Random Thoughts of a Hasher

Porn Sting Goes To The Dogs

2009-03-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

Attempt to ensnare boyfriend comes back to bite Indiana woman

MARCH 18--Meet Michelle Owen. Concerned that an ex-boyfriend had used her laptop to search for child pornography, the Indiana woman asked police to search the computer for illegal images, but had her plan backfire when cops discovered two videos of her engaged in illicit acts with a dog. Owen, 24, was charged last week with two felony bestiality counts in connection with the video files, which a detective found in the laptop's "recycle bin." At the time Owen asked cops to search the computer, she was locked up in the Johnson County Jail on a public intoxication charge (which violated the terms of her release in a prior drunk driving case). According to a police affidavit, a copy of which you'll find here, a cop told Owen that he had found videos of her on the laptop and asked if she "knew what those files might be." Owen, pictured in the below mug shot, replied, "The one with the dog." Cops believe that the dog in question, Toby, is a beagle. After asking if she was "going to be charged with this," Owen said that the videos "were just something she did when she was drunk and barely remembers it," adding that she tried to "delete them the next day when she was sober."

Wash your hands!

2009-03-13T16:02:00.001-05:00

You're kidding me right

2009-02-26T11:59:00.001-06:00

Teen accidentally lights head on fire trying to kill lice with gasoline

10:56 AM CST on Thursday, February 26, 2009: Associated Press

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Police say a teenager who soaked her hair in gasoline to try to kill head lice was severely burned when the gas fumes ignited and set her head ablaze.

Eighteen-year-old Jessica Brooks was in serious condition Thursday at the burn unit at University Hospital in Louisville, Ky. She was burned Sunday night at her apartment in Evansville, Ind.

Police said Brooks was in her bathroom letting her hair soak in gasoline just before a pilot light from a water heater ignited the gas fumes and her hair.

Investigator Richard Howard said Brooks suffered second- and third-degree burns over more than half of her body.

Brooks was taking high school night classes in hopes of graduating this year.

The Joys of Being a Gentleman

2008-11-21T12:58:00.001-06:00

Obama - the new president

2008-11-07T11:17:00.003-06:00

Obama Wins!

2008-11-05T10:04:00.000-06:00

Obama wins!

Who Caused the Economic Crisis?

2008-10-01T23:32:00.001-05:00

Who Caused the Economic Crisis?
October 1, 2008

MoveOn.org blames McCain advisers. He blames Obama and Democrats in Congress. Both are wrong.

Summary
A MoveOn.org Political Action ad plays the partisan blame game with the economic crisis, charging that John McCain’s friend and former economic adviser Phil Gramm “stripped safeguards that would have protected us.” The claim is bogus. Gramm’s legislation had broad bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Clinton. Moreover, the bill had nothing to do with causing the crisis, and economists – not to mention President Clinton – praise it for having softened the crisis.

A McCain-Palin ad, in turn, blames Democrats for the mess. The ad says that the crisis “didn’t have to happen,” because legislation McCain cosponsored would have tightened regulations on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But, the ad says, Obama "was notably silent" while Democrats killed the bill. That’s oversimplified. Republicans, who controlled the Senate at the time, did not bring the bill forward for a vote. And it’s unclear how much the legislation would have helped, as McCain signed on just two months before the housing bubble popped.

In fact, there’s ample blame to go around. Experts have cited everyone from home buyers to Wall Street, mortgage brokers to Alan Greenspan.

Full Text of FactCheck.org Article

American Economic Crisis

2008-09-29T21:43:00.002-05:00

It is the best of times... it's the worst of times for Americans and the world right now. It appears that the President has much less convincing power than most people think. So Treasury Secretary Paulson wants to pass a bill giving the government $750 billion to buy distressed mortgages from banks in order to alleviate the credit squeeze going on right now.
So after addressing the nation on the urgency of the crisis, encourages Congress to pass the bill before them. But with public support at 95-98% against bailing out Wall Street - the House of Representatives does not pass the bill. If the President had as much authority - power - persuasion as people thought (or if there was a conspiracy - you'd think this bill would've passed).

The House Vote Roll Call

As I've said before - Presidents have very limited control over the economy. And merely ride the business cycle along with the rest of us.

Hurricane Ike Photos

2008-09-29T16:21:00.001-05:00

Hurricane Ike photos of my aunt's apartment in Galveston. I'd never seen anything like this before. Water is such a powerful force - the water had reached about 4 feet into her 1st floor. The tv, tables, couch were in total disarray. She stayed with me during the duration of the hurricane until I could take her back to the island. I'm very grateful - I've never had to deal with the complete loss of my possessions or even a partial loss. So my heart goes out to those who've lost homes, pets, possessions, etc.

Change

2008-09-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

Single Moms Looking for Work

2008-09-10T12:13:00.002-05:00

Save the Single Mom's : Save the World

You probably had plans to go out to The Penthouse Club tonight, have a nice drink, chat with a perky young gal working her way through grad school by pole-dancing, pay her twenty bucks a for a lap dance, then head home to the wife and kids.

You're out of luck.

District Judge Mark Davidson has given the city a rare victory in its never-ending battle to crack down on Houston's most famous tourist spots, ordered the Penthouse Club closed immediately. (No "judge's special" for him tonight.)

Davidson ruled the club was violating several of the city's ordinances and was a nuisance to its neighbors.

The club had -- and you have to love the chutzpah -- argued it wasn't a sexually oriented business.

City officials have suffered a string of setbacks in their attempts to kill the "gentlemen's club" business, so we guess they'll be celebrating this decision pretty heavily.

$7 gas for a Hummer

2008-09-09T16:21:00.001-05:00

The weirdest thing happened yesterday. I was filling up my miata and the guy in front of me gets $7.00 of gas for his Hummer. I thought I misheard - but nope I saw the clerk count out 7 $1 bills. Pretty weird that would only buy about 2 gallons of gas.

I love the Internet

2008-09-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

A site that tracks changes to websites has a couple nice editing changes to show for McCain, Obama, and Palin's websites:

Touche

2008-09-03T14:25:00.001-05:00

...says it all.

67 days and counting

2008-08-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

Let the battle begin:
Obama / Biden
versus
McCain / Palin

Houston Press Mentions 80 Proof

2008-07-24T07:36:00.000-05:00

What the Houston Press says about 80 Proof:

80 Proof (5 p.m.)
Nominated in: Best Cover Band
www.myspace.com/80proofrocksyou

You never know what happens when you get on Craigslist. You might hook up for one of those infamous "casual encounters," or you might wind up in an '80s cover band that owns the Lounge on Montrose Saturday night, and the rest of the week can be found anywhere from Pearland to Katy. At least as far as we know, that's what happened to these five guys and one girl when they came together last year, and have been growing their song list ever since. Could this be the year Molly & the Ringwalds finally goes down? — C.G.

We Don't Need No Education

2008-07-21T10:47:00.001-05:00

80 PROOF - The Wall Part II

Houston Press Music Awards

2008-07-17T10:05:00.003-05:00

80 Proof has been nominated for the best cover band in Houston by the Houston Press readers. By being nominated we also will be playing in the showcase this year. So for all you inner-loopers there is no excuse this time for not coming to check us out. We are playing at The Real Sammies at 711 Franklin St. July 27th, at 5pm.

Don't Forget to Vote.

Political Flip Flop's by McCain

2008-07-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

McCain's Flip Flops

National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush's warrantless wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even "terrible killers," "the worst kind of scum of humanity," and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, "deserve to have some adjudication of their cases," even if that means "releasing some of them." McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country."

4. In February, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain favored closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with Predators, McCain criticized him for it. He's since come to the opposite conclusion.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it.

8. McCain supported moving "toward normalization of relations" with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the United States should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the United States should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a "rogue state rollback" as a focus of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty's behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the "greatest critic" of Rumsfeld's failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as "a mission accomplished." In March 2004, he said, "I'm confident we're on the right course." In December 2005, he said, "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course."

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good idea and a bad idea.

16. McCain said before the war in Iraq, "We will win this conflict. We will win it easily." Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was "probably going to be long and hard and tough."

17. McCain has repeatedly said it's a dangerous mistake to tell the "enemy" when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

18. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

Domestic Policy

19. McCain defended "privatizing" Social Security. Now he says he's against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

20. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn't.

21. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

22. He argued that the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party's policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

23. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won't commit to supporting a regulation bill he's co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris' former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.

24. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

25. McCain's first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn't be "rewarded" for acting "irresponsibly." His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.

26. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn't be allowed.

27. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. before he supported it.

28. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he's pro-ethanol.

29. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

30. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.

Economic Policy

31. McCain was against Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.

32. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated," and "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should." He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a "very strong" understanding of economics.

33. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.

34. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were "too tilted to the wealthy." By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.

35. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.

36. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a "'read my lips' candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?" referring to George H.W. Bush's 1988 pledge. "No new taxes," McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, "I'm not making a 'read my lips' statement, in that I will not raise taxes."

37. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

38. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.

Energy Policy

39. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling; now he's against it.

40. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.

41. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to be voluntary.

42. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

43. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn't.

Immigration Policy

44. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants' kids who graduate from high school. Now he's against it.

45. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.

46. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders "before proceeding to other reform measures." Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he'd never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his "top priority."

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

47. McCain said he would "not impose a litmus test on any nominee." He used to promise the opposite.

48. McCain believes the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration's warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

49. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

50. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn't.

51. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving "feedback" on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.

52. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.

Politics and Associations

53. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn't.

54. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn't.

55. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry's Democratic ticket in 2004.

56. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.

57. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans "deserved" the 9/11 attacks.

58. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

59. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

60. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn't want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he "would taint the image of the 'Straight Talk Express.'" Kissinger is now the honorary co-chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

61. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was "corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff's gay lover." McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.

And while I realize there are some who believe these constant flip-flops are irrelevant, I respectfully disagree.

July 18th - The Dark Knight

2008-06-18T13:43:00.001-05:00

The Dark Knight Trailer

why i'm still single

2008-06-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

Never Send Nude Pics on Your Phone

2008-06-06T15:02:00.001-05:00

Teenagers are increasingly snapping naked pictures of themselves on their cell phones, officials say, with the photos often falling into the wrong hands.

Sometimes the photos end up in everyone's hands, via the Internet.

"It used to be that kids would make mistakes, and it was local and singular and everyone knew it was part of growing up," said Catherine Davis, who had a frank talk with her two sons after several students' nude self-portraits recently spread through the wealthy New York City-area suburb of Westport, Connecticut. "Now a stupid adolescent mistake can take on major implications and go on their record for the rest of their lives."

Such images are complicating the work of investigators whose job is to find exploited children. Authorities trying to identify youngsters in naked photos are increasingly discovering that the teens themselves took the shots, said John Shehan, a director at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

School administrators in Santa Fe, Texas, confiscated dozens of cell phones from students in May after nude photos of two junior high girls began circulating. The girls had sent the photos to their boyfriends, who forwarded them to others, officials said.

In La Crosse, Wisconsin, a 17-year-old boy recently was charged with child pornography, sexual exploitation of a child and defamation for allegedly posting nude photos of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend on his MySpace page. The girl had taken the pictures with her cell phone at her mother's home and e-mailed them to the boyfriend, authorities said.

"They were pretty graphic," said sheriff's Sgt. Mark Yehle. "I think they just do it to impress their boyfriends. When he breaks up, he `vents,' in his words, by posting them. He apparently didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He didn't know it was illegal."

Psychologists said the phenomenon reflects typical teenage hormones and lack of judgment, with technology multiplying the potential for mischief. It also may reflect a teenage penchant for exhibitionism, as demonstrated on MySpace and countless other Web sites and blogs.

Brianna Moran, 15, who attends the same school as the girl in the La Crosse case, said she is not surprised by such behavior. "They probably think they're hot or something. If you look at people's MySpace, all the pictures are slutty," she said.

In suburban Syracuse, New York, several teenage girls sent naked pictures on their phones to their boyfriends, only to learn that another boy had collected them from the Web and was trying to sell a DVD of them.

Some boys are photographing themselves, too. In Utah, a 16-year-old boy was charged with a felony for sending nude photos of himself over a cell phone to several girls. Four middle school students - two boys and two girls - in Daphne, Alabama, took photos of themselves on their cell phones and traded the images back and forth, authorities said.

Connecticut police Sgt. Jim Smith, who investigates cybercrime and online child pornography, conducts seminars in which he warns parents about the use of cell phones to send nude pictures.

"It's often so spur of the moment that they're not thinking about where those images might end up," Smith said. "They might think it's just fun and games at the time they do it, but these images can really spread like wildfire."

Found a Copy of the Pics Click Here - NSFW

Guess the Bubble Butt

2008-06-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

So who's butt is this??

Volleyball League Players Wanted

2008-06-03T15:31:00.004-05:00

Looking for males and females to play some indoor volleyball on monday nights @ spike sport. We are looking for intermidiate or recreational players. Spike Sport is located off of South Gessner. Price is 260.00 per team. If you don't have a team you can also join individually for 65.00. The season is 7 weeks plus playoffs. Summer season starts June 30th. Please contact me if interested.
Plus we always go out afterwards and drink beer, play shuffleboard, poker afterwards.

Motivational Posters with a Theme

2008-06-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

More Paranormal Woo

2008-05-30T14:23:00.001-05:00

More Paranormal Woo I've Found:
Does sweeping AM/FM Radio Bands induce ghosts and demons to communicate from beyond. Several people on the web and youtube have claimed to create ghost boxes where they can communicate with the dead. Here's some background information:

** Background **
The argument has been made that Thomas Edison was working on a ghost communication device – a ghost box of sorts, to contact the dead. However, there are many Edison experts that would argue that it was only legend, a myth that is untrue. They will point out that he neither believed in the afterlife, nor did he believe spirits and ghosts could be contacted through an electronic device. Whatever the truth behind Edison, one has to believe it makes a good story and backdrop to the ghost box. Even more intriguing, some today claim they are in contact with Thomas Edison via the ghost box, but many respected researchers of the latest ghost box technology have yet to make contact with the famous, dead inventor.

That brings us to the latest development of the ghost box. EVP or electronic voice phenomena was discovered in the late ‘50s, and has become well known today thanks to numerous TV shows featuring ghost investigators. Many are not aware of the two-way communication devices called ghost boxes. Following on the heels of the Spiricom , a ghost box of sorts that many believe to be the first two-way communication device between the earthly realm and the spiritual realm, Frank’s box truly was the first of its kind. Frank’s Box is a ghost box that produces random voltage to create raw audio from an AM tuner, where it is then amplified and then fed into an echo chamber and recorded. In short, ghost boxes such as Frank’s box create audio bits and white noise that ghosts and/or spirits can then manipulate into forming words – real time two-way communication. Frank Sumption was the original inventor of the ghost box, as he conceived of the idea by experimenting with Stefan Bion’s EVPMaker software to record EVP, and was also inspired by an October 1995 Popular Electronics Magazine article that asked, “Are the dead trying to communicate with us through electronic means? Try these experiments and see for yourself.” Today Frank is experimenting on various improvements to his ghost box design. Most other ghost boxes are not random band sweeping, but linear sweeping of the AM or FM bands. That is not to say other bands, such as shortwave, weather, etc are not being experimented with by Frank and other Instrumental Transcommunication experimenters. Others since have developed their own ghost boxes, such as Paranormal System’s "MiniBox" and Joe Cioppi’s “Joe’s Box.”

Recently, in late 2007 to be exact, another discovery was made by a retired electrical engineer known as Sum Duc. His find has been dubbed the “Radio Shack Hack.” Here is his story:
“I was in Radio Shack looking for parts for a new type of device for ITC I’m currently working on. I saw the AM/FM 12-469 on the shelf and thought, ‘I bet I can make this work.’ I had no idea it would be so simple.”

Since that time, other researchers such as Mike Coletta have figured out how to alter the older version 12-470 AM/FM radio, too. Mike has posted many of his videos on YouTube to help others make their own ghost boxes. What has been great is the fact that so many have made their discoveries and research public, such as Frank Sumption, Joe Cioppi, Bruce Halliday, Steve Hultay, Sum Duc, Mike Coletta, and more. Links to their websites are at the end of this article as a big thank you.

The ghost box can be used for EVP, as it can be recorded, then analyzed for messages from spirits and ghosts. However, what makes the ghost box unique is that it can be heard audibly through either an external speaker or headset, where responses from the other side can be heard and responded to live – not unlike chatting with someone by walkie-talkie. It does require the user to train his or her ear to hear the messages that are brought forth, as the noise and audio bits can at times be somewhat distracting. But if one experiments long enough with a ghost box, it will become apparent that the audio sound bites and white noise will begin to be manipulated to form answers to questions, phrases and more. For this reason alone, we recommend recording all sessions and listening to them later. Upon playback, one might be amazed at what is captured in the audio.

The function of the ghost box and how it works seems to be affected by the strength of radio signals in an area. Poor signal quality reduces the ability for spirits and ghosts to make contact through the device. Perhaps there is not enough audio bits to be manipulated successfully for real-time communication. That would indicate that enhancing the antenna on these devices could improve results by the researcher, according to Bruce Halliday.

The biggest debate over the ghost box might be just who in the heck is coming through these devices? Are they spirits? Ghosts? Demons (the religious ask)? Aliens? Our own projected thoughts? The research continues in this area, but many believe both ghosts, spirits and beings from another realm are making contact through the ghost box. Experimenters have received positive, good messages, as well as negative and cursing messages. This would indicate that perhaps the range of messengers who are able to manipulate this device into audible words is broad. Some believe that there are spirits from the light called “controls” or “operators” who work to establish contact and can bring other spirits and ghosts forward through the ghost box. Some of these same operators have been recorded coming through different ghost boxes by different people in different geographical locations. This would lead one to think that operators are involved from the other side in order to try and organize a grid of control and functionality. Whatever the case may hold to be true, it does appear that one’s connection with the other side seems to influence how good and what type of results will be experienced through the ghost box. It just may be that those who are recording the best results might be psychic in nature, truly connected with the spirit realm prior to the existence of any ghost box.
*** End of background ***

*** Start of my rant ***
I'm not sure where to begin on this. So the box sweeps AM/FM radio signals and what we hear is supposed ghosts, spirits, and demons from beyond the grave. Do the guys who believe this stuff actually think logically and skeptically through what they are doing? Another example of people seeing and hearing objects in random data.

From the website for The Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP):

"Speech is understood by humans, completely unconsciously, using phonemes. People use these basic building blocks to understand speech. We can identify phonemes at a rate 20 per second but can only follow similar non-speech sounds at a rate of around 1 per second. Clearly the phonemes are built into our memory for quick recognition (as are whole words). Interestingly, it is not simply a question of identifying each phoneme and constructing words. Phoneme sounds can be modified by the phoneme before and after them. They are also frequently slurred together. So the system of recognizing speech (which also has to work for different accents) has to be very flexible. The cost of this flexibility is that it sometimes makes errors."

Enough skepticism for one day.

on this day...

2008-05-28T13:16:00.003-05:00

It's my birthday - along with me being born here's some other cool stuff that happened on this day in history:

585 BC - A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.

1830 - President Andrew Jackson signs The Indian Removal Act which relocates Native Americans.

1863 - American Civil War: the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first African American regiment, leaves Boston, Massachusetts, to fight for the Union.

1892 - The Sierra Club was organized in San Francisco.

1936 - Alan Turing submits On Computable Numbers for publication.

Births:
1140 - Xin Qiji, Chinese poet (d. 1207)
1660 - King George I of Great Britain (d. 1727)
1887 - Jim Thorpe - Athlete, runner
1908 - Ian Fleming, English author (d. 1964)
1936 - Betty Shabazz, American civil rights activist (d. 1997)
1944 - Rudy Giuliani, American politician
1944 - Gladys Knight, American singer and actress
1967 - Glen Rice, American basketball player
1968 - Kylie Minogue, Australian actress and singer
1970 - Morgan Fox, Canadian model and 1990 Playboy playmate
1971 - Me

No Words Needed

2008-05-27T10:26:00.001-05:00

Internet Party

2008-05-22T15:49:00.004-05:00

-- powered by Cracked.com

Starbucks People that Annoy Me

2008-05-22T10:18:00.005-05:00

8. Manager Who Refuses to Recognize the Words Small, Medium, and Large

I understand, you’re a corporate guy and thus must abide by company policies by calling the different sizes by their Starbucks Christian names of Venti, Grande, etc…. But if I ask you for a small, don’t act like I’m speaking to you in that Native American langauge we used in World War II to deliver coded messages. You’re familiar with the sizes small, medium and large, and if you’re not, then you might want to change underwear because there’s a good chance there’s a sizeable amount of shit in them due to your inability to grasp the concept of wiping your asshole after defecating.

7. Intern Who is Buying for the Entire Office

Wearing an all-white or striped button down shirt, this guy shows up with a legal pad full of hastily scribbled orders. “Yeah, I’m gonna need 24 tall skinny soy lattes with sugar free hazelnut extra hot…and 32 grande no caff cappuccinos with light whip cream, sugar free hazelnut and vanilla with white chocolate mocha. And 14 grande supremos with a triple shot, sugar free vanilla, extra white mocha, no whip, no foam and an extra drizzle. Oh, and can I get a smiley face on the bottom of all those?” And he knows if one of these orders is screwed up, it’s going to cost him a chance at the a full-time gig as assistant editor where he can bring coffee to even more important people. So instead of just grabbing his bags and leaving, he inspects all 70-odd cups in his 17 flimsy cardboard holders. If you get behind this guy, you may as well give up any hopes of getting a cup of joe in your lifetime. You’re better off flying to Columbia, slitting Juan Valdez’s throat and stealing his coffee-harvesting burro.

6. The Writer Who Wants You to Know They’re a Writer

Being a writer is a pretty cool occupation, but unfortunately you can’t tell someone’s a writer just by looking at them. And having to tell someone you’re a writer is way less impressive. Therefore, these people go to the busiest Starbucks and pop open their iMac, making sure their screen is clearly displaying a full page of text (or clear screenplay format for those in Los Angeles). Their next step is to make sure they’re facing away from where everyone goes to pick up their drinks while staring at the screen while remembering to take deep breaths which will indicate to others that deep and creative thought that normal minds are not capable of, is taking place. Who gives a shit if an asshole and his mac have spent six hours taking up a table normally reserved for four people, it’s important you know that they’re juggling a complex story about a boy in Alaska who comes of age and befriends a bear. That’s right, they’re creating that using only their minds!

5. Overly Happy Line Greeter/Order Taker

At some point, the Starbucks Corporation realized that their growing legions of employees didn’t have the best people skills. Their answer was to create their own version of the Wal-Mart Greeter who also takes your order. But since they don’t pay shit, you end up having some G.E.D.-havin’ dumbass or an excruciatingly-lonely elderly woman force their brand of corporate chit-chat down your throat. Instead of waiting to pay for your overpriced chai in peace, you have to deal with: “Goooooood morning today! How are you? Some kinda weather we’re having isn’t it? I wish I was outside in the park! Wouldn’t that be nice? It’s sooooo sunny! And what’s better for you than a nice big dose of Mr. Sun! Maybe some coffee? Ha! So, what can we get you today? Need a little pick-me-up? You do! I think we ALL could use one, yes we could! YES WE COULD! Anyway, I’ll get this chai order right up for you. What’s your name? Terry? That’s my cousin’s name! Small world. Yes. It. Is. Small world indeed….Hi! And how are you doing today?!?!”

4. Complicated Order Guy Who Needs his Coffee Right The F*&K Now.

When you order coffee, it shouldn’t sound like you’re giving the pass code to a missile defense system. If you’re lactose intolerant, on a strict diet, and can’t handle a full dose of caffeine, how about instead of ordering a “non-fat, grande, soy chai latte with a half shot of espresso and no foam” and then stand in front of the pick up window and pace like one of Michael Vick’s pitbulls watching Vick pull out the rape stand after losing a fight, you just grab a glass of god damn water and drink that. Last I checked that won’t give you exploding diarrhea or anxiety… unless you’re at the Starbucks in Tijuana.

3. The Guy Who Hates Starbucks But Goes There Every Day

Armed with armchair political rants, this guy is the world’s biggest bore and the world’s biggest hypocrite combined into one big uber-shithead. He won’t shut up about how Starbucks is bad for the environment and how they’re taking over the world and how their coffee totally “doesn’t taste like the gourmet stuff downtown.” But when you bring up the fact that he’s ranting about Starbucks while he’s actually inside a Starbucks, his crappy hippie-wannabe excuses just start piling up. “Well, here’s the thing, I just didn’t have time to make it over to my usual coffee place. You know the one way over on 2nd Ave? Yeah, it’s one of the last mom and pop coffee shops in the area. I toooootally love that place. It’s so real. I was on my way over there, but the traffic was a killer, so I was totally forced to get my fix at this place. I mean, the rich get richer, right? That’s the law of the land. I totally can’t stand that I have to come here, but that’s what they do. They tie your hands, man. These big corporations. They just own you. They’re everywhere. Can you hand me one of those Splenda?”

2. Study Groups

Hey, screw the library with all it’s “room” and “group space.” It makes way more sense to go to an incredibly busy and crowded Starbucks with tables that have insufficient space to lay your books. Everyone knows you have a poli-sci midterm, mostly because they can hear every fucking thing you’re saying because you’re yelling so that you can be heard over a frappucino being made. If you could, would you hold a study group session in a Turkish prison? Because Starbucks is basically the same thing, except with less gay sex, and a little bit better coffee.

...AND

1. The Person Who Peruses the DVD Section As If They Might Purchase.
It’s really great when you’re waiting in line behind somebody only to realize that they’re not in line, but instead deciding whether or not they want to purchase the “Pursuit of Happyness” DVD. “Gee what’s this movie Pursuit of Happyness about? I didn’t hear of it last summer when it grossed over 100 million dollars. Even though I’ve come here for coffee, I should carefully peruse the back cover to find out more about it!” Also, please don’t pick up a copy of “Akeelah and the Bee” as if you were going to buy it. No one buys that movie. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s not even a real movie, it was just a box cover created by a group of white Starbucks executives so that customers could hold it in their hands and pretend to read the back, giving the impression to those around them that they’re progressive thinkers who seek out and enjoy films with African American casts.

if you love conspiracy theories

2008-05-21T13:38:00.001-05:00

Chinese Bloggers Cook up conspiracy theories about the quake:
As if a natural disaster was not enough. :-(

--- Article Below ---
As the death toll in China's Sichuan province climbs, the nation’s bloggers have joined together in the search for a scapegoat.

Broadband connections across the country are pulsing with rumours of "earthquake omens" involving toads or butterflies - all allegedly ignored by the authorities. Some even talk of a vast pre-Olympic conspiracy.

One blogger from Shandong province, in eastern China, wrote that more than a month ago, he went to his local earthquake resesarch centre several times to report that his animals had been disturbed and restless.

But, he wrote: "They not only ridiculed me, they accused me of making up stories."

Other blogs link to Chinese newspaper reports of bizarre natural occurrences in the past few weeks.

The Chutian Metropolis Daily reported that on April 26, 80,000 tonnes of water suddenly drained from a large pond in Enshi, Hubei province. The province shares a border with Chongqing Municipality, which was devastated by the earthquake on Monday.

On May 10, a Sichuan-based newspaper, the West China Metropolis Daily, reported that hundreds of migrating toads descended upon the streets of Mianyang, the second largest city in the province which neighbours Wenchuan County, the epicentre of the earthquake.

The Chinese state news agency reported today that 18,645 people were buried under the city's collapsed buildings and 3,629 people confirmed dead.

In the city of Mianzhu, 60 miles from the epicentre, bloggers pointed to reports just weeks before the earthquake of a mass migration of more than one million butterflies.

Other bloggers seized upon an as yet unsubstantiated rumour that a Chinese geologist had predicted the earthquake in advance but had been stifled by the authorities, and by fear.

"On the seventh of May, a geologist predicted this [earthquake]," wrote one blogger. "But he didn't dare make it public."

Another blogger from Beijing wrote: “Everyone is talking about the rescue effort but they are not actually joining it.

“So, instead we should turn our thoughts to why [the authorities] didn’t forecast the earthquake and evacuate the people...

“Could it be that it was out of a desire for a peaceful Olympics?”

In an editorial in the Southern Metropolis Daily, the established journalist and commentator, Chang Ping, cited the growing tide of rumours and speculation surrounding the earthquake as evidence of the need for greater freedom of information in China.

He wrote: “As the phone lines went down, rumours multiplied...I understood that the vast majority of this information could not be verified and that the police regarded it as the transmission of rumours punishable by criminal detention.

“But as someone with relatives in the affected area, I could not stop myself from seeking whatever information I could ...”

He added: ”The information was clearly unreliable, and it was difficult to tell what was true or false.

“Together it all spoke of a single problem, and that is the people’s fierce appetite for information when faced with a public incident.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3925096.ece

Motivational Posters Continued...

2008-05-16T13:06:00.001-05:00

New Blog Location

2008-05-08T10:41:00.002-05:00

Started my own blog on my website:
http://blog.chakamad.com/
So this blog will be slowly going away and more posts on my new site.

Cinco de Motivational Posters

2008-05-08T09:44:00.001-05:00

Motivational Posters de Cinco

Motivation Posters Continued

2008-05-05T13:07:00.001-05:00

Motivational Posters IV

2008-05-02T11:05:00.002-05:00

Motivational Posters - Part III

2008-05-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

Motivational Posters - II

2008-04-29T16:02:00.000-05:00

Motivational Posters

2008-04-28T17:15:00.002-05:00

Motivational Poster Series - Part I

Wild Wing Cafe in Katy Presents

2008-04-14T22:01:00.002-05:00

80 Proof
Wild Wing Cafe in Katy
Date Friday April 18th
Time: 9:30

A Great TXIH

2008-04-10T10:53:00.002-05:00

A great time at TXIH was had by all. Even though the muddy road did not cooperate with the band on Friday night - they had a blast. Special thanks to Master Chugger and Gaylord Focker for a good time Friday and Saturday nights.

do that rattlesnake shake

2008-03-27T14:10:00.001-05:00

A rattlesnake rancher who had more than 400 bottles of vodka containing snakes seized last week said the contraband is an "ancient Asian elixir" used purely for medicinal purposes and not bootlegged booze as law enforcement contends.

Officials from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission seized 411 bottles of reptile-infused vodka last week from Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch in Santo, Texas. But Bayou Bob, aka Bob Popplewell, contends the liquid is legal to sell, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"It's almost a spiritual thing," Popplewell told the paper, saying he caters to the Asian community and that the liquid is used for wellness and stability. He likened the concoction to cough syrup.

But officials disagree with Popplewell's medicinal argument, saying the use of an alcohol requires a state license, according to the Star-Telegram.

"He doesn't have any permit at all," TABC Sgt. Charlie Cloud said.

TABC officials filed charges for the sale of alcohol without a license and possession of alcohol with the intent to sell. Penalties for those charges include up to a year in the county jail and fines up to $1,000 upon conviction.

Bass Player Motivation

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

You must be a bass player if you get this...

the perfect woman

2008-03-09T22:24:00.000-05:00

Lowered standards

2008-03-05T09:54:00.000-06:00

Why aren't more women like this:

Act Now To Take Advantage Of My Lowered Standards

Are you tired of all those other women who expect an emotional connection? Are you fed up with wasting all your precious time building a...

X-Files 2 Teaser Trailer

2008-02-27T17:35:00.003-06:00

X-Files 2 - The movie release date: July 25, 2008

Flat Panel TVs

2008-02-27T13:20:00.003-06:00

I don't have a high-def tv, but have been looking at Best Buy. Seems that I can get a 37" or 40" tv for about $1000 or under. So that's lookin' pretty good for me soon. I'll probably get an LCD or DLP technology - from what I heard I'd not get a plasma. I'd suggest spending time at several of the stores checking out the televisions as well as checking out your friend's tv's. So far I've heard bad things about Panasonic - and good things about Sony and Samsung.

There are several types of flat-panel technologies:
LCD -
Rear projection type (it's the mirrors)
Plasma -
Front projectors

High Definition Links:
CNET - HDTV World
How Stuff Works Info

the truth comes out -

2008-02-26T08:19:00.000-06:00

Breaking News: Series Of Concentric Circles Emanating From Glowing Red Dot

Another Actress Goes Down...

2008-02-26T08:12:00.000-06:00

Use Of 'N-Word' May End Porn Star's Career

How not to dance on a Stripper Pole

2008-02-19T08:57:00.001-06:00

It's true what they say about Musicians

2008-02-11T13:46:00.000-06:00

It's now true what they say. Music is about drugs and rock n roll.
According to a new study conducted by medical researchers, thirty-three percent of popular songs contain explicit content and forty-two percent of songs hint at substance abuse...Who would've thought that.

Musicians Like to Sing About Drugs and Sex

NY Giants - World Champions

2008-02-06T09:31:00.000-06:00

Is this picture obscene

2008-02-04T14:54:00.001-06:00

More obscene photos from Abercrobie and Fitch... not to me - but i'm a bit more liberal than some people in a Virginia city who have arrested the manager of an Abercrombie and Fitch store.

Jessica Alba Movie History

2008-02-01T17:06:00.001-06:00

Jessica Alba Movie History with my ratings

Five Types of Guys Women Love

2008-01-31T11:03:00.000-06:00

Sounds like a trick question, right? Well the reason I ask this question is because there are certain "types" of guys which women absolutely LOVE. If you can fit into one of these categories, you'll discover that it'll require very little effort to attract a woman.

Now have no fear! If you do NOT fit into any of the following "types" of guys, there is still you can use a woman's attraction to your benefit. But, before we get to how to do that, let's cover the 5 core categories of men which trigger instant attraction in a woman:

The Professor
Men with intelligence can be very sexual to many women. Simply behaving in an authoritative manner, you can make women insane with passion.

Of course, intelligence is the most evident in the "The Professor" archetype . To many women, he seems like a guy who is more mature then other men. His wide variety of knowledge makes women feel comfortable in his presence.

The Cop or Fireman
If you ever paid attention to women when their around firemen or police officers then you know many of them are instantly attracted to these type of guys. In fact, there are some women who turn into "sexual animals" whenever they have a chance to engage a cop or fireman in a conversation.

A lot of these tendencies have to do with these professions have a reputation for taking risks and saving the lives of others. Plus their uniform seems to attract women.

The Musician
Music has a direct link to people's emotions. That's why women can be easily seduced whenever their around "The Musician".

To a lot of girls, a musician is more in tune with his emotions then other guys. In their heads, they think this guy can be a source of sensual lovemaking. Plus a woman might envision this guy writing a "special" song for her.

The Cook
Food is considered one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs known to man. By being able to whip a few fantastic meals, "The Cook" is a great person for attracting women.

When a man knows his way around a kitchen, he is showing positive qualities like creativity and a provider of pleasure. Both of these characteristics are highly attractive to many different women.

The Dangerous Guy
Women are intoxicated by a guy who can live his life on the edge and is not afraid to do his own thing. That's why "The Dangerous Guy" is one of the most seductive personality traits to women.

This guy cares little for what others think. Instead he is not afraid to take risks in life. When around a man like this, women envision themselves going on exciting adventures and being pulled away from their boring lives.

Women are intoxicated by a guy who can live his life on the edge and is not afraid to do his own thing. That's why "The Dangerous Guy" is one of the most seductive personality traits to women.

This guy cares little for what others think. Instead he is not afraid to take risks in life. When around a man like this, women envision themselves going on exciting adventures and being pulled away from their boring lives.

nice guys always finish last?

2008-01-31T10:57:00.000-06:00

Why is it that nice guys always finish last? So let's look into it with a deeper perspective. We all like being around nice people when it comes to friends and family but why doesn’t it work when it comes to relationships? Why are nice guys always taken for granted? Learn some of the major reasons why women hate nice guys and what measures can be taken to stay away from that "Nice guy" image.

Well the definition of a nice guy is different when you ask a woman. According to females nice guy defines a person who is insecure, always seeks approval, has a strong need to be wanted and loved, always acts as a yes man, desperate and they tend to over do almost everything.

Insecure- Now not all nice men might be insecure but most of them are when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex. Nice guys are so insecure about their want for attention that they lose it all eventually. No woman prefers an insecure guy.

Seeking approval- Oh boy here's the age old story again! Have you ever come across a guy who always asks for approval in other words always needs an opinion for whether he is right or wrong? This is a common feature in almost all those so called "Nice men" out there.

They always need love- Women are known to be more emotional than men but sometimes men act like women and become cry babies. They always seek love and attention from the opposite sex. They would do almost anything on this planet and fall to any levels to get it.

She's always right- This is what those nice guys think about the women they're with. No female prefers a "Yes man". They all prefer guys who have strong beliefs and opinions and who know how to stand up tall and rise to the occasion.

The desperate act- Don't you think "Nice men" look desperate sometimes? Most nice men find it hard to say what's on their minds and mostly fall into the desperation zone. And once you get the "Desperate tag" It's very hard to get out of it.

Now it does not mean that you have to act like a jerk to get female attention. Women do not like jerks either. You do not want to fall into the "Bad boy" zone. Women dislike bad guys more than they hate nice men.

2nd Date Blues

2008-01-31T10:56:00.000-06:00

How not to get a second date.

1. Lateness
You planned out this date in great detail. You obviously planned also not to be on time. It is one thing to call and let her know you are running a little behind schedule but are on the way. It is another to show up an hour later (or worse) and not even give her the courtesy of a phone call. When it comes to going out somewhere, many women are sticklers for promptness. You do not get a second chance to make a first impression and showing up late tells her you are not really taking this date seriously

2. What conversation?
Your date starts talking and talking and talking. Not because she wants to but because you do not have anything to say other than an occasional "uh-huh". It could be nerves on your part or you were just unprepared to speak on any subject. Whatever it is, having to drag conversation out of your date is not a woman's idea of fun.

This goes for the opposite end of the spectrum also. Practicing conversation hogging or slapping down her opinion each time she attempts to contribute to the discussion may give her the following impression: "This guy is a jerk." Chances are that's not the vibe you wanted to give out.

3. What humor?
You don't know any jokes. You don't make any humorous comments. As a matter of fact, when she says something funny you go out of your way to analyze it and find the serious point in what she was trying to say. Yuck. No one wants to be around a stick in the mud. Sharing some laughs with her can work absolute wonders so lighten up.

Now keep in mind she never agreed to go out on a date with Bozo the Clown either. Laughing at anything and everything is not healthy. Doing this could make her a little nervous about you. She could also come to the conclusion you have some serious issues to work out.

4. Pretend
This is known in some circles as lying. Sure you want to impress her but exaggerating your importance is not the way to do it. Starting a dating relationship with a lie is a formula for disaster. If your date senses that you are lying, that disaster will come sooner than you think.

5. She reminds me of...
If you want to guarantee this is your last date with her than start here. You are out with her and talking about your ex wife, former girlfriends or any other women you have on your mind is not going to further the relationship. She agreed to go out on this date with you. You would do well to treat her like she is the most important woman in your life at this moment.

Is this an offensive ad??

2008-01-30T17:34:00.000-06:00

A fitness club ad running in Boston magazine that depicts nuns sketching a naked man has triggered protests among some members of the Bay State's Catholic community.

The ad for the Equinox Fitness Club is running in this month's issue and some Catholic organizations blasted the photo saying it was offensive.

C.J. Doyle of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts said the ad shows contempt for the Catholic religion.

** Hmmm - not that offensive to me. But any press is good press. **

Even Hitler's a Cowboys Fan

2008-01-22T14:27:00.000-06:00

I feel your pain mein furher.

That Time of the Year Again

2008-01-15T15:39:00.001-06:00

It's that time of the year again when thoughts turn to girls peddling their wares down the street. Of course I'm talking about Girl Scout cookies - my favorites are tagalongs, shortbread, and caramel delites. Not too fond of thin mints - but I know chicks go crazy over mint and chocolate.
Gone are the days of going door to door. Now I see troops at target, walmart, heb, randalls - kinda taking the easy way out if you ask me. Also have people at work soliciting for their kids. Just saw a girl scout cookie sheet on our work fridge (where's the no solicitation policy). Believe me the kid could get more sales simply going cube to cube in the girl scout uniform. I'm a sucker for kids selling crap door to door. Just because I know what a pain it is selling overpriced crap out of catalogs. Back in my day selling candy bars for the baseball team we simply went door to door in the neighborhood.

Never to early 01.18.2009

2008-01-14T14:00:00.000-06:00

Houston Marathon 2009 here I come.
Just signed up so now I'm committed for 01.18.2009.

Marathon Sunday

2008-01-08T14:13:00.000-06:00

Woo Hoo...
Another marathon Sunday. I'm DJ'ing playing music again.
Beach Party theme so expect a lot of Beach Boys music, a lot of fun up-beat, danceable music.

Still Hot at 38

2008-01-04T16:13:00.000-06:00

Jennifer Anniston is still hot at 38...

2007 Superlist

2008-01-02T14:02:00.000-06:00

Relive 2007 with this compilation of every list you can imagine:
2007 Mega List

Guitar Hero Reviewed by Zero Punctuation

2007-12-20T14:15:00.000-06:00

Not at all serious this time

2007-12-18T13:38:00.001-06:00

Achievement and Motivation

Ghost Sighting on Camera

2007-12-18T12:53:00.000-06:00

Real Life Ghost Sighting Caught on Camera

Batman - The Dark Knight Trailer

2007-12-17T15:40:00.000-06:00

Summer 2008

Birthday Party Fun

2007-12-17T15:21:00.000-06:00

Birthday Party Fun

God is Not Great... Mormonism. A Racket Becomes A Religion

2007-12-13T13:26:00.000-06:00

God is Not Great...
Excerpts from Christopher Hitchens Book.
Mormonism. A Racket Becomes a Religion

Atheism 3: Religion 0

2007-12-12T14:15:00.000-06:00

One More Myth Busted:
Yes Virginia - there are atheists in foxholes.

Atheism 2: Religion 0

2007-12-12T10:27:00.000-06:00

And I thought Christianity was a bit weird. Cartoon describing the pecularities of Mormonism. Rumors are this is banned by the Mormon Church. But I would certainly not be surprised if this is as written in the Book of Mormon.

The more I read about Mormonism the more fascinating I am as to how this religion even got to be as widespread and believed as it has. I'm sure someone has written about the early days of the Mormon Church.

Do a google search or other research on:
1) 'the Adam-God theory'
2) Blood Atonement
3) the Danites and the Daughters of Zion
4) African-Americans and slavery
5) The 1838 Mormon War

Predictions for the coming year

2007-12-11T16:08:00.000-06:00

Does any of this make sense to you?

The threatening suspense of the past six years has accelerated etheric spirals of change accumulating in our physical world. Predicting on the threshold of these changes for 2008 is examining only a portion of purported reality that is manifesting.

The political charges of the year will be somewhat polarized within their own parties. However, there will be few challenges for the Democratic schedule for 2008 from the Republicans. Gossip and rumors will clearly separate those who currently rule within the parties.

Resistance to retire the traditional guards of old thought challenges the new illuminated leaders. None the less, these people of light, within both parties, will be in position for historical political changes of the century in 2008. Those of you who are psychically developed will notice that their aura is slightly different than most on this physical plane. Incarnating and becoming the epitome of young adults, they are among the thousands of planetary beings depicted in the 1977 psychic oil painting, “Arrival”.

Healthcare will be a major topic throughout the year. A major leader will be strongly advised not to veto anything related to the records of healthcare. (I really can’t tell which way the pendulum of the dark lord will swing).

Divorce and separations will be on the rise, yet, within this spiral of change there will also be record breaking childbirths and in some sections of the world, marriages will be plentiful. I get a sense that those harmonious unions will be located in isolated areas of naturally warm climates.

Speaking of climates, expect more of the unexpected! Many natural disasters will surface in spirals, volcanic eruptions, violent winds, earthquakes, floods, and large bodies of ice break off the Antarctic much larger than in previous years.

Take extra precautions in your privacy because the invasion of identity thieves will have penetrated major public markets. We will also see personal, private, confidential information being publicized not only in the internet but in news print. There are two significant incidents involving terrorist activity which will be halted and those major leaders involved apprehended.

We will witness several shifting changes in the corporate world, high tensions, lay offs and resignations will mark this year as somewhat ugly for those who hang on to the old traditional form of corporate dogmas.

The unstable conditions of time portals are likely to create disturbances that may appear surreal for those living in large cities. The probable disruptions may manifest as structural.

Environmental organizations will gain phenomenal support and aid from all major governments and private sectors.

A viral condition may get out of control and threaten world health in a pandemic spiral of anxiety. This is a wavering energy that may mutate into other health related disorders.

Ripples in the framework of organized religions, particularly the Catholic Church may trigger political and religious discord.

The perseverance of those humble servants of light in all walks of life reaps an abundant and prosperous year. For a great number of you, it is a year of action, a year bearing the fruits of labor with opportunities in your line of expertise. For others, you will experience a series of events that will launch you to your rightful destiny path of prosperity.

Interestingly, designers in the fashion industry will revisit the changing needs of their targeted buyers. The awakening public consciousness requires a new and different, health enhancing fiber of light energy.

It is a difficult year for agricultures due to unfavorable environmental changes. Organic farming will continue to climb in popularity but not immune to rising cost and will pass along to the consumer.

Exciting for some, startling for others, discoveries in space exploration will push back the veils of three dimensional thinking to the strange and unconventional resources of thought; extra terrestrial contact is established, in frequency sequences.

Paranormal activity in large proportions intrigue scientists to explore this study in its widest sense, accessing wondrous apparitions of ghostly or dimensional forms of existence.

2008 will no doubt stimulate sincere emotions of appreciation in your life. You will find that your emotions are more magnetic in attracting situations suitable to your emotional thought process.

****
I love the way predictions by psychics read. Lots of doublespeak with not clear decisiveness one way or another. I could easily have put 1994 in place of 2008 and the results would be the same. One more reason not to believe in psychics or other paranormal phenomenon.

Batman - The Dark Night

2007-12-06T17:05:00.000-06:00

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Dallas vs. Green Bay

2007-11-29T10:32:00.000-06:00

Dallas vs. Green Bay
NFL Network 7:15 PM

My pick - Dallas Cowboys to win

College Kids (Millennials) Don't Know Everything

2007-11-21T09:10:00.001-06:00

College age kids don't know everything about marketing:
An article from Ad Age Magazine: Millennials: Clued in or Clueless?

1. COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE NOT THE TARGET FOR MOST PRODUCTS

2. THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME DOES NOT SUPPORT A CLEANING LADY (OR AN IPHONE)

3. THERE ARE MORE OLD PEOPLE THAN YOUNG PEOPLE

4.FACEBOOK IS AN ADVERTISING-SUPPORTED, COMMERCIAL SERVICE

5. SERVICE MARKETING IS MORE THAN A LATTE WITH A SMILE

6. RETAILERS, NOT MANUFACTURERS, SET THE PRICE

7. IT'S ILLEGAL FOR ADS TO LIE

8. 98% OF PRODUCT PLACEMENTS ARE PAID

9. MOBILE PHONES AND IPODS ARE NEW MEDIA

10. BRANDS INFLUENCE BUYING BEHAVIOR

I know the young generation would like to believe the world revolves around them - but it just isn't so. Simply marketing 101.

Party Like a Rock Star

2007-11-20T13:48:00.001-06:00

Atheism 1 : Religion 0

2007-11-20T11:25:00.001-06:00

I guess he didn't hear about that 'thou shall not commit adultery' or that whole you shouldn't sleep with your brother's wife thing. But maybe he was simply following in the footsteps of other people in the bible who committed incest, adultery, etc.

DECATUR, Ga. - The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch is at the center of a sex scandal of biblical dimensions: He slept with his brother's wife and fathered a child by her.

Members of Archbishop Earl Paulk's family stood at the pulpit of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church a few Sundays ago and revealed the secret exposed by a recent court-ordered paternity test.

In truth, this is not the first — or even the second — sex scandal to engulf Paulk and the independent, charismatic church. But this time, he could be in trouble with the law for lying under oath about the affair.

The living proof of that lie is 34-year-old D.E. Paulk, who for years was known publicly as Earl Paulk's nephew. "I am so very sorry for the collateral damage it's caused our family and the families hurt by the removing of the veil that hid our humanity and our sinfulness," said D.E. Paulk, who received the mantle of head pastor a year and a half ago.

D.E. Paulk said he did not learn the secret of his parentage until the paternity test. "I was disappointed, and I was surprised," he said. Earl Paulk, his brother, Don, and his sister-in-law, Clariece, did not return calls for comment.

A judge ordered the test at the request of the Cobb County district attorney's office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which are investigating Earl Paulk for possible perjury and false-swearing charges stemming from a lawsuit.

The archbishop, his brother and the church are being sued by former church employee Mona Brewer, who says Earl Paulk manipulated her into an affair from 1989 to 2003 by telling her it was her only path to salvation. Earl Paulk admitted to the affair in front of the church last January.

In a 2006 deposition stemming from the lawsuit, the archbishop said under oath that the only woman he had ever had sex with outside of his marriage was Brewer. But the paternity test said otherwise.

So far no charges have been filed against Earl Paulk. District Attorney Pat Head and GBI spokesman John Bankhead would not comment.

The shocking results of the paternity test are speeding up a transformation already under way in the church after more than a decade of sex scandals and lawsuits involving the Paulks, D.E. Paulk said.

"It was a necessary evil to bring us back to a God-consciousness," said the younger Paulk, explaining that the church had become too personality-driven and prone to pastor worship.

The flashy megachurch began in 1960 with just a few dozen members in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. Now, it is in the suburbs on a 100-acre expanse, a collection of buildings surrounding a neo-Gothic cathedral.

For years the church was at the forefront of many social movements — admitting black members in the 1960s, ordaining women and opening its doors to gays.

At its peak in the early 1990s, it claimed about 10,000 members and 24 pastors and was a media powerhouse. By soliciting tithes of 10 percent from each member's income, the church was able to build a Bible college, two schools, a worldwide TV ministry and a $12 million sanctuary the size of a fortress.

Today, though, membership is down to about 1,500, the church has 18 pastors, most of them volunteers, and the Bible college and TV ministry have shuttered — a downturn blamed largely on complaints about the alleged sexual transgressions of the elder Paulks.

In 1992, a church member claimed she was pressured into a sexual relationship with Don Paulk. Other women also claimed they had been coerced into sex with Earl Paulk and other members of the church's administration.

The church countered with a $24 million libel suit against seven former church members. The lawsuit was later dropped.

Jan Royston, who left the church in 1992, started an online support group for former members to discuss their crushed faith and hurt feelings.

"This is a cult. And you escape from a cult," she said. "We all escaped."
These days, Earl Paulk has a much-reduced role at the cathedral, giving 10-minute lectures as part of Sunday morning worship each week.

"My uncle is 100 percent guilty, but his accusers are guilty as well," D.E. Paulk said, declining to talk further about the lawsuits.

80 Proof Rocks You

2007-11-19T10:15:00.000-06:00

80 Proof - Houston's Premier 80's Cover Band
Yes - we travel for the right gig - Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans, Galveston.
Look for us a club near you. Currently playing The Concert Pub and on the Wild Wings Cafe band rotation for January and February.

If you wish to be on our newsletter let me know.

Logical Fallacies Part 2

2007-11-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

6. Confusing association with causation
This is similar to the post-hoc fallacy in that it assumes cause and effect for two variables simply because they are correlated, although the relationship here is not strictly that of one variable following the other in time. This fallacy is often used to give a statistical correlation a causal interpretation. For example, during the 1990's both religious attendance and illegal drug use have been on the rise. It would be a fallacy to conclude that therefore, religious attendance causes illegal drug use. It is also possible that drug use leads to an increase in religious attendance, or that both drug use and religious attendance are increased by a third variable, such as an increase in societal unrest. It is also possible that both variables are independent of one another, and it is mere coincidence that they are both increasing at the same time. A corollary to this is the invocation of this logical fallacy to argue that an association does not represent causation, rather it is more accurate to say that correlation does not necessarily mean causation, but it can. Also, multiple independent correlations can point reliably to a causation, and is a reasonable line of argument.

7. Confusing currently unexplained with unexplainable
Because we do not currently have an adequate explanation for a phenomenon does not mean that it is forever unexplainable, or that it therefore defies the laws of nature or requires a paranormal explanation. An example of this is the "God of the Gapsâ" strategy of creationists that whatever we cannot currently explain is unexplainable and was therefore an act of god.

8. False Continuum
The idea that because there is no definitive demarcation line between two extremes, that the distinction between the extremes is not real or meaningful: There is a fuzzy line between cults and religion, therefore they are really the same thing.

9. False Dichotomy
Arbitrarily reducing a set of many possibilities to only two. For example, evolution is not possible, therefore we must have been created (assumes these are the only two possibilities). This fallacy can also be used to oversimplify a continuum of variation to two black and white choices. For example, science and pseudoscience are not two discrete entities, but rather the methods and claims of all those who attempt to explain reality fall along a continuum from one extreme to the other.

10. Inconsistency
Applying criteria or rules to one belief, claim, argument, or position but not to others. For example, some consumer advocates argue that we need stronger regulation of prescription drugs to ensure their safety and effectiveness, but at the same time argue that medicinal herbs should be sold with no regulation for either safety or effectiveness.

White Van Speaker Scam

2007-11-13T16:22:00.001-06:00

Remember what you're Mom said, "If it sounds to good to be true, It probably is." Moral of the story - never buy speakers from a guy in a van in a parking lot. Yes I know a few people who have gotten taken by this scam - don't let it be you.

White Van Speaker Scam

Logical Fallacies

2007-11-09T16:21:00.000-06:00

What is a logical fallacy?
All arguments have the same basic structure: A therefore B. They begin with one or more premises (A), which is a fact or assumption upon which the argument is based. They then apply a logical principle (therefore) to arrive at a conclusion (B). An example of a logical principle is that of equivalence. For example, if you begin with the premises that A=B and B=C, you can apply the logical principle of equivalence to conclude that A=C. A logical fallacy is a false or incorrect logical principle. An argument that is based upon a logical fallacy is therefore not valid. It is important to note that if the logic of an argument is valid then the conclusion must also be valid, which means that if the premises are all true then the conclusion must also be true. Valid logic applied to one or more false premises, however, leads to an invalid argument. Also, if an argument is not valid the conclusion may, by chance, still be true.

5 Logical Fallacies (more to come)
1. Ad hominem
An ad hominem argument is any that attempts to counter anothers claims or conclusions by attacking the person, rather than addressing the argument itself. True believers will often commit this fallacy by countering the arguments of skeptics by stating that skeptics are closed minded. Skeptics, on the other hand, may fall into the trap of dismissing the claims of UFO believers, for example, by stating that people who believe in UFO's are crazy or stupid.

2. Ad ignorantiam
The argument from ignorance basically states that a specific belief is true because we don't know that it isn't true. Defenders of extrasensory perception, for example, will often overemphasize how much we do not know about the human brain. UFO proponents will often argue that an object sighted in the sky is unknown, and therefore it is an alien spacecraft.

3. Argument from authority
Stating that a claim is true because a person or group of perceived authority says it is true. Often this argument is implied by emphasizing the many years of experience, or the formal degrees held by the individual making a specific claim. It is reasonable to give more credence to the claims of those with the proper background, education, and credentials, or to be suspicious of the claims of someone making authoritative statements in an area for which they cannot demonstrate expertise. But the truth of a claim should ultimately rest on logic and evidence, not the authority of the person promoting it.

4. Argument from final Consequences
Such arguments (also called teleological) are based on a reversal of cause and effect, because they argue that something is caused by the ultimate effect that it has, or purpose that is serves. For example: God must exist, because otherwise life would have no meaning.

5. Argument from Personal Incredulity
I cannot explain or understand this, therefore it cannot be true. Creationists are fond of arguing that they cannot imagine the complexity of life resulting from blind evolution, but that does not mean life did not evolve.

as if religion were not bad enough

2007-10-31T16:16:00.000-05:00

When It Takes a Miracle To Sell Your House
Owners, Realtors Bury Statues Of St. Joseph to Attract Buyers;
By SARA SCHAEFER MUÑOZ
October 30, 2007;

Cari Luna is Jewish by heritage and Buddhist by religion. She meditates regularly. Yet when she and her husband put their Brooklyn, N.Y., house on the market this year and offers kept falling through, Ms. Luna turned to an unlikely source for help: St. Joseph.

...
Some Realtors, too, swear by the practice. Ardell DellaLoggia, a Seattle-area Realtor, buried a statue beneath the "For Sale" sign on a property that she thought was overpriced. She didn't tell the owner until after it had sold. "He was an atheist," she explains. "But he thanked me."

...the rest of the story is here.

I'm not even going to point out all of the logical fallacies in the article. But if some people want to believe a 6 inch tall statue solves all of their problems so be it from me to talk them out of absurd thinking. The funny part is the statues are made in China, a heavy Buddhist country. Life is ironic.

It amazes me what people will believe and do in the name of religion.

80 Proof Rocks Bungalo 8

2007-10-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

The best 80's band in Houston....
Coming soon to a venue near you.
Playing the Houston Hash Christmas Party - Dec 1, 2007.

holy attic crawl batman

2007-10-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. -- Holy rare find, Batman!

Pittsburgh comic collector Todd McDevitt has come across a copy of one of the most valuable comic books ever printed. It's the Detective Comics issue No. 27 from before World War II. It's famous because it's the first one in which Batman appears.

McDevitt said that his copy is worth about $250,000, although a pristine copy can be worth as much as $500,000. The Action Comics edition No. 1 is the only one considered by collectors to be more valuable, since it marks Superman's first appearance.

McDevitt owns a chain of comics stores and said the copy he bought was brought in by somebody who found it while cleaning out an attic and wondered if it was worth anything.

He said that his eyes almost popped out when he saw it.

McDevitt won't say how much he paid, but says he's been saving money for 20 years, hoping for just such a find.

For now, he's keeping the Batman comic in an airtight bag in a bank vault, bringing it out occasionally to give friends and customers a peek. He says he hasn't even read it yet.

the unforgiven

2007-10-04T10:21:00.001-05:00

mmm...cheerleaders

2007-10-04T10:02:00.000-05:00

I love football season.

The Barcardi Bat

2007-10-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

This just happens to be my second favorite logo of all time. Here is the story behind it.

The Barcardi Bat
Piss Off the Bat and He’ll Bomb You

If company legend is to be believed (and it rarely should), a bat found its way onto the Bacardi label in 1862 because the wife of the distillery’s founder noticed a colony of fruit bats hanging around the rafters of the converted warehouse that was their first distillery. The bat was considered a noble and lucky creature by the local Cubans, so it seemed a smart move to attach the symbol to the fledgling rum.

An alternative history, strenuously denied by Bacardi, is that the bat got the nod because every morning distillery workers had to fish the lucky, noble, and thoroughly intoxicated creatures out of the rum vats.

The rum found quick favor in Cuba and spread rapidly throughout the Americas. Prohibition gave it a boost, thanks to Cuba’s close proximity to the U.S. coast, and by the ‘50s the bat was flying high as the best-selling rum in the U.S.

Then came the communists. Despite the fact that the Bacardi family helped bankroll the Cuban Revolution, they were driven out of the country and their holdings nationalized when Fidel Castro seized power. The Bacardi clan never forgave this betrayal, and have used their considerable political and financial influence to make things difficult for Cuba ever since.

Why It Worked: The aforementioned locals not only considered the bat good mojo, they were also largely illiterate. They couldn’t read the verbose Spanish praising the product on the early labels, but they could recognize the bat just fine. When the rum spread to more literate countries, the exotic mammal matched up well with what Westerners thought of rum: nocturnal danger with a hint of vampirism.

Evolution: The prototype bat was a fatter specimen, but aside from the usual streamlining, Bacardi has remained true to the original logo.

Dark Secret: Embittered Bacardi helmsman Jose Pepin Bosch bought a surplus B-26 bomber with the hopes of bombing his ex-pal Fidel’s oil refineries (the bold plan was foiled when a picture of the bomber appeared on the front page of New York Times). He was also allegedly involved in the CIA plot to assassinate Castro.

Claim to Fame: Bacardi was the first “civilized” rum. The founder, Spanish emigrant Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, tamed the raw New World spirit by experimenting with charcoal filtering and oak barrel aging.

Titles of books I'm working on.

2007-09-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

1) Everything is not a Conspiracy.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Conspiracy Theories.

2) In the Future Everyone's an Expert.

3) What do I know... I'm Black. A look at life in America through the eyes of a black yuppie.

Free Carpet and Shampoo Cleaning

2007-09-27T09:59:00.000-05:00

Free Carpet and Shampoo Cleaning - sure. So these guys were canvassing my neighborhood last night. Actually managed to be home instead of at a happy hour somewhere - mistakenly I agreed to a free carpet cleaning. So this very cute girl comes in and starts giving her prepared spiel about how great the Kirby is compared to my $100 Hoover. I let her do her demo for a few hours. I already knew all the tricks.
1) Appeal to my emotion to save money
2) Get the person to talk about themselves - agree with whatever they say. For example I'm into running - so of course they are as well.
3) Use dust mites as a scare tactic.
4) At the end show the price - for me it was $2595. So when I didn't feel like I was buying - make a phone call to the 'manager' offering a better deal. So the price magically dropped to $1800, then one more phone call and it dropped to $1280. I basically said no matter what I wasn't buying. So then the backup arrives - a little guy comes in and basically gives me her same spiel all over again. I nod smile and say - yeah she told me that already. After about 30 minutes of me constantly saying no - they left. They even tried the you don't have to pay for 6 weeks deal on me.
So I searched the internet and found lots of high pressure sales tactics that they use. The 'lifetime' warranty isn't a 'true' lifetime. more like 3 years and life refurbishment replacement of parts.
So anytime I get an in home demo I take it, but just say no.

Honestly I was merely hoping for it to turn into a hot porn movie - but no such luck for me. Even after I put on the Barry White music. Maybe next time I'll accidentally spill water on her, so she can then take it off. But oh wait - I've got a T-shirt in my bedroom - here on my bed....

Bar Thursday

2007-09-27T00:21:00.000-05:00

A Frenchman walks into a bar and he has a parrot on his shoulder. The parrot is wearing a baseball cap. And the bartender says, "Hey, that's neat — where did you get that?" And the parrot says, "France — they've got millions of them there."

A termite went in a bar and asked, "Is the bar tender here?"

A guy with dyslexia walks into a bra.

A kangaroo walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, "That'll be $10. You know, we don't get many kangaroos coming in here." The kangaroo says, "At $10 a beer, it's not hard to understand."

The Bass Player in the Band

2007-09-21T10:10:00.001-05:00

...guy goes into a bar thursday

2007-09-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

A guy goes into a bar followed by his pet giraffe, and they both get totally plastered. The giraffe passes out and the man gets up to leave.
The bartender says, "You can't leave that lyin' there."
The drunk says, "It's not a lion, it's a giraffe."

Just in Case You Were Wondering

2007-09-19T16:56:00.000-05:00

Just in case you're were wondering on the correct procedure to use Listerine Breath Strips. Here are the directions along with the ingredients.

Directions
(1) First remove one Breath Strip from the convenient carrying case.
(2) Then place the Breath Strip on your tongue and let it dissolve. Use one Breath Strip as needed.

Ingredients
COOL MINT: Pullulan, Flavors, Menthol, Aspartame, Potassium Acesulfame, Copper Gluconate, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Glyceryl Oleate, Eucalyptol, Methyl Salicylate, Thymol, Locust Bean Gum, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, FD&C Green No 3.
PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE

I suppose this is done as opposed to eating all the strips at once or simply chewing the convenient carrying case. Although now I'm wondering if i get the same effect if i put the strip anywhere else on my body. Would be a very cool way to dispense medicines, chocolate, maybe illicit substances if you're into that kind of thing, or alcohol samples. Hey I think I may have a patent in there somewhere.

80's Band Playlist

2007-09-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

...goes into a bar Thursday

2007-09-13T09:37:00.000-05:00

This woman goes into her local bar and orders a Whiskey but unusually decides to stand at the bar instead of taking her usual seat. The bar man asked her "What's up" "Oh nothing" she replied "Its just that I have had some tatoos done on my thighs and they are a bit sore still". "Interesting" says the bar man "what are the tatoos?" "Well one thigh has a Turkey and the other thigh has a Christmas tree". Thinking it unusual the bar man asked "Why?" "Simple" she replies" My husband is always complaining about having nothing nice to eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas....."

A three legged dog limps into a saloon in the Old West.
He slides up to the bar orders a whiskey and announces "I'm looking for the man who shot my paw!!

I love women who get in touch with themselves

2007-09-12T11:44:00.000-05:00

Woman embraces her beaver.

Because I Like Bananas

2007-09-06T13:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Banana

Killer Banana

Everything you wanted to know about Apple Corporation

2007-09-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

Apple - the corporation

A Guy Goes Into a Bar Thursday

2007-09-06T08:56:00.001-05:00

A guy goes into a bar ont he top of a very tall building. He sits down, orders a huge beer, chugs it, walks over to the window and jumps out.

Five minutes later, the guy walks into the bar again, orders another huge beer chugs it, walks over to the window, and jumps out again. Five minutes later, he reappears and repeats the whole thing.

About half an hour later, another guy at the bar stops the first guy and says: "Hey, how the heck are you doing that?" The first guy responds: "Oh its simple physics. When you chug the beer, it makes you all warm inside and, since warm air rises, if you just hold your breath you become lighter than air and float down to the sidewalk." "Wow!" exclaims the second man. "I gotta try that!" So he orders a huge beer, chugs it, goes over to the window, jumps out, and splats on the sidewalk below.

The bartender looks over to the first man and says: "You know, Superman, you act like a real jerk when you're drunk."