the old "I am my own uncle" joke. (See the musical selections next door.) Now, we get to answer questions about baby brides, as well.

As the father of four girls, it's been tempting to pawn them off to anyone who will take them. I better be careful about that, now. I just might get taken up on the offer.

Friday, August 17, 2007

FairTax: Is it really that fair?

I will begin by admitting ignorance on this issue. There is a movement afoot to replace the federal taxation system with a national sales tax. It has been floated around for years, but it apparently has been introduced by a bill in Congress. While I am not coming out against it just yet, I am also very hesitant to endorse it.

I will try to include links as I find them. I think this is worthy of investigation, and we should be fully aware of the ramifications before accepting such a drastic overhaul.

Here are a few I have found so far:

Off the Fence (Plain Language Explanation)
FairTax.org (frequently asked questions)

I have a few concerns:
1. It may not be as fair as it sounds. As members of the Mormon church, we pay a tithe of 10%. Having had good years and poor years, I can confidently attest to the fact that 10% becomes more of a sacrifice the lower one's income falls. To give you an example, someone making $300 per week (approximately $15,000 annually) will pay $30 in tithing. Doesn't sound like much, until you look at everything else that has to come out of the leftovers. Just to pay rent will likely consume almost two weeks' income. And that is for basic comforts. Contrast that with the person making $1500 per week ($approx $76,000 annually). He will pay $150 per week, but the $1350 remaining will go a lot further. He can likely pay his mortgage in one week, and his house will be one of choice, rather than necessity. He will then have more discretionary income left over the rest of the month.
This is not an attempt at class warfare. I have no problem with successful people. It usually denotes people who have made better decisions, or taken advantage of opportunities. But, in the current tax situation, the first fellow, if he has a family, will likely have no federal taxes taken out of his check. Thus, he is living mostly free of federal taxation. Under the FairTax plan, he will receive a prebate, based on, presumably, what he would be expected to purchase. But does this take into account that he was already living on moneys not already taxed? On that income, every dollar has more value to the wage-earner.

2. The presumption seems to be that companies, relieved of corporate taxes, will magically reflect this relief in their pricing structures. I can't buy into this. I am not saying that business execs are evil, any more than politicians. But the maxim would seem to hold that once assessed, taxes seldom are revoked. Thus, while those who are taxed in their paychecks might see more money on the front end, those who had enjoyed the lower withholding (and have adapted their budget to survive at that level) will now be faced with disproportionately higher retail prices (at least until the markets supposedly adjust, as it is presumed the free market will cause to happen).

3. How will this affect charity? Do corporations really donate to charities out of the goodness of their hearts?

4. Will this new plan help us to live more free from government entanglement? Or will it exacerbate the situation?

Just a few concerns... What do you think?

Madam Liberty




This is well worth the read.


I wish I could add to it, but with what?

Such a Ham

You Are a Ham Sandwich

You are quiet, understated, and a great comfort to all of your friends.
Over time, you have proven yourself as loyal and steadfast.
And you are by no means boring. You do well in any situation - from fancy to laid back.

Your best friend: The Turkey Sandwich

Your mortal enemy: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Persecution... Bring it on

I want to thank The Educated Shoprat for bringing this to my attention. I was actually not aware that this was even being produced. I would like to thank Michael Medved for his very insightful and respectful treatment of the Mormon faith and reaction (or non-reaction) to this very inflammatory depiction of an admittedly tragic error in the history of the LDS Church.

It is unfortunate that people can hold on to a grudge that, actually, has very little, if any, effect on their present lives. Living in Arkansas, I have spoken to relatives, as distant as they may be, of the murdered wagon train. I understand that they may never gain a respect for the religion. But to continue to be so angry about it is, in my opinion, nothing more than a justification for repudiating the Mormon faith.

My predecessors suffered extreme depravities, endured pain and hardship, including the deaths of sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, at the hands of murderous mobs. While those people had every right to be angry, I do not. I have suffered humiliation, degredation of reputation, "corrections" to my core beliefs, banishment from Heaven, banishment from social acceptance, among other consequences because I have elected to remain in the faith.

I think I am a good guy. I get along with most people. If you were to ask people who know me, or know of me, they would probably tell you that I'm pretty decent. Amazingly, some of those people will immediately disavow me the moment they discover my Mormonistic inclinations. But as Mr. Medved pointed out, I have no intention of recruiting some 12 year old Deacon to strap bombs to himself to vindicate this affront to my faith.

MickyD Didn't

Employees at McD's should have checked to make sure the guy didn't get cheese on his quarter pounder. They didn't, even after the guy told them numerous times that he is highly allergic to the fake stuff. He took the bag, and, knowing he was highly allergic to cheese, and that there was enough possibility that cheese may end up on his burger that he felt compelled to stress the need for lack of cheese, he took a bite... without even checking to see if his explicit orders were followed.

He goes into a severe allergic reaction and winds up in the hospital. McDonald's, recognizing that they screwed up an order, offered to pay for their share of the mix-up. Then, they agreed to pay the full amount.

That wasn't good enough for this fellow. No, if a woman can catch a windfall for ignoring common sense and hurting herself with some hot coffee, then why can't a guy get paid to be neglectful of his own medical condition?

I agree with The Educated Shoprat. This attorney better have some credibility to his argument or he should face some sanctions. I would imagine McDonald's McLawyer will probably fix up his own supersized McMotion to sanction.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Different Strokes, Folks

John McCain, down but not defeated, argued today that straw polls are meaningless. He may have a point. For him, it would have been rather meaningless to waste his money in Iowa. While he might have made a more respectable showing, I don't think it would have made much of a difference in the amount of actual support. It was clear who the winners would be.

However, to dismiss straw polls as meaningless is nothing more than sour grapes. For lesser-known candidates, these can make a big difference. For Mitt, and perhaps Huck, it was important to their campaigns to make a strong showing. For Mitt, especially, this was a well-calculated maneuver. It doesn't really matter who didn't show up, because Mitt's position was already established. He had figured this as an integral part of a campaign strategy that had been considered and put into place a long time ago.

Rudy Two Shoes didn't want to participate, because, as Mitt gained support, Rudy realized the danger in being shown up by the new guy. As he already had a lot of support nationwide, it would have been detrimental to his success across the rest of the nation. For him, the straw poll was made meaningless by his failure to attend, while at the same time, that failure to attend spoke volumes of his confidence and feel for support.

Each candidate is taking the road that, for him, is the best-calculated for success. To declare his path meaningless is either a miscalculation of one's opponents, or just a political downplay. At this point, for McCain, I would go with political downplay.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Hollow Victory?

I can understand Fred not attending the Ames Straw Poll, he's riding too high on the wave of "give us somebody else" to muddy his support in an actual poll. But I think it was pretty cruddy of Jewels and Cain to skip this one. Especially Jewels. I guess it could be argued that it was smart of him, knowing that he was trailing Mitt, and Huckles was starting to make a showing.

That's why the results, at first, look stunning. Mitt almost doubles Huckles' votes, making a huge showing in the straw poll. And with Huckles coming in second...wow! And that's why I'm a little miffed at Jewels and Cain. They removed a great deal of credibility from the poll. How can we know that Huckles really came in second? Would he have come in ahead of McCain? He is hoping to be able to pick up some cash after this, but from whom?

Mitt makes a good point, though. “It’s too bad the other guys weren’t competing here… but they ‘d have played if they thought they could have won,” he said.

So, with all the excitement of finally getting an idea of who are serious contenders, all we really know is that Tommy has turned his last name over to Fred to carry on the fight. And for those who shall remain nameless, who can't even beat a guy who is not even a candidate and never showed up, it might be time to think of a different direction, like home.

Remember my Blog About Fox?

Here's a link to a pretty funny cartoon about it.

Enjoy!

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Look to the Heavens

Born Again Redneck: Perseid meteor shower
Take look at this link. I'm hoping to sneak a peek at it this weekend.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Raising (Mc)Cain

As I have stated before, I am still not jumping wholly behind one candidate. That said, I will admit that I am currently partial to Romney. However, I respect a few others as well, which is great, because if one of them wins the primary, then I won't feel so awkward getting on board. Unlike Bush, who, while I wasn't crazy about during the primaries, looked a heckuvalot better than the alternative in the real race.

I didn't cry, or gasp, or shudder, or even flinch at the news that McCain's campaign seemed to be downsizing. I didn't care, really, except that I like to see things get changed up. Sort of like watching a 500 mile auto race. There are a few exciting moments when someone finally slips past somebody else, otherwise I'm just thankful for remote controls (or kids who will get up and stand there changing channels back and forth until I see something else to watch).

Well, this fellow thinks McCain is back... or never was out... or got done with the bathroom... or something like that. He relies on the fact that McCain spoke to an unexpectedly larger crowd in New Hampshire, while admitting that many of those folks who were there were not necessarily supporters. While I understand his enthusiasm (he is a campaign worker), I must admit that this did nothing to give me the impression that McCain was faring better than expected. After all, this is in New Hampshire, a very important state, and McCain is a very well-know, well-respected figure in national politics, regardless of where you live. Heck, I'd like to go see the man, just to say I was there, and saw the man. McCain is a name that will be around long after these elections. And he was a POW, which is another reason to honor the man with your presence. These are reasons the writer had to set out more chairs. I'd venture to say that he'd probably have to have set out almost that many even if the Senator wasn't running for the White House.

As I said, McCain is a fine man, and I'd have no real issues getting behind him if he emerged as the Republican candidate. At this point, however, I wouldn't be disappointed if he just faded out of the race. But if your looking for signs of a heartbeat, sir, it would appear you may be counting off your own thumb.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

What's in a Name?

So, I'm driving home today, listening to NPR (they do some pretty interesting stories during the 5 o'clock hour). But, I got a sad reminder of just how childish members of the press can be.

Reporting on this last press conference before the Prez heads off to vacation (again?), this reporter mentioned him at least 35 times, sometimes several times in the same sentence. Interestingly, though, I never heard the words "the President" or "President Bush" in any of those references. "Mr. Bush" was his nomenclaturistic choice. I noticed this interesting slight about 7 years ago, after "Mr. Bush" was elected president "by the Supreme Court". All this time, I was cautious about pointing this out, so as to avoid being branded paranoidal or conservative schlep. But when a five minute report solely about the President of the United States never refers to the man whose sound bites are being reported on as anything other than "Mr. Bush", I think it conclusively confirms my suspicions. Not only is it rude, whether you like the man or not, but it is also piss-poor journalism, and sounds very choppy.

I'm just saying...

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Pander Bears

Some stories just combine elements to form the perfect pun. Take this one, for example:

Hillary, Obama, Brill Boy Johnny Ed, and the ragtag groupies of the AFL-CIO all conversed on Soldier Field in Chicago. All of them claiming to be the voice of the "working man", as unionists like to call themselves (although whether that actually constitutes a misnomer is still up for debate). Two of them clamoring for a reference to the beloved Bears, on whose grass they have trodden to pander, pander, pander. (You see the pun now? 'Pander'...'Bears'... huh? huh? Aw, c'mon, I thought it was good.)

And pander they did. With no real plans to set forth to improve conditions, they instead praised the renovation of the great stadium in which they stood, for the jobs it created. While I have not seen a transcript of these references, I feel quite confident that they did not credit the businessmen whose vision and money funded said renovations. I'm sure, however, that they did call attention to those workers who were not permitted to even bid on the project, as they decided to not pay dues to the AFL-CIO gestapo.

America's Got Talent Deficit Disorder

I don't know exactly why I watch this particular show. I guess because I don't have attention deficit disorder, so I can sit for long periods of time watching drivel like this, where I am told by a washed up actor/singer, a Brit who paraded her defunct family and loser hubby in front of millions of Americans, and another Brit who wouldn't recognize real talent if it was right there... on stage... before.. his... uh, yeah, exactly.

Great acts pop up now and then, only to get shoved aside for the strange and freaky side show that will wind up performing in high school assemblies across the nation.

That every one of these shows is judged by a Brit or Italian, and originally ran on the BBC, only serves to prove my assertion in the title of this post.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Art to Art

This is FANTASTIC! You have got to check this guy out.

I like art, but am often disappointed at what passes for art. Too often, it is merely a statement, often rebellious in nature, or static. What I seldom tire of, however, is watching it be created.

I was the cartoonist on my high school newspaper. I dabbled in art over the years, studied graphic design, made a few t-shirts and designed awards. I now play around with graphic design, but can only dream of making a creation that has any artistic merit. Mine usually get the "That looks pretty cool" or "yeah, that's cute". I get a few accolades now and then. But this guy is a visionary. He can look at the blank canvas, know what he wants to draw out of it, and then enjoy the ride.

Arkie, thru and thru?

This is cool. I have added a link to my side bar to a cool website where you can take a 34 Question survey and find out which candidates you match up with. Low and Behold... I got this guy>



That's right... Mike Huckabee, formerly an Arkansas Gubernator.

Looks like he found it a little ironic, too.

Not too far behind him was Fred Thompson. (Down, Bato, Down)

My man Sam B. was right there in the pack, as was Mitt.

As I said... Interesting...

Frighteningly, I agreed with 49% of Joey Biden?!

Algore wasn't even on the list. Whew!

Thursday, August 02, 2007

OutFox'd?

Johnny Ed is leading the Democrappy candidates' boycott of FoxNews. Fearing that the FoxFolks might actually think for themselves, the Democlowns have decided that such activity is worthy of punishment, and have called on each other to refrain from reaching out to people who don't like them.

(Actual Quote: "The time has come for Democrats to stop pretending to be friends with the very people who demonize the Democratic Party," Edwards said in a statement.)


Now, Edwards has turned on the waterworks over the Wall Street Journal falling into the the hands of the dangerously right-winged Murdock.

"Give the money back! Don't take contributions from News Corp. people. They might say bad things about you. Things like, like ...(snif) 'liberal', or 'the Democratic presidential candidate who can't compete with Hillary and Obama.'" (Not actual quote, but it could've been.)


So... if their strategy in the campaign is to run from an uncomfortable situation, what does that say about their leadership should one of them get to be President when he/she/it/? grows up?


The Numbers Are In