It Snot Right
First, in the spirit of the holiday, Thanksgiving, let me state that it was a very good day spent with family and dog. A visit to my folks with Julie, and then dinner with Julie's folks, her kids and her brother and sister-in-law. Very pleasant and low keyed, the way I prefer. And I am one for giving thanks, or more as I term it "an attitude of gratitude" for all that I am privelaged to have and enjoy. I truly try and practice this every day, for I have for more in my life than I deserve.

And I have gratitude that one day soon I will feel better. Future gratitude for things to come if you will, for I have felt lousy for the last several days thanks to the Common Cold. Uncommon for me, however, and I have to admit I'm a weinie about colds because I have them so rarely. I would rather be really sick, with gut wrenching puking and bedridden with nausea than to have a cold like this one. With gut wrenching puking, at least it's over for awhile until the next attack. This cold is unrelenting. My nose is 95% ineffective in sucking in air, and thanks be to God that he gave us an alternative for obtaining air with our mouths or else I would be suffocated and dead. It has given me panic attacks as it reminds me of the time I almost drowned...not a good experience.

I've had so much "snot" [scientific name: mucouso malignantitis] that when I blow it all out in a gigantic glob, within 3 minutes, tops, my nose is completely full of it again. This is not a pretty picture I grant you, but it is true, and is added, hopefully, to generate some sympathy for my plight. I do feel that it is breaking slightly, as I have moments now when my nose is approximately 45% effective in sucking in air, and Julie has given me Mentholatum, which eases the snot factor. So if I wake up suffocated it's not her fault.

The Visit..
The Dulin family from Richmond, Texas is visiting for the holidays...more later.
It is now later...or later now, whatever. After meeting Julie's brother Don at my office [computer talk], he and his lovely bride Leslie, Julie and I went to lunch at Julie's absolutely most favorite cafe, Johnny's Bar-b-Que. Julie's most encouraging comment about Johnny's is.....I hate it, it's disgusting, they drop cigarette ashes in the food!!. Well what do you want, "clean food", it's a West Texas Bar-b-que joint for gosh sakes. It's not the best in the world, but it is an institution in our town, having been in operation since the 1950's and many of the patron's there are one's who were there when I first graced it's doors in 19 and 61. But that's part of the charm....seeing old geezers whom you've known for 40+ years, since when they were young geezers. But the smoke was not too bad, and we had a lovely time.
PS: Interesting advantage of downloading Explorer 6.1: my old browser, with unending regularity used to "freeze" and give me an alert pop up warning KERNEL 32 ERROR with an annoying BOING sound. Fine, except that when you'd hit the "close" button, it would BOING again, hit it BOING, BOING, but do nothing. To get rid of the ERROR pop up, the computer would have to be restarted.
Well I just had the KERNEL 32 ERROR once again.....and lo and behold when I hit the "close" button....well it closed. Whoopee.

Exploring......6.1
Well I finally got around to downloading Explorer 6.1 today. I'd been meaning to do it for a long time.....mainly because I like the colored scroll bars it allows. I have it on my office machine, and have been designing for it in my web work almost since I started using CSS. I have been delaying it on the home machine because I feared the long download time on a dialup modem. But, like most things in life, the dread didn't live up to the reality. It only took 45 minutes or so, and installed easily. Perhaps because I did the custom download, instead of the full install. Of course, I'm missing things like the Vietnamese and Korean language capabililties, but I did get VBS scripting and a new Media Player.
Excuse me while I go and check on some new color scroll bar possibilities......

Me and..Me

They say it's your Birthday....
In all modesty, I announce that it is my birthday today. Modestly because I wouldn't have made it this far without the help and love of many people...too many to recite here. But you know who you are.....and I am grateful for your assistance. The picture above is me today....and me some &*^@#$ years ago, when I was one. The photos new and old were merged, the common point being the chair, which my family had then, and sits in my dining room still today.

Seems like yesterday....
It was 39 years ago today, but I still recall it like it happened yesterday. I was in Coach Nixon's home room class, ninth grade, Midland High School. Bonnie Craddick, as she did for four years, was sitting in front of me in the row next to the wall. The old loud speaker came on with the special announcement.....President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas and was dead. Eveyone was silent, too silent. How, at 13 years of age do you react to this news. We didn't know, nor did the teachers. We went on for another half hour in this neverland of silence with some small talk, till school was dismissed for the day. It was the 22nd of November, which happened to be the day before my birthday. I will always relate the two for the rest of my life.

It was start of my teen years, and the end of my real innocence about life. I remember it was the time that Yo-Yo's were the "fad". I spent my birthday with my best friend, Ronnie [now Ron] Hunt, who by coincidence was born several hours apart from me. I remember he and I spent some time with our new birthday Duncan Yo-Yo's, but mostly I remember watching events, and the funeral, unfold on our old black and white TV. Days of it, wondering just how and why these things could happen. What a birthday.

Home again....
It was sad to leave Santa Fe, it being one of the best places on earth to be. It must do my karma well being there. From the golden light, to the smell of piñon pine smoke in the air, to the feeling of just being somewhere where people appreciate the finer things in life...like piñon smoke and golden light. And oh yes, the art. Santa Fe is truly one of the art capitals of the world. Not so much in museums [though there are those], but rather in just plain art for sale. There are 100's if not in the 1000's of art galleries and shops. And I dare say more photo galleries per capita than any other city. Great photos too. Ansel Adams, Steiglitz, Weston, Curtiss to name a few.

We had a great time, highlighted by our train trip from Santa Fe to Lamy, a nice leisurely jaunt riding in our choice of a 1950's Domeliner, a 1928 mahogany encased coach, or my personnal favorite, the flatcar. It was a might cool riding outside in 40° weather but worth every minute to get some great photos of my own.

But it is good to get back home, especially to see the Big Gold Dog. I have to be honest, the Dog is one reason I don't travel more. It's easier to leave a child at home than a Dog. Children understand that you'll be back, Dog's don't have that concept. And the Dog is more than grateful to be back in his familiar surroundings. So glad that he is back to sleeping in the bed, something that he hasn't done for a year.
A glimpse of the trip can be viewed at: The Santa Fe trip.

Hey from Santa Fe
This is being written from the exclusive Kinko's in Santa Fe. Having a great time, just got back from an exciting trainride to Lamy NM, and tonite dinner at the Pink Adobe. Wish you were here. Well, no I don't.

Missing Persons.....
The management and staff of Streams will be on a corporate retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico from Nov. 15-17th. Please talk among yourselves while we are away.

Tranquility....
Well there certainly is much to be spleenful and angrily vociferous about in the world. After all it's occupied by a great big boat load full of too many morons and idiots. But I really couldn't pick one particular topic to be angrily vociferous about today so I decided to do a Seinfeld blog and write about really nothing. Except tranquility. I read too many BLogs on the web, half of them are really good, because they agree with my viewpoints. The other half are written by lame-brained half wits, no actually more like quarter wit dumbwads....these don't agree with my viewpoint.
I get really upset with these, putting me in a bad mood. I don't want to be in a bad mood, so I'm going to lay off them for awhile and meditate.

OOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM
OOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

There I feel better. So now I can think better thoughts. Today is my good friend, Famous Author, Joe Galloway's birthday. After winding down from the big yearlong We Were Soldiers movie experience, Joe was looking for something meaningful to do, but not looking too hard. Like so often when we're not looking for anything, too hard, something finds us. Joe is now heading up the "in case of war" news desk for Knight-Ridder Newspapers. Right up his War Correspondant alley. And he doesn't have to actually go this time. Which is good, because his wife told him that if he went to another war, if the bad guys didn't kill him......she would.

Joe is heading down next week to interview our hometown Midland, Texas boy, Gen. Tommy Franks. Then in December he's going to South America with one of my other best long time friends Gen. Tom Hill, who commands all forces in that hemisphere. I wish I were going. Life is full of coincidence and this is one of them. I know Joe and Tom from completely different times in my life, then they meet n Iraq in 1991 and become friendly and find out from each other that they both know me. So how come I'm not invited to South America? Oh well, I'm going to Santa Fe with a young blonde babe Friday, and they're not. It equals out.....I'm tranquil.

Veteran's Day
Didn't I make you proud,
go and lay my life down,
when they called my name.

I thought I stood for something,
thought I was doing the right thing,
when I went away.

Why do folks sit in judgement,
when they ain't seen the things I've seen,
ain't done the things I've done.

Didn't I burn,
didn't I bleed enough for you,
I faced your fears, I felt your pain,
so you wouldn't have to,
Didn't I do my best

-Montgomery Gentry-
-We Were Soldiers-

Veteran's Day is, unfortunately for many, just another chance to get a day off from work. It shouldn't be. If you are thankful for your freedom thank a Veteran. Whether the Vet saw combat or not, he gave up part of his life so that we can live in freedom. He stood tall to protect all the things that we hold dear. I have been blessed to know Veteran's stretching from World War I to the new War on Terrorism. I served with soldiers in the Vietnam era, they are still among my closest friends. They are America's best.

I attend occasional reunions of Army Veteran's, including the reunion of the survivors of one of the most vicious battles in American history, the Ia Drang in Vietnam, upon which the recent film We Were Soldiers was based. Mainly just ordinary guys who performed extraordinary deeds. As would be expected there is some "war talk" about how tough it was and, of course, about the friends lost. But, frankly, much of the conversation is about families, jobs, and how good life is today, which is the way it should be....that's what we were fighting and giving our lives for. Whenever he meets a Veteran, a man who I am proud to call a friend, General Hal Moore who was played by Mel Gibson in the film, always has one thing he say's without fail. "Thank you for your service". A good idea for all Americans. Freedom is not free!

You might like to watch this Tribute to our service personnel.

The Sick O'Clock News..
As age, gravity, and abuse take it's toll on my mortal body, I'm forced to think more about the healthcare mess in the US of A. It's hard to avoid if you watch the evening news with Walter Cronkite. Er, well that dates me.....I guess it's Peter Jennings now. Each evening there is a piece on healthcare, usually involving the increasing cost thereof. It is a mess. My parents are requiring a few more medications these days, for various ills, which they can afford but, while at the pharmacy yesterday my Mother reported that the bill for the lady ahead of her came to a staggering $1500. For one month's worth of prescriptions. And that the lady looked like she could barely afford to buy a new pair of socks, much less pay this sum.
The real dichotomy of the evening news, the lunacy, if you have noticed, is that the evening news is brought to you almost entirely by the drug industry.
Peter Jennings: "it's shocking to most Americans, the cost of prescription drugs! While a recent report by Cornell University says Americans visit doctors far too often and take many medications they don't need. And when we come back...prices are going higher and Doctors are quitting."
TeeVee Ad: "Have you heard about the Purple Pill?"
I'm going to need medication if I hear anymore about the Purple Pill, or Claritin or Allegra, or Mrs. Smith's Bowel Cleaner and Breath Freshener. In the main I have to believe that the drug industry and TeeVee have talked too many people into being sick. When I was a child, we had Aspirin and Mentholatum. If you had allergies and your head hurt, you took an aspirin and then went out back and blew snot out of your nose. That took care of that. Now, you have your choice of a plethora of prescriptions for allergies. I have allergies, I know how much these TeeVee drugs costs. The cheapest is around $50 per prescription..which might last a month. Back in the good ol' days, if you had the first signs of arthiritis, you smeared the joint with mentholatum, took aspirin and you moaned alot. Now..well some of the arthritis drugs cost hundreds of dollars a month...and you still have to moan at your own expense.

I bring this subject up because it's important, but not because it applies to me. Me, I go to the Veteran's Administration and get any prescription for $7 bucks. A benefit of military service. And I deserve it, I contracted Jungle Rot under my toenails, while in unclean foreign lands. My self worth has suffered all these years, I drank too much because of it. Now, with a $7 Jungle Rot prescription, I can feel much better about myself and I am clean and sober. I learned that I was a worthless wretch after seeing a Jungle Rot medication ad on TeeVee.

{Editors Note: If the Armed Services are smart, they'll stop advertising things like the educational and training benefits offered by military service and hit the $7 per prescription benefit really hard. If you are a forward thinking young person with allergies, toe nail rot, arthritis or a bad stomach this could be worth millions to you in the future.}

Help me......Please!
I am used to the kids in my neighborhood stopping by and asking me to buy something to help their school activities. I have purchased raffle tickets, five dollar chocolate bars, and chances to win boom boxes. I have only turned down one kid, which I did with remorse, as he was in Boy Scouts and I [he says proudly] was an Eagle Scout. However I really didn't want $20 popcorn. I hope the Scouts come back again with something more economical that I like.

So, when the door bell ring late Tuesday afternoon I wasn't surprised to see a young man of about 14 standing there. In fact, when I looked at him I remembered I had bought school grapefruit from him last year. No sooner had I opened the door than, with a look of great disgust and some anger he said, "I'm from St. Ann's Catholic School, would you like to buy Christmas Poinsettia's they're making me sell them." I said, "What do you mean making you"? "Yes" he said, almost tearily, "we were ordered to sell 20 each." I asked him what would happen if he didn't sell his quota. He said that knowing the school big trouble would brew.

This was starting to sound serious. I wondered, whether I should I take him in and declare asylum? Would he be excommunicated? Was there a nun outside with a ruler ready to smack us both? Well, not wanting to delve into clergical affairs, I did the only thing I could do. I ordered poinsettias. As I filled out the form I noticed that almost to a home every single one of my neighbors are getting poinsettias too. As he truned to go, with more of a sly smile, I started to wonder, is this the greatest sales pitch ever? Have I been snookered? Have I played into the hands of guilt? Well, I can always use the poinsettias.

Before he left the porch I asked him, "When can I expect these?" "Well" he said, "I can't guarantee the date, but we'll try to have them here this winter". Gee Thanks.......

Senator Elect Cornyn and Pancho

Senator [elect] Cornyn
The Democrats were crowing that things would change in this election, that the mandate for George W. Bush was over. Things did indeed change, the swing to more moderate right values stunned even the Republicans themselves. I think that the election results confirm that the American people want the war on terrorism prosecuted swiftly and vigourously. It shows that the American people, despite the loss of confidence in the business sector, still trust Republican capitalist values to lead the way to a better economy. More than anything I believe it shows that despite the ever growing plethora of "talking heads", media experts and analysts, that the American public can make up it's own mind about the course of their country.

And I'm proud to say that my old college acquaintance John Cornyn will help to lead the way. John doesn't come from a rich family of political lineage. He comes from a modest military family, who taught him that with hard work and honest straight forward values you can become a United States Senator. Congratulations John!

Afternoon Blurb update
The afternoon CNN poll on the question "Who will win the senate?" is:
Republicans: 53%
Democrats: 42%
No One: 6%
Thank you CNN, and there we have it, 101% of the American people have spoken.

Morning News Blurbs....
The current CNN online poll asks, "Who will win control of the Senate". The morning results are:
Republicans: 54%
Democrats: 41%
No One: 6%
I'm rooting for the No Ones. I like their platform.

Yesterday's CNN poll, in response to the robot warrior blowing hell out of Al Queda members, asks: "Is it correct to assasinate "suspected" terrorists without due process?"
I missed the results, but the question shows some people [the press and morons...oh yeah, one and the same] still don't get it. We have declared war on terrorism. Apparently the info on the deceased was excellent, so if it looks like a duck*, quacks like a duck and drives a dune buggy thru the back roads of Yemen like a duck, we blow hell out of the duck. Where ever the duck happens to be. And the dead duck was confirmed as the suspected duck by Yemeni intelligence, using his dog tags. Or rather by the scar on his leg which was the only thing left.

*[the reference to ducks is a literary device. I like ducks, I like ducks a lot, please do not send duck hater mail].

Protest ideas...
A possible war with Iraq, of course, is a very debatable subject in the Web Blog world. This is good, we need debate. But the one point I see repeated which still confounds me is that any action against Iraq is the work of, or in the interest of "Big Oil". I recently made a point on
The Weblog Action Center about Europe, Oil, and the Mid East. Shortly anon and sure enough, here comes replies about "Big Oil".....Evil "Big Oil". I wonder if this person has missed the news for say, the last two years. How many bombings and deaths do we have to have before someone understands that we are under attack and that the best defense is a good offense.

Well, I do admire people of conviction. So if anyone who reads this really thinks "Big Oil" is behind our intentions with Iraq, I have an idea about protesting "Big Oil". Stop using petroleum products. Here's how: stop driving, don't use your heater or air conditioning, don't buy or use any plastic products, don't buy refrigerated foods [coolants come from petroleum you know], and finally stop using your damn computer to spew out moronic ideas about "Big Oil".

Never too late to vote.....

DURHAM, North Carolina (AP) -- Funeral homes in Durham are giving voters no excuse to be deadbeats on election day: They're offering free rides to the polls in limousines.
The Durham Voter Coalition has enlisted Ellis D. Jones Funeral Home and Burthey Funeral Services to ferry voters between homes and balloting stations on November 5.

This story does not surprise me and I think it seems only natural. Dead people have been voting in much of the South since reconstruction. President Lyndon B. Johnson was very popular with dead people and spent much of his early career cultivating their vote. It does seem, though, that this tactic in North Carolina is purely Republican with the use of limousines. In Texas most dead voters, who tend to be Democrats, travel to the polls in pickup trucks. And in Minnesota where a large percentage of voters appear to have brain damage, psychiatric hospitals are offering rides.

Spicey News.......
This just in from "the continent". A plot to kidnap Posh Spice, of The Spice Girls, has been foiled by Scotland Yard. The would be kidnappers reportedly were going to ask for a seven figure ransom. The criminals were apparently delusional as most people would pay that much for them to keep her.

Give 'em a head lock....
Having once undertaken matrimonial vows in Minnesota and spending some good amount of time there in the dim past, I find the state an interesting dichotomy. For the most part, they are typical Mid-Western folks, conservative by nature, and still tending very much toward the old world Germanic wholesomeness. It's just about the cleanest state I've ever been to, and Minneapolis is a gem, with lakes, parks, art and again.....just plain really clean.

The other side of this wonderfulness is that the state has become, along with it's neighbor Wisconsin, a hotbed of old fashion liberalism. Wisconsin has been like that forever. As I have written elsewhere, there is a reason for this gung-ho liberalism. It's easy to be a tree-hugging, kissy kissy liberal if you live in areas that don't have the problems that other states do....such as run-a-way illegal immigration as an example. If the problem is elsewhere it's quite easy to give advice on the solution........what do you care, you won't have to live with it.

Of course, I got started thinking about Minnesota after the Sen. Wellstone Memorial[?]. Walt Mondale has been on the appology trail, saying that some of the people just got a "little carried away". OK. There is another name for this. Just plain rude crude bad taste. I was proud to see Gov. Jesse "Jack Slap 'em" Ventura on the TeeVee this morning. As you may know he walked out of the affair and his comment was, "I was disgusted, I ought to unscrew their heads like burnt out lightbulbs" [or something to that effect]. Way to go Jesse.
Gov. Ventura, now there is a real dichotomy that we may discuss in more detail later. On one hand I really like the guy, he was a Navy SEAL, he speaks plainly without worrying about his re-election possiblities. Then he wears slacks and a polo shirt to the memorial service and sounds about half loony sometimes.

Inane Rambling......
Tired of the crush of sniper's, politicians, terrorists and other stressful thoughts of the modern Globilized life, I turn to thoughts in a more mundane vane. There are things I hate about modern life [from the way it was when I was a kid] like the things just mentioned, and that people in a neighborhood don't sit on their front porches anymore to talk about them. Hell, most people don't have front porches and if they did would be afraid the neighbors might steal something if they did visit. I'm blessed in that I know and like most of my neighbors, but, and this is crazy, but......I email the people across the street as much as I do talk to them in the front yard. I email all the folks up and down the street to tell them I'm going out of town, I send them pictures of my daily life in JPG format, instead of walking over and showing them in KodaChrome. There are more things, many more that I detest about modern life [traffic, the increase in morons, the increase in TeeVee idiot talking heads] but I won't dwell on these. I'll tell you something I do like.
I like Plastic Tar. I discovered Plastic Tar today, at McCoy's Home Repair Center. I have a fireplace that has been leaking more now that the monsoon season has hit, and I tried last week to patch it with Silicon Caulk. Silicon Caulk is outmoded kid stuff. Plastic Tar is in. It comes in a paint can size bucket for only $3.95US and is the consistancy of Betty Crocker Vanilla canned icing. It slathers into the cracks very nicely, and I'm told that it dries much as would real tar, only stronger since it has genuine plastic molecules in it. I also like that the Plastic Tar was sold to me by a friend who I haven't seen in 5 years. And who happens to look exactly like The Big White Guy in Hong Kong. Plastic Tar, try it, you'll like it. It's like liquid Duck Tape.

The Right Stuff....
The term "Hero" is used loosely in this day and age. But one man that personifies and deserves that appellation is Gen. Chuck Yeager. Not for just breaking the sound barrier all those years ago, but for a lifetime of services much above and beyond the call of duty. And doing it mostly out of the eye of the media. He will be the first to tell you that he doesn't like being called a hero. He will say that he was just a guy doing his duty and what he loved to do. In a personal setting he gets noticeably peeved when all people want to do is talk about breaking the sound barrier. He will tell you that it was the luck of the draw that got him in Glamorous Glyniss that day, that it could have been any number of other well qualified pilots. He would really rather talk about his days as a P-51 fighter jock....and ace. To talk about what it meant to defeat Nazi Germany and about all his friends who weren't as lucky as he, and who didn't come home.

I was lucky enough this year to meet Gen. Yeager and hear him say these things. So it was with relish that I read today that he once again, probably for the last time got to break the sound barrier. Sorry Gen. Yeager, I know you wouldn't want to hear it, but you are a hero.....and a genuine legend.

On the Sauce....
Apparently sauce stories are hot news on the International scene. After yesterdays tragic fish sauce story from Vietnam, alert reader Lisa in England found this important news item courtesy of the BBC. The Brown Sauce story is a classic tale of intrigue involving a Bozo not believing that the chef had created his own recipe but instead had used a popular generic, off the shelf, sauce common in Britain. Typically British, the bozo in question admits that he used bad form in coming back after hours and trying to bash the pub's door down in a drunken fit of sauce inquiry. Good show old man!

Now I can't really blame the guy. Back in my days of drunken sauce confusion I might have done the same thing. I love sauces of all types and I if someone says the sauce is original, by God, it had better be. I will admit here in public that I love Worchestershire Sauce so much that occasionally I chug it right out of the bottle, sometimes with a mouthful of Bac-O's.
[no mail saying how disgusting this is please......I know it]

Something's Fishy
With all the "big" stories occupying the news on TeeVee as evidenced by the rumor that CNN is changing it's name to "The Sniper Channel", we forget that there are other stories of international importance. Such as the previously reported piece about Mrs. Barbara Hewson, who was squashed by a fat person on her last airline flight.
Today alert reader Ben Youmans of Tampa Florida, sends the following breaking news. This story will be "glossed" over by the media, so we are proud to be able to relate the facts to you....

Man Dies After Fish Sauce Rescue

HANOI (Reuters) - A Vietnamese man died and three of his co-workers nearly suffered the same fate after trying to rescue a colleague who fell into a vat of fish sauce. The state-run Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said the accident happened Monday in southern beachside Phan Thiet town when a man at a fish sauce factory fell into a 2.2 meter (7.2 foot) sauce tank.

Four other workers, including the man's wife, who came to his aid also fell in, and all lost consciousness after inhaling the gas from the fish being fermented to make the sauce, the article said. A doctor at the emergency unit at Binh Thuan provincial hospital told Reuters Tuesday one of the rescuers, a 34-year-old man, died after being taken to the hospital. The cause of death has not been established, he said.

"The fish sauce tank is very tall and the victims had been lying in the sauce for a while before being rushed here," said the doctor who declined to be identified. "When they came, the man (who died) was already in critical condition."

Phan Thiet, the capital town of Binh Thuan, lies 190 km (118 miles) northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Besides being a center for fish sauce manufacturing, it is known for beachside resorts. Fish sauce is ferociously pungent and commonly used in southeast Asia to spice up dishes.

If this article has made you hungry go to Ginger Nuoc Mam for a great recipe [no humans were harmed in this recipe].

Sit on it!
And this just in.....

LONDON, England -- A woman injured while squeezed next to an obese passenger on a trans-Atlantic flight has been given £13,000 ($20,000) by the airline.

Apparently Mrs. Barbara Hewson, of Swansea, Wales had a rather unpleasant flight from London to Los Angeles, as she was sat upon by a fat woman for most of the trip. Mrs. Swanson has been under a doctor's care for injuries suffered while being squashed in flight. Virgin Atlantic said in a statement: "This was an unprecedented set of extremely unfortunate circumstances". I hope so, and when I choose my seat for my next flight I suppose I'm going to ask for a seat next to the window and not next to an obese person. My medical coverage is not that good.

Get out of jail free!
Well I have to give credit where credit is due. For once Dictator Elect Saddam Hussein has a great idea and one that I suspect may catch on. Vote for me, and you might get out of prison. If I get 100% of the vote then Everyone Goes Free! Yeeehaw! With minor variations this just might work in the US of A. The trouble here is that convicted felons, which most people in prison tend to be, can't vote. But this glitch could be overcome. Just make it a proxy vote by the convicted felon's family.
Due to our Federal form of government, this campaign strategy would work most effectively in the race for states governor. I'm already formulating my run for the Governorship of the great State of Texas. I can see, Monopoly "Get out of Jail Free" cards as my main printed material. And, of course, my theme song will be "I'll be home for Christmas". I will recommend, however, that the freed felons be deported to Iraq. This will keep the law and order voters happy.

Strangely curious......
The case of the D.C. sniper gets more curiouser all the time. The basic fact of oddity to me is how someone, anyone, no matter how well trained [if at all] can get away with shooting down 9 people with a high powered weapon in heavily populated areas without more witnesses and clues. Add to that...while being hunted by probably 1000's of law enforcement officers from agencies of all variety. The odds just seem against it.
The series of events has, of course, become a media feeding frenzy, with CNN and other media seemingly ignoring most other major stories. One wonders what the coverage might be if 9 people were gunned down in say, Montana. But, not wanting to be left out of the story, I flipped to CNN this morning on the TeeVee just in time to see a Very Extra Special "Live Special Alert" story covering the massive show of force at the Exxon service station in Richmond, where officers had surrounded a white van with a rack on top. Aha! Now we're getting somewhere I and the expert talking heads thought. After the cryptic messages from Chief Bullwinkle J. Moose about mystery phone calls, and communication with the perpetrator, we sensed the end was near, suspects were in hand.

What are the odds that two illegal aliens in a white van with a luggage rack on top, would stop to use the phone [ordering Burritos to go?]. Well, that apparently [at this hour anyway] is exactly what happened. At least they made an arrest. But I still have a theory, a conspiracy theory. This is a Federal coverup to take the heat off Dubya and the campaign against Iraq. And what do you bet that the "note" left behind the steakhouse turns out to be from some slimeball not connected to anything, trying to cash in for some dough.

Jackass....well no MORON
I read where a young woman is suing MTV for injuries she incurred while appearing on their TeeVee thriller...."Jackass". Since I personally know many Jackasses, I'm not inclined to watch such exciting TeeVee fare, so I'm commenting on third hand information. But my conclusion is.."What the xxxx is the matter with people"?
Jackass seemed to be popular with our upcoming generation because "Jackass" pushed the envelope for absurd behavior. This is good, this is what we need, more adsurd behavior produced on TeeVee for teenagers. The injured woman also claimed that "cast members, including star Johnny Knoxville, were given alcohol by the producers, which led to a "hostile, volatile and out-of-control" environment". Great, we need more out of control drunk teenagers portrayed on TeeVee.

We also need more teenagers setting themselves on fire to emulate what they see on TeeVee.

"In 2001, Jackass star, Knoxville donned a fireproof suit covered in steaks and was set on fire to become a human barbecue. A teenager who saw the stunt tried the same thing and landed in the hospital with severely burned hands, legs and back."

But this wasn't MTV's fault, they had included the ever popular warning. "Don't try this at home". Apparently MTV has learned it's lesson about Jackass, which was, "we'd better cancel this show, we're getting sued."
They've learned their lesson about using amateur actors so now they are in production of "Jackass, the Movie". All this will be included in my future upcoming book entitled, "The TeeVee factor, why we have more morons than ever".

Gooooooood Morning Afghanistan!
I was confronted by an article on Woody Harleson yesterday in The NZ Pundit wherein, blowhard hypocrite Woody explains why the United States is at fault for the situation in the Mid-East. And for good measure he condemns all large US corporation for whatever else ails the world. This from a guy who started his road to "stardom" playing a dimwitted moron in a bar. Digressing slightly, may I remind Woody that it's the United States and in large part the large corporations who pay his inflated salary and made him a "star". I used to follow Woody's career as he is a hometown Midland, Texas boy. But I have had to give up as I was getting ill. Here's a scuzbag pontificating with high moral indignation, on his liberal high horse about the evils perpetrated by the US while he's home making such socially redeeming films as "Natural Born Killers". Perhaps it runs in his genetic makeup. Maybe he got the idea for this film from his father, of equally high moral character. The senior Mr. Harrelson is lanquishing in a Federal Prison for the assasination of a US Federal Judge.

With this as the backdrop I would like to think that there is hope for the Hollywood crowd. And there is. As Woody was running his moron mouth, Robin Williams was in Afghanistan doing what he could for the troops stationed there. Way to go MORK!

Bomb in Burgerland
I took note today that "Bomb Blasts McDonald's in Moscow. Thank God, no one was killed, but several were injured including a child. Now one would think, and probably rightly first assume that this is another act of fundamental Islamic terrorism aimed at the capitalist system. Not me. My first thought is that this is the work of a food critic, vegetarian or just an ordinary citizen making a statement against eating junk food. I can just image this......some whacko, blood sugar dangerously out of kilter, driving around in a white panel truck setting off explosive charges to make a statement.
Or perhaps it was just an accident. The grease trap having built up dangerously high levels of gas.....blasting those "new" good for you French Fries around as shrapnel.

International Opinions
The Internet was started to share information. In the preceeding years it has become, for many, pure and simple entertainment. But with the advent of the "Blog" community [for the uninitiated, this is a Blog.....however pathetic] there is now a great opportunity to get almost real time snapshots of what ordinary people throughout the world are thinking. Especially now.

I have started reading more Blogs of a serious tone, and have recently come across two from about as far away as one cares to get from Texas. Thru Gordon's NZ Pundit in New Zealand and Tim Blair in Australia and all their associated links, it's interesting to read about how those two countries are now thinking about terrorism. Both lost a realitively high number of their citizens in the attack in Bali, that took the life of one of our hometown young men. There definetly appears to be a better understanding of the terrorist problem and certainly more open discussion.
And Gordon in NZ Pundit reminded me today of one of my favorite quotes, quite appropos today......

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

Check these guys, and others, out.

Bulletin from Baghdad
As you may have noticed on the International newswires, in a surprising turn of events, Saddam Hussein has been re-elected as dictator, father, and leader of the children of Iraq!! This is a stunning development. Although there were no other entries in the race for Iraqi Dictator, the word on the street in Baghdad, was that the write in vote would be significant and that two candidates, Bishop Desmond Tutu and former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jimmy Carter, had a fair chance of success to oust the long serving Hussein.
What is truly surprising is that election officials announced that the turnout was nearly 100% of those eligible to vote [those still with at least one hand], and that the vote was 100% in favor of Saddam remaining as dictator for another 7 year term. This has to give pause to the coalition building against Saddam. Perhaps he truly is the loved benevolent leader he claims to be. And the fact that his term as dictator is only for 7 years gives some credence to the idea of a "democratic dictatorship". Something common in the Arab world. Also a sign that Iraq is moving forward in the world of modern nations is the online voting form seen below. It was reported that all 9 people with Internet access used this means to vote "Yes" for Saddam.

Referendum to have your benevolent ruler Saddam Hussein remain as your Dictator

Please choose one

Yes Torture Death

Please include your name and where you sleep at night. This information will be used for Iraqi census data only.

Too close, once again
Once again terrorism has struck very close at hand. We have learned that a fine young man from Midland is missing in Bali. Jake Young was an All American football player at the University of Nebraska, but more importantly by all accounts, just a fine young man with a young son and wife. He is listed as missing......but honestly it doesn't look good. Julie's parents are very good friends of the Youngs.
This comes just a little more than one year after another person with just one degree of separation from me, was killed at the WTC. Rick Rescorla was close friends of most of my "We Were Soldiers" friends, and I would have met Rick last November at their reunion if he had not been struck down while saving most of the employees of his brokerage firm. I have met Rick's widow.......she misses him greatly, as will the Young's miss Jake if indeed his is gone.
Perhaps all those around the world who pre-comdemn the US for thinking of demasculating Iraq would have some small degree of understanding of our motives if they would start to lose people near to them to the maniacs who perpetrate these acts. Perhaps they'll get that chance for the terror organizations cannot stand free people, anywhere, speaking out against their beliefs.

Well, the Air Show is over, fini, kaput and done. I'm always sad at that but also a little thankful. It is a tiring experience spanning 5 days if one is working on it, as I do. But mostly sad. Every year we lose several of the "old regulars"....the guys who flew these planes when they were 18, 19 or 20 years old, but who are now approaching 78, 79 and 80. Brave young guys who really didn't want to go to war, but went and did their duty to the best of their ability. Many never made it back, and now the ones who did are "Going West" at a rapidly rising rate. That's the main reason I love the Air Show....to hear their amazing stories in the little time they have left.
And not all from the American side. I have become good friends with General Arika Inoue, retired vice-commander of the Japanese Air Force. He comes from Japan with his buddies every year, in a spirit of friendship, to see the planes and for the comradeship that most people who have never been in the miltitary don't understand. He comes to honor all those who gave their lives, even those who tried to shot him down all those years ago. And what stories he has. He started off his flying career as a Kamikaze pilot......need I say more.

With the King Ranch stunt plane

Air Show!
If it's the first week in October it must be Air Show time. The Commemorative Air Force Air Show is the second largest [in terms of aircraft] aviation show in the US of A, and in terms of historic flyable aircraft.....the largest in the world. It's a thrill to be up close and personal with so many rare and in some cases, one of a kind planes. But, just as big a thrill is meeting people who come from all over the world, many of whom actually flew these birds, and unfortunately are rapidly aging and won't be around much longer. The stories I've heard from these folks! We get many visitors from France, Germany..a growing number from Japan. But our largest visitor group comes from Switzerland, where a group charters the own commercial airliner to attend.

The photo below taken today, is Me [center] with my crack aircrew, standing before a Bell P-39 Air Cobra. An interesting piece of technology in that the engine is located behind the pilot, with a drive shaft going between his feet to turn the propeller.

Good news from Ft. Bend
One of the triad of strange news events yesterday was the mysterious fire at the Ft. Bend County Fair and Arson Museum, where the last mention was of counting the Rotary Club Turkey Leg business Kaput! Well in the true spirit of American Rotarianism, we are proud to announce that the Phoenix has risen from the ashes. The "unnamed arsonist" sends this updated report on the status. Fat, poor, fair going people of America are rejoicing

"You will be happy to know that although I did my darndest to burn that mutha down on Sunday night, that our Turkey Leg Booth was back in production on Monday by noon... All we (Gary and I) did was prove that our cooker was a 'self-cleaning' model... with a little help from Ed and a certain power washer. The legs do taste a little like dry chemical fire extinguisher residue, but at least we don't have to throw out those 120 or so cases of frozen turkey legs. And at $4 a pop that is some pretty serious missed revenue.
The incident did prove beneficial in a few ways. The local paper did mention the incident on the front page on Monday, but better yet on Tuesday we got redemption on the front page again, this time above the fold... so our publicity stunt may cause us to search high and low for more turkey legs. The other issue was the need for training in the cleaning of the contraption... lastly the Fair Association is appreciative of our "fire drill", noting that they were somewhat unprepared for such an incident - and now they will change their policy for booths that have 'fire in the hole'."

Strange News...
[names of actual persons withheld to protect the innocent.....mainly ME from retribution for mentioning these incidents]
A strange day of breaking personal new. Starting early when an unnamed blonde who I am very fond of arrived at my house in a "state". She reported that she had just run into her Father's large vehicle with her small Yellow Bug [see no names mentioned...]. I wondered aloud how she could have done this and was told "well he was parked right behind me". Oh, I see.
Then I got a cable [actually email...cable sounds more exciting] from my Mother who resides five blocks away that a certain un-named only sister of mine had been in the hospital hooked up to intravenous antibiotics. Shocked, I imagined a wreck, illness, or some other major event. I read on to find that, no, she actually had been bitten by a cat...her own cat. It seems that cats have bacteria infested oral cavities [dogs have clean mouths] and infections are usually the result of their bites. She's fine now, and hopefully treating her cat with more kindness and respect.
And when I get to the office another shocking cable [email] is waiting from the aforementioned unnamed blonde whom I'm fond of. It seems that her only unnamed brother has just nearly burned down an entire county fair. Being a good cook and model citizen he was manning the Rotary Club's Turkey Leg booth at the Ft. Bend [Houston] County Fair, when apparently the cooking fervor got out of hand and a small fire started, and then became a rather large one. Portions of the fair were evacuated and five fire units had to be dispatched to quell the blaze. There was no loss of life, but the Ft. Bend Rotary Club is out of the turkey leg business this year.
It's supposed to rain tomorrow, I hope that's all the excitement there is.

The personally known demished Mr. K[G]rugger...
Two of my pet peaves about Internet activity are, Number 1, SPAM, for all the time wasted and the inability to stop most of the cretins who do it. Number 2 is AOL, just for general principals, at AOL it's "my way or the highway". But the one good thing that AOL does have is competant SPAM filters. Which brings me to today's subject. Entertainment SPAM, no not SPAM about entertainment, but spam that entertains. And the only real example of that is "Nigerian 419 SPAM".

For the unitiated, or AOL users who probably don't see it, Nigerian Spam, is from friends you don't know you have in Africa who want to do you a favor and send you $5 million, and the only thing you have to do, is to send them $50,000 first. What a deal. The 419 stands for the Nigerian penal code that outlaws this. The letters are the entertainment in themselves. Some are in fairly good English, some are just plain bad, but all are hugely comical. And they all have several things in common. Among them is some really wild story purporting to have gotten your name and email address from some high citizen of Africa who has met you somewhere along life's way. [Gee, I don't remember being in Ghana, but if they know me...I guess I was]. The other commonality is the twisted convuluted trail of how so much money came available and just how you were selected out of the world's billions to help them get it.
I received one just today that was on the low end of quality English but was high on entertainment value. Among my favorite parts is:

I AM WRITING IN RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK, OPERATING A
DOLLAR /DOMICILLIARY ACCOUNT NO. 00-14-255-018 UTB WHO INCIDENTALLY DIED
IN A PLANE CRASH PANAM-AIR FLIGHT OVER LOCKERBIER IN 1988.
FOLLOWING THE DEMISH OF THIS PERSONALLY KNOWN CUSTOMER MR LAMBART
KRUGGER, I HAVE MADE SEVERAL EFFORTS TO TRACE THE NEXT OF KIN OF MR GRUGGER
WITHOUT SUCCESS.

I am truly sorry about the demish of this personally known customer, but I'm even sorrier that they can't seem to get his personally known name right. Which is it, Krugger of Grugger. I'm not sending $50K unless I know!

These personal pleas, are entertaining and so insane that you wonder why they take the time to send them out. Who would ever believe these. Well, I'll tell you. Morons, and apparently boatloads of them. Never count morons out. The US Secret Service says that hundreds [yes hundreds] of millions [yes millions] of dollars have been lost in these schemes and the number is growing. What was even more interesting about the Scam Mail I received today was that the problem is so bad, that the senders ISP tacked a message warning of Nigerian 419 SPAM right onto the bottom of this actual Scam mail!

I find this sector of the Internet world interesting and entertaining. So much so that I am in the process of compiling Nigerian SPAM Scam emails for a new website dedicated to the morons who fall for this. In fact here's a complete copy of today's mail from Mr. Kwesi Boateng, Froreign Bills Dept. and don't forget to visit the Secret Service webpage linked at the bottom.

Invited Guests...
The plain unvarnished truth is this. President George W. Bush and wife Laura call Midland, Texas home. As do Secretary of Commerce, Don Evans and General Tommy Franks of Afghanistan and mid-east fame.
Now the city fathers like to take advantage of these connections and rightly so. But I think they're pushing it now. Just this last Sunday night a big patriotic assemblage was organized. Rejoice! it was called. Held at our new public stadium with a private name, brochures, fliers and TeeVee ads were in abundance touting the event and the all star guest speakers list. Pictured prominently on the ads were George W., Laura, Gen. Franks and Commerce Don among other motivational and patriotic people of lesser ilk. The kicker to all this was the smallish print which read
......"Invited Guests".
Now I believe Gen. Franks and Commerce Don probably did RSVP in the positive and in fact, did attend, but the chasm between "hey I'll be there" and "Invited Guest" is huge. I really don't think George W. et ux, ever planned to attend. But there they were smack dab, big as life, on the poster as "Invited Guests". Maybe the city fathers thought that even though they hadn't commited to come, maybe, just maybe they'd be sitting around the White House on Sunday afternoon with nothing to do, and just pop on down.
George W. to Laura.

"Honey, there's not much going on in the world today, and the war with Iraq appears to be on hold, let's go on down to that Rejoice deal in the old hometown...what say baby? And maybe after we can call my old admin assistant Julie and we can go out for Baskin-Robbins"

I think truth in advertising slips fast and loose with the city fathers. But I like their marketing savvy. It has me thinking. This is bad.
So with the Rejoice! campaign as a model, I've decided to host my own event. I've prepared my brochure and flier material below.

And as a postscript to the city fathers and their fast and loose advertising I'd like to relay the following letter from a distraught reader and mother. Shame on you city fathers, you have destroyed a child's trust!

"Amanda was apparently the only person in Midland who thought that the Bush Family was going to come out to El Rancho Grande. The first thing she said when she walked in the door last night "I'm so mad! George and Laura didn't come tonight and the paper said they were." I wonder if you have to have a particular size of hair net to work fast food for the rest of your life... If I hadn't personally brought her home from the hospital, I'd swear she wasn't mine"!

Ms. J.B
[mother of little Amanda]

Train of thought....
I've recently become infatuated with shooting images of trains. I have always been intrigued with them, perhaps because my grandfather had been a vice-president with the Frisco Railroad and we were brought up with them. I used to ride the train for free as a child, and even remember the railroad tracks by the grandparents house in St. Louis, where occasionally a steam powered locomotive still ran. Probably one of the last, it was magic to listen to it go by late at night in their grand house near the tracks.
The new interest arose one night when Julie, her kids and I where out and happened to get stopped at a rail crossing. I had my camera and on a whim jumped out and positioned myself about 10 feet from the tracks as the train went by at high speed. The shots really didn't come out, but it was a real experience having the train go by so close at 50 m.p.h. So much power, the wind will almost blow you down and it shakes the ground. I was disappointed but went back to that same spot the next week and took some daylight shots one of which is seen at The Tracks East of Town.

So tonight with Julie and Jack, we tried once again, but were faced with the same darkness. Although tonight I did turn on the flash, which yielded some interesting results such as capturing individual cars and their colors. Unfortunately with digital photography I don't have the good option of slowing the shutter speed to capture the movement. The photo below is taken of a train going at least 50 m.p.h. with the lights of the city to the right.

RR "X"ing, can you spell that without any "R"s?

Money for schools...forget it!
Well the results are in on our big school facilities improvement bond election. The voters say resoundingly, "hell no, we don't want to fix our schools up!" The bond package was, admittedly large [up to $160 million], and somewhat convoluted in it's wording, but at it's core was the need to fix up our school infrastructure. Many of the schools are basically the same as when I attended them some years, OK, decades ago. The voters were asked to approve several different levels of work to be done, and if my addition is correct, they approved.......none. These are the same voters who just 3 short years ago had no problem in saying, "hell yes" to a brand new state of the art Sports Complex costing $48 million. What does this tell you?
It confirms my belief that most people are morons and the world is going to sports hell. My bumper sticker which goes into production soon follows.

Open Air Dreams
We have had several days of thunder storms surrounding our area, but alas only a modicum of actual rain on the estate. But the real beauty is that it has cooled dramatically. Summer is much too long in West Texas, sometimes starting in April and running thru September. But now it is changing. Today the high was only in the mid 70's and tonight, well tonight I sleep with the windows open for the first time in five months. It is going to be near 60° for a low.
Sleeping with the windows open is a treat as the house, which was built in the mid last century, has lots of windows that all open. And a large glass door in my bedroom that opens to the patio. And the beauty of this in Midland is that it is Quiet! In Dallas, or any big city, with the windows open there is a constant hum of traffic. Here the only sounds I hear are the crickets and in the morning blue jays and cardinals at the feeder.

And the trains. I love trains. Although the tracks are one mile away, I hear the trains as they come into town, blowing their whistles at major road intersections. And if the light wind is right, I can even faintly here the "click-clack" of the wheels on the track. Distracting to some, such as the famous author I had as a guest last year. He awoke and said, "did you hear those trains..they sounded right next door". Well not really, but coming from a railroad family I don't care, I love to hear the trains on a cool night with the windows open.

Waxing Nostalgic
I was watching Austin City Limits tonight and the featured performer was David Byrne, of the old Talking Heads fame. Now as I grow older I like the more "quirky" performers and David is that. Or maybe eclectic. And he's about my age. So I started walking down memory lane, thinking of the time several years ago I was asked to tour as a backup with several other quirky performers.

Merle and Me

Merle Haggard is a kind and soft spoken man who has seen it all and been thru some tough times. And like me has come out the other side a better man. I enjoyed playing this gig with him.

The Cocker!

Joe and I hit it off from the very beginning and I love his music, and being part of it. Strange since he wasn't one of my real favorites in the 60's when he was hot stuff. And like me he's over his "indulgences" in exotic beverages and has become a better performer for it. I love his moves. I was thrilled to hit these licks with him for the several dates we played.

Obsession.......Fore!
Being a fan of Minature Golf in real life, I have become somewhat attracted to this well put together cyber version. Well OK, obsessed. This Putt-Putt version is by some genius at Harvard so you know it's good. Not perfect, but good. I take exception to the ball action on hole #18. It doesn't seem to go where it, by the laws of physics, should. Coincidentally it's the hole that keeps giving me the most trouble and keeps me from beating my best all time score of 32. I'm aiming to get under 30, but this stupid poorly designed [by the laws of physics] hole is keeping me from it. So much for writing here.....I have to get back to playing, and so should you. Check it out. That's Harvard Putt-Putt Golf.

Google Cooking!
If you are like me [and I know that you are], you may be at that stage in your life where you have an ample supply of groceries in your pantry but nothing sounds good. You've used every recipe you have till your bored stiff with food. And even just throwing things together doesn't yield results. Well I have the answer for you. It's Google Cooking. Simply make a short inventory of several of the food items in your kitchen that have been there the longest, then go to search engine Google and enter these to retrieve an assortment of recipes from around the world. Say I have old cans of corn, beans, and a moldy squash. I would enter recipe* corn, beans, squash [the recipe entry keeps you from getting articles on corn and bean blight etc.]. And Voila...I find an enchanting recipe for Cranberry Beans with Corn and Squash , the perfect healthy dinner for me. Tomorrow I think I'll enter recipe*, bread, miracle whip, peanut butter. The gourmet world at your fingertips!

The demise of Pedro
Alas poor Pedro is gone, long live Pancho. These are referring to the change of my main email address. So for all readers, remember that it is now Pancho -at- this domain.com. I had Pedro for many years, so long in fact that many real world friends and some other worldly friends, had taken to calling me this. So I will miss Pedro, but the change was necessary thanks to all the criminal spamming scum of the world who wanted to sell me herbs, lower my mortgage or my Nigerian friends whom I didn't know I had but wanted me to send them $50,000 so they could give me $10 Million. In tribute to these fine Africans I, sometime soon, will post all the great letters they sent me........and possibly start a contest to create the best Nigerian criminal spam letter. The prize being a trip to Lagos.

Electronic Malfeasance
Well now, just when I am used to the DVD and the stereophonic magnificence of my surround sound speakers, my tuner which controls the whole system goes on the Fritz! It seems that some piece of digital minutia has gone haywire resulting in only one stereo channel working properly. This gets my goat! I like things to work properly the way they're designed to do. And this tuner is only 10 years old.....tuners ought to last for......well I'd say 50 years. And to get one fixed is almost as much as a new one. But I'm letting it rest in the hopes that it can cure itself. You laugh. I have had my computer do this, I have had this very BLOG do the same thing as documented here months ago [*archives:7/30/2002 10:18:23 PM] . Sometimes electronic things just get tired. Give them a break and in a week or two of good rest, they're as good as new.
But the real digital revelation today was that I saw the electronic device of my dreams. A 57" rectangular flat-screen HDTV. I gotta' have one. I think I could hang it on the wall, or maybe over the fireplace. That's almost five [5] feet of screen!! And if every person who reads this journal would send a mere $5US...I could come up with the $2300 for it very quickly. You would be invited to watch, of course.**

**Reservation necessary, bring your own popcorn.

DVD's and Me...
And now I wax poetic about DVD's. Being a digital guy it's no surprise that DVD's have finally caught up with me. But unlike some, I can wait a little while for most new technology.....not too long, just long enough that every teenager has it. I really hadn't been itching to get one....and in fact don't have a player, but Julie does. I hadn't checked in to pricing, but was astounded that they are so reasonable now. Julie got her's mainly so that we could watch We Were Soldiers, the true story of my pal Joe Galloway's book. And I know many of the real life characters. Some such as, Hal and Julie Moore, and Bruce Crandall, very well...they are good friends.
What was great about this DVD is that besides the movie, there are many hours of interviews with my friends, and with producer/director Randy Wallace who I've met and respect greatly. And then there is the sound......we have the player hooked into my stereo TV and thence into my home sound system. SoundSound combat action....it's truly amazing...and somewhat scary!

Public Service
It's been a busy week, performing Internet public service, and I have neglected my daily drivel on Streams. I have been working on two [2] websites for a non-profit group Midland Math Science Boosters Club and a church, True-Lite Christian Fellowship both of which are not complete by any means. A third for the Sibley Nature Center is yet to be started. I enjoy doing these "gratis" for people, but don't let the word of my kindness get around.......I have an image to protect!

My next Streams edition will feature my discovery of DVD! We watched We Were Soldiers, the true story of my good friend Joe Galloway's book We Were Soldiers Once and Young. Man o'man hooked up to my stereo system it was too much. More later.

A hot one....!
Well for the first time this summer, it's been hot. I mean really hot, hotter than a two dollar Mexican pistol. 105° in the shade today, and there ain't much shade. This is the part of the country where we have a town named Notrees. Named as such for a reason. But really, you know, 105° coupled with very dry humidity isn't all that bad. No it only felt like it was 103°. And with a strong breeze all day that was very iritating. Like having a fan blowing on you from your oven. The kind of day where, if you had cheese in your pocket, it would melt ruining your pants.

But then, much in contrast to the forecast, storm clouds appeared late in the afternoon from the West. These meandered over the city and some rain did come down, but mainly as virga, not hitting the ground. Well, nowhere except my car which was parked at Outback Steakhouse for Amanda's [Julie's daughter] birthday celebration. This in combination with the dust in the air did a fine job of creating big dusty sploches on my nice clean car. Then some thunder rumbles. And I have to say, that thunderstorms when it is that hot, create some very strange looking clouds. It was eerie.

This is the current church bulletin

Good Day Sir......May I cut down your tree?"
Direct marketing has filtered it's way down to the lowest echelons of the economy. One of my four trees in the front yard is showing signs of the drought, or possibly just old tree age, and has lost most of it's leaves. It's not a "good" tree, although all trees are my friends but I'm going to wait until next Spring to see if it might come back with more moisture from the winter snows. But I am prepared for the worst.

But what surprises me is the aggressiveness of our local "tree surgeons". In the last two [2] weeks I have had three [3] tree trimmers knock on my door and offer to cut it down and haul it off. "Good Day Sir, Just passing by and noticed your tree is a blight on the neighborhood and a personal reflection on your self worth.....want me to cut it down and haul it off?" These visits have all occured around five o'clock which is my nap time, but these look like hard working citizens so I have been pleasant enough.

But what is really starting to worry me is..."Where will this lead?". If a tire on my car is low or perhaps a little bald, will the Discount Tire guy knock on my door? "Good Day Sir, I'm Jim Bob from Discount Tires and I was just passing by and noticed that your tire is a little bald and will probably kill you...may I put a new one on for you?" Or my yard light burns out..."Good Evening Sir, I know it's 11 o'clock but I'm with Basin Electric and was just passing by when I noticed that your light is out....very dangerous sir, I have a supply of bulbs in my truck, may I up your wattage to the 200 watt model?" But I suppose that this is better than email Spam...at least I can look at these people in the eye and tell them to get lost.

Mosquitoes
This is purely a rhetorical question. but.......where in the damn hell do all the mosquitoes in West Texas come from? This is a semi-desert climate where so far this year we've gotten about five [5] inches of moisture. We have no streams, rivers, marshes or swamps. Yet when I step out on the patio for so much as 3-4 minutes I have 5-6 bites on my ankles. And this is serious business now what with that Wet Smile Virus going around. I think, perhaps, it's my slovenly neighbors who can't keep up their yard. They probably have five gallon Crisco cans strewn about their back yard with water in them.
I just might sue them......and I would too if he weren't the Assistant District Attorney!

LATE FLASH: RE BELOW......
I believe that Heather and I have worked out or differences and I have been reinstated per the latest update Into the Gloom! Therefore I have removed and edited some of the comments below as originally printed.

How I came to be banned from the Mirror Project
The image above has caused me to be banned from the Mirror Project by owner, Heather. I look for no sympathy here, nor do I apologize to you. The banishment came not from profanity, bad behavior, lewd sexual innuendo or off color comments. No it came because of humor, actually the lack thereof by owner Heather. To explain I must digress.

Last Saturday, I made some effort to achieve a picture of me taking a picture of me in the DiamondVison screen at our local ballpark [available on request]. The picture was great and although not fitting the technical rules of Mirror Project to the exact "T", it was a work befitting the spirit of the project. Well not to Heather, as I received a short rejection note from her. OK, her site, her discretion. But I thought other "rejectees" might enjoy a bit of humor about our rejection. Thus the image above with a short narrative something to the effect of "After my rejection, I thought I'd get back to the basics of the Mirror Project". No accusatory tone, no resentment on my part. Shortly after submission I received a note from Heather to the effect of "if you got a problem, take it up directly with me Squirt". Being not quite a moron I picked up an angry tone.

At this time I must point out, that over the course of my Mirror Project career, I have sent this same Heather a nice note almost everytime my photos were added, telling her thanks and how much I appreciated the work she obviously put into the site. But, I thought, "I've offended poor Heather". So I wrote a very sincere note of appology telling her that no offense was meant, that again I appreciated her work and that if ever I was in San Francisco she could kick me really hard. I think most people would accept this and move on....but not our Heather. Today I submitted a tame no frills mirror shot, only to receive a "Rejection" almost instantly. xxxxxxxxxx [deleted items]. I mailed back asking if there was a problem with the photo. No she said, "the problem was me, and she could reject anyone she damn well pleased". Again I detected some bitterness.

So that's it. International banishment. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX [deleted items]. Oh and Have a Nice Day :>]

A name to be proud of.......!
We in our fair mid sized city have a brand new High School football stadium, which costs the taxpaying citizens $48 Million. That's $480 per man, woman, baby and dog. So let's say around $700 per person not including non taxpaying baby's, dog's and a few women. I want my money back.
I didn't vote for this stadium...it was too expensive considering we need new schools, books, streets, more cops. But being a civic booster I had gotten somewhat used to it. We needed a new stadium, but perhaps not a Taj Majal facility.

Now, now I'm as you say.....incensed. The esteemed city council auctioned off the name to the highest bidder......someone named, Grande Communications Corp. They are not based here and haven't even really started in business here yet. And..a big and. They are an Internet company. As you know Internet companies are the role model for stability and staying power. And the Generation "Xers" at the City Hall didn't even make a good deal with them. $48,000/year. A stinkin' $48,000/year. A great deal for the Grande Bozo Co. They go out of business in two years and they're only out $96K.

This deal may have been legal, but it's morally wrong. Just plain wrong. This is a High School public facility. I think that we need more old geezers in our city government. I can't write anymore..I'm too incensed. Real really, I'm Pissed Off!

Best Seller........
My close friend and business partner, Joe Galloway, tells me today that his book "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" is back on the New York Times best seller list at #3! An accomplishment in and of itself, this is even more amazing as it is the third time it has achieved Best Seller status. Once ten years ago when it first came out, then again as a paperback this year.....and now once again in the re-released hardback. Congratulations are in order to Joe and co-author Gen. Hal Moore. And once again a fitting tribute to all the soldiers immortalized in the book, and the feature film.
For the occasion I have been redesigning our website We Were Soldiers which involved reconfiguring the "Shopping Cart" mostly by hand coding. Whew! Don't try this at home.......without some muscle relaxants handy. I invite you all to visit the site and see the images that Joe took during the battle on which the book and Mel Gibson film are based. And after all my hard work........buy something!

Quorn's Abound!
The true value in the Internet is in information gathering. And now, alert reader Jen in Australia sends in the report of yet another Village of Quorn. Jen, like myself, a famous Mirror Project artisté, reports this Quorn to be in South Australia. The Village of Quorn in S.A. must be the hot bed of sports, or perhaps that is all there is to do in Quorn, Australia. Their website, Quorn Sports Central is replete with any sporting activity you might want to participate in on your next trip "down-under". I personally think I'll join the Lawn Bowling Club and the Gyro-Copter crew. They sound like an active lot, eh mate?

I feel that I am now one of the world's experts on Quorn. Both the fake meat and the Quorn villages of the world. I invite all readers to send reports of Quorn villages in locales yet unknown to me for further investigation and listing. I have aleady made the Town of Quorn, Leiceister, England my "Sister City" and hope to contact the residents of Quorn, NSW to bestow the same honor upon them.
Please send all information on Quorn's in your area to:

Quorn-at-biggolddog.com

Quorn Again
Alert readers, or even semi-alert readers, will remember that several days ago I brought up the issue of fake meat made from fungus, better known as Quorn©. Let me make it clear, I have nothing against fake meat, nor fungus. The combination of the two just seemed to me to be a little suspect. Well, not to make a judgement prior to full investigation, I went straight to the source. I cabled The Township of Quorn, England. Why, you ask? Well, it and the meat product were the only two entries to come up on my Google Search for Quorn©.
Well today my diligence paid off with a cable [actually an email, but cable sounds more dramatic] from Mr. Tim Rodgers, personal representative of the townsfolk of Quorn, England. The cable reads as follows:

------------------------------------------------
Hello Wallace,
Thanks for getting in touch with us here.

I think the product was in fact named after our village, but I don't think there is any real connection other than the name.
Certainly the company that manufactures Quorn©, Marlow Foods are not based anywhere near us.

As to gastric problems - no reports at all in the UK that I'm aware of - in fact, we had a Quorn meal in Quorn (if you see what I mean) just last week, and a bottle of Californian red made it disappear very quickly, with no dead animals complaining.

Anyway, should you visit us in the future, get in touch - it would be good to meet up.

Kind regards,
Tim Rodgers
Quorn Village Website


---------------------------------------------
I think that this dispells many of the worries that I might have concerning the ingestion of Quorn© as relates to the ingestors possiblity of death and diaherra. Additionally International reader Lisa of A Blog from A Broad actually claims to like the stuff. But, she adds, we in the US get the deep fat fried versions, while they, being cultured Europeans get the lightly breaded variety.
I would like to thank Tim and the townsfolk of Quorn for all their hard work in emailing their response, and wish them good luck in their Quorn© feasting. Actually the town of Quorn or Quordon, looks like a pleasantly quaint spot, a place you might like to stop to visit and feel right at home while in England. I urge you to visit their attractive website at: Quorn-the-Town-not-the-Meat.Com They have some interesting artists and the chocolate store will set your mouth to waterin'. And enjoy your Quorn©!

Thought for the day
Thoughts for the masses from my self help organization....

"It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.
When we speak or act hastily or rashly, the ability to be fair-minded and tolerant evaporates on the spot. One unkind tirade or one willful snap judgement can ruin our relations with another person for a whole day, or maybe a whole year. Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen. We must avoid quick-tempered criticism and furious, power driven argument. The same goes for sulking and silent scorn. These are emotional booby traps baited by pride and vengefulness."
From: The Twelve and Twelve

Hail Shower: Late Report
As I sit here at the keyboard, I'm taking my life into my own hands. Hail larger than quarters is falling on my house.....and here I was worried about meteors. I have a 52 year old estate, and they built them to last back then, but I do have three [3] large skylights that I fear could go at any minute. But for you, my readers, I'll stick with it. If I'm kilt, somebody take up the slack on Streams and it's OK because we need the rain, and I'll sacrifice myself for the good of all. And with that lightning just struck not more than a block away! I may be mentally deficient but I ain't stupid, I'm shutting this electric devise dow.................oooooooooooo

Meteor Shower: Early Report
I have just returned from observing the Perseid Meteor Shower. Actually it was more like a Meteor Dribble. I think I saw one. I, however, as most other dopes go out in anticipation of a glorious display of cosmic fireballs the likes of which the earth has never seen before, only to be disappointed. In fact I keep hoping that one will land on my property, I'll retrieve it and get rich like the lucky morons down the road in Monahans, Texas. One fell into the street there and the kids who found it, I believe, got $20,000 cash money for it. After the city fathers sued them to get it back since it fell on a public street.


But Monahans apparently has some extra "mojo" about stuff falling from the sky and citizens getting money for it. Alert readers will remember that Monahans is where, recently, the top secret Stealth fighter dropped it's precision guided smart bomb [practice version] on a citizens home. The lucky citizens got a new home. Anyway, back to the meteors. It will be my luck that a meteor will in fact fall on my property, but will hit the house, disenegrate and burn the house up leaving me with exactly jack squat.

Readers Beware!
In an never ending search to inform and protect you, the reader, I have now come across this:


WASHINGTON (AP) -- A health advocacy group accused the government Monday of allowing fake meat made from fungus to be sold even though it makes people sick and demanded the product, known as Quorn, be recalled.


If you might recall you heard about the dangers of Botox right here, and you probably have not tried that. Now I'm warning you about the dangers of fake meat. This is not hot dogs, vienna sausage or bologna which are reconstituted forms of mystery meat. We are talking "Genuine" fake meat here. And for the love of God, who would buy something called Quorn anyway and use it as meat. "Oh Honey let's have a Qourn loaf for dinner". No sir, not me.
As a general rule I try and stay away from products made from fungus, but will redouble my efforts in an attempt to avoid fake fungus meat. The article further states,

The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it had received reports from 33 people who had suffered vomiting, diarrhea and other ailments after eating Quorn. A North Carolina man broke out in hives and had trouble breathing, the group said.

Another rule of mine, hard and fast, is to stay away from products that cause vomiting, diarrhea and other ailments. I don't eat much meat anymore for many reasons, but I swear to you that I will not eat fake fungus meat. This almost makes Vienna Sausages sound like a health food!! Don't say you haven't been warned!

The Birthday
Today is my Dad's Birthday. He's 79 years of age....seen and done alot including a depression and a World War in which participated to the fullest extent. Although he's slowed down a bit, I'm just glad he [and my Mom] are alive and pretty well, living just several blocks away. Julie and I took them to eat Chinese food and then for cake, ice cream and a sing-a-long of "Happy Birthday to You....!" And I do wish him a Happy Birthday, and many more......he deserves it. And I'm full of gratitude for the life they've allowed me to have!

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Highest and best use......
I enjoy communicating on the web with people all over the world. I enjoy sharing my images and thoughts. But to be honest, much of the enjoyment of setting up webpages, blogs and the like is just plain in the doing. I remember the first webpage I ever created in 19 and 98. It is the Texas History Map. I learned the basics of web design for the most base of reasons........GREED. And indeed I've sold those maps to the tune of five figures. But I remember the power of creating the page, uploading it, not having any idea if it would work or not. And then typing in the the URL and !!Bingo!! there it was. It was magic and I was hooked. I've improved somewhat, to the point now that people pay me to do websites for them, I'm working on a large job The Lerwick Family which is just now under contruction and have several more jobs waiting. I enjoy the challenge of learning new techniques and the latest updates.
Therefore I enjoy recommending sites that have captured the "highest and best use" standards of Internet technology. Two of these are: The Ultimate Taxi an amazing "wired" cab in Aspen, Colorado, and The Icepick House an even more amazing house in the Netherlands.
I have chatted online with techno cabbie Jon Barnes, a nice guy, so I have added him to my Zany Characters links. I have emailed questions to Mr. and Mrs. Ice Pick, but they must be hoity-toity Europeans as they have not answered, so they can go to hell.......but I still like their website.

Things to do
We all have things in our lives that we mean to do. Things we've been putting off for days or months, perhaps even a year. I have a very nice piece of furniture, a two drawer chest of drawers. My problem is that I've been meaning to clean out this chest for the last twenty years. That's good intentions dating back well into the last century. This chest with two big deep drawers contains nothing but "T" shirts. These are mainly shirts dating back from three decades ago. Shirts from my running days and my life in Hawaii.....6.2K race shirts, Marathon shirts, Hawaiian canoe team shirts, surfing shirts, Army shirts. Most I have not worn in decades. Most would not fit me now. They do hold special meaning, but why in the name of God I can't seem to get the nerve to move them and free up this space I don't know. It is, I believe, a moral failing on my part.
I walk into my bedroom everyday and think how nice it would be to have this space for my current wardrobe. How easy it would be to put the shirts in plastic storage boxes and stow them away for safe keeping. But there the shirts still lie, cloth monuments to a bygone life. I did take them all out four years ago........to refold them and put them back in the drawers. Outwardly this did make me feel like I was making progress, but deep inside I knew this was a sham, I was just stalling.
So, if you read this, please leave a comment urging me to take action, do something, take back this space from the shirts. You will make me feel a whole lot better about myself.

Letting Go
Sometimes I think that the overriding emotion in my life is sadness. Sadness for the people no longer in my life, for lost opportunities with people and just plain missing some people from different eras in my past. These feelings seem to be triggered by insignificant thoughts or transient glimpses of things on TV, or smells, or songs. I had one of these moments this morning. I had no plan to think the thoughts that came from some ad on TV, no idea that this liltle snippet of advertising would start me thinking about the past. I cannot even remember the ad or the product, but there it was changing my brain chemistry in an instant.
These feeling don't make me despondant, don't keep me from going about life's business, but they change my day at least for awhile. I wonder the "what if's" the "why not's" and the dangerous question of "can I recapture the friend and the moment". Being a believer in the "Serenity Prayer" I know the meaning of "Accept the things I cannot Change", but damn I want to try. Honestly, I just miss a lot of people...very much.

TV Land
Well I try and force myself to watch at least a little TV each and every night. Sometimes I catch snippets of The History Channel, or PBS, or perhaps something on A&E. But if all else fails I make myself watch at least one half hour of the educational programming known as Leave it to Beaver. Pure pablum, escapism, frivolity you say. Damn right I say. But.....the Cleaver household was my own. This dates me. Beaver and I were the same age, and I had an older brother for whom everything came easily, and in whose shadow I seemed to live. My Mom was a "housewife" always home homemaking and waiting for Ward...er Wally, my Dad, to come home. Just like the Beav, we heard, "wait till your father" gets home.
The 50's appliances in the kitchen on Elm Street [the old Cleaver house] look like old friends to me. We sat down to eat homecooked food as a family every night. The boys room looks like mine, we hung college pennants on the wall. This was a great time for kids. What we did for fun was roam, we made forts, we rode our bikes, we went fishing after school. We didn't have "planned activities" ad infinitum. We created our own fun with our inventiveness. We went to vacant lots, we set small fires, we got into minor trouble.
And the cast of characters on Leave it to Beaver......We had them all as friends, my older brother and I. We had your goofy Lumpy's, we had the nerdy Tooey's, and of course there was an Eddie Haskell. My friends were the Gilberts, the Richards and the Larry Mondelo's of the world. Larry Mondelo...the quintessential role model for my childhood. Larry almost brings a tear to my eyes remembering the times my own personal real life Larry and I had.
But, of course, we all grew up into mostly responsible adults with our share of problems and the need to face the realities of life. Perhaps the parents of Rusty Stevens, the young actor who played Larry, knew this. After about the 4th year of the show, his father was transferred to Ohio. The parents told Rusty that his acting days were over and they all moved on and that was the last of Larry, who turned back into a real person.

Changes
It's starting to feel like changes are in the making, that summer could be slipping into Fall in the not to distant future. This is fine with me; Fall is my favorite season. Yes, it's still hot in West Texas, although unlike many other parts of the country we've had a very acceptable summer. Cooler [comparatively] than the last several and with just enough rain at crucial times to keep things alive. High School football is a key indicator of the change. The teams are doing "two-a-days". That's practice twice a day, in the anticipation of the start of school here, in just two weeks. The TV stations are doing "spots" on how not to die of heat prostration during "two-a-days". The high school seniors are registering for classes today. Though most of the seniors seemed most excited about registering just so they could get prime parking spots [some things never change].
But the real reason the progress to Fall seems close at hand, is that somehow, overnight, the light seems to have changed. Here in the Southwest the light in Fall has a magical quality. Just as on that one certain day I wake up and know that today I need a haircut, today I noticed that the light had changed.

Eleven Wow, Eleven!

Man O'Man I can't believe it's eleven weeks, can you? And how lucky I am. I mean look at the photo above.......Julie is beautiful, charming, vivacious and so Ooo la la. And Me, I'm used dog food, a broken down wretch. How truly fortunate I am that Julie hit here head while flying and doesn't know what she's doing. How else can this be explained. Well, no matter, it is what it is and I will just have to accept this. And not too hard a thing to accept it is. Next week the big Three Month Anniversary.

And while you're here, with apparently nothing better to do, I ask that you go to The Yellow Bug News and take part in a scientific survey now being conducted on the use of Suppositories. There has been a debate raging concerning their use among the Blogging community. Remember this is a Scientific Survey and your help is needed!

Same Ol' Same Ol'
Well not much news from the town of Midland today. Except the seven [7] houses and one apartment building that caught on fire last night from the Xtreme lightning during the storm. And the trees, walls and mobil homes that were tumped over.
[editors note: if you are not from Texas, "tumped" is a legitimate word here. Formed from -tipped- and -dumped-.......most commonly used in accordance with a beverage accident. i.e "Hey Honey, I tumped my iced tea over...would you bring me another one?".]
Oh yes the other occurance was the kid who lost control of his car at an estimated speed of 100 mph and hit an Exxon station at 2:00 A.M this morning. Unfortunatly he was incinerated. Like I say not much news.

Rainy Day People*
Tonight was to be our semi-weekly miniature golf outing, a hot and mainly clear evening. A small thunderstorm was some distance out, it didn't appear to be a problem. But, problems can and do grow on us. A few rain drops blew in from a mile or so away, and I told the family, not to worry, no problem it's a small storm. By the 3rd hole it was raining enough to get us wet, and when lightning came from not to far away, we took shelter. Again, it looked like a 5 minute delay. The delay grew to 20 minutes, with lightning striking nearby. OK, we decided to head for the house in town, about 5 miles away, where it looked to be bright and sunny. We drove thru downtown where, strangely some streets were just about flooded, then several blocks away.....completely dry.
By the time we got home, it was constant thunder and pouring buckets. The Big Gold Dog who is "sensitive" to thunderstorms was more than glad to see us. Although he had had a "problem" on the floor in my office. Clean that up. We sent Amanda to Julies to get the Sorry game.....she almost didn't make it back. Then while Julie, Jack and Amanda were watching a baseball game, Amanda said she heard a drip, drip, dripping that sounded all too close. And it was. It was inside coming from one of the fireplaces. A big leak caused, I think, because the rain was coming from the Southeast, which it almost never does. Take down the art....fetch the buckets. By then the Bell family decided that they had had enough, and ran to the car screaming due to very close lightning strikes. They barely made it home thru the flood. But all is well now, and we needed the rain desparately though it was a very strange storm. We must have had 2" or more.
*Rainy Day People courtesy of Gordon Lightfoot....a great song.

Watch that remark...
Well today I read an article that will change the way I view "comments" on Streams. The article concerned the lengths to which some public and private institutions are going to make sure that no one's feelings are hurt. Being the sensitive sort, I was absorbed by this article like spilt milk to a sponge.
It seems that some organizations are worried about childrens sef-esteem and some adults are getting their feelings trampled by the majority in everyday life. Like the poor teenagers in Connecticut who broke into their Prep School and vandalized it. They were expelled. Now some of the parents of the offenders are suing the school stating that, the poor kids now had feelings of, get this: "feelings of unworthiness" and had their "self-worth impuned". Or take the housing project in Maine where the residents were made to take their Christmas decorations down because.....some residence tend to get depressed around Christmas and the "Happy Holidays" might make these people feel excluded. I ain' t makin' this up! The Sholom Middle School in Manhattan put the nix on Mother's Day [Mother's Day for God's sake!] because some kids didn't have a Mother at home [they had two Fathers] and the school administrators thought that celebrations "might not be a positive experience".
So for those posting messages on my comments, I want to make it clear. Though I am of a sensitive nature, I do stand behind the right to free speech, so leave any comment you want......but be sure to include your attorney's name and phone number. I won't stand idly by while you impune my self-worth, damage my psyche or make me feel unworthy with your snide remarks.