This is Your Future

The Last Day of January

2012-01-31T21:09:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine told me that since my last blog was all about my Twitter account, and, since I haven't posted since then (now a month ago), the implication is that I was surrendering my blog for Twitter. Though this is untrue, it sure does look this way.

Twitter makes it really easy to send an instant observation, whereas this blog is (typically) a more thoughtful endeavor.

I've been motivated to write several blog posts this month, but for whatever reason, just haven't done it. So here it is, my only post for January 2012. And, in fact, my first post of the year 2012. It can only increase from here, right?

Finally, an NFL prediction note: I picked the Giants to beat the Packers. And I picked the Giants to beat the 49ers. And I pick the Giants to beat the Patriots. It's really too bad that I can't stand the Giants.

Twitter -- @DomShakal

2011-12-31T17:07:00.000-06:00

And, for the last post of 2011 -- if you're so inclined, follow me on Twitter:

@DomShakal

Thanks, and Happy New Year.

Memo to McDonald's Management

2011-12-31T17:03:00.001-06:00

Spending millions of dollars to transform your stores into "cafes" is wasted money if your typical employee remains clueless.

In what is somewhat unusual behavior for me, I've been to two different McDonald's in the past three days. In both (very different) settings you could see the large sums of money spent on remodeling. However, at one site the entire store was covered in trash, while employees stood around obviously doing nothing.

At the other site, the entire staff (of about 10) was in utter chaos. Four people were attempting to work two registers while the line grew longer and longer. I stood there and observed the utter lack of anything resembling management.

McDonald's, if you want your new "cafes" to be a success, you're going to have to invest in people as much as you did in environment.

#imnotlovingit

Houston Police Stealth Patrol

2011-12-18T12:58:00.003-06:00

Anyone else in the Houston area notice more and more of the police patrol cars are becoming "stealth" vehicles? Basically, the HPD "stealth patrol vehicle" is a Dodge Charger with a very light grey reflective "Houston Police" painted on the side. No patrol lights are visible.

While ostensibly these cars are designed to catch off-guard those who violate traffic rules, it does prompt one to consider if having a disguised police force is in the public's best interest.

Historically, it almost never has been.

A Silver and Gold Christmas

2011-12-08T13:25:00.000-06:00

I watched a clip of Burl Ives' Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas special this morning, which originally aired in 1964. The clip I watched was the song "Silver and Gold".

Have you ever really listened to these lyrics? They are surprisingly materialistic - well, at least I was surprised. I didn't remember this song being so overt.

All of this makes me wonder how much of A Charlie Brown Christmas (released in 1965), with it's strong anti-materialistic themes, was in direct response to this Rudolf episode.

Below is a link to the "Silver and Gold" scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMlqn_Hjyi8

Cowboys Coaching

2011-12-05T11:15:00.000-06:00

As a Cowboys fan, I'm taking this loss a little harder than most this season, because the coaching was so inexplicably bad at the end of the game. And then to have Garrett defend his decision(?) to not immediately use one of the Cowboy's two timeouts with 26 seconds left? Ridiculous.

And, if your plan all along was to run the clock down and then kick the FG, why did Romo hike the ball and spike it with seven seconds left? Why not wait until there's only three seconds left?

And all of this isn't even addressing Garrett icing his own kicker, which, to me, is least of the issues that occurred. I have no idea why it happened, but I think that Arizona probably stopped playing when they heard the timeout was called.

Every week the Cowboys are playing exactly to the level of their competition, which to me, is all about coaching.

Or the lack of it.

Modern Music Analogy 3

2011-12-01T16:03:00.000-06:00

The third in this series of posts, and another one that came to me while driving. Hmm. Perhaps listening to music (the car radio) helps create these ideas. Kind of obvious in retrospect. Anyway, here it is.

TORI AMOS : 1992 :: FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE : 2011

Top 10 Albums of the 2000s

2011-11-26T16:48:00.004-06:00

Just for the fun of it, I have created my list of Top 10 Albums of the 2000s. It appears below, and the albums are listed in a loose order of goodness. Generally speaking, this list is oriented towards rock music. Whatever that means in 2011.

Also, I've decided not to include an artist more than once - though I felt in some cases this would have been justified.

Feel free to comment on your own favorites, or vigorously protest any I may have excluded.

1. Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
2. The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)
3. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
4. The Crystal Method - Tweekend (2001)
5. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away (2007)
6. Overseer - Wreckage (2003)
7. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009)
8. Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008)
9. The White Stripes - [pick an album] (2001 - 2007)
10. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007)

Bonus Pick -- Worst album of The Aughts: Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy (2008)

Cash is Good

2011-11-25T12:39:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I watched Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which is the sequel to the 1980's classic money movie Wall Street. While okay, it wasn't as good as the original - though the (pre-crazy) Charlie Sheen cameo was a really nice bit.

Yesterday's movie reminded me of a picture I took (above) in a store about a month ago. This picture also seems particularly appropriate since today is "Black Friday".

Black Friday, November 1st?

2011-11-24T13:33:00.002-06:00

How long will be it before "Black Friday" is midnight, November 1st?

University of Houston -- BCS Article

2011-11-23T12:09:00.000-06:00

Below is an article by Reid Forgrave that does a decent job articulating why UH at least deserves a chance to play for something meaningful. The article makes an even stronger implicit argument (without trying) for why UH should be allowed to join the Big 12. Too bad that'll never be allowed to occur.

Remember those days of comfortable clarity early in the college football season, when the high-powered Oklahoma Sooners topped the AP rankings, when Florida State was ranked fifth and Florida not too far behind, and when nobody gave the University of Houston a second thought?

Then they started playing. The Sooners got boomered. The state of Florida forgot how to play football, and Kansas State remembered. LSU and Alabama slugged it out and gave us very little clarity on which team is better. And from the college football backwaters of Conference USA, so quietly that no one really took notice, the Houston Cougars kept winning.

Then last weekend happened. No. 2 Oklahoma State, upset. No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 7 Clemson: upset, upset, upset. It left college football fans with one definite answer — that LSU is the top-ranked team in the land — followed by one big murky picture for the five BCS Bowls, including the national championship.

Perhaps no team is as enigmatic as those undefeated, 11-0, No. 8-ranked Houston Cougars, with their up-and-coming head coach, Kevin Sumlin, their up-tempo offense and their Heisman hopeful quarterback, Case Keenum.

What should we think of this run-and-gun team who leads the nation in passing and points scored — and who has beaten exactly zero teams currently ranked in the top 25? What should we think of the quarterback who last weekend set an FBS record for career completions — and who isn't even thought of as a top-10 quarterback in the upcoming draft? Should we clamor for them to be considered for a BCS bid, like the annual ritual for Boise State, or should we write them off for feasting on inferior competition?

"You can't be worried about that," Sumlin, whose last job was as co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, told FOXSports.com this week. "We play who we play. Perception and everything about a program, we can't control that ... We don't apologize for that; that's where we are in life. All we try to do is win the games in the schedule. At the end of the day, people will decide where we are."

That, of course, is the problem. It's these unnamed "people" who, along with computers, decide which team is best and which is second-best. What it should be is players and coaches finding definitive answers on the football field.

So these unproven, untested Cougars are just one more reason why college football needs to move to a playoff system, and let us carve some definite answers out of the constant state of ambiguity.

Do I think Keenum and his Cougars would have an ice cube's chance in hell at beating — or even playing with — any of the teams currently ranked above them in the BCS? Yes, actually. I think they'd have exactly the same chance as an ice cube in hell. But it's a chance an undefeated team deserves.

Just look at two Sugar Bowls from a few years back. In the one played after the 2007 season, then-undefeated Hawaii got trounced by Georgia. The next year, Utah finished its undefeated season against fourth-ranked Alabama and had a legitimate national title claim that no one was going to give them. Point is: You never know. Houston could be Hawaii; it could be Utah.

An undefeated season is a worthy achievement, and deserves at least a chance against the big boys. Part of what Houston is looking at is the curse of playing in a mid-major conference, when your team's worth is never really definable on the national stage. The bigger point is that the system's broken. In what other sport can you go undefeated and not have a chance at the title?

"We understand where we are," Sumlin said. "The only thing we can do is try to win our remaining games. As I've told our team the last five weeks, you're looking at a team that was not even ranked seven weeks ago. There's no reason for us to complain about anything. If you continue to win, you won't be ignored."

But they will be ignored.

We'll find a bit of clarity this Friday in Tulsa, when Houston tries to remain undefeated, playing its toughest opponent of the year. Tulsa is the only other Conference USA team with a 7-0 conference record — but unlike Houston, Tulsa has played three ranked teams this year. (It lost each time, to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State.)

Smart money says Houston goes undefeated, squeaks into a BCS bowl, and is overmatched by a bigger school from a wealthier conference.

But the true test of this team — and the true test of the Boise States, as well as the LSUs and the Alabamas — is for the NCAA to open its eyes, scrap the current broken system and adopt a playoff model. Because only then can we find clarity.

For now, though, as David Klingler, the former Houston great whose passing records have been challenged by Keenum, told me: "The problem is, we'll never know. Because nothing's settled on the field."

You can follow Reid Forgrave on Twitter @reidforgrave or email him at reidforgrave@gmail.com.

http://www.foxsportshouston.com/pages/print_landing?blockID=610640&feedID=7072&

NCAA - NFL Notes

2011-11-21T11:16:00.003-06:00

Some observations from this weekend of football:

--Anyone else super excited about the possibility of an ALL SEC BCS Championship Game? [Good grief]

--I know UofH hasn’t played many “premier” teams, but if they beat Tulsa, they at least deserve a chance to play for something meaningful. And no, a BCS Bowl game is not meaningful.

--Notre Dame is ranked #22 in the BCS poll. Par for the NCAA course.

--Jerry Jones has no idea how stupid/ineffective Cowboys DC Rob Ryan is. How many times will the Cowboys have to blow 4^th quarter leads before this becomes evident to him?

--That said, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is one of the most overrated head coaches in NFL history.

--I will be (pleasantly) surprised if the Cowboys beat Miami on Thanksgiving Day.

--Did anyone else make the easy prediction that the Eagles were going to beat the Giants?

--NFC East Title: flip a coin. Or four coins.

--Houston Texans: it sucks that Schaub is out, but no excuses; the AFC South is still your division to lose. And I actually think Leinart is going to be a competent replacement.

--Unfortunately, head coach Gary Kubiak now has his excuse, if necessary.

--Why can’t I see the 49ers winning a playoff game?

--Tim Tebow is the anti-Cam Newton.

--The Jets are finally starting to play like their head coach is a complete buffoon. He doesn’t have a brother, does he? What’s that? A twin brother? Who came down from the mountains?

--The Bengals got robbed of a touchdown. NFL refs: a TD is either breaking the plane of the goal with control of the ball, or it isn’t. Which is it going to be?

Robocop 2011, or, SPF 110

2011-11-15T10:29:00.001-06:00

Almost a year ago I poked fun at an SPF 100 product, making a reference to Robocop 2 (which itself spoofs SPF 5000).

Over the weekend, I saw a similar product that now has an SPF 110 version.

Unofficial Official Holiday Season Begins

2011-11-14T09:09:00.000-06:00

Though I've been seeing Christmas decorations displayed around Houston (in increasing frequency) since early October, I think that today may be the first "unofficial official" beginning of the Christmas holiday season.

Why today?

One of the satellite radio stations in my car switched to an all-Christmas format this morning, and, my office lobby is now totally decked out. (Pun intended).

Redbox Raising DVD Prices 20%

2011-10-28T11:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I received an email from Redbox. It was good to see that they are using the Netflix debacle to jack up their prices by 20%. They claim this is due to rising operating expenses. Twenty percent is quite a rise.

Part of the Redbox email is below.

New Daily DVD Rental Price

Redbox is making an announcement about its prices today, and we want to make sure that you hear it from us first.

Starting on Monday, October 31, the daily rental charge for DVDs will change to $1.20 a day.* The price change is due to rising operating expenses, including new increases in debit card fees

Halloween in HD

2011-10-22T15:09:00.002-05:00

Awhile back I made a brief post about how if UFOs are real, we should know in the near future, because many people will soon carry an HD camera with them at all times. The article below makes the same point about ghosts.

If ghosts exist, you would expect the photographic and video evidence for them should improve dramatically as more and more people look for them with better and better equipment.

There are more people actively trying to document paranormal activity than ever. And, thanks to smartphones, at no time in history have so many people had high-quality cameras on hand virtually all the time.

Today there's no excuse for anyone to capture grainy photos or video images of anything, whether it's your aunt in a horrid floral hat, Bigfoot in the woods, or paranormal activity in your hallway. And yet that is so often the quality of the footage that makes the rounds on the internet.

Last weekend, Apple sold 4 million iPhone 4S units, each of them equipped with a built-in high definition 1080p camera featuring state-of-the-art optics, image stabilization, automatic lighting adjustment and other features that rival cameras used by Hollywood videographers only a few years ago. Perhaps one of those iPhone users will finally record some clear evidence of ghosts.

High definition provides more image information, which helps identify things often mistaken for ghosts, such as random shadows, unnoticed reflections and video artifacts. With those ghost impostors more easily dismissed, any real ghostly images should be sharper and clearer than ever before.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44991420#.TqMgLpsr0Vc

7:00am in Texas

2011-10-14T08:40:00.002-05:00

(Click the photo to view as a larger picture)

BreakTime: Cut Copy - Need You Now

2011-09-28T23:24:00.002-05:00

It's been a long, hot, September. Time for a break. Here's a song/video I like from the mid 1980s.

Okay, not really, it's from 2011. Yes, 2011. And yes, I love it.

Click the link below.

(You may have to skip the ad at the beginning. Nothing to do with me. But it's worth it, especially if you appreciate authentic sounding 80's New Romantic synth).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2xovJyBo-0&ob=av2e

DVD Disappointments

2011-09-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

So I've watched the following movies within the last month on DVD. All, I thought, had potential. And I was disappointed in all of them.

--The Adjustment Bureau (ostensibly based on a Phillip K. Dick story, that Hollywood decided to shred)

--Limitless (I've read Flowers for Algernon, it's better, and not full of plot holes)

--Source Code (I've seen Groundhog Day)

--Unknown (I've seen Taken, and it's way better)

If anyone has any suggestions for a really good movie released in the last couple of years, especially in the sci-fi genre, please chime in.

Leadership Rating Scale

2011-09-09T12:06:00.002-05:00

For a little bit now, I've been toying around in my head with a leadership ranking scale. After some thought, I've developed the following.

There are three things I now look for in a leader:

1. Smarts (intelligence, plus the emotional intellect of knowing how to accomplish your goals)

2. Authenticity (do you have consistent core values, and do you talk/act on them)

3. Charisma (this is partially a sum of #1 and #2 - do people like you, and can you use this to accomplish your goals)

I rank each of these qualities on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best. Hence 15 is the highest score.

In order to be a successful politician, you need to score at least a total of 8, with no 1s in any category. In order to be a successful leader (something much more substantial), you need a total of at least 11, with no 1s or 2s in any category.

Wednesday night's Republican debate was a great way to analyze some of the candidates according to these three characteristics.

My rankings are pure subjectivity.

Examples:

Rick Perry

Smarts - 2 (does well when sticking to his talking points; not so much when he tries to step outside of them)

Authenticity - 3 (perhaps even 4, but it's so hard to tell during his first national campaign)

Charisma - 3 (got some folksy charm)

Total: 8 - could be a successful politician (which he is), but will almost certainly fail as a leader

Michele Bachman

Smarts - 1

Authenticity - 2

Charisma - 2

Total: 5, including a 1, automatic failure.

Mitt Romney

Smarts - 4

Authenticity - 2

Charisma - 3

Total: 9 - again, another successful politician - could probably succeed as a leader if he'd start saying what he actually believes

And now let's rank a couple of democrats.

Barack Obama

Smarts - 3 (he's got the intelligence, but he sure hasn't been able to use it accomplish his agenda)

Authenticity - 2 (then again, I don't think his agenda is what he claimed to believe)

Charisma - 4 (with lots of preparation) or 2 (with no preparation); so lets average it to a 3

Total: 8 - successful, smart politician, who'd be so much more effective if he'd just fight for what he claimed to believe

Bill Clinton

Smarts - 5

Authenticity - 2

Charisma - 4

Total: 11 - a heartbeat away from been a successful leader, but the 2 in authenticity disqualifies him. Clinton was very accomplished at accomplishing his presidential agenda, despite consistent hostility throughout his presidency; people liked him and he knew it; but he was always a little fake

Smokey Sky

2011-09-08T17:23:00.000-05:00

This is a picture taken from the 19th floor of my office building. The building is on the west side of Houston and this window looks east. It's about 7:50am.

Normally, you'd be able to clearly see a decent skyline view of downtown, which is about 18 miles away. Today, because of smoke (from unknown regions, really - perhaps the Bastrop or Montgomery County fires?), you can barely see the building in the upper center of this picture, less than one mile away. The highway to the left center is Interstate 10, and it's relatively difficult to see as well. Normally, from this vantage point, it's crystal clear. The most visible building is a parking garage, about 100 yards away.

This picture isn't great quality because it's taken with an older iPhone, and you can see the reflection from inside the window.

But you get the idea of what it was like in west Houston today.

91 Degrees Cool

2011-09-02T13:00:00.003-05:00

Right now, the Houston Chronicle website says that it's 91 degrees outside. I was just outside, and I never thought 91 could feel so cool.

The Last Day of August

2011-08-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

I had two other titles for this post in mind: "The Long, Hot Summer", and, "Talking About the Weather". Instead I went with "The Last Day of August". All seem to apply in their own way.

This has been the hottest, driest August on record throughout Texas. I know this is true for Houston, Dallas, and Austin - and I suspect it's true for many other Texas cities as well.

Typically, Houston does not often see 100 degrees; it just feels like it's so hot because it's so humid. This August, Houston has had 24 consecutive days of 100+. That's just in August, and it does not include last weekend's (Friday-Sunday) record tying temperatures of 109 and 107. That ties three of the warmest days on record for Houston. All in one weekend!

I know other Texas cities have broken their own 1980 heat wave records as well.

It's also been dry. Very dry. Last week I was at home one evening and watched a wind/lightning storm for about 90 minutes at our house. Just strong wind and lightning; no rain until much later, and it wasn't much at that. I stood in the front yard and watched clouds of dust blow down the street, one after another. This is something I might expect to see in Phoenix or Lubbock, but not in the Gulf Coast Plain of Houston.

Finally, to talk about something outside of Texas, the U.S. East Coast has experienced an earthquake and a hurricane (more like a really strong tropical storm, but hurricane sounds so much better to the national media) over the course of about a week. Yikes.

Some weather this August.

The Arab Spring in Iraq

2011-08-29T16:26:00.000-05:00

One footnote to the previous post.

Did you know that in Iraq, there are major protests for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister al-Maliki? These protests started in February, 2011.

Al-Maliki is the guy that he United States essential placed into power back in 2006. Al-Maliki himself has stated that he will not run for a third-term in 2014 - assuming he makes it that long.

Not a lot of mainstream media reporting about this either, is there?

The Arab Spring - and the Three Other Seasons

2011-08-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

The national media have dubbed the revolutions that have occurred in several Arab World countries (notably Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya) "The Arab Spring".

It seems this moniker was created because all of these countries have majority Arabic populations, and the first of the revolutions (in Tunisia) began on December 18, 2010, and continued into 2011. December 18th is, of course, very late autumn. But "The Arab Fall" sure doesn't have the same ring to it. Neither does "The Arab Winter".

Since then, the U.S. national media has mainly focused its attention on Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya - even though many other Arab World countries have experienced protests and civil disorder as well.

The U.S. government has reacted with tacit, if not outright support for the "rebels" and their protests for "democracy". Exactly who the rebels are, and what their long-term plans are has never really been detailed.

All of this leads me to several questions, none of which seem to be actively explored by the U.S. press:

Who is ruling Tunisia right now?
How long will "the military" be ruling Egypt? And who exactly is this military?
Who are these "friendly" Libyan rebels? What are their plans?
Perhaps most importantly: when is the last time an Arabic revolution worked out in the best interests of the United States?

MTV Video Music Awards: Three Hours of Dead Air?

2011-08-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Tonight is MTV's annual Video Music Awards program.

An obvious question: how can you have a Video Music Awards show when your station never plays music videos?

Desperately Seeking Originality

2011-08-20T16:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at the gym I saw previews for the following upcoming movies:

Conan the Barbarian (a remake)
Fright Night (a remake)
Spy Kids 4 ('nuff said)

Later, some friends told me that Ridley Scott is in pre-production of not only a prequel to Alien, but also to either a prequel or sequel to Blade Runner (they haven't decided which yet - not a good sign).

Remember when studios had the original story first, and then made the movie?

Remember when studios just had an original story?

Holiday Creep - Halloween

2011-08-19T17:10:00.000-05:00

Today is August 19th, 2011 and I saw this display

inside a local Walgreen's.

Lollapalooza Live

2011-08-05T21:38:00.005-05:00

Right now I'm watching Lollapalooza for the second time in my life. Only this time it's via the internet. Evidently, Lollapalooza has a YouTube internet channel devoted specifically to this concert.

Tonight's headliner is Coldplay and they're streaming live, for free. The camera production seems very professional - like they are creating a concert video from this live stream. Even at a full screen on my old laptop the internet-feed is clear and not pixellated.

Cool.

By the time you read this, I'm sure the show will be over, but the link is below anyway. Maybe they'll rerun it?

http://www.youtube.com/Lollapalooza?feature=ticker

Happy 20th Anniversary Lollapalooza - Wait, What?

2011-08-04T13:29:00.001-05:00

Yep. It's true. The Lollapalooza music festival is 20 years old this summer. That seems crazy to me.

For the record, I attended the first Lollapallooza in the summer of 1991, back when the word "alternative" didn't mean "mainstream".

Also for the record, the new-wave rock band The Cars is scheduled to play at this year's Lollapalooza. Wait, what?

The Last Day of July - Thoughts and Questions

2011-07-31T12:43:00.002-05:00

Below are some thoughts, in no particular order:

--It's good to have the NFL back. As I have mentioned many times to friends, this pre-season should be particularly interesting because it's three-to-four months packed into four-to-five weeks. In fact, right now, I don't understand why all of sports media coverage isn't NFL related. When I turn on ESPN, I should see something about the NFL. Instead, this morning, I saw women's golf.

--Does anyone smart not think that there will be a "last minute budget deal"? And haven't people known this all along? Or, at the very least, that the "deadline" will be "extended"? This non-story must draw big ratings, because the national media is covering it 24/7. Then again, it is simply a fear story, and as I've mentioned before, the national media's role isn't to inform, it's to program us, through fear, to consume.

--Even if there isn't a "budget deal", does anyone really think the country will stop? Sure, some "non-essential" things might close - you know, non-essential things like libraries, parks, and museums. But does anyone really fear that the world economy will crash? I guess people do, because the whole world seems to be watching. Did I mention fear?

--The "non-essential" things I mention above are exactly what have been cut back here in Houston, due to our city's "budget crisis". Want to go to the local library on Saturday or Sunday? Too bad, almost all of them are closed. Nice. Though I have read that some may be opening back up on Saturday soon. The fact that a library was closed on Saturday is pretty absurd. How do you arrive at the decision to save costs by closing a library on the day when most people visit? How about closing it on Tuesday and Wednesday instead? I don't know.

--A friend of mine who lives in Australia emailed me yesterday and stated that this U.S. "budget crisis" story is making news Down Under as well. That surprised me.

--Aren't most of the right-wing folk anti-government intervention? Hence, from that perspective, if the government doesn't pass a budget, isn't that a good thing?

--Aren't political parties - either of them - tired of blaming the president for everything that goes wrong, and never giving him (no her, so far) the credit for smart decisions? Aren't political parties tired of saying, over and over, that "the president is ruining our country"? Hasn't it gotten old?

--Do people who think President Obama is destroying the U.S. economy remember who was president in 2007? Do they also remember what the economy was like in 2007? As I've stated, I was no fan of the huge government bailout plans, and I don't think they worked - or are going to work. But remember who initiated the first bailout plan: President George W. Bush. President Obama followed Bush's up with two more.

The NFL Lockout Article that Had to be Written

2011-07-25T20:24:00.000-05:00

We're likely about to experience, arguably, one of the most interesting NFL pre-seasons in NFL history. I bet ratings spike through the roof, relative to "normal" August NFL attention. I suspect that if you could measure SiriusXM's NFL Radio ratings from last Thursday to tomorrow, the graph would be an exponential increase in listeners. The same is probably true with most local sports-talk stations.

But here's an article that had to be written simply because sports writers have to write about something/fill column space. And for no other intelligent reason. You can just hear the editors sitting in their planning meeting and asking, "Okay, who's going to write the 'fallout' article?".

According to this article, the NFL needs to make amends with fans in order to win their loyalty back. It goes on to make a ridiculous comparison to the 1994 MLB strike. The NFL hasn't even cancelled any regular season games! The article concludes with suggestions of how the NFL can make it up to fans.

You know how the NFL is going to make it up to fans? By playing all of their games.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/NFL-must-make-peace-with-fans-after-lockout-072411?GT1=39002

Netflix Trix

2011-07-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

I've been a loyal Netflix subscriber since 2002, and yesterday I received this email from them:

Your current $9.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs will be split into 2 distinct plans:
Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month. Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 1 out at-a-time (no streaming) for $7.99 a month. Your price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs. These prices will start for charges on or after September 1, 2011.

Needless to say, I was less than pleased to receive this news. We don't watch a lot of streaming, but having to pay more for the option is not really acceptable. So what we'll probably do is scale our plan back to DVDs only, which will actually cost less than what we're paying now. Not a very good business move.

A friend of mine makes several good points when he explores the issue a little more thoroughly below:

Netflix is really being bone-headed here. Trying to move everyone over to streaming instead of DVDs, even though that is their billion dollar business, their bread and butter, the whole thing the company is founded on. Studios (both movie and television) are guaranteed to release on DVD and/or Blu-ray. Prices for DVDs are steady and predictable.

Streaming licensing seems to change every week. One time, I started to watch a movie... then a couple days later went back to watch the rest and it was unavailable. Then there's the quality issue. Watch something on Blu-ray... and then look at the streaming version. Not to mention the fact that most people don't have televisions capable of streaming, so we're looking at a 20" monitor vs a nice big television. Just ridiculous business decisions here.

Yes, the future probably IS streaming media, but the technology/cost just isn't there.

Oh and simultaneously, bandwidth providers are doing everything they can to move to capped plans instead of unlimited data transfers. What happens THEN? One or two streaming movies will put you over your bandwidth cap for an entire month.

Rick Smith (tries to) Write MMQB

2011-07-11T12:36:00.000-05:00

Since Peter King is on vacation, this week's MMQB article was written by Texans GM Rick Smith. After reading it, perhaps I need to rethink why the Texans have yet to be a good NFL team.

Because this article is one of the most poorly-written, cliche-filled NFL stories I've ever read. Here's a sample:

"I can say with complete conviction that nothing has tested this organization's resolve more than regressing in the 2010 season after making steady progress in our first four seasons with coach Gary Kubiak. We improved from 6-10 in 2006 to a pair of 8-8 seasons in '07 and '08, followed by a 9-7 campaign in '09 that not only marked the franchise's first winning season, but also took us to the brink of our first playoff appearance."

Four years to go from 6-10 to 9-7 is "steady progress"? Are you kidding me? And he actually wrote this down and published it? Wow. And let's not forget that the Texans finished 6-10 last season: back to 2006.

One more brief cliche-ridden sample:

"I mentioned the sanctity of the institution of the National Football League. The NFL is a cherished piece of the fabric of this country".

Enough. You get the idea.
Maybe I'm being too harsh, and writing simply isn't Rick Smith's strength. Perhaps this article isn't a reflection of his overall (lack of) ability.

Or perhaps it is.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/07/10/rick-smith-mmqb/index.html#ixzz1Ron3c4CZ

The Last Launch 2 - Texas

2011-07-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Above are pictures of the two most recent Texas license plates. Note that in the upper left corner of each is a graphic of the space shuttle. Now that the space shuttle program has been cancelled, is Texas going to redesign it's license plates?

Also, it is disappointing that despite being so closely affiliated with the space shuttle program, Texas (specifically, Houston) will not receive one of the remaining spacecrafts.

The Last Launch

2011-07-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

With the last launch of the space shuttle today, I feel some vague trepidation about the future of the U.S. Space Program. Why? Because there's currently nothing scheduled to replace the space shuttle. In fact, from what I've read, NASA is still in the design phase for any such spacecraft.

Seems to me that if the Space Program was in any way a priority the U.S. government, before you closed down the shuttle program, you'd at least have an approved design for NASA's next spacecraft, if not the actual new spacecraft itself. Unfortunately, this isn't the case.

Also, here's some irony: until (if?) NASA designs and builds a spacecraft to replace the space shuttle model, guess who we'll be catching rides with to Earth's orbit?

The Russians.

Houston to Democracy: Drop Dead

2011-07-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Today I read that Houston's red-light cameras are going to be turned back-on (why were they never removed?) because a federal court ruled that last November's red-light camera referendum had been "improperly placed on the ballot". I have no idea what this means, but it sure sounds official.

Last November Houston voters struck down Houston's red-light camera law. That is, it was a referendum on the ballot and the majority of Houstonians voted against it.

At the time, I predicted to a friend that the City of Houston would somehow find a way around this vote, because the red-light cameras generate a considerable amount of revenue for the city, with comparatively little overhead costs.

Since then, I've noticed that the red-light camera warning signs were never removed from many intersections, something I've always thought curious, if not outright suspicious.

Now I know why.

DWI No Refusal Weekend?

2011-07-06T16:26:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend I noticed several road signs around Houston stating that it was a "DWI No Refusal Weekend".

Could someone who knows better please tell me why such a rule is not a direct violation of the United States Constitution?

DC Comics Numbering Reboot, and New Costumes

2011-07-04T14:35:00.005-05:00

A reader of this blog recently asked me my thoughts about upcoming DC Comics reboot of many of their issues to #1 in September 2011. I had to concede that I hadn't heard of this until I read his email. I still collect Batman, but I have a box full of them waiting to be read. (Begging to be read, really).

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I was at a local comic book store and asked an employee about the reboot; mainly, why DC was doing it. He told me that it's as much a character-rights issue as it is anything else.

Evidently, DC has been negotiating an agreement with the rights to Superman for a long time, and still doesn't own them all. As part of an effort to circumvent this issue, they're giving Superman (along with other characters) new costumes. You'll notice in the picture above, Superman is no longer wearing his classic red shorts.

Also, I suggested to this employee that this numbering reboot was was essentially a media ploy by DC to attempt to broaden their comic book audience by drawing in new readers who could jump in during this "fresh start". He didn't disagree.

But if I really want to know what's happening in the DC Universe, I guess I need to start reading all of my Batman back issues . . .

Charge It!

2011-07-04T14:16:00.006-05:00

Back in the 1980s I used to play this board game called "Bargain Hunter". As I recall, the game was essentially about moving around this mall and finding the best deals. If you didn't have enough money, you could always charge whatever it was you wanted to buy.

The game came complete with a toy charge-card (remember when credit cards were called this?) machine that you'd use whenever you charged something. This memory feels especially 1980s to me, because it seems to have such a suburban yuppie-culture motivation.

Evidently, this mindset is still alive and well in 2011.

I took the above picture while at Target today. What you're seeing is the inside of a Target shopping cart. This ad is built right into the cart itself. Perhaps it's a cart left over from the 1980s?

I doubt it.

Corporate Culture Question

2011-06-28T08:28:00.004-05:00

Why does one person send another person an email, and then immediately walk over to their cube and say, "Hey, I just sent you an email"?

Book Review: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

2011-06-22T15:26:00.006-05:00

I finished reading the (mostly) non-fictional memoir "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" last night. It is a story written by Dave Eggers that received a lot of positive press and media attention after it was written in the year 2000.

I've even read that some consider it to be the "Catcher in the Rye" of this generation. These type of statements remind me of the NBA -- always looking for "the next Michael Jordan". First it was Vince Carter (remember that?), then it was Kobe Bryant (who I can't stand, but on some level probably bares the closest resemblance), then it was LeBron James (ooops).

Of course, such statements are ridiculous because there will never be another Michael Jordan - or, another "Catcher in the Rye". This book is no exception.

AHWOSG is is well-written and intelligent. But it isn't compelling. It feels like the 2000's version of Douglas Coupland's "Generation X". Except "Generation X" was better.

I'm not suggesting that the writing styles of these two books are in any way similar, because they aren't - in AHWOSG Dave Eggers creates his own style that is very dissimilar to Coupland's. But Eggers' story feels like it's trying too hard. It's trying to be good, but utilizing irony to act like it's not trying to be good -- therefore it's good. A literary version of the Ironic Loop.

It's also intentionally self-referential at points, which in my opinion, automatically decreases its literary value because self-reference is an easy way to try and be clever.

(To be fair, Douglas Coupland's 2005 novel "JPod" is the definition of self-reference, as it's first line is, "I feel like a character in a Douglas Coupland novel". And then, Douglas Coupland himself appears as a character. Bleh).

A friend of mine suggests that Eggers' book essentially created a method of storytelling, and is more innovative than readers in 2011 might initially believe, because lots of pop culture has co opted this style. My friend may be right, but even this knowledge doesn't increase my opinion of the book.

Finally, I just don't think I like memoirs very much. I know they've been the genre-du-jour for about ten years, but writing a memoir seems to be the easy way to avoid writing a biography - or to ending a story, because typically memoirs don't end, they just stop.

Continental-United: Change You Pay For

2011-06-20T17:34:00.004-05:00

Can anyone tell me anything good that's happened to Continental Airlines since they've merged with United?

Okay, I can think of one thing: if you have access to the Star Alliance airport lounges, you now have access to more of them.

Other than that, nothing. I can think of a list of things that have specifically gotten worse. But I'm not going to list them here, as this post is attempting to solicit things that have gotten better.

That said, I think their new slogan should be the title of this blog post: "Change You Pay For".

2011 NBA Finals

2011-06-08T08:44:00.002-05:00

For several likely reasons, I've been more interested in this NBA Finals series than I have been in years. To wit:

1. I've never been a real Mavericks fan, but having grown-up in Dallas, I find them easy to bandwagon-root for. Plus, I like Dirk Nowitzki.

2. Unless you live in Miami, the Heat are very easy to dislike and root against.

3. In terms of pure talent, the Mavs have no business competing with the Heat, yet they are.

3a. I think the cliche expression "he wants it more" may actually apply to Dirk Nowitzki more than it has to any player in a goodly while.

4. The Lakers are not in the Finals.

The series is now tied 2-2. Unfortunately, I still think the Heat are going to win it all. But at least the Mavs are putting up an entertaining fight.

Adventures in Cobbling - Finale

2011-06-01T09:23:00.002-05:00

My wife picked up my shoe from the repair shop yesterday afternoon. She happened to be off work yesterday, so was able to make it while they were still open. She said the owner was very friendly, and apologized again for the original mistake (not repairing my shoe's tear).

I'm wearing the shoes right now, and they're a might tight. As I recall, this happened the last time I got the soles replaced on this pair, so perhaps it's a byproduct of the process. Hopefully they'll loosen up.

Anyway, $200 and three weeks later this shoe drama comes to a close.

Fear and Consumption: Hurricane Season Starts Today!

2011-06-01T09:19:00.002-05:00

Since 7:00am this morning (it's now 9:20am) I have already seen or heard that today is the beginning of "Hurricane Season" five times, all from different media outlets. Good grief.

UPDATE, 12:45pm, two more:

1. A direct email to my work account, entitled, "Hurricane season starts today. Are you ready?" FEAR.

2. A conversation not far from my desk. "You guys got all your stuff for hurricane season?" CONSUMPTION.

Waiting for Superman - Still Waiting

2011-05-31T14:33:00.005-05:00

I watched the documentary “Waiting for Superman” over the weekend.

Ostensibly, it’s about what’s wrong with the public education system in the United States. Realistically, it’s a public relations piece for charter schools, especially KIPP.

When I watch a documentary, I expect it to at least try and be a documentary. That means including real data, and making an attempt to present multiple sides of an issue. Unfortunately, when this film makes any attempt (which isn’t often), it fails.

Lots of anecdotal storytelling combined with brief charts and graphs that look good but don’t really represent anything relevant. More often, statements and data sources go unsighted, while at the same time making sweeping generalizations – using vague words like “proficient” and “qualified”.

It uses a very heavy-handed method to suggest students who attend charter schools will receive a better education than those in private schools. No real data to support this, just lots of anecdotal storytelling. It also highlights that students are selected to charter schools by a random lottery method – and there just aren’t enough spots for everyone to attend! Oh no!

Yawn.

Overall, it was very disappointing to watch. I was hoping for a documentary that actually attempts to address current issues in the American educational system. Instead, this film states over and over how this system is failing, but offers little in the way of true analysis, much less possible solutions

Break Time: Istanbul Not Constantinople

2011-05-29T22:51:00.003-05:00

Another year, time for another break.

"That's nobody's business but the Turks".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqJXxHi6RwQ

Inception - All a Dream?

2011-05-29T10:26:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine suggested that the movie Inception was indeed all a dream. I still don't agree, but I would need to watch the movie again, more closely, in an attempt to uncover clues.

In any case, it's interesting to consider. His comments (with spoilers) are below:

As for was it all a dream... I think it's possible that it is a dream, yes. For one thing, we know that the top is actually Mal's totem, not Dom's... so he probably can't tell reality with it. So what is his totem? I've read that it's his wedding ring and that he only has it on when he goes into the dreamworld, but I haven't seen again so don't know that for sure.

The big issue to me is that much time has to have passed... but his kids seem to be the same age. ie, they are stuck that age because it's still a dream at the end.

Remember when Dom meets up with Michael Caine early in the movie? Cain says something like, "Why don't you come back to reality" or something like that. Possibly it's something more subtle, but maybe not... that early in the movie, you don't realize the ambiguity in the end, so maybe the line doesn't stand out.

Inception - Movie Review

2011-05-28T15:59:00.004-05:00

Just finished watching the movie Inception. Overall, it's a good movie. Some specific thoughts (with spoilers):

1. Really liked the sequence of them all coming out of three (or four) levels of dream. Cool to watch, and well executed.

2. Why, why, why, why, why, why did it have to begin as a flashback? SO OVERUSED these days. I just don't understand why writers/directors feel that flashback is still necessary as a plot device. What does it accomplish? Movie starts : flashback sequence : now I know lots about certain characters which automatically dispels tons of potential dramatic tension : continue story.

3. I also thought, like so many movies these days, it was simply too long. An easy way to reduce this would've been to cut the Dom/Mal scenes WAY back.

4. Visually very appealing, and not just irrelevant eye candy. Loved the Penrose Stairs cameo.

5. Was it all a dream? The movie was too smart for this to be anything other than a deliberate tongue-in-cheek ending. In other words, no it wasn't all a dream.

Adventures in Cobbling - 3

2011-05-27T15:16:00.004-05:00

I called the shoe repair shop this morning, spoke with the owner, and said that I wanted to come pick up my shoe. I thought he stated that they would be there after noon. I said okay, and hung up.

Around 3:00pm (the exact time last Friday I picked up my shoes) I stopped by the shoe store only to find it closed. This is the second time I've been there during their "9:00 to 3:30" hours and the store has been closed.

Maybe I misunderstood the owner and he had said they would be there until noon. Or maybe I didn't.

In any case, I have now been to this store four times and my transaction still isn't complete. The store is closed on Saturday and Sunday (and almost certainly this Monday as well). So I won't be picking up my sole remaining shoe (no pun intended) until Tuesday, at the earliest.

I'm all about supporting local business and independent stores over chains, however, despite the novelty, it's difficult for me to recommend a place that seems to set random hours.

2012 Presidential Election Prediction

2011-05-27T15:09:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine predicts the following:

"Texas Governor Rick Perry will be the Republican nominee for president in 2012" and that this election will "be much closer than the last election".

I asked him to quantify this prediction with total number of electoral votes for each side, but he has so far declined to do so.

That said, even though Rick Perry has yet to even announce a presidential run, I think this prediction has some merit.

None of the existing Republican candidates seem to be generating much excitement, and Governor Perry has so far wisely avoided the national media spotlight. He might be the type of media "surprise" candidate who would "energize" the party.

Adventures in Cobbling - 2

2011-05-24T11:48:00.002-05:00

I walked into the shoe shop last Friday afternoon carrying one shoe, the shoe that still needs it’s top stitched back together. Upon entering, the owner and his wife were sitting in the shop’s two chairs. Unlike the previous day, the shop was otherwise empty.

The owner’s daughter looked up at me and said, “No bring-backs”. Then she smiled and started laughing. So did I.

I showed them the place where the shoe had not been repaired, and they apologized profusely, took the shoe, and said they would repair it for no additional charge.

I’m to pick it up tomorrow. Assuming I can make it during their business hours: 9am to 3:30pm.

It's the End of the World As We Know It. (Or No It Isn't).

2011-05-21T16:36:00.012-05:00

As you may have heard, according to Harold Camping, head Family Broadcasting Radio Network, and a relatively large following (more than 20 should be considered "large" for something like this), today is Judgment Day.

It's now 4:50pm in Houston, which means it's already May 22 in many places elsewhere on Earth. No loud horns blowing yet. But why do I have the suspicion that these believers probably haven't really considered timezones outside of the United States?

Anyway, Camping and his believers have received a decent amount of press, in large part because of over 2,000 billboards they've purchased like the one above.

I wonder what these billboards will say tomorrow?

P.S. I did not take the above picture. I believe this is the first picture on this blog that I've posted that I haven't taken. To my knowledge, there are no billboards like this in Houston, or you can bet I would've taken the picture myself. The picture above is of a billboard in Canoga Park, California.

P.P.S. And, given that in this picture the price of gas is $3.53, in California, I'm guessing this picture was taken months ago.

Adventures in Cobbling

2011-05-20T11:15:00.008-05:00

So I picked up my shoes yesterday afternoon. Around 3:00pm, since this place is only open from 9-3:30. No weekends. And perhaps no Fridays? (see below)

Unlike my first experience, when I was the only one there (and was still cramped), the place was packed with people picking-up/dropping-off. A good sign, even if some people (myself included) had to wait outside.

Despite the crowding and curious organizational methodology (if any), my shoes were ready and I only waited about five minutes before the owner's daughter helped me. I was given my shoes and asked to review the quality of the work. Both new soles and heels looked good. I also checked the tear at the top of one pair -- the original reason I had dropped my shoes off in the first place. At the time, this tear looked repaired too.

The owner asked me several times what I thought of the work, and he seemed to genuinely care about my opinion. I responded that it looked good. He then began to manually (handwriting) calculate the total cost: $200.00. $100/pair. Even. No taxes(?).

Yikes! More than I was expecting. Certainly less than these shoes would cost new, but not by that much. In any case, I paid it, he asked me again about the quality of the work, gave me some free polish, and I left. I still don't know if it was worth it.

A couple hours later, at home, I checked the shoes again, only to notice that the topside tear had NOT been repaired. Grrr.

Irritated at myself for missing this in the shop, and irritated at the shop for not repairing it. But given the fact that the owner's process for recording repairs seems to be writing on a torn-off paper tag and setting it aside, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this work was overlooked.

I stopped by this morning to drop this shoe back off, but the store was closed (even though it was later than 9:00). If possible I may try to swing-by this afternoon. Otherwise, it won't be until Monday.

I'll be interested in the shop's reaction, which could go two ways:

1. "Well, you checked it while you were here and said it was fine, so if you want it repaired again, it's gonna cost you".

2. "Sorry about the mistake. We'll fix it at no charge".

More to come about this extremely important chain of events.

Cobbler Politics

2011-05-11T16:04:00.005-05:00

I dropped off two pair of dress shoes at a local shoe repair store this morning (yes, such stores somehow still exist). This store is eccentric even within this genre of business, in that it's local (not a chain), looks to have been in this location for about 80 years, and when you enter there's about five square feet of standing room, including two chairs.

The guy working there, whom I assume was the owner, was sitting in one of the chairs, and invited me to sit in the other. The rest of the room was filled with ... well, I don't really know what. But it was stacked full of stuff that all looked much older than myself. Some of it seemed show-repair related, other stuff, not so much.

The owner had a weird cadence about him, almost hinting of autism, but was otherwise friendly. (Perhaps being weird is a prerequisite for being a modern-day cobbler?).

Anyway, on my way out, he said to me, unprompted and without any previous reference or irony, "Well, I'm sure glad we got that Bin Laden guy".

Because I had no idea how to respond, I said, "Uh, me too". And then I left the store.

For the record, I'm supposed to pick up my shows "in about a week". And I have no clue how much the repairs will cost, and/or what the quality of the work will be.

Journalism vs. News

2011-05-06T08:40:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've felt myself becoming more and more frustrated with the "news". Not just that they make stuff up all the time, but moreso that it's become so absolutely partisan - everything is partisan. There are no issues, it's just always the other guy is wrong. Period. No substance, just perception.

Obama could cut taxes, increase military spending, and outlaw abortion, and he'd still somehow be "wrong" according to right-wing conservatives.

I don't think the Democrats are any better, they're just in power right now, so are typically more defensive.

I've been sort-of reading a book called "Why We Hate Us". It's basically a pop-culture analysis of the U.S. in the 21st century. Written around 2008.

Anyway, it suggests that the current media polarization/trivialization isn't anything new. And that essentially, the "golden age" of reporting was from around 1945 to 1990. During that time, journalists actually attempted to be journalists, and the profession earned respect.

However, from the 1770s to the 1940s, and then post 1990, journalism in the U.S. has mostly been what it is today: propaganda tools and "yellow". So, what we see/hear today is the norm, and what we essentially grew up with was the exception.

Anecdotal Inflation - Subway

2011-04-29T13:49:00.003-05:00

In February, I could buy a Subway "fresh value meal" from my local Subway for $5.00. Now, the same thing is $6.00. A 16 percent increase.

To Subway's credit, they still have their "five dollar foot long" selection.

NFL Draft 2011: One Prediction

2011-04-29T09:38:00.004-05:00

After the previous post's rant, I will still go ahead and make one prediction. The first overall pick, QB Cam Newton to Carolina, will be a bust.

Let's quantify that. He'll never win a playoff game as a starting QB in the NFL.

NFL Draft 2011. Yawn.

2011-04-29T09:30:00.005-05:00

I still love the NFL (assuming there will be one). But I probably haven't been this disinterested in the NFL Draft since about 1998. And that's because 1998 is when I sort-of started watching it. Three factors have influenced my current NFL Draft apathy:

1. Last year the NFL decided to move the draft's first round to Thursday night. I know the increased ratings suggest this was a great idea, but I don't like it. I enjoyed the Saturday afternoon draft experience, and now that essentially doesn't exist anymore.

2. This isn't new, but the NFL Draft is about as predictable as poker. Some skill, lots of chance. This means that all of the pre-draft analysis is essentially a waste of breath. As is the post-draft analysis. Don't even get me started about Mel Kiper.

3. And oh yeah, and there might not be an NFL season this year. At least, there might not be a meaningful one. So what lustre this draft had left has been lost.

Oil Doubles. Oil Funds Don't.

2011-04-27T14:45:00.005-05:00

Shortly after Obama was elected president, the price of WTI crude oil was $56.29/gallon (on 11/14/2008). Today, 4/27/2011, the price of WTI crude oil is $112.77/gallon. Almost exactly double. Back in 2008, to anyone who would listen, I said over and over again that after the election (regardless of who won), the price would go back up.

I knew this was going to happen. I tried to invest appropriately in order to capitalize on the certainty of my prediction. I purchased what everyone at the time said was the "oil tracking" fund, called USO. In reality it's an ETF designed to track the price of oil. As it turns out, it does not.

Back in December 2008 I purchased this fund at $29/share. As of today, USO is $44.86/share. A decent gain to be sure, but nowhere near 100%+.

There are other ETFs which also attempt to track the price of oil: BNO and USL, to name two. Their results are relatively the same as USO's, though BNO is a considerably newer fund, so it doesn't have as long a history to compare.

For the record, there is a a fund, UGA, that is designed to track gasoline prices.

When Obama was elected, the the average national price of gasoline was $1.83/gallon. Today, April 27 2011, the average national price of gasoline is $3.88/gallon. That's over a 100% increase at the pump. Since December of 2008, UGA has in fact increased more than 100%+. As of right now, it looks like UGA is the fund I've should have bought.

In any case, my prediction, ultimately, was exactly correct.

But what's that they say? The road to Hell is paved with 1000 predictions? :)

Maundy Thursday, or: Thursday of Mysteries, Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday

2011-04-21T11:06:00.004-05:00

I have recently learned that the Thursday before Easter -- today -- is called Maundy Thursday. (It can also be known as all of the above names in this entry's title). It is the Thursday to celebrate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his Apostles.

I came across this when I was researching whether the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter had a specific name. Other than Holy Saturday, it doesn't. And in fact, every day of the week preceding Easter is called "Holy".

Interestingly, Easter is technically NOT considered part of the "Holy Week", as it is the beginning of the new season of The Great Fifty Days.

Phil Simms: Believe What Your Eyes Tell You; Ignore Data

2011-04-18T13:06:00.003-05:00

In this NFL lull (one that could be extra long, this time), here is something from Peter King's MMQB that essentially proves how stupid Phil Simms is. Only an idiot would vociferously claim (as Simms does below) that data and stats are worthless. Not that they are only a piece of the equation, but that they are worthless.

And Simms means it "very strongly".

I wish more people would write/publish Simms' actual words. It wouldn't take long for everyone to see that he can't put three intelligent sentences together.

Finally, please note the last sentence, which I've broken out. It is a perfect example of what I mean when I say that Simms just puts words together that are related to each other, but don't mean anything.

"The stat guys are idiots. I mean it very strongly.''
-- CBS analyst Phil Simms, to The Big Lead.

Simms was asked about a stat I had in this column recently, quoting Mel Kiper saying Blaine Gabbert had completed 44 percent of his throws on third down at Missouri last fall, while Andrew Luck was 71 percent on third down at Stanford. The inference being, of course, that not only was Luck a better prospect but also, seemingly, better on the most important down, which some might take to mean he's a better clutch player.

I'll leave the emphasis the way The Big Lead wrote it for the rest of Simms' quote about third-down efficiency for quarterbacks: "That means nothing. I could not care less. My face gets red thinking about that stat. WHO CARES! Well get him out of there on third down! Keep him in on first and second down! You're not drafting his college coach or his college team. You're drafting Blaine Gabbert. These numbers ... why do I need numbers? ... Believe what your eye tells you.

I have never looked at one quarterback ever on tape through all the years and then when it's done, I have never even thought, 'What were his numbers?' I never have. It has never even crossed my mind.''

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/04/17/mmqb/index.html#ixzz1JtljlowQ

$5.29? Coke is it.

2011-04-16T10:07:00.006-05:00

Yesterday at the grocery store (Kroger's), all Coca Cola 12-packs were ON SALE for $4.99. Evidently, their "normal" retail price is now $5.29.

Remember back in 2008 when a 12-pack of Coca Cola retailed for around $3.99?

And remember when you could often find the 12-packs on sale for $2.50?

I do.

Impending Inflation

2011-04-15T09:18:00.003-05:00

Awhile back I said that the long-term economic consquences of the huge government automobile bailout would be inflation. To me, when the government just prints billions of dollars out of thin air and then dumps it into the economy, this is just natural cause and effect.

I'll concede that I thought it would happen sooner, and that it would be more abrupt. That said, I still think inflation is on our economic horizon.

I came across an article this morning that suggests it might be.

The Labor Department says the Consumer Price Index rose 0.5 percent in March. That matched February's increase, the largest since the recession ended in June 2009. In the past 12 months, the index has increased 2.7 percent, the biggest rise since December 2009.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42605692/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy

Pre-Flight Time Travel

2011-04-11T15:58:00.004-05:00

Last Friday I flew to Charleston for a friend's wedding. As the flight attendant went through her pre-flight litany of instructions, she stated to make sure that all portable electronics, "such as GameBoys and portable CD players" were turned off.

When was the last time someone in the United States brought a GameBoy or portable CD player onto a plane? And if they did, how on Earth could either of these items in any way impact a plane's ability to operate?

When considering these questions, please be reminded that the GameBoy was originally released in 1989. And I probably haven't used a portable CD player in about ten years. Can you even buy portable CD players anymore?

I must admit that as I listened to this flight attendant's instructions, for a very brief moment I wondered if I was on an airplane or a time machine.

All Four Final Four

2011-04-02T14:25:00.006-05:00

A couple of posts back I suggested that anyone who actually had Butler AND VCU in the Final Four should automatically win ten $10,000. As it turns out, there is someone who actually has all four Final Four teams in their bracket.

They are playing in the online Yahoo Sports league, just for fun. Though, according to the article I read, Yahoo awards $5,000 to the whoever picks the most games correct. So, even though this lady inconceivably has all four of this year's teams in her Final Four bracket, she's no where near winning in the Yahoo league. In fact, she's currently in 781st place.

Given this, I think Yahoo should seriously reconsider how their scoring system works, but maybe that's just me.

Part of the article is below, as is a link to the entire article:

Back on March 1, Diana Inch couldn’t have told you that Kemba Walker of Connecticut or Matt Howard of Butler were All-Americans, or that Kentucky’s lineup featured three freshman, or that Virginia Commonwealth’s coach was only 33. By the day before March Madness officially set in, Inch did know the mascots of all 68 teams. And it was that knowledge,ahead of any statistical or analytical expertise, that brought her what she called “my 15 minutes of fame.”

A librarian at Jefferson High School for the past nine years, Inch used her own unique formula to correctly predictthe Final Four teams — UConn, Butler, VCU and Kentucky — in the Yahoo! Tourney Pick ’Em online contest. She was the only one out of about 3 million entrants to get all four.

“I found out Wednesday,” said Inch, 44, who admits having little knowledge of what went on during the regular season. “I was kind of mocking serious bracket pickers.” Inch’s formula included her favorite numbers and team mascots. She titled her entry Di’s 711 XV Cats & Dogs.

In the first round she picked the No. 7 and 11 seeds in almost every round. In ensuing rounds she picked according to team mascots, leaning to those with cats or dogs. “I have watched the games on my computer,” Inch said.

“I’m as surprised as anyone that I got the Final Four.” Her standing in the contest isn’t quite so strong. Yahoo will award $5,000 to the person who picks the most wins in the tournament. She sits in 781st place, having selected 34 winning teams in the 60 games played. The current leader has picked 47 of 60.

http://www.democratherald.com/news/local/article_a85fa332-5ced-11e0-81a5-001cc4c03286.html

Christian Codices Discovered; Dead Sea Scrolls Irrelevant

2011-03-31T21:34:00.009-05:00

Recently, national news sources are reporting that a set of metal codices were discovered in a cave in Jordan. This has the potential to be an interesting archaeological find, but unfortunately, most news stories are using sensationalist headlines like, "Codices Could Reveal True Origins of Christianity", or, "Codices Could Predate the Dead Sea Scrolls".

Fox News' headline is, "Ancient Books Uncovered in Jordan May Date to Start of Christianity‎", and one other headline simply states, "Earliest Christian Writing Ever?".

Needless to say, these headlines are, at best, misleading.

After some research, I found a more factual article (somewhat ironically, I guess) in the Christian Science Monitor. This article is much more informative, with most Christian scholars quoted as saying that it's very unlikely to predate any relevant Christian writings, for numerous reasons (see the link to this article below).

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/0331/Could-new-discovery-trump-Dead-Sea-Scrolls-Scholars-intrigued-but-cautious

In any case, comparing such a find to the Dead Sea Scrolls just shows utter ignorance of early Christian history. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a a piece of relatively early Christian writing, and can probably reveal something about early Christian thought, but they are far from the earliest. And, they're not even canonical - which is important if you're going to discuss relevance to early Christianity (whether you're a Christian or not).

Yet, story after story I've found (including the CSM story) compare these codices to the Scrolls - especially in their headline. Probably because the average person has heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls - and comparing things to them draws attention, regardless of the illogic.

Of course, the average person has probably also heard of the Gospel of Mark or Paul's Epistles. Why not compare the codices to either of these early Christian writings? Each is thought by the majority of scholars to predate the Dead Sea Scrolls - and, they're both a fundamental part of the established Christian church.

Instead, we're left with news story after news story that rob from Peter to feed Paul.

Modern Music Analogy 2

2011-03-28T21:05:00.002-05:00

This one suddenly dawned on me in the car yesterday. And unlike my previous Modern Music Analogy, I really like both of these bands.

THE CARS : 1981 :: THE KILLERS : 2011

Everything is in Style

2011-03-27T16:28:00.005-05:00

Yesterday my wife and I were at Crate and Barrel. What I noticed about the furniture there (beds, nightstands, living room couches and chairs, tables of all types) was the wide variety of styles on display. Everything from 1930s through 1980s was featured somewhere in the store.

While it was actually cool to see so many different "retro" styles displayed, it did make me ask this question: if everything can be in style in 2011, what is 2011's style?

March Madness Update

2011-03-27T16:24:00.004-05:00

Three brief points about the Tournament:

1. Memo to self: stop underestimating Butler

2. I'm sure everyone had VCU (11) upsetting Kansas (1). Well, if you did, there's a good chance you're going to win your bracket. Unfortunately, I had Kansas winning it all, so looks like I'm done.

3. If anyone in the United States has both Butler and VCU in their Final Four bracket, they should automatically win $10,000.

March Madness Predictions - 2011

2011-03-19T11:26:00.007-05:00

One year later and it's that time again. Well, I guess I'm technically two days late, but it's still early in the tournament. Once again, I didn't watch one second of an NCAA basketball game during the regular season. Then last Wednesday I created my bracket after some brief research. And then on Thursday and Friday my wife and I (and, for one of the days, a close friend) enjoyed watching games all afternoon at a local sports establishment.

As an aside, it's too bad (and somewhat unusual?) that only three teams from Texas were in the tournament this year, because typically more Texas teams = more teams I root for. And now, two days into The Dance, only one of those three teams (UT) remain.

Anyway, below are my predictions for 2011.

Final Four

North Carolina over Duke
Kansas over, um, Michigan State (Michigan State, one of my "upset" picks, lost on Thursday)

Finals

Kansas over North Carolina

Bonus Predictions:

My wife successfully predicted Moorehead State (13) upsetting Louisville (4)

I successfully predicted that Richmond (12) would upsetting Vanderbilt (5)

My upset prediction is less impressive because in most years out of the past 20, a 12-seed has upset a 5-seed.

$3.39/Gallon

2011-03-13T14:31:00.002-05:00

A couple of days ago I paid $3.39/gallon for gasoline. Is it just me, or do the media generally seem to be ignoring this relatively sudden spike in gasoline prices?

Or, unfortunately, perhaps such things just aren't that newsworthy anymore.

Earthquake Hits New Zealand, Again

2011-02-22T09:12:00.003-06:00

Two New Zealand earthquakes in six months. One more, and we'll have a legitimate pattern on our hands. In any case, I guess New Zealand is on a fault line.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch Tuesday, killing dozens, collapsing buildings and cracking streets.

Prime Minister John Key said at least 65 had died as a result of the disaster and told reporters that the death toll was expected to rise further. "It is a just a scene of utter devastation," he added.

Television footage showed streets strewn with bricks and shattered concrete. Sidewalks and roads were cracked and split, and hundreds of dazed, screaming and crying residents wandered as sirens blared throughout the city.

Bodies were being pulled from rubble, others lay in the streets. Water mains burst, causing extensive flooding.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41709359/?GT1=43001

Obey

2011-02-10T15:24:00.006-06:00

I took this picture today.

Note that the word "Obey" has been pasted over the word "Observe".

Interesting.

I wonder if there is any research that suggested such a change would have a measureable impact on someone's behavior. Or, is it just change for change sake?

(Or, perhaps something more ... sinister?)

In any case, it reminds me of the 1988 sci-fi movie, "They Live".

Super Bowl on Ice

2011-02-09T11:36:00.005-06:00

It seems like some of the disgruntled fans who arrived at the Super Bowl without a seat are suing the NFL and Jerry Jones. Anyone smart knew these lawsuits were coming as soon as this story was reported before the Super Bowl even began.

The fact that Super Bowl ticket holders arrived and had no seat was pretty much inexcusable. At first, I placed the blame squarely on Jerry Jones. But after doing some research, I think the NFL is at least equally responsible, if not moreso. It was the NFL who approved the additional seats in order to set a new seating record, and the Super Bowl is an NFL event, not a Cowboys event.

This isn't to say that Jerry Jones shouldn't share some of the blame - he's the stadium owner and should have absolutely ensured that such ridiculously obvious issues didn't occur. Still, I don't think it was ultimately his responsibility.

I think the NFL's offer of 3X ticket-value, plus an ALL-EXPENSES-PAID trip to ANY future Super Bowl is reasonable -- though these fans have every right to be upset.

I will say the weather they experienced in Dallas last week is very unusual. It gets cold in Dallas in the winter, but usually not *that* cold. And that amount of frozen precipitation is also unusual. So I don't think it's unreasonable to believe that Dallas didn't have the infrastructure in place, simply because that infrastructure doesn't exist.

Typically, during such weather, the city would just shut down for a few days. Unfortunately, the timing of this weather was during the Super Bowl week, so shutting down wasn't really an option.

Finally, I've heard that Jerry Jones is acting like the event was a complete success. I guess this isn't surprising. He probably still thinks drafting Quincy Carter, Julius Jones, and Bobby Carpenter was also a success.

PACK it Up, They'll Take It: Nine Thoughts About the Super Bowl

2011-02-09T11:33:00.002-06:00

1. PITT turning the ball over three times resulted in three GB TDs. Ballgame.

2. I thought that when GB lost Woodson, Shields, and Driver, it was going to be a backbreaker, and PITT would come back to win. I also thought that when Shields and Woodson went out, PITT would start to air it out. Instead, they rushed five times in a row for 50 years, and scored a TD.

3. The second half got sloppy, especially for two teams playing in the Super bowl. GB seemed to have lots of dropped passed on third down, and one TV shot showed GB WR D. Driver shaking his head on the sideline.

4. On TV, the Halftime Show had horrific sound and production. Also, the Slash "Sweet Child O' Mine" cameo was truly terrible. At the moment Fergie (attempted) to sing, Axl Rose finally won his lost-standing dispute with Slash.

5. The fact that some Super Bowl ticket holders arrived and didn't have a seat is inexcusable. Though unlike many, I don't place the blame for this entirely on Jerry Jones (though he deserves his share). The Super Bowl is an NFL event, not a Dallas Cowboys event. For more thoughts on this, see the next post.

6. I thought the outside plaza "seating" was a cool idea.

7. Typically, I do not like the option play. But it worked like a charm for PITT in the second half.

8. GB QB A. Rodgers won Super Bowl MVP award. Brett who?

9. For what very little it's worth, I predicted GB to win the Super Bowl before this season began. Too bad I didn't back it up with a wager.

Reagan's Farewell Address

2011-01-28T18:40:00.004-06:00

I don't know that I've ever watched President Reagan's farewell address before. If you have 22 minutes, it's absolutely worth watching. Political speeches these days seem amateur in comparison.

(Cut and paste the link below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKVsq2daR8Q&feature=player_embedded#

Phil Simms: Portrait of a Commentator as a Complete Failure

2011-01-17T10:18:00.001-06:00

This point is nothing new from me, but I'm going to make it again. CBS color analyst Phil Simms is the archetype of atrocious commentating. The man literally cannot put together a complete thought 75% of the time. Think I'm being harsh? The next time he's covering a game (this Sunday), just listen to what he actually says.

The words that come out of his mouth are in English, and are usually about football, but that's all they have in common. They may or may not relate in any way to each other. It's like he's channeling a James Joyce novel entitled "Portrait of a Commentator as a Complete Failure". My friends and I often wonder what Simms' play-by-play partner, Jim Nance, is really thinking each time Simms begins his stream-of-conscious monologue.

Why do the national sports media continue to applaud Simms' work year after year? Can they not see how terrible he is? Or do they not care?

Sunday NFL Divisional Round Thoughts

2011-01-17T10:14:00.003-06:00

A few thoughts about Sunday's divisional round games:

1. SEA immediately lost when down 28-0, they kicked a field goal on 4th and 8 from the CHI 12 yard line. From the CHI 12, down 28-0! Absolutely ridiculous and inexcusable.

2. That said, CHI offensive "genius" Mike Martz did everything he could to allow SEA back into the game in the second half. It's like Martz simply refused to simply call running plays, run out the clock, and win the game. If CHI has an Achilles Heel (and they do), it's Jay Cutler. Why keep putting the game in his hands? Particularly bad was the ill-conceived pass from Matt Forte, when the score was 28-3. Just run the ball! At this point, CHI head coach Lovie Smith should've taken over the offensive play calling, and kindly asked Martz to return to the locker room. The final score was 35-24, when the game was never really this close.

3. I was as surprised as anyone that NYJ beat NE. I still believe that Rex Ryan is a blowhard buffoon, but it's hard to argue with two trips to the AFC Championship game in a row. The NYJ game plan yesterday reminded me of when NE lost to NYG in the Super Bowl. NE QB Tom Brady looked frustrated the entire game, and never seemed to get into an offense rhythm.

4. That said, it was pretty ridiculous that NYJ LB David Harris got tired when returning Brady's INT. I don't understand NFL players that can't sprint non-stop from any point on the field, all the way to the end zone. Especially early in the first quarter! NYJ K Nick Folk missed the 30 yard FG, and NYJ ended up with zero points off of that turnover.

5. Late in the game, NE WR Deion Branch talked trash to the NYJ sideline after an average catch that resulted in a first down. Instead, Branch should keep his mouth shut when losing at home. Especially when he when he later drops NE's 4th down conversion attempt.

The Post Modern Bowl

2011-01-07T23:34:00.005-06:00

Wait a second. I just discovered that the Cotton Bowl is no longer played at . . . the Cotton Bowl. Tonight, the Cotton Bowl was played at Cowboys Stadium.

This is the definition of Post Modernism in action.

----------------

A friend of mine added this comment:

Gets better: there was a game at the cotton bowl on new years day. It was not called the cotton bowl.

Star Wars Episode IV: Deleted Scene

2011-01-07T10:41:00.006-06:00

I consider myself to be a pretty strong Star Wars fan, and have been for years. (Okay, I'm only a fan of the original trilogy: Episodes IV, V, and VI, but that's a subject for a different post).

Yesterday, a friend of mine emailed me a link of [gasp!] an actual deleted scene from Episode IV.

How is it possible that I've never seen or even heard about this deleted scene before? (Another friend of mine said he'd seen this scene before, and it's nothing new. I still find it very unusual that I've never heard of it before today).

Click the link below to view the deleted scene:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlyjk_star-wars-cut-scene-anchorhead_fun

Welcome to the Tweens

2011-01-03T15:05:00.002-06:00

A girl I know suggested that the years 2011 and 2012 could be called the "Tweens", while the remainder of this decade could be called "The Teens".

In a goofy way, this makes sense to me.

Seattle Seahawks Finish 7-9; Win Division. Wait, What?

2011-01-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

It is ridiculous that the Seattle Seahawks won their division, the NFC West, with a 7-9 record. It's even more ridiculous that a team with a 7-9 record will be playing next week in an NFL playoff game.

The 10-6 New York Giants and the 9-7 San Diego Chargers, meanwhile, did not make the NFL playoffs.

Right now I don't have any specific ideas on how to improve this situation in future seasons, but it sure seems silly that a team with a losing record can advance.

Welcome to The Teens

2011-01-02T13:31:00.001-06:00

January 1st, 2011 is technically the end of the decade known as The Aughts. Based on historical precedent, I'm guessing our current decade will be referred to as The Teens, even though the numbers "11" (for 2011) and "12" (for 2012) aren't teen numbers.

I could be wrong about this. I'd be interested to hear other suggestions about names for this decade.

Five New Year's Thoughts

2011-01-02T11:54:00.012-06:00

Some thoughts at the beginning of a new year (and new decade):

1. Right Thought >> Right Thinking >> Right Speech >> Right Action. This is work, but important work.

2. Positivity returns. This occurs on both macro and micro levels. Macro: social. Micro: neurological. Depending on your starting point, this can also be work.

3. Yesterday TCU (#3) beat Wisconsin (#4), and finished their season with a 13-0 record. Both of these teams' football seasons are now over. Why isn't TCU allowed to play for some type of actual championship?

4. Many people wore new shoes at the gym this morning.

5. In the words of the ancients, one should make their decision within the space of seven breaths ... It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break through to the other side.

Punny Movies

2010-12-28T09:42:00.000-06:00

Would it be accurate to say that at least 90% of movies that use a pun and/or a play-on-words as a title are terrible?

Possible examples:

--Little Fockers
--Knight and Day
--War of the Roses
--Major Payne
--Legally Blonde
--The Santa Clause

Robocop 2010

2010-12-22T16:20:00.007-06:00

Didn't the 1990 movie Robocop 2 make fun of something not too far removed from this?

American Simplicity: China

2010-12-22T16:11:00.004-06:00

This is text printed on the bottom of a mug. I saw it in a store (can you guess which one?), but didn't buy it.

Despite much media hype (both liberal and conservative), I don't actually believe the Chinese economy even remotely compares to the one in the United States. At least not right now.

Still, I think some unintentional poetry is embedded in this photo's text.

New Houston Traffic Light Cameras

2010-11-25T08:15:00.006-06:00

The article below states that security cameras are being installed all over downtown Houston "in an effort to prevent and fight terrorism and crime".

Logically, at least the "fight crime" part makes some type of sense. But "fight terrorism"? Really? What "terrorism" is Houston, Texas fighting in 2010? What "terrorism" has Houston ever dealt with?

While I'm all for being proactive, it certainly doesn't seem like cameras on traffic lights have any real connection to preventing true acts of "terrorism". But, it does seem like they're putting these cameras up immediately after the Houston public voted (on 11/2) to remove all of Houston's red light cameras.

Hmm.

Finally, when the media writes these articles, do they just copy-and-paste straight from the U.S. Government Press Release?

The city is installing 250 to 300 cameras at downtown intersections in an effort to prevent and fight terrorism and crime, part of a security initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The cameras, which the city began installing in earnest this summer, already have helped police catch car burglars in the act, said Dennis Storemski, the city's director of the Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Eventually, he said, the cameras could be used to allow dispatchers or officers approaching a crime scene to survey what's happening from their patrol vehicles before they arrive.

"The intent is to protect critical infrastructure and prevent terrorism," he said. "Experience has shown that when people plan terroristic acts, they plan and they do dry runs, so what we would be looking for is suspicious activity around certain locations. And for any crimes, you can go back and look at the video and identify the perpetrators."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7310659.html

TSA Pat-Downs Remain in Place after the Christmas Day Bombing. Wait, What?

2010-11-20T18:18:00.006-06:00

The article below has a quote from President Obama where he mentions the "Christmas Day Bombing". Considering that such a bombing never actually happened, does this sound somewhat alarmist? Once again, I can envision former President Bush, were he still in charge, making a very similar statement.

(The bold below is mine).

President Barack Obama on Saturday acknowledged some travelers' "frustrations" with having to go through full-body pat-downs and scans at airports, but he said the enhanced security measures are necessary to keep America safe.

"But at this point, TSA in consultation with counter terrorism experts have indicated to me that the procedures that they have been putting in place are the only ones right now that they consider to be effective against the kind of threat that we saw in the Christmas Day bombing."

The president said that the Transportation Security Administration has been "under enormous pressure" to find better ways to screen for explosives and other dangerous items ever since the attempted 2009 Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner over Detroit. In that case, a passenger with links to an al-Qaida extremist group tried to set off plastic explosives concealed in his underwear.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40289750/ns/travel/?GT1=43001

2010 Mid-Term Election Prediction Results

2010-11-14T10:57:00.003-06:00

The results of this election are relatively old news now, but I need to follow-up on my predictions.

1. Totally wrong. The Republicans dominated these elections and regained a majority of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2. Correct. The Republicans made gains, but did not win a majority of the seats.

3. Correct. If memory serves, Perry won by 13 points. (Or was it 17?). I don't remember exactly, but it was way more than five.

4. Correct. Despite being in an overwhelming Republican state (Texas), where merely having the word "Democrat" associated with your name was a death-knell for many, Sheila Jackson Lee handily won her re-election bid. Seems to me that if she dominated in this type of hostile climate to Democrats, she may never lose.

I was way wrong about number one, but was correct about the other three. To me, three out of four isn't too bad.

2010 Mid-Term Election Predictions

2010-10-31T08:52:00.003-05:00

Below are my predictions for the 2010 mid-term elections. Some of the predictions are more specific than others, and they are listed in no particular order.

Also, just for the record, I have absolutely no idea what the current poll numbers are. And, I voted early last Thursday.

1. The Democrats will maintain a majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2. The Democrats will maintain a majority of seats in the U.S. Senate.

3. Texas Governor: Ricky Perry will defeat Bill White by more than five percentage points.

4. Sheila Jackson Lee will win her re-election bid.

October 6th Holiday Sales Event

2010-10-06T18:25:00.002-05:00

Today is October 6th.

Today, in the mail, I received a flyer advertising a "Holiday Sales Event" -- complete with a picture of a Christmas stocking on it.

The sales ends November 30th!

Good grief.

NFL Focus: Week 1.5

2010-09-17T17:04:00.001-05:00

1. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as much national media coverage of the Texans as I have this week. There are billboards all over Houston which read, “Is this finally the Texans’ year?”. However, methinks this tempts fate a bit much.

2. The Cowboys are currently favored by seven points over the Bears. That number looks huge, but Vegas usually knows. Of course, being the sucker I am, I took the seven.

3. This past summer, HBO’s NFL training camp documentary “Hard Knocks” featured the New York Jets. After watching it, I had the Jets going 6-10 (despite all of the national media hype to the contrary). I still do. Rex Ryan is an utter buffoon.

4. Reggie Bush voluntarily surrendered his 2005 Heisman Trophy this week. Even though I’ve never been an R. Bush fan, I kind of admired this. Then, yesterday, he stated that even though he voluntarily surrendered the Trophy, this action was not an admission of guilt. This reminded me why I’ve never been an R. Bush fan.

5. Vick is back! And he’s sick! Electric. Multi-faceted. Learning curve. Dual-threat. How is my least favorite NFL player going to play for my least favorite NFL team?

UFOs in 2015

2010-09-05T17:09:00.004-05:00

Five years from now, technology will be such that just about everyone will have a high-resolution video camera with them at all times. As part of their phones, or whatever.

So in 2015 if you claim to see a UFO and/or have an extraterrestrial experience, you'd better have very clear visual supporting evidence.

This is your future.

Earthquake Hits New Zealand ... Wait, What?

2010-09-03T13:57:00.001-05:00

New Zealand is on a fault line?

Maybe it is, I really don't know. But if there was anywhere on Earth that I figured was relatively safe from everything, I would have thought it was New Zealand.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38993181/ns/world_news-asiapacific

Church Provocation

2010-08-28T15:31:00.005-05:00

I saw these two signs a few weeks back outside of a small church in Houston. At first, I thought the church might be targeting a younger audience with something provocative. However, less than an hour later the signs had been changed, suggesting they were more likely the result of an overnight prank.

(Click on the pic for a larger version)

Eat, Pray, Buy

2010-08-08T10:40:00.009-05:00

I haven't read the book Eat, Pray, Love, but I've heard it's about a women's travels and her spiritual search for meaning. The movie releases this weekend and stars Julia Roberts, who was evidently motivated enough by the movie's message to convert to Hinduism.

That said, it seems like Elizabeth Gilbert, the book's author, may have ultimately found her meaning through the door of commercialism.

The picture above is for "Fresh", the Eat, Pray, Love collection.

The Eat, Pray, Love COLLECTION.

Could anything have more unintended irony?

Where to Look for Life on Mars

2010-07-31T18:15:00.004-05:00

As readers of this blog probably know, I believe there's some type of life on Mars right this second. I've believed this for years now. I won't go into all the details again, but now it looks like scientists may have a better idea of where to find it.

Despite the sensationalized media headline, "Area of Mars Could Hold Remains of Life", I still thought this was an interesting article.

The article is listed below in it's entirety:

A spot on Mars called Nili Fossae that is rich in clay mineral-rich rocks could be a prime spot to search for the fossilized remains of Martian life that may have existed 4 billion years ago, a new study suggests.

In the study, scientists used an instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to study clay-carbonate rocks on the Martian surface leftover from ancient red planet era known as the Noachian period.

The study does not offer actual evidence of past life; rather, it suggests a place that might have been habitable.

"We suggest that the associated hydrothermal activity would have provided sufficient energy for biological activity on early Mars at Nili Fossae," said study lead author Adrian Brown, a scientist at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) in Mountain View, Calif., in a statement.

The study's findings will be detailed in an upcoming issue of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

Scientists have not yet discovered proof of life on Mars, or anywhere in the universe beyond Earth, though they are getting closer to knowing where to look and how to recognize the signs of life if they are present.

Brown and his colleagues studied the hydrothermal formation of clay-carbonate rocks in the Nili Fossae region on Mars. Their results suggest that these carbonate-bearing rocks share similarities with traces of life and biological markers on early Earth particularly in a region of Western Australia.

The Nili Fossae are valleys that have cut into the ancient crust of Mars, exposing clay minerals.
The Mars terrain in this region shares many traits with Australia's East Pilbara region, which has preserved evidence of ancient Earth life beneath the soil, they said.

"In the article, we discuss the potential of the Archean volcanic of the East Pilbara region of Western Australia as an analog for the Noachian Nili Fossae on Mars," Brown said. "They indicate that biomarkers or evidence of living organisms, if produced at Nili, could have been preserved, as they have been in the North Pole Dome region of the Pilbara craton."

The Nili Fossae region was seen as an ideal area to investigate the potential habitability of early Mars. At one point, it was in the running as one of seven candidate landing sites for NASA's upcoming Mars Science Laboratory rover mission.

Since then, NASA scientists have whittled the candidate rover landing targets to four locations on Mars known as Mawrth Vallis, Gale crater, Holden crater and Eberswalde crater.

Brown and his team of researchers used the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) instrument onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Crism studied the ancient rocks with infrared light.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38495278/ns/technology_and_science-space