What to do?

Shirley asked me this morning to dump out her old water into Becket’s bowl and get her some new water. That got me thinking. New water? What is new water? Water pumped up from an aquifer might be millions of years old. Rain water? I think that is more recycled or reconstituted water. Either way, would you want to drink rain water? I’ve always been told it is dirty. Bottled water? In the clear plastics bottles it is subject to BPA that will mess with your hormones. Water treated by the water company with chemicals certainly can’t be considered new. In fact, I think all of our water is several billion years old. I don’t know what to do. It’s been eight hours and I think she is probably getting really thirsty. They say whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over. Maybe I’ll just get her a new shot of whiskey. It is new years eve afterall.

Down with Up

I’m not an animated film fan. Movie critics seem to universally love them, giving nearly everyone a top tier rating. I’m not sure why, I know I don’t get it. That known, Shirley decided to buy the animated movie “Up”. Then she and Michael insisted that I watch it with them. Once again, I’m not sure why, I know I don’t get it. Perhaps it was because the hero was a crotchety old geezer. We did have in common that we don’t like to leave the house, though he had the unique capability to take it with him on his worldly adventures. I don’t think the helium balloons are a practical solution for me. That leaves airplane travel and I think I’ll stay home. Especially now with the heightened security and the one carry-on rule.

Shirley could relate to the geezer’s four footed cane. I don’t think that endeared her to the movie though. She did claim she heard me laugh several times. But that could also be said of Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” which was the worst movie I’ve seen in a long time. It should have been animated. Couldn’t hurt and I would have known not to watch it.

Home with a View

I’ve always loved the view at Walden, perhaps my favorite. Unfortunately it has deteriorated significantly this holiday season. Tylir has always had an entertaining victory ritual whenever he wins at a round of cards. To Jill’s chagrin and my pain/agony, Tylir added showing his bare ass as part of his performance. To make matters worse, during our Christmas celebration, Michael suggested to Tylir that he could use a foot rub. I probably don’t need to tell you Tylir’s appendage of choice for rubbing Michael’s feet. I called foul. Tylir can now only show his ass if he wins at a round of cards. At least now, it will only be a rare occurrence.
My other view is political of course. Have you noticed that as health care reform comes closer to reality that the Republican’s primary objections are to the spending cuts. They universally oppose the Medicare cuts in the bill and they oppose any attempt to ration (think death panel) health care. Both are absolutely necessary if we are ever going to get control over health care costs. Any wonder why I’m no longer a Republican.

Swine Flu Escape

I traveled to Boston this week for a banking conference. All the news stories about swine flu had caught my attention. While over reported, I really didn't want to get it. I got on the plane only to be next to gentleman that would have a series of sneezes about every 5 minutes followed by 1 minute of nose blowing and wiping. Fortunately it was only a 4 hour flight.

I finally got to the hotel. One of the first things I noticed was all the Asians with masks. I took a long shower ... only 48 hours to go before I head home. I ran out of Purell about 30 minutes and 50 handshakes into the conference. I wasn't sure I was going to survive but I did. I credit the alcohol. Today, I'm bunkered in at the farm and I don't hit the road again for several weeks. It's good to be alive.

Twitter is for old people

Those were the words spoken by a teenage girl during an NPR interview. By "old people", I'm assuming she meant 20 year olds or so. This is the latest evidence that young people today live in a world that has a very different perspective from mine. Me, I like to stay current on what's going on in the world. I listen to NPR religiously; I get new off the Internet, largely from google news; I read the Wall Street Journal; and I watch news shows on TV including Charlie Rose and CSPAN. However, I end up seeing and hearing a lot of stuff I don't care about. Then there is GenY, aka Michael. A GenY "aha moment" for me was while listening to yet another NPR interview where a GenYer said "If the news is important, it will find me." Using twitter, facebook and other social media, the news finds the GenYer. They too get a lot of worthless static but not necessarily more than me. I hunt my news, theirs finds them. Not right or wrong, just a different process. I do plan to stick with mine ... except for maybe during pledge weeks.

Odds and Ends

Friday started as a quiet day around the farm but then things really got crazy. I was working from home, Eric got back from Minneapolis mid-morning and Tim had the day off. All of us were on the farm quietly minding our own business. Suddenly I noticed two horses and a mule in our front yard. We no longer own any large animals so they were not ours. I called them to attention of Shirley. I asked "What should we do?" She suggested she call our neighbor whose animals they are. I thought that sounded reasonable so I told her to go ahead. Only minutes later the phone rings. It's Tim asking "Do you know there are two horses and a mule in your front yard?" I explained that we had already taken action. I later noticed that I had a missed call from Eric. I called him back. He said he had called about the horses and the mule ... but the neighbor had come over and took them back. Eric will be over for coffee in the morning. I can't wait to talk to him about the horses and the mule.

Jill ignored Tylir's and my advice about keeping Hayden home from mother's-day-out after they taught her to cry. Sure enough she picked up on lesson number two, how to pinch. I suspect this week she learned how to bite but Jill denies it.

The New Office

Having a place people want to be is one of the key ingredients to Starbucks phenomenal success. Their goal was to be the third spot where people spent a lot of time along with their home and office. They were successful to a large degree. Others are trying new versions of this formula. Yesterday I went to Panera Bread for lunch around 2:30. They offer free Wi-Fi and the place was full of people. I could hardly find a place to sit. Most tables had people working on their laptops. People were interviewing for jobs on other tables. A cold cup of coffee was about the only evidence of a purchase in nearly all cases. I’m thinking a lot of people are back to spending most of their time in two places, home and the pseudo office/coffee shop with free Wi-Fi. My thoughts, this isn’t a bad way to work. I think the formal office is going to go the way of newspapers. All you need is a table, laptop and a cell phone for an awful lot of jobs. Companies could save a great deal of money and create more interesting places to work by adapting to this reality. Sell your stock in file cabinet and desk manufactures.

Dirty rotten banks and credit unions

You may be one of the majority of Americans that cheers as congress finally begins to act on the consumer abuses committed by financial institutions. They are going after all of the excess profit areas of the banks:
• Congress passed the CardAct this past May to stop unfair practices such as increasing interest rates on credit cards even when the consumers were reliably paying their bill. They also added disclosures and longer notification periods for the consumer’s benefit.
• Congress is expected to pass legislation to limit overdraft charges. Many of the large banks have taken preemptive action to not charge on small purchases or to set a limit on the number of charges per day.
• Congress is looking at limiting interchange fees paid by merchants to process debit/credit card transactions.
• Congress is likely to set up a new agency to protect consumers from future versions of these activities from financial institutions
These actions are all intended to rein in abuses that most financial institutions benefited from. But here is the rub. Credit cards, overdraft protection and interchange fees became so lucrative that financial institutions (and non-banks) would offer low interest loans or high interest checking accounts to get your business, loss leaders so to speak. Most community banks and credit unions entered into these practices because they had to in order to stay competitive. Their core business had become loss leaders for others. Offering these services became necessary to stay afloat. Take away profit from overdraft protection and interchange fees today and most small and medium size financial institutions will lose money. Do we really need more troubled financial institutions? I agree they need to get back to the basic services they do well, but they need time. Hopefully congress will enact these measures in a way that ensures an orderly transition back to the business model back of basic banking.

Big Crybaby

Hayden has always been remarkable in that she rarely cries. She cried for a total of about 30 seconds when she spent a week with Shirley and me. She doesn’t cry when you put her down to sleep. She doesn’t cry when she wakes up. She doesn’t cry when she wants something. Friends are in awe (not to mention jealous) at what a good baby she is. She may cry for 10 or 15 seconds if she hurts something. Oops, change where I used “doesn’t” to “didn’t” and “is” to “was”. Jill and Tylir thought it would be a good idea if she had more time with other children her age. Hence, mother’s day out. Within a couple weeks Hayden has learned the proper action whenever you want anything … crying at the top of your lungs. Tylir has come up with the best solution, not letting her socialize with children her age ever again. Mother’s day out is over. They also need to screen TV shows for crying kids and only go to adult oriented restaurants. No more “kids eat free” fares. Oops again, forget that last one. It is too good a deal. Other than that Tylir has my full support.

What’s a bank to do?

The FDIC has run out of insurance funds largely due to the 95 bank failures so far this year. They are looking at three options to replenish the fund:
• Borrow $35 billion from the Treasury. I’m not sure taxpayers would appreciate another big bailout for the banks, especially since the big ones are reporting multibillion dollar profits and bonuses. The media would have a field day.
• Borrow the money from the banks. This way they would get the money from the banks. But instead of it being an expense against capital, it would be an asset on their books. An asset when it is really an expense? Think Enron.
• Delay the decision by requiring the banks to pay their annual fee 3 years in advance (of course this is the one they have opted for). They get the cash from the banks to get through this year and the banks don’t need to account for it as an expense (yet). But what about next year and the year after when no money will be coming in from the banks? Think social security and Medicare on a shorter leash.

The option they are not considering is the one they are suppose to use by regulation which is assess the banks for their shortfalls. Ah, but those banks have lobbyists.

New Text Record

An anonymous AT&T user sent 662,258 txt messages in a 30 day period using his iPhone. You're probably thinking "get a life" but sending that many messages isn't the worst of it. The guy opted to receives his bill on hard copy. 12,000 pages of hard copy. He should be locked up. At a minimum, I hope he recycles.

... And how about AT&T actually sending it to him. An alarm should have gone off in somebodies brain. This is an example of why small businesses can compete effectively with the big guys.

Lifelong Republican ... Not

I was a republican for most of my life. (There were those flower-child years in the late 60s but that changed when I started paying taxes.) I grew up in a republican family in a republican community. Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts and Bill Clinton’s tax increases had me locked for life or so I thought. What happened to the party? I have trouble finding a single issue where I agree with it.
• No new taxes – Why not no new “net” taxes. Government needs to be able to adjust taxes in both directions. The republicans have permanently tied one arm behind their backs simply to get votes, not for the good of the country. I’d like to see lower business taxes and higher taxes on the top brackets (me). I think “death taxes” are good. I sympathize with the argument that taxes have already been paid on this money but I think that if one person makes a fortune, it should not insure that every generation thereafter will never need to work. I think a tax system that carves away at inherited wealth is a good thing such that the 4th or 5th generation after the money is earned will need to go out in the world and contribute to a nation’s productivity.
• Anti-immigrant – All of the legal and illegal immigrants I have met are hard working, family oriented people that contribute to our overall good. The strong economy, low cost-of-living in Texas is proof of that.
• Anti-gay – They are what they were born to be. They deserve the same rights as everyone else.
• Small government – Hah!! The government never grew so much as it grew under Bush. It is only rhetoric. The government has become an oligopoly controlled by lobbyists. Democrats are only slightly better in this regard.
• Anti-abortion – It is hard to be against babies, I love babies. But the truth is that the world is over populated and getting worse by the day. The planet pays a horrible price, especially other species.
• Anti-healthcare – They are all for babies until they are born. Then babies are on their own. I think we should catch up with the rest of the industrialized world and provide reasonable healthcare for all of our citizens.
• Pro-guns – Is there not a gun that should be illegal anywhere. I dare you to find a republican that doesn’t think that anyone should be able to carry anywhere. Yeh, I know. The dems have totally cratered on this issue.
• Pro-defense – Do we really need to spend more than the rest of the world on our military? When you look at all of our wars since we became a “super-power”, does it look like a net positive to you? Couldn’t the money have been better spent on energy independence? If we didn’t have our military presence meddling in the Middle East, they wouldn’t all want to kill us.
That probably covers most of it. It makes all the sense in the world to me but you probably think I’ve lost it. Tata.

Favorite Picture

 

This is my new favorite picture. My hair is combed, my shirt matches my jeans and I even, sort of have a smile. Not sure where I am but that is not all that unusual. And I'm not sure how that little monster, Hayden, got on my lap. She is such a picture hog. Good thing she didn't ruin my favorite picture.

My New Favorite Sam Walton Story

Jim Collins, author of “From Good to Great”, has a new book “How the Mighty Fall” where he goes through the 5 stages that powerful companies experience on their way to failure. It is a good lesson on learning from someone else’s mistakes. Interestingly, the “mighty” companies and the market still think they are doing great through the first three stages of failure. The first stage is “Hubris”. Collin’s best example though was of a company that did not suffer from it, Walmart. Sam Walton was certainly proud of the company he had built but never thought he had it all figured out.

A group of Brazilian investors purchased a discount chain. They thought it would be a good idea to see how some of the world’s greatest retailers operated. Sam Walton invited them up to Arkansas. Sam picked them up in his pickup truck and welcomed them to Bentonville in his low key manner. They were there for two days before they realized that about the only thing they had done so far was answer Sam Walton’s questions. Sam built the largest company in the world but when he met someone new, he had the attitude, I know what I know so let me learn what you know.

Sam Walton knew the power of listening and learning. I know I'm a good listener ... Oh, excuse me sweetheart, have you been talking to me?

Government - What it can't do

As citizens we need to realize that the government we created has serious limitations in what it can do. Our elected leaders will not take meaningful action if it involves offending a large voter block (seniors) or major campaign contributor (big business). Obama was given credit for a major, hard fought victory when he saved less than $2 billion dollars by not ordering more cold war jets that the military did not want. Congress has been unable to make simple adjustments to social security (peg increases to cost of living rather than wages) that would keep it solvent for decades longer. They don't even attempt to solve Medicare funding or lack there of. They are basically paralyzed when looking at the issues of today:
• Global warming, probably the greatest threat to my grandchildren – Don’t expect congress to take dramatic action to stem CO2 emissions. No $2/gallon tax on gas and no major carbon taxes on industry that will make a difference. They won’t happen until way too late in the game. The only hope is if we can innovate our way out of it. Government can fund innovation. We waste a lot of time and effort trying to get government to do the stuff it won’t do.
• Health care – The current system is broken beyond repair. Small businesses can’t afford it for their employees. Medium size businesses are headed that way. Fifty million Americans are uninsured and tens of millions more underinsured. Unfortunately the fixes involve those things the government won’t do. They won’t be able to carve out the 30% administrative expense needed to keep track of eligibility and all the different plan types because this is also known as insurance company revenue, a major employer and campaign contributor. Health care actually needs to be rationed by rational people. Everybody can’t have the greatest healthcare money can buy. So we do nothing and today we have nearly the worst healthcare of any western industrialized country.

What our government does give us is an economy where usually the best businessperson wins. Our efforts to get government to take action should be for things that promote businesses that will solve our problems. That is something government can do.

Feelin' sorry

Our clearest memories are usually visual. Often wars are represented by a couple photographs. Vietnam was the Kent State shooting or the naked little girl hit with napalm. Iraq is abu ghraib or on the positive side the purple thumbs indicating they voted for the first time in an election that really counted.

Sometimes a photo will affect you more than others. The war photo etched in my mind was that of a dead Iraqi man with his Jack Russell Terrier nestled in next to him ... the same way Bailey sleeps most nights with me. I felt really bad for the dog. Now the tables are turned. The little dog that has been my almost constant companion for nearly 14 years needs to be put down for a variety of health issues. Tomorrow I take her to the vet and say goodbye. Now I feel sorry for me.

Pain in the back and one a little lower

Last week I somehow strained my back. It started as a little inconvenience on Monday and was an embarrassing/painful "how do I get out of this chair" situation by Saturday. It's not good when neither Shirley or me can reach anything within two feet of the floor.
And Saturday was the big event, Landry's birthday. Eric and Dena planned the party at our house. Fortunately the food was catered (and really good) so I only needed to worry about a few dirty dishes. Landry successfully hit number 7 and seemed pleased with the gifts and all the attention. Hayden also thought it was her birthday and was equally pleased. ... As was I. I beat everyone in Tiger Wood's Golf. Actually I was tied with Tylir but he considers a tie a loss while I consider it a win. Hence, that makes me the only winner. In cards, Jill and I reigned supreme. A pretty nice weekend, pain and all.

Road Warrior or Bedroom Cocoon

I remember when being a road warrior was a position of envy. Collecting all those miles so you could go on another free trip was a source of pride. I'm not sure when it changed. The terrorists are part of it with the extra airport procedures and delays they have caused. The airlines being bankrupt or on the verge of it hasn't helped. The Internet and wii are big deals. The Internet always works with fewer hassles at home plus the wii games are connected to the home TV. I'm hooked on the boxing, great exercise.

However, TIVO (or in my case a brand X digital recorder from DISH) is the real culprit. Being able to watch what you want, when you want, commercial free TV is one of those things you don't truly appreciate until you do without. Watching TV in a hotel room is the definition of doing without. It doesn't matter how flat or how big the TV is if there is nothing on that you want to watch.... and don't forget those commercials.

There is on downside to TIVO, at least for me. The son-in-law, Tylir, doesn't have it. Probably just as well in that he loves commercial, sport themed commercials in particular. Quite often his conversations start with "did you see the commercial where ...?" I follow that with a long pause. It could probably be our main source of bonding but I'm just not willing to go back to commercials. Or traveling when I can get out of it. I prefer the fully wired bedroom cocoon to any hotel room in the world.

Survival of the fittest

With Shirley being laid up, I'm taking on a number of new responsibilities beyond responding to her beck and call (a duty she really likes to test, by the way.) They include groceries, laundry and feed the dogs to name a few. However, some new rules apply as these tasks fall under my purview. i.e. if I do it, it gets done my way. She was commenting last night that a couple of the plants had died and that I needed to take my watering responsibilities more seriously. I explained to her that it was the plants that needed to adjust. I water indoor plants once a week whether they need it or not. Plants that can't abide with those ground rules need to find a new home (or die). It is survival of the fittest around here.

"Yes", snickered the devil, "but I have all the umpires."

Why do we rely on officials, referees and umpires to make calls in those areas where technology can do a better, totally consistent job? Screw tradition. Wired Magazine showed the results of some studies on officiating:

• Close calls went in favor of the home team 15.5% more often
• Red uniforms got less fouls than blue uniforms
• The brain makes tiny fraction of a second mistakes when putting together visual information. The 2007 Wimbledon line call errors were studied. 87.5% of the bad called could be attributed to the way the brain processes images.

A few nights ago I was watching a Ranger baseball game. There were 2 outs on the Twins. The umpire called ball four on a pitch that the pitch tracker clearly showed should have been strike 3. The twins scored 4 runs that inning after it should have been over. Wouldn’t it better to let the pitch tracker call balls and strikes in baseball? Or technology to determine balls that are in or out in tennis? Home teams and star players will no longer have the advantage of bad calls in their favor. The best team that night will more likely win. Who cares that officials don’t like it? They shouldn’t count because all too often they don’t make the right call and all too often a game is in the balance. And who likes officials anyway?

Giving the bird

Jill and Tylir have a bird living in one of their hanging plants. If you water the plant, the bird flies out and scares the living daylights out of you. Jill and Tylir of course love it. They invite new people over and think of creative ways to get them to water the plant. I suspect they will be entertained for years. It will be an excuse for them to go out and find new friends. ... and of course, they will need to find new friends because the old ones are no longer after the bird thing. Eric is insanely jealous.

Death, it ought to be a right.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately in a rehab center (broken bones). Most of the patients are very old. I look at some of them bent over their food tray and just sitting there. Not eating, not moving. I wonder how long they have been there. I wonder if they appreciate life. Personally, I’d rather be dead. I think I should have that right. I think everyone should have the right to live and also the right to die. If you enjoy sitting there looking at food, more power to you and you have that right. If your religion says you have to hang in there, that’s fine too. But for those of us that would rather be dead, let us die in a respectable manner. Don’t burden me with whatever your beliefs are. Death, it ought to be a right.

Under Appreciated Moon

Perhaps a little appreciation for the moon is appropriate on this 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonshot. Created a few billion years ago when something hit the earth and knocked a chunk out(really a whole bunch of chunks that congealed)that became the moon. It is bigger proportionately than any of the moons of the other planets in our solar system.

Besides providing some light in most nights and something interesting to look at, it causes the tides that add many nutriants to our oceans. Most important, its gravity keeps earth from wobbling like Mars. Wobbling would cause radical temperature changes, far worse for the planet than whats projected as a result of global warming. And there are no down sides. Give the next full moon friendly salute for all it has done for us.

Latest NPR Tidbit

Listening to two English Profs on NPR, I learned that most of us were taught incorrectly that it is improper to end a sentence with a preposition. Apparently this was started by some of the intellectual elite that thought English was inferior to Latin, so they decided to try to make them the same. Unfortunately, English descended from ancestral German, not Latin. The same rules don't apply.

When Winston Churchill was criticized for ending a sentence with a preposition, he responded with "that is the sort of thing with which I will not put." Often the prepositions are really part of the verbs as is the case with "to put up" and "to put up with". Now that's news you can live with.

It's been a while

... but I'm not sure anyone noticed. Blame it on vacation, writer's block, whatever. Perhaps because I'm writing a large document for work espousing the many benefits of mobile banking. The tremendous growth of the technology, client demand, the future, etc., all reasons we must be a leader in this product. I have amassed huge piles of supporting documentation for all of my claims. There is simply no way to argue against the logic of it all. Then I realize that I don't have a mobile banking relationship, nor the desire to have one. Oops. Hopefully I'm the exception. It is probably because Judge Judy won't let me go near a bank account.

Chit Chat

What is with people that feel they need to enter into conversation with you for no reason? I was getting my teeth cleaned the other day when the hygienist asked “have you made any vacation plans for the summer?” At the time, my mouth was open with two metal objects in it, one of them being sharp. What made her think my summer plans were any of her business? Had her mother not taught her not to talk to strangers? Is it a power thing?

Hair workers all seem to have an overwhelming urge to talk to you, like they need to make up for the poor quality of the haircut you are about to get. People sitting next to you in airplanes often suffer from the problem as well. I do need to make the exception if you are a pretty lady. The male species is required to attempt to talk to you. It is a curse you need to learn to live with. Average looking guys should not have to.

I do realize that business people need to make an opportunity assessment of persons in their presence. But this involves only a couple of quick questions and should take less than a minute. No need to harass the person if there is not an end game. … and how about those business meeting that promote the “networking” opportunities. I go to a lot of these for financial institutions. They have long breaks and receptions to promote communications between attendees. Finding someone to talk to is easy, until you ask a business question. I like to ask things like “what is your bank’s strategy for growing deposits?” You would be amazed at the length of the pause and the blank stare. It is incredible how many business people have no plan for the future, even though they spends weeks in 5 year planning sessions with large numbers of their colleagues. Maybe I just need to make some vacation plans for the summer.

Movie Reviews

I just realized I hadn’t written any movie reviews lately. Probably because I haven’t gone to any movies, except for Star Trek. It was a really good action movie with a lead character that wasn’t very likable. What else do you need to know? There aren’t any other good movies unless you like animated. I don’t. The Hangover is supposed to be a good comedy but I’m sure too raunchy for Judge Judy and me. Another ex-Daily Show correspondent, Ed Helms, makes it big with that show, joining Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert. I think the Daily Show has usurped Saturday Night Live as the jumping off point for comedy stardom. I sure hope the new Woody Allen movie is going to be good. The reviews are but a screaming Larry David who falls for a 20 year old just doesn’t sound that appealing.

Health Care Reform ... oops

We are in dire need of health care reform as I have indicated in prior blogs. Profit motive and good consumer health care are not compatible. Every Western European country, Canada and Japan are able to offer better care than us at half the cost. Unfortunately we have a system where the politicians need to make everyone happy except for those that don't like huge deficit spending.

The only system that makes sense is a single payer system (US government). One third of the expense today is in the administration of 1,000s of different plans with varying coverages, deductibles and co-pays. Eliminating this administrative nightmare is the largest area of potential savings. With a single payer system, everyone has the same plan so it is simple to administer, but that leaves the insurance companies hanging out to dry. US politicians will never allow this to happen to good paying lobbyists like the insurance companies. The result of our current efforts will be an even more expensive, poor system that simply cost a great deal more than what we have today. Ugh.

The 6 days are up and Hayden is going home

It's Thursday and time for Jill and Tylir to return home ... and they say they want Hayden back. It's true that grandchildren are our reward for not killing our children. Hayden has been tons of fun. I can't think of a time she cried. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the level of care given. Though it is a good thing there was two of us. I don't know how else you give a child continuous attention for 24 hours a day. ... The phone is ringing ...
Hi Jill
What do you mean that your flight out of Miami was "taken out of service."
And the next one too.
And the next one is overbooked?
You're going to be over 6 hours late?
I think I'm going to cry.

Hayden Comes to Visit

Saturday, Shirley and I took Jill and Tylir to the airport for their Bahamas trip and Hayden was officially turned over to us for 6 days. Hey, no problem. Hayden is the sweetest, always smiling little bundle of joy you ever want to meet. However, after 90 minutes of her rapid fire demands and orders I realized I had enough ... and the plane hadn't taken off yet. I called Jill and told her not to get on that airplane. She claimed that she was already on the plane and the luggage thing would be a real pain. I said you don't understand pain (well, maybe she does thus not getting off the plane). But I'm in my golden years I explained to no avail. She chuckled and reminded me about applying the butt cream.

It's been two days now. I've been down to Eric and Dena's home and taken their entire family out to Red Lobster for what was a surprisingly good dinner. I keep hoping Dena's motherly instincts would kick in and that she would insist on taking Hayden for the child's sake. It worked exactly as well as getting Jill to not board that plane. At least the new tractor is suppose to arrive today. It should be a good chance to simultaneously learn how it works and teach Hayden to mow. I'll have it made for many years to come if she can drive that tractor half as well as she drives Shirley and I.

I feel better now

I was listening to my early NPR show, The People's Pharmacy, this morning. Today's topic was drug safety. The good ole FDA came up, that government watchdog that is suppose to take care to insure that we get good drugs, other than marijuana of course. It turns out a whistle blower notified them of fraud in the production of medicine from the largest generic manufacturer in India, one of the largest in the world. Three years later they investigated and found the fraud to be real. Being the good stewards of our health, they waited another nine months. Finally, they issued an alert to all pharmacies and doctors that drugs from this company may not be what they claim. No recall. They said not to worry about the fraudulent drugs already on the shelf. Another good example of lobbying contributions getting a good return. I wish ordinary consumers could invest in lobbying efforts ... it pays a much higher returns than the stock market ... and much less risk.

My those tractor starters are expensive

I left you last when the %&X#%& starter had frozen up on the farm tractor. No problem. I'll just call Carl, the mechanic that has done house visits for me for the past 15 years. What do you mean he moved because the city invoked eminent domain forcing him to sell his home? How far away did he have to go? He doesn’t do house calls in Van Alstyne anymore? Uh oh. No problem, I can do this. Local talent (Tim) got the starter off. I just had to find the replacement and there was a phone number on the starter. It worked! … and Tim got it back on the tractor. It started right up. Uh oh. Smoke was coming from the front, center of the engine. Something about a bad bearing that could throw a rod. Not wanting the tractor to become a permanent piece of yard art, it looked like I had two options. Buy a new tractor or sell the farm. I (Shirley) decided on a new tractor when it became apparent the rest of the family would not join me in a relo. … and I just thought the &%#X$& starter had only ruined a long weekend.

All the stars were lined up for the perfect holiday weekend

Jill and Tylir, Eric and Dena and all the grandchildren were at the farm, the weather was near perfect, Shirley was cooking, Eric was grilling, … what could possible go wrong? You’re wrong; it wasn’t Shirley’s cooking or anything else on the list. That stuff was all great. But then there was the other, unexpected stuff. For one, the cards turned on me. Something I could usually depend on failed me in front of the entire group (yes, I had to watch Tylir and his jig … my apologies to everyone else present). Seeking solace, what better escape than the old, dependable Ford tractor and mowing a few acres, except when the X@*&&# starter locked up. I guess I’ll check my emails. Good, there is one from Michael in Berkeley; I wonder why he didn’t just call. Oh, he lost his iPhone on BART. What else could go wrong? What do you mean the barn is locked and the keys don’t work? But this is where the luck starts to go the other way, thanks to our young hero, Landry. He was able to squeeze under one of the sliding doors that had not been properly secured, got in and unlocked the barn. Yea Landry, you saved the weekend.

Sleepover at Hayden's

With an early meeting in downtown Dallas on Thursday, Hayden invited me to spend the night Wednesday. She was her normal cheerful, engaging self. So much so I need to apologize to Mama Jill. I know from recent experience that when visitors are coming it involves days of preparation. There is the hired help to wash the windows and clean the house, the construction of new planting beds and fresh cut flowers for all the rooms. Hayden stole my attention and I didn’t even notice. Sorry.

She went to bed once 8:30 rolled around … and the single malt scotch and the cards came out. Things were looking real bad. Tylir won the 1st two games in a first to win four match and he was already starting to do his jig (not unlike the Elaine Benes dance if you’re a Seinfeld fan). Jill and I each managed to win a couple but then Tylir netted his third … and the jig again … and he gets a bit cocky. Too soon and too bad sucker, I won the next two games, did my own geriatric jig and went to bed for a very peaceful night’s sleep. … A nice time on the road.

Happy Birthday Judge Judy

One January 8th many, many years ago, it wasn't until nearly the end of the day that I realized it was Shirley's birthday. She accused me of forgetting this very important day. I explained that I would never forget her birthday, but what I forgot was that it was January 8th. I was reminded and punished for my forgetfulness for years to come.

Today's events had me looking back on it fondly. Shirley was on her every Wednesday 9:00 - 10:00 call with Mary, when interrupted by a call from Mary's daughter Tarah. Tarah said she knew it was the Shirley call day but that she thought it wasn't until 10:00. Later, the call again is interrupted by another incoming, this time from Mary's daughter Lindsey. Lindsey said she knew it was the Shirley call day but that she thought it was at 8:00. The call resumed when Shirley gets a call from Debbie. Debbie knew that the Mary call was always Wednesday at 9:00 ... but she didn't know that today was Wednesday. Somehow, I do feel finally vindicated.

NASA and Science

NASA has been in the news this week with their record setting repair/rejuvenation of the Hubble telescope. Compared to brain surgery, our astronauts broke all the space walking records in fitting the aging Hubble with a bunch of new equipment. (That's my aerospace engineering degree using some tech-speak.) NASA loves manned missions because of the publicity. It is great theater and they pine for the opportunity to go back to the moon and then on to Mars.

The truth be known, far more science is achieved for a small fraction of the cost with the unmanned space missions like the Mars rover, Hubble and spy satellites. I know you're thinking that he just bragged about the "manned" repair of the Hubble. Yes, once again great theater but we could have put a new and improved telescope into space for a fraction of the cost. In fact, the Europeans launched two new telescopes this week from a single Ariane rocket. Herschel with its 3.5 meter mirror will study the formation of the galaxies in the early universe. Plank will focus on the darkest, coldest and oldest parts of the universe to study dark matter. .. and they are new, using the latest technology.

Now you are thinking "but what about space junk if we just let the old Hubble die?" True Grasshopper but once again a small fraction of the junk we will have once we abandon the international space station as planned in the next few years. Manned space exploration is all about marketing and keeping the budgets a lot higher than they need to be while achieving a fraction of the real science possible with the unmanned.

Health Care and Capitalism

The profit motive is not consistent with quality health care. It is far less profitable to develop a cure for a disease than it is develop a daily pill that relieves the symptoms that you need to take for the rest of your life. It rewards drug companies to spend hundreds on millions of dollars to develop and advertise pain relievers that cost over 100 times more than the safer, more effective aspirin and ibuprofen.

The Dallas Morning News published a report in today's paper comparing the French public health care system to ours. Here are the stats:

Life Expectancy: US 78 years vs. French 80.9 years
Infant Mortality per 1,000 births: US 6.7 vs. French 3.6
Health spending per person: US $6,714 vs. French $3,450

We have more obesity, the French more smokers. I'd say a wash.

Conclusion: The Dallas Morning News must be a left wing rag to publish this kind of stuff.

Texas Justice (continued)

When people are given power, especially in government, it almost always leads to abuse. Usually it is used against political enemies (or the press) at the highest levels of government. It hits at a much lower level on Maslow's hierarchy of needs for small Texas towns.

Law enforcement officials have the right to confiscate valuable assets if they have reason to believe that they were obtained through the illegal sale of drugs. They get to keep a share of the assets taken. Small Texas towns use the law to profile individuals (that means African-Americans) driving down the highway. They then confiscate all valuables from the vehicle/occupants. They threaten the occupants with arrest, then get them to sign a waiver that it was okay to take their stuff so they can go on their way. No charges made, no prosecution planned, just take the money and run. It helps them keep the local yahoos employed. One of our finest small Texas towns used the money to send the sheriff and his entire staff to Hawaii. Oh, and they included the judge that approved the expenditure. It is often a blurry line between good and evil.

Trinity River Project

The Trinity River Project will give Dallas some personality. Dallas does have a nice skyline, a great developing arts district and good food ... but nothing that makes you go WOW. WOW cities to me are San Francisco, Vegas and New Orleans. I think the lakes, wetlands and parks that will border Dallas on the west and the south will add the WOW effect, making Dallas a high demand destination. Living and working downtown will become much more attractive. The only probable negative will be the toll road bordering the east side of the river. I think we would have been better off with further Dart expansion. Dart fits the evolving character of Dallas much better than another toll road, but that is water over the dam and down the river, the Trinity that is. Voters approved the project about 10 years ago and I don't think it is shovel ready yet. I only hope I live to see it completed.

Recovering blogger

Yes, it has been over a week since my last blog but I have been extraordinarily busy. I had to watch Audrey for a week (Shirley says it was four hours and that she did most of it … but I remember watering everything in the yard by hand, sharpening every crayon in the house, several meals plus feeding the fish, working on the computer while the chair spun in circles, watching cartoons from every TV, eating some more plus thinking about eating the air freshener stones that look like candy, playing with the new hippo and much, much more. It had to be at least days). I watched Landry for a day (Shirley says it was an hour ...but we did a crossword, ate chips and dip, played basketball, worked on the Norma Memorial yet to see a butterfly planting bed, got the lawn mower from the barn, ++). It had to be at least a day.

Also there has been a lot of traveling. We made it home from a nice visit at Berkeley with Mike. A nice visit with Mike consists of good meals between doing his laundry, cleaning his apartment and searching for a dumpster to throw out several months worth of trash. I’m on a plane right now returning from a speaking gig in Miami. It went well considering my topic was technology innovation and I was the least technical person in the room. It was a conference of the global partners for a $15 billion French company, Thales. They seemed really pleased but I won’t hold my breath for a Paris invite. And the good news is … I’m back.

Going back in time

Shirley and I have spent the past several days in Berkeley with Mike. It is a neat city that is as vibrant and old as back in the 60s. Nostalgia set in. The hippies are still here with the addition of a bunch of pounds and minus a bunch of hair. I don’t remember that much due to too many pina coladas in the years since. I do miss the days when I had those double knit, sans–a–belt, hip hugger, elephant leg bellbottom slacks.(They look really cool when I do the Robot). I wore them well into the 80s. (Jill really misses those days as well. She had this nightmarish fear that one of her friends might see me in them.) I still like to wear the Mr T starter set of gold chains but only with his nicest Rayon shirts (4 buttons unbuttoned).

Shirley goes back to school

A one hour class on butterfly friendly plants ... what could be the harm? I'm not sure where my mind was when she mentioned it but I clearly wasn't thinking straight. As soon as she said it was at the Arboretum my mind should have gone: Arboretum ... spring ... flowers in full bloom ... Walden will not match up ... develop emergency plan NOW! But instead I said something clever like "fine."

Next thing I know I'm taking a day off work and hauling railroad ties, rocks, etc. around the property so we can build a 30' x 10' butterfly garden. Then she wants dirt. I thought we had 126 acres of dirt. It not like it isn't proven dirt with something already growing in it but I hear it isn't "processed" properly. 50 bags of topsoil, 10 bags of landscapers soil (same as top soil for 3 times the price) and 4 bags of compost later we have an empty planting bed and a tired husband.

... and the planting begins. ... and Shirley wonders why I don't take more days off. These are the days I really miss having Michael around Walden. Not that he would do any planting but that Shirley does not like to displease him. When she wanted a "gazebo world" around the lake he firmly opposed it in favor of the natural habitat. I still owe him for that one.

Jury Duty

I arrive in downtown Sherman about 8:45 for a 9:00 jury summons at the old courthouse in the middle of the traditional town square. The square is surrounded by the offices of ambulance chasers, retailers had moved out to the highway years ago. Most of my extra 15 minutes was taken up trying to find a place to park in a downtown that hasn’t seen any new construction in decades. I wonder why all the retailers left?

I managed to find a seat in a full courtroom, roughly 250 people, about 30 of whom were in the hallway by the time everyone got there. The County Clerk started into her routine about 9:15. She wanted us to know that we were as important to democracy and our way of life as those soldiers fighting and dying in those two wars across the water … and she was really proud of us. She also wanted to know that through her hard work they have really made this jury thing much more efficient. We would be on a case or on our way home by 10:30. She turned the proceedings over to the security guard who told us to leave our guns and switchblades in our cars because they wouldn’t let us take them into the real courtroom across the street. …. And he told us how proud he was of us.

About 9:30 the Clerk read off the names of the 1st jury pool, there were 4 scheduled for this day. 9:45, the 2nd reading of names. 10:05, the 3rd reading of names is postponed because there were some people in the hallway at the courthouse and the judge didn’t want any comingling with a jury pool, heaven forbid. Take a 20 minute break. 10:30, hallway must be clear, the 3rd reading of names. The Clerk informs us that the 4th pool might not be needed. We need to wait for the judge to call but the Clerk is tired of us. She goes back to her office and leaves her assistant in charge, who has been waiting in the wings to tell how unbelievably wonderful all of us are for doing our duty today.

I beginning to think maybe this is voluntary, that I wouldn’t be arrested if I didn’t show up. I reread the summons, no such luck. 10:45 the judge has called and he is coming over to talk to us. 11:15 the judge finally shows up from his walk across the street, it should have taken him about 3 minutes. He kept us there because he wanted us to know how proud he was of us and what an important role we had played today in defending the free world. Ah freedom and the price we pay.

The Table ... otherwise known as both my fathersday and birthday gift

 

Eat Rice

Jim Collins of "Good to Great" fame is researching talent which he believes comes mostly from effort … generally around 10 years of well focused, hard work. Asians being smarter than white people is a result of 1,500 years of growing rice. Rice is a crop that takes more work and better focus than growing corn or wheat. David Landes points out in "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations" that no great, innovative city or country is located inside the tropics (pre air conditioning). He attributes heat, requiring most people to take the middle of the day off. Those fortunate enough to live on a pacific isle could generally pick and catch their food needs for the day within a couple of hours … and take the rest of the day off. Cold climates require a lot more work and thus most great innovation and cities come from these regions. Rice farming is apparently the pinnacle in developing the talent to build great societies.

But before we go off and start growing rice … I’m thinking eating rice might be just as good. I think I’m pretty smart (Michael, I don’t need you to bring me back to reality). My friend Albert Ku once told me that I eat more rice than any white man he has ever known. I think it works. Unfortunately, I heard about 8 months ago that the healthiest thing a non-smoking person can do is lose weight. I’ve managed to lose 15 pounds but in doing so, I gave up rice. I guess I won't get any smarter … (and Michael, once again I don’t need your help on this.)

Replacing perfectly good furniture

Shirley and I have a fundamental difference in our furniture philosophy. My tendency is is to take my time, when I see something I like, I buy it. I'm not done with it until a leg falls off or the fabric is in shreds (and not necessarily even then). Shirley, on the other hand, believes that if there is a space, it needs to be filled. Replacement time occurs when she sees something she likes better.

Last week, while leaving Sam's, she sees a set of chaise lounge chairs she thinks would be great on our patio, replacing a couple of perfectly good ones. She likes these chaise because of the thick cushions. The ones we have are a woven plastic. I explained that my experience with the thick cushions is that they collect yard debris and turn shades of green and black in the seams. I don't think she heard me because when the weekend arrived, she announced we were going to Sam's to check out the chaise ... which means she needed me to load them.

We got to Sam's and it turns out that the chaise were really chairs with footstools and part of a six piece set for roughly two grand. It wasn't what she wanted. You may be thinking that I am happy with this but not if you really know Shirley ... for the journey had just begun. Everywhere we go (even a trip for dirt at Home Depot) now involves a search for outdoor furniture. That night she asks how would I like to eat dinner at Macaroni Grill. She knows I really like the Parmesan crusted sole but she never liked the place. Turns out there is a new Casual Living store right next door.

We enter Casual Living and she says "Wow, look at that table." It was a combination onyx, petrified wood and other stone. It was beautiful and I agreed. Then we continued our search for the perfect chaise. They had a large selection but the only thing I noticed was that a single cushion sold for $200 (actually $199). She asked if I liked any of them and I casually responded that the $3,000 table was the only thing I saw that I liked. She responded with "You just have to have that table don't you. Well OK but it is both your father's day and birthday gift." The table arrived Monday and the only good news is that it occupies the exact space designated for the new chaises. At least the journey is over for now.

Time vs. Money

We spend a lot of time thinking about money, especially how to get more of it. We think of what it can buy us but rarely about what it can't buy ... time. Think about it. Warren Buffett is 78 years 8 months old. He's got billions, he's a nice guy and has a good family. He is always ranked either the richest or 2nd richest man on earth. Would you trade your wealth and age for his? I wouldn't and I'd probably be giving up a lot fewer years than you. Time is worth more than money. Spend more of it appreciating that which you have it. ... and don't waste it.

btw - money is fifth. After Family, health, time and repect.

You remind me of your father

... are among Eric's least favorite words these days when Landry's on the loose. They are generally not heard because Landry just picked up his room, did a good deed for his mother or helped his sister. And they seem to come mostly from those of us who knew Eric when he was Landry's age. And they are said often, even more often lately. Though it should be said that while Eric is not that thrilled, Jill and I are loving it.

Landry and Audrey came to visit the other day. Soon they asked for their requisite snacks, chips and dip for Landry, a cheese tortilla pizza for Audrey. Then Audrey surprisingly says she will get the chips for Landry. She emerges smiling from the pantry carrying Bailey's and Becket's bacon strip snacks. Shirley tells her that those are dog treats. The smile widens. Between giggles she says "I know." Oh Eric, too bad (hee hee hee).

Defense budget continues to rise … at a slower rate … but still

Spending on defense with an amount greater than the rest of the world combined has not made us safer. In fact, what our politicians have asked our military to do has had just the opposite effect. Cases in point are:

• Iraq – hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced from their homes … has that made us safer?
• Afghanistan – have you noticed it is getting worse and we are sending more troops? … did this work for the Russians or the British … or us in Viet Nam. We supported the Taliban against the Russians in Afghanistan because we wanted it to be their Viet Nam. History does repeat.
• Pakistan and their nukes – Has our presence and billions made them more or less stable?
• Gitmo – enough said.

Things that make us safe are:

• A strong economy
• The world greatest innovation and infrastructure
• The moral high ground

These motivate others to be more like us and want to help us. Defense spending takes from these and creates that budget red ink that our children will need to pay (and us through inflation). Green technology and communications infrastructure will protect this country more than another tank or jet fighter.

Tale of two Tylirs

Tylir headed back to the farm when Jill requested that he pick up a bag a lettuce at the new Braums on the way. She hung up with him as he got there. Dutifully he found the lettuce and went to check-out, looking at his text messages as he got there. The clerk scanned the lettuce and Tylir saw $2.19 on the video display. He handed the clerk a $5 bill and was checking a text message when he realized he had 20 cents, which he promptly pulled out of his pocket and handed to the clerk. The clerk had rung up the $5. He looked at the 20 cents, looked at Tylir, looked at the 20 cents, looked at Tylir, looked at the 20 cents, looked at the cash drawer, looked at Tylir ... Tylir could see progressive levels of panic on the clerks face with each successive look. Tylir finally said "Just give me $3.01 in change." The clerk nodded and uttered an "uh, okay." Looked at the cash drawer, looked at Tylir a couple of more times and put the 20 cents in the drawer. Tyler looks at the video display again and it says $2.81 ... an says "Oh wait, was it $2.19 or $2.81?" The clerk looks at Tylir, his video display, the cash drawer in a unending loop. That is when Tylir noticed that his name was Tylir. Back on the farm we were saying "I wonder what is taking Tylir so long?"

btw .. the 2nd Tylir really spelled his name Tyler.

Take your daughter to work day

Jack Henry announced that it is supporting a "take your daughter to work day" this month. It got me thinking, it might be an easy day at the office. Jill probably a little old at thirty something to hang with me but then I thought of the grand daughters. I could really impress everyone with those two beauties. Audrey the princess at four would be great ... but then she's not real fond of strangers. Hayden at almost one and still loves strangers ... but then there is that diaper thing. I heard on the news about a guy who took his 4 year old daughter with him to rob a convenience store. Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Wanted - pretty, young, female journalist

Shirley introduced me to a new TV show the other night, "Castle". It is about a who-done-it mystery writer suffering from writer's block. He has found that hanging out with a NYC, young and beautiful police investigator might help. They exchange a lot of witty dialog and seem to have fun. I've blogged about my own bouts with writer's block and I'm thinking if it works for Castle, why not me? I don't exactly want to hang out with a cop but a journalist sounds interesting. So call me if you know of any young, pretty journalists that want to hang out with a balding, young-at-heart sixty year old man. Well,maybe not so young-at-heart. Getting a good nights sleep is one of my favorite activities these days. I need to go to bed.

Customers or Fees: Contradicting Strategies (and the fees are going to lose)

On one hand, the banks and credit unions aggressively want to attract more customers. On the other, the banks and credit unions are addicted to fees, NSFs in particular. Rather than incur an overdraft charge, consumers overwhelmingly prefer their debit card purchases to be declined at the checkout per a 2008 survey by Opinion Research Corporation.

It once was that overdraft protection was provided just for check transactions. For a fee, the bank would honor a check even if there weren't enough funds in the account to cover it. Overdraft is now extended to ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases. ATM and debit cards have been marketed as the good plastic: Unlike credit cards, these were supposed to be the same as cash. Most customers think they can't swipe and spend more than what is in their bank account, but they are wrong.

An overdraft study published late last year by the FDIC found that at least 81 percent of banks allowed overdrafts to take place at ATMs and debit transactions. An overwhelming majority of banks in the FDIC survey did not inform customers that they lacked enough money in their accounts to cover their electronic transactions. Only about 8 percent of the financial institutions informed consumers that funds were insufficient before transactions were completed, thus giving them a chance to avoid both the overdraft and the fee. Fees assessed by banks ranged from $10 to $38. The banks collected over $20 billion in these fees in 2008.

When you make so much money on something so unpopular, things happen. In this case, Walmart and the Fed.

First Walmart. Banks and credit unions fought ferociously to keep Walmart from getting a bank charter (rather than compete). They thought they had won. Now Walmart has a partnership with GE Bank where they offer a prepaid Visa debit card. Free to reload and they accept direct deposits. If the money is not on the card, the consumer is denied the purchase and there is no fee. Exactly what most consumers want. Who do you think will win their business in the long run?
Second the Federal Reserve is considering two alternatives:

• Institutions would be prohibited from automatically enrolling customers for overdraft protection services. Instead they would have to first give customers notice and a reasonable opportunity to opt out of the service.

• Institutions would be required to get a customer's permission to provide overdraft protection. Customers would have to choose to opt-in before any fees could be assessed.

The rule change would only apply to overdrafts for ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases. It would not affect overdraft protection for checks or recurring debit charges.

NSF fees for banks will be going down over the next few years, either by competition from the Walmarts of the world or though regulation or a combination of the two.

Technology ... gone too far now

Twitter has introduced a new application ... BillMyParents. Like they need more help?? The app even has a special "one-click" feature. It just can't be too convenient. I for one wouldn't want to be the cog that is wasting my kids/grandkids valuable time at spending my money. Heaven forbid they would need to talk to me. ... and finally, adding insult to injury, they charge the parent $.50 per transaction for the privilege. Ouch.

Poor Hayden

I had lunch with Jill and Hayden today ... and Shirley joined us. Hayden's birthday party and presents were the primary topic of the day. After all, it's only a month away. What she likes, what to get her, what other people are getting her, where to have the party. She was right there. I remember when these things were suppose to be a surprise. Hayden took it all in ... between moving everything from the table to the floor and entertaining all the tables around us. I can't help but think she is going to be disappointed. Parents are taking all of the fun out of growing up. Go for a car ride ... get strapped down so you can hardly move plus you face away from everyone. Child proof doors so you can't do any exploring. All the fun toys (leaded Chinese and those that shoot edible projectiles) have been banned, except for some special ones like an empty box or a dish rag. I don't know why she is always smiling.

StuffWhitePeopleLike

My friend Lea suggested the above named blog to me. On one hand she thought it was my kind of humor but on the other hoped I wouldn't take offense. She is really perceptive by being right on both accounts. It is really funny (if you have my sick sense of humor) and is dangerously close to describing me. He blogs about white people having one moleskin notebook and has an exact picture of one I carry in my briefcase. He suggests it is a place for us white people to keep our creative ideas but that in reality we have none. For me, it is just for show when I'm out of town. (I use the $1 ones in town.)

His previous blog was on tattoos and reflected a mirror image of my thoughts. Tattoos conjure up images, “all of … things that white people do not like, except for sailors.” … “A white person getting a tattoo is a major step in their life as it presupposes that their taste at this given moment is good enough to sustain them for the rest of their lives” which means it has to be funny, ironic or self-deprecating. “A white person with the right kind of tattoo is generally very popular within the white community … If you find yourself competing socially with one of these people, there are a few things you can do in order to defeat them. Your saving grace is the fact that white people not only enjoy getting funny/ironic tattoos, but they really enjoy talking about them too! Therefore, it is essential that you already have 2-3 clever tattoo ideas ready to drop into a conversation.” Now that’s a good tip we can all use.

Thanks Lea. I love it.

Law of unintended consequences

This law usually means the entity that did things right gets screwed. For example, the bankruptcy laws. Delta and United airlines go bankrupt. They get to renegotiate their debt (about $.50 on the dollar) and other obligations like labor union contracts. The airline that drove their competition into bankruptcy (American) now has uncompetitive financing and labor union contracts.

The current financial crisis will likely yield a similar consequences. The big guys, saved by the taxpayer, will do fine. They will have a lot less competition because their horrible decisions will result in new regulations that will hurt the small banks and credit unions much more then them. The costs of complying for the big guys are spread over an asset base of a trillion dollars. The little guys have to spread it over a base of a few hundred million. Big difference. Similarly, the little guys did not make the liar loans that became the addiction of the big guys, but they did invest in the fictitiously rated triple A bonds the big guys peddled. They lose most of their investment and don't get any help. Is this capitalism??

Babies ... When did they become fun?

My dad once told me that he preferred kids once they were around the age of two ... talking, laughing and running. Before that they cry a lot, spit up a lot plus other body emanations and when they are not doing one of these, sleeping. ... and if you are not quiet, the cycle starts again. Experience through most of my life confirmed his findings. Questions of the theory started to arise about the time Landry was born. More contrary information with Audrey, but it was more difficult to get quality data because she was in her mother's arms at all times. Then came Hayden and the theory was totally disproved. She rarely sleeps, never spits up (unless you count her blowing out her vibrating lips with food in her mouth) and she smiles and laughs all the time. Few things can make you instantly feel better than when she points at you and smiles wide. Wow. I guess I really like babies. Don't let my children know.

Use condoms .. go to hell - the Pope

Get ready for one of my political rants .... ready, here goes.

The Pope is visiting Africa this week. A continent with the highest birthrate and the infant mortality to go along with it. A continent where the aides epidemic finds the most vulnerable. A continent that can't feed itself and a world headed in that direction. I like to blame religions for a lot unnecessary wars and advice to presidents ... but there is so much more. The Pope goes to Africa where he could do a great deal of good. Instead he tells them not to use condoms ... a simple and cheap devise that could save many from the horrible life/death sentence of aides and many children from starving to death. I suspect he still believes the earlier teaching that the universe rotates around the earth, the earth being the center of all things. I guess they were wrong about that one too.

Get out of my damn chair!

You may recall that I blogged the saga about getting two new chairs for the game table. Shirley, in her design excellence, placed the new, more comfortable chairs in my and Jill's positions. Eric was gone this weekend so Shirley subbed, but rather than partner with Tylir, she was my partner. I swapped positions with Tylir, wanting to be the good host. I didn't realize that Tylir, having spent so much time in that chair, had totally jinxed it. I had never seen such bad cards. Tylir had never seen such good cards, so good even he couldn't screw them up. (Too bad Eric wasn't there to witness it.)

Sunday morning, time for some three handed dirty clubs, Tylir rushes upstairs and takes my chair. ... and the cards he gets are still unbelievable. Fortunately, Eric will be back the next time we play. He is big enough to get Tylir out of my chair, I'm just not sure what it will cost me ... or if Tylir has spent enough time in it to totally jinx it as well. Sometimes you don't realize how good life is until it changes.

Hail Mary ... and I thought it was a long pass

We all know that times are tough ... but not necessarily for all. Businesses that are having great years include McDonald's, liquor and guns, with gun sales setting new highs. McDonald's is hard to figure. Losing money in the stock market just doesn't say "go eat a Big Mac" to me. I might be more interested if shares of citi are added to the dollar menu as suggested on SNL.

Now liquor I understand. I'm under all this stress and Mary is coming to visit Shirley. It is incredible how a visitor can impact the to-do list, my to-do list. I was hoping that Shirley would learn from her recent visit to see Michael. Mike's to-do list wasn't actionable before she arrived but rather once she got there ... and of course it was her to-do list. Mike's way of letting her feel she's needed. Unfortunately, the lessen was lost on her.

My ever expanding to-do list includes spring planting (and rock moving), weeks before you really need to. ... and who knows, maybe spring won't come his year. She even had me repair the towel holder that Jill and Tylir ripped out of the wall. And blow out the garage when we have a barn to tear down. Yep, I could use a drink. ... and maybe one of those guns.

Time to confess

All right, who ever you are ... stop pretending you're me and writing all those things about Jill. They are all untrue and I'm really mad you said those things about her. She's would never intentionally mislead Tylir ... or lose an email from me for that matter. She isn't perfect, so there. You better stop or I'll find you.

Tylir asks Jill ... or does he??

Tylir sent me an email yesterday requesting a web site I had sent to Jill a couple weeks before. You might wonder why he would need to bother me for this information. I think there are several possibilities.

• The burden to ask Jill is simply too great. First the 3rd degree. Who wants to know? Why does he need that information? The “I don’t think he needs it” discussion. Finally the inevitable barter, I’ll give it to you after you have painted the game room.
• Perhaps he asked Jill, went through the 3rd degree only to have her snippily respond that she doesn’t have that information anymore

… which lends itself to all the possibilities as to why she wouldn’t have the information:

• My emails still go directly to junk mail because she continues to be upset that she was number 4 on my speed dial 3 phones ago.
• She actually has it but there is a new episode of the bachelor about to begin on the TV.
• She has it but enjoys watching Tylir suffer.

Or could it be that little-miss-perfect (sweetheart, I say this with the utmost affection … and I got it from Tylir) actually lost the information? As unlikely as this possibility seems, I’m sure there is a good explanation for it.

Top Pain Scientist Fabricated Data in Studies

In my continuing rant on how pharmaceutical companies intentionally kill more people than terrorists comes further evidence in today's Wall Street Journal. The headline is the title of this blog. It starts "A prominent Massachusetts anesthesiologist allegedly fabricated 21 medical studies that claimed to show benefits from painkillers like Vioxx and Celebrex, according to the hospital where he worked." Of course he was funded by the pharmas he promoted. In reality, Vioxx and Celebrex work less well than IB Profin, which doesn't cause the heart attacks like the other two ... oh and it is 100 times cheaper ... gee I wonder why the big ad dollars are spent by the pharmas to get us to take a dangerous drug that doesn't work as well as an old, cheap drug. Go figure.

Sea levels rising faster than expected - scientists

Just a reminder that the global environmental issues keep getting worse ... even faster than the already bad projections. I really fear that my grandchildren will see the earth in a death spiral ... at least as far as humans are concerned. There is no hope for governments solving the problem. How long have we known there was a problem with social security?? 25 years? ... and the fix here is easy. Just make the annual increases tied to inflation instead of wage increases. There is no chance they will seriously address the climate issues until it is too late. We probably should keep spending on defense (more likely offense) for when it gets bad. Good relationships today (NATO) will disappear quickly when their existence is threatened.

Who says you can never go back

... Not true of the dump, having made the third trip in less than two months. We unknowingingly went on Collin County's Big Garbage Day ... just lucky I guess. Dozens and dozens of vehicles loaded with past treasures, not to mention long lines. We really appreciated it being probably the only paying customers for the day. The special events included another massive display of sea gulls, local convicts helping people unload and picking up litter ... and did I mention the lines? The aroma of fresh garbage makes this part particularily attractive. Strange as this may seem, Jeffery opted out last time and this time; and even Landry opted out this time. They just don't know what they are missing ... or do they?

Jill's New House

Jill and Tylir have been thinking about moving for the past several months. The primary motivation was someplace closer to Tylir's work. That way he could come home for lunch and spend more time with Hayden. Isn't that sweet. Then there is reality ... the deal trumps all. They have considered two different homes, both several miles further out from Tylir's work, friends, family, etc. The latest one was a foreclosure in northwest Plano. The deal was good, even great (or too good). So much so that they put in an offer for over the asking price. There bid came in around 30th with the winning bid over $100,000 more than asking. Oops.

Jill, thinking she had a new home, spent the sleepless hours redecorating the place last night. She had my room on the second floor ... at my age can you imagine. The only bedroom on the first floor was the master. Sounded appropriate. So what was the problem I asked to a silent phone on the other end. I think they need to do a lot more thinking before they make any more offers.

Home Coming

Michael's laundry is done and his apartment cleaned (at least as much as you can with the yet unpacked boxes in the middle of the floor) so it's time for Shirley to come home. The only disappointment being that the two of them did not get to sit down and watch Judge Judy together.

My last night alone was anything but. Eric invited me to dinner with the family. Landry managed to hit me up for contributions to his favorite charity (or should I say the school's favorite) and he is lobbying hard for a red barn. Jeffrey announced that he really likes the freedom of having a driver's license even if he has to run a few errands for Dena. I guess he is normal after all. Good food and a good game of catch in the living room made for a nice final night on my own.

Book publishers following music publishers into the abyss

Amazon just announced their new Kindle, an eBook reader. One of the new features was that it would read the book to you in that echoey computer speak. Publishers claimed foul, that Amazon is creating a derivative work. Legally I suspect they are right, but doesn't this feature help sell more books? Book publishers get paid for every Kindle book, unlike the music publishers that get zip for file sharing music. Has any company won when they tried to stop the advancement of better technology? How about the ones that tried to stop the VCR? TIVO? music? movies? anything? The answer is NO.

The good news is that the barn is empty thanks to the help of Jeffrey, Landry, Dena and Eric ... it's ready to be demolished and rebuilt. Our personal stimulus package for the dismal economy.

Home Alone

Today I dropped Shirley off at the airport for her 5 day visit to the Bay area. Get ready Michael, Judge Judy 24 hours a day.

Yesterday Gov. Schwarzenegger declared California in a state of emergency because of the severity of their drought. Forecast for Shirley's visit, rain everyday. They should pay her for visiting.

Free at last!! Five wild and crazy days on my own. Let's see, where's the block of cheese? Big plans, going to the dump with Eric and Landry this morning. ... and then ... well I'll figure it out.

Hayden Lunch

I had the pleasure of another lunch with Hayden. She brought both Jill and Tylir along this time. Once again she managed to get the attention of most the tables around us ... or it could have been Tylir. The good news is that Tylir found his lost again wallet ... but only after he had Jill search the house several times and asked her to cancel all of the credit cards. It turned up in the trunk of his car. I don't know why Jill put it there.

Tylir is anxious for Hayden to get a little older so she can side with him. He thinks Jill and I pick on him. When asked if anyone ever sided with him, he responded "no." So Tylir, guess what Hayden is going to do. Good thing you have a thick skin.

AstraZeneca Seroquel Studies Buried

The London-based company faces about 9,000 lawsuits (15,000 patients) claiming it failed to properly warn users that Seroquel can cause diabetes and other health problems for this FDA approved drug. According to an AstraZeneca official, "The drugmaker failed to publicize results of at least three clinical trials of Seroquel and engaged in “cherry picking” of data." ... "AstraZeneca has studied Seroquel extensively and shared all relevant and required data with the FDA -- both before and after the agency approved it as safe and effective.” I wonder how we would react if bin Laden had a way to give 15,000 people diabetes?

Choking

No, I'm not talking about something caught in the throat or what I often want to do to Judge Judy. I'm referring to blowing it under pressure. A recent study (probably paid for with our tax dollars) showed that skilled golfers do better when asked to putt quickly than when told to take their time. Novices miss regardless. A person can get better at handling pressure by putting themselves in pressure situations. You also need to admit to yourself that you have a choking problem ... which means you are normal. Are putting (short golf shot) and putting (placing an article somewhere) really spelled the same?? don't you love English.

Talk to the Box

A year ago the economy looked bad. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what bad really looked like. Now the economy looks bad …. And I really hope I know what bad looks like. It’s hard to look at Washington for solutions. The Republicans are hoping it gets worse enough that we start thinking the Democrats got us here. The Democrats are thrilled it’s bad enough that it is “spending time again”; the coffers are wide open for all their causes. Boy do we need some Obama magic.

I wish I felt that I know the answer but it is way too complicated. The government running banks doesn’t sound good, but bankers running banks sound even worse. Giving everybody health care and unemployment insurance feels good but it doesn’t feel like a solution. Tax cuts for all helps me but I really think tax cuts for businesses are really the only ones that have an impact. I’m afraid there is only one place to turn for answers; Shirley, go ask that little box that talks to you.

Terrorism is #3

A previous rant in this blog discussed how terrorism has fallen behind the economy the top threat to Americans. In reality, both of these are behind the environment. Dan Nocera of MIT points out in a recent publication that we “are a world out of balance. We seek immortality at the individual level and are oblivious to the health of our humanity at a global level.” Our R&D spending for health is 30 times what we spend for energy science.

One of the minor problems we face per James Anderson of Harvard is that that the current level of CO2 in our atmosphere now ensures sufficient heating to melt the Arctic summer ice cap within the next decade. The ice in the Arctic Ocean acts as a heat shield for our planet by preventing the flow of warm ocean currents to the furthest reaches of the northern hemisphere. ... Much of the world’s industrial centers and population are situated near coastline, which will be submerged under the water accompanying the 7 meter (~25 feet) rise in ocean levels with the collapse of the Greenland ice cap. … not to mention that Europe will be a lot colder. The Europeans and others will probably just move over here. Maybe we do need that military.

Polygamy

Shirley (aka JudgeJudy) and I were watching an episode of Numb3rs last night about a man with 73 wives. Part of the focus was on concerns about the inbreeding that seems to occur in the polygamy community. I would think the male gene that wanted multiple wives would be a much greater concern. What are they thinking? Multiple honey-do lists? Knick-knack purchasing contests? One that likes to go to a lot of symphonies, another a lot of plays, another art fairs and yet another that loves the museum circuit? And they need to eat, each with a different fine dining experience they prefer. Shirley said I couldn’t handle it. Once again she was right.

It's not a totally bad news recession

The banks need more money, the credit unions want some now, unemployment rises and home prices keep going down along with the stock market. It's the worst economy of my life ... but there are rays of hope.

• Maybe we will become energy independent. There is more public support and financing for home grown sources of energy from wind and solar to carbon sequestering and nuclear.
• Americans are realizing that our economy is our greatest resource and protection against enemies. Have any of the wars of the past 60 years done us any good? Do we need to spend more on defence than the rest of the world combined? Do we need troops in Europe, Korea, Japan and the middle east? Our resources are much better spent on assets that have a return; infrastructure, energy independence, the environment and world good (there are dividends for helping people).
• Americans are rethinking their spending habits, starting to save again. Our values are changing for the better by being more focused on our friends and family.

I think we will have a very different and better country when it is all over.

Tidbits from Popular Science

Things of interest in this month's Popular Science:

• Hurricane busters - scientists think they may be able to reduce the impact of hurricanes by flying supersonic F-4 Phantom fighter jets counter to the wind inside the wall of the eye. They think it could slow it down and choke off the supply of warm air that fuels the storm.
• Kuwait is about to break ground on a 3,300 foot skyscraper that will be a city onto itself. It will be 1,000 feet higher than any building today, about triple the height of the Empire State Building.
• Oasis of the Sea Royal Caribbean cruise ship will launch this year out of Florida. Its population will be 6,600 people, 2,000 more than the biggest thing that floats today.
• Pollution is going straight to our hips per three recent studies. Many of the chemicals we ingest from baby bottles, food packaging, plumbing, etc. (environmental obesogens) mimic estrogen and interfere with the body's natural mechanisms for regulating fat cells. Along the same line, artificial sweeteners make us fatter by blunting the brain's natural ability to measure calories, causing us to overeat.

I'll close on that happy note ...

Terrorism is #2

I've been trying to get the threat of terrorism downgraded for years. I've used this blog to explain that pharmaceutical companies intentionally kill many times more people than terrorists. I'm not so happy to report that terrorism has been reduced to the #2 threat to America. Unfortunately, its the economic fiasco that has taken over the #1 slot according to our national intelligence (oxymoron) community. The primary fear being that the economy could get so bad that our allies could turn on one another. Hard to believe they could turn on us with our brilliant moves in Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel. It would be nice to have that trillion dollars plus back.

I usually wake up in early in the morning. I like to just lay there and listen to BBC to hear whats going on in the world. I'm starting not to enjoy it because everything is negative and I can see where it affects us ... or more important me.

Back to Work

Monday was a Jack Henry holiday. Ahhh, the kids and grandkids were gone ... a great day to kick back and relax. Oops, I just remembered I was going to start on my taxes today. This is never a good thing. As usual, the first thing Turbo Tax asks for I don't have (the Jack Henry W-2). I feel the tension building. Now the IRS wants to know where our charities are located. Shirley, do we really give money to an Indian reservation in Montana?? We started donating to the micro lender KIVA. The founder won the Nobel Peace Prize a few years ago. They should be easy to find. Oops, not on their web page. What did we do before Google? I'm not feeling the serenity.

... and then there is the barn that was about 25% destroyed in the wind storm a week ago. The insurance adjuster has been by so there is no excuse for not picking up the debris. It amazes me that a 30' x 4' 100 pound piece of steel flew over 100 yards. Add another 50 yards for a 2x4 and still another 100 yards for a skylight panel. Dragging all of it to one spot meant about 20 trips. The 30' steel panels were the worst, though not too bad if you remembered to point the nails and screws up. Impossible the other way. I'm sweating. Trim the pompas grass and fix the tires on the surrey still on Judge Judy's list.

Tuesday morning, back in the office, thank heavens.

Sunday Sunday

It’s Sunday. It started off with Jill and I beating Eric and Tylir in euchre for the weekend championship. We made some bacon, egg and cheese tequitas for breakfast and it was time for Hayden to take her parents and the barking dog to go home. Shirley’s last words to me Saturday night were that she was setting her alarm for 7 AM so she could make breakfast for the kids. I woke her up about 11:15 so we wouldn’t miss the symphony this afternoon. What was I thinking?

We needed a place to eat afterwards. The Grotto is one of Shirley’s favorites but they are closed on Sunday. I decided to check on the Internet to see if maybe they would be open, being the day after Valentine’s Day. It turned out not to be the case, in fact they are now closed Monday through Saturday as well. I have discovered over the years that the likelihood a restaurant will go out of business is directly proportional to how much Shirley likes it. I wonder if there is a way to make money on this knowledge. Off to the symphony.

Fun Day

Hayden brought her parents to the ranch for the weekend. Saturday morning we all went to Landry's basketball game. He had 6 steals, 4 of which he dribbled the length of the court and scored. He won the offensive player of the game award. Putting it in perspective, Michael has been at Berkeley for 3 months. He has neither won a Nobel Prize or cured any diseases.

Jill and I won at euchre and Jill, Eric and I won at dirty clubs. Seems someone hasn't won at anything. Sorry Tylir. Serves you right for putting the plastic, blow-up girl in my sleeping spot.

Time to take my valentine to dinner at the B&B. Hopefully they won't double dip us on the tip tonight. ... and too bad we won't be there the same time as Jeffrey and his girlfriend. Ta ta.

Writers Block

I'm having trouble finding something to expound upon. It's not for lack of topics. Interesting observations of the last couple of days include:

• From watching the TV show Numb3ers, I learned a person is 3 times more likely to die in a car accident driving to purchase a lottery ticket than of winning the lottery. Sort of takes the fun out of thinking about what you might do with the winnings.
• UPS delivered a new wooden box for keeping recipe cards in. Shirley already has 2 double rowed wooden boxes for 3X5 recipe cards. When questioned, Shirley looked at me dumbfoundedly and explained that the new box holds 4X6 cards. I guess it leaves more room for the cobwebs.
• Congressman Barney Frank, when interviewing the CEOs of the banks that got TARP money, said, "Here's this problem: People really hate you, and they're starting to hate us because we're hanging out with you.” I would think Congress would be happy that we hate someone more than them.

I've got to go and try to think of something to write about.

Good Bet

When I have an evening requirement in Dallas, I generally spend the night at Jill and Tylir's. Last night was one of those evenings as I had a good dinner with a great friend, Scott Shafer. Afterwards, I trekked to Jill's for some cards and then to my bed for the night. If you were to place a bet on who would win the evening of cards, your money would be well placed on me. Not because the odds are better that I would win any particular game but rather because of how the winner is determined. I was holding my own in the regular play but as it got late, and as we always do, we play one final round for the nightly championship regardless of how it has gone so far. You may think the odds of being champion are one in three but you would be wrong. Because if Tylir wins he wants to keep playing so much so that he is willing to play another round to determine the "real" champion. If Jill wins she want to go to bed but the pressure to play another round from Tylir and me overcome her better instincts. Me, if I win, I love to get up and go to bed. The more they squawk the better I sleep. Now back to the betting. If you would have bet on me last night you would have lost. Jill won both the championship and the "real" championship rounds and I didn't sleep well at all.

Good advice

I heard two interviews this week that offered good lessons in life:

• Mike & Mike in the Morning interviewing Tiger Woods - Mike was asking Tiger how his dad helped make him be so competitive, have that killer instinct. Tiger responded "he always made it fun." Keep it fun, good advice.

• Charlie Rose was interviewing his friend and author of "Leading with Kindness" - William Baker described how intimidation works short term but kindness works long term. The COO of the USMC was one example. The COO was asked what he did. He responded "I teach kindness. If you want the person next to you to be willing to die for you or charge that hill, he better like and respect you." Kindness (not to be confused with pushover) is needed if you want people to tell you what's going on in your business. Or else, you just get what you want to hear. Like a lot of folks on Wall Street these past few years. Keep it kind, good advice.

The broad side of a barn

The wind howled, the thunder roared, the rain pelted the window pains and the dogs couldn't get close enough to you. It was a dark and stormy night. By morning it had passes and all seemed normal. The dogs wanted outside and to be fed, the clocks weren't flashing and the forecast was for 70 degrees and sunshine. Dena came by to drop a couple things off about 7:30. She said "have you seen the barn?" I'm thinking, this can't be good. Sure enough, the house survived but the barn didn't. The southeast quarter of it was strewn across the paddock, some large big pieces of sheet metal roofing were hundreds of feet away. Not good. A bigger storm is forecast for tonight. I wonder if it is too late to get insurance?

A Family Affair

It was the best of times, the worst of times. The food was great. The food was awful. The grandkids were wonderful. The cards were excellent. Then Tylir won a game. Then Jill went out of her way to set me while letting Tylir and Eric skate. I know it had something to do with me giving away her Barbie’s 20 years ago.

The day started with Eric, Jill, Tylir and all the grandkids arriving at the house about midday Saturday. The games began and I was winning. Shirley served the delicious, diet busting hor d’oeuvres: sausage and cheese biscuits plus chips and dip. Time was moving swimmingly until the dinner bewitching hour arrived … the dreaded school band fund raising spaghetti dinner, sauce and mush. I managed to eat some brown lettuce but that was my limit. Everyone else ate the dinner and later told me I had made the right choice. I did manage a grandkid in the lap for almost the entire 2 hour experience. Hayden managed to meet several strangers. It surprises me that people you don’t know want to hold your baby.

Back home, the cards kept coming and the Mavs win by a point on OT. I slept well. The next morning started well with a good breakfast and funny grandkids. I guess the lucky cards had to end but who would have thought that my own children would take such pleasure in my suffering. Can’t say I was that sorry to see them leave at noon.

I'll have my earth neat, please

A new study is out on the melting of Antarctica. It turns out that the mass of ice in Antarctica attracts water not unlike the mass of the moon causing the tides. All of it melting over the next couple hundred years has some interesting effects. The sea level in southern Chile and Argentina won't change but the level in the Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico area will rise 16 feet. Sorry Florida, you will lose a lot of land. The North and South Poles will move about 2500 feet, also changing the location of the equator. (... and yes Mike, I'm sure there is a surface tension involvement.) Can't wait.

Your lying eyes

Tim Cole (African-American) was convict of abducting at knife point and raping a 15 year old white girl in 1986. He was a freshman at Texas Tech. The girl that was raped IDed Tim from a photo. She also told police that the rapist was a chain smoker. Tim had asthma and never smoked. He also had 4 witnesses that put him in his apartment playing cards at the time of the crime. Outside of the eye witness, there was no evidence connecting Tim. No fingerprints in the car even though he drove it for several miles. No DNA.

In 1995, after the statute of limitations ran out, Jerry Johnson confessed to the crime. He wrote the prosecutor that he was guilty, not Tim. No response. He wrote the judge. No response. He wrote the defense attorney. No response. He wrote the district clerk. No response. In 2007, he tried to write Tim. Tim had died of asthma in his cell in 1999. (Texas prisons, another story) His mother got the letter of confession. She got a DNA test ordered ... and Johnson was a match. She tried to get her son exonerated but the Lubbock judge refused. Today a Texas appeals court is expected to clear Tim's record. This is the 34th case in Texas of wrongful conviction.

Three lessons:

• Texas Justice
• It's more than Texas and is why OJ got away with murder (the other side of so many wrongful convictions is some guilty go free)
• Don't believe your lying eye. Witnesses are unreliable.

Unintended Consequences ... sssssnakes

Scientists discovered a fossilized snake from 60 million years ago, a Titana boa. It is 45 feet long, three feet thick, weighs 2,500 pounds and eats 15 foot crocodiles for lunch. It lived when the earth was warmer. Did you see where Florida has been invaded by thousands of large (20 foot)anacondas?? Did someone say global warming??? Oh Oh

Little Visitors

Shirley got to watch Audrey and Landry today. Landry (aka "the Dipster") immediately sat down and announced he was hungry for dip and chips. Audrey noticed and decided it was time for a cheese pizza. Then Landry wanted a cheese pizza (he was hungry). And then they topped it all off with grapes. ... Time to go to the playroom upstairs and rearrange everything ... and everything they did. Audrey empties the large basket of stuffed animals to find the one she wants to take a ride in the carriage. Landry plays with all the toys in the game closet. He re-examines the closet for anything he hasn't yet played with. Time to practice running dives into the bean bag. Lets help hang the 3 new knickknack bicycle art pieces. Lets create our own art. Finally, the hour is up and Jeffery picks them up. It's safe for me to go home now.

Crossword Humor

The theme of an old NYT crossword puzzle was the same word(s) that can have the opposite meaning based on context. See how many you get:

Remaining or gone -
Add to or remove from -
Begin operating or stop operating -
Confirmation or uncertainty -
Unchanged or novel -
Easy to see or impossible to see -
Entangle or disentangle -

I wonder why foreigners have trouble learning English? The answers are - left, trim, go off, reservation, original, transparent and ravel.

TV, PC, Internet, Tivo .... and the iPhone

The iPhone has joined the list of technologies that have changed my life. I’m not sure why it is called a phone. A body appendage like hand or arm might be more appropriate. I never need to be bored at an airport, in a waiting room, waiting for a movie to start or a meal to be delivered. Applications I use include:

· YouTube
· Stocks
· Weather
· Google News
· Google
· Maps with GPS
· Google Earth for street views
· FlightTracker (all airlines) and AA.com
· UrbanSpoon for nearby restaurants
· Public Radio for NPR and BBC
· QuickVoice to record ideas
· Flixster for reviews and local movies
· ESPN
· RSS feeds
· USA Today crosswords
· Sudoku
· WhosHere for people near you
· Shazam to ID music
· Games Tangram Pro, Marple and Enigmo
· Camera and photos
· and about 10 others I haven’t had time to use

Excuse me, sweetheart what was that you said?