Irony In Designer Duds

In an ironic twist former Texas Southern University president Dr. Priscilla Slade will be teaching accounting at the school. Even though she was fired as president of the school for misusing nearly $2 million in university funds for personal use. She is currently out of jail on bond of $100,000. As president she had a salary of $260,000, plus a $14,400 car allowance and $48,000 a year for housing expenses. But she is managed to use university money for things like limousines, spa treatments, home furnishings, charity and political contibutions. All of this was over and above the expenses allowed by TSU.

What is so funny is that after misusing all of this money, she will be teaching accounting! Since she is a tenured professor she has a lifetime appointment. Wonder if TSU will re-think its tenure policy? Why is tenure considered a "property right"?

Well, I guess the students of accounting will get interesting lessons this year. The students have mixed reactions about this.

Maybe the Devil really does wear Prada.

Bedroom Roadkill?

Sometimes I think I still have small children. Daisy leaves her toys all over the house. Lady could care less. So I find myself going from room to room picking up the dogs toys.

As I made the bed the other day, something struck me funny. Yeah, it was one of those "slow" days. As I walked from one side of the bed to the other, I found one of the dogs toys lying on the floor. Now this is admittedly an old toy which no longer has any stuffing in it. Lady had pulled most of the stuffing and squeaker out and Daisy had pulled out whatever stuffing was left. So, as I looked down I noticed that the way the toy was positioned, it looked like an animal that had been run over. The head was flat and the back end was at an odd angle. Daisy had been playing with it. I almost felt sorry for it until I remembered how old this toy is. Maybe I should just go get some new toys. But I really don't look forward to finding stuffing all over the house. I still have one toy in reserve that as yet not been pulled apart. But, let's face it I can only stand the squeaking for so long before I have to hide it. Daisy loves to bring it to me and sit in my lap squeaking and squeaking and squeaking it. At that point, "roadkill" looks pretty good. At least a little quieter.

Saturday's Downhill Race

We thought we'd do something different Saturday. For some reason, Jimmy decided he wanted to go to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see the Body Worlds exhibit. We figured that since it was going to close soon most of the crowds would be gone. Oh, no, not a chance. By the time we got there, before noon, the only tickets still available were for 8:46PM. Nuts, should have bought those tickets on-line. We then decide to leave and go somewhere else. As we walk back to the park it starts to rain. Nuts. By the time we get to the car, we are of course, soaked. Then we discovered that one headlight won't pop up. Nuts again. Well, since we were downtown we decided to salvage the day by going to the Galleria. After going around and around the underground parking lot, we finally see a parking slot about to open. As we wait for the car to pull out of the slot, a chick in a small blue car pulls in between us and the parked cars. As I sat in total disbelief this woman cuts us off and whips into the space we were waiting to take. Mad is not the word! Though I doubt she heard me (or cared) I yelled some less than gentile things at her. I thought about getting out of the car and confronting her, but I figured with my luck, she'd have a gun.

After finally getting a parking spot we went into the mall. Once again, I was shocked. The once ritzy mall had changed. Of course it had been a few years since we had been there. We entered on the skating rink level. It was so noisy, I started getting irritated. There was almost nothing except the food court and the skating rink there. I got crabby in a hurry. So we went upstairs to walk around some of the elite stores. I realize not everyone has the money to buy from these stores, but I always enjoyed looking. We walked by stores like Ralph lauren, Yves St Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Tiffany's. One or two stores had a customer. Most of the stores had only sales people there. As we looked into Cartier we saw just the security guard and one employee. All these people in the stores looked bored. Guess the rich people weren't shopping. Saddest of all, to me, was Neiman Marcus. The store had more people trying to spray, spritz, and slather me with perfumes and stuff I didn't want than people actually buying anything. There was no gift or home furnishings, no Neiman Marcus goodies. Everything seemed to be on sale. Yeah, like I want to buy a child's leather jacket on sale for $2600.

I assume the mall does most of it's business during the holidays. I saw very few people with any purchases. I guess that the Weston Oaks hotel is doing a good business. I found the whole experience rather depressing. It just wasn't the place that we used to enjoy.

I was just really surprised how far down hill things have gone. Why would I buy something there from a store like Footlocker? I can go to Footlocker at just about any everyday mall. I was so looking forward to getting something from Neiman Marcus. Oh well, Target will have a new store near my house in October.

Reality Bites

Buzz, buzz, buzz! Just listen to all the people talking about the upcoming Survivor season. Everybody has an opinion. Many people are objecting. Dividing the teams by race doesn't seem to sit well with some people. Well, after all the program has become rather boring of late. Sounds more like a great marketing ploy to me. Already the producers have accomplished at least one goal. It certainly grabbed the attention of a lot of people. Will the public watch? Is it a good idea? Will it be looked at as stereo-typical of the races?

Personally, I don't care. I think there are too many "reality" shows anyway.People racing around the world, people living in a house,voting each other out. People who think they can sing or want to be part of a rock band. America's got talent, really? I don't even want to think about Paris Hilton doing (or attempting)anything. Some people even think they can dance. Not everyone can.

I might take a peek at the race, but I won't waste my time idolizing any of these shows. Well, there might be one little exception. I will be dancing with the stars.

Show Me My Money, Ok, Here's A Penny

Wow,I can hardly wait. Ha, ha. My electric bill will be reduced (cough). The Public Utilities Commission in Austin has settled a rate case with CenterPoint Energy. Houston's CenterPoint's annual revenues will be reduced by nearly $68 million. The PUC review said that CenterPoint might have overearned $105 million in revenues in 2004. Wow, that took a lot of work to figure that out! I could have told them that.

The PUC said that most people would see a reduction in electricity costs. Sure we will. There are a number of factors that go into this. CenterPoint operates the power lines, poles, and electric meters and serves nearly 2 million customers in Houston. According to the PUC retail electricity providers are the companies that sign up customers and send out bills. Good old Reliant Energy does that. Currently they are having a big ad push to get people to sign up for their "price to beat". If they sign up they automatically get a $25 credit. Gee, that's big of them. Of course that also locks the customer into staying with Reliant for a specified time. If the customer wants to change providers before the contract is up, they pay a heavy price of at least $100. Of course Reliant is the same company that charges a new deposit every time a customer changes residences. That is something I don't agree with, but they still try to stick it to the customer.

In a magnamous gesture, Reliant Energy has said it will give customers a credit of about $25 once a year for the next four years. That works out to about $2.00 a month. Some reduction. Somehow I don't think I will see any real reduction in my bill. Let's face it. Reliant won't be losing any money in this deal. But, I don't think I will see any real savings either.

Baby Boom?

So, according to a study, Conservatives are having more babies than Liberals. Just where did they get the money to study this? Apparently the Independents weren't asked. The Conservative Republicans have more babies than the Liberal Democrats 208 to 147. So what? What does this say about the political parties? Since many Conservative Republicans oppose birth control, what does that actually say.If we believe that logic where did Robert Kennedy, a Liberal Democrat, fit in with 11 kids? Obviously, the Kennedy family being Catholic did not use birth control. Are the Republicans having more sex than the Democrats? Do Independents have sex? Does anyone care?

Using this social trends study, I can assume that my older daughter will have three Liberal Democrat children because she and her husband are Democrats while my other daughter will have two Conservative Republican children because their parents voted for the Conservative Republicans.

According to this study 80 percent of people with a political preference do so because their parents had the same preference. Maybe this works with people of voting age, but how can one assume that will always work? My father was a Democrat and my mother was Republican. I've been both, now I would consider myself an Independent.

If this study is accurate, we can assume there are and will be more Republicans. A word to the wise...Independents and Democrats need to have more sex, quit using birth control and have more babies. We need to even up the odds! Enjoy yourselves!

Confessions and Questions

Ok, I admit that I am a bit of a tv addict, especially news.I watch other shows too. Depending on the issure I may watch a bit of a talk show. I Like the the Discovery Health, National Geographic, and the History channels,too. Baseball and football are on my list, although the jury is still out on the Texans this year. I think the lights are begining to dim on the Astros.

So, in between commercials I keep up with the news. But, I was thinking about the news reports yesterday. How much coverage is too much? I've seen more of JonBenet and Iraq than I really want. Must we dig up every miniscule detail of every story? Our fearless leader, President Bush has his blinders firmly in place. Over and over, I hear his reason (excuses) for everything. Then of course the news stations rehash it all. Even local channels rehash their stories.

Then there are the religious channels. A favorite topic of late is the possibility of the end of the world. Many of them are encouraging people to back Israel, saying that the Bible has predicted that what is going on in the Middle East is just the begining. Some even say that Iran will be the one to start it all.

So, as a tv junkie, what should we think? Who do we believe? Is there a reason current events are being duscussed so much? After all, it doesn't seem that the "Western" values are going to help anything. It is obvious that the UN is inept at best.

I don't think it is a good idea to live life with blinders on. But watching world events go the way they are, I wonder if there is an answer. It seems that the world leaders are un willing and unable to do anything but throw money. Where is Jack Bauer when we need him? Even crabby Dr. House can solve the mystery diagnosis. Maybe we should just have all the tv and movie writers get together to figure out what to do.

Oh well, maybe things will get better on "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital". Let's see, will John and Natalie find the gun and will Sonny be able to help Alexis? Maybe I should stick to watching cooking shows.... Oh, never mind let me get back to my book.

Daisy, You've Been Very Naughty

What's the number to SuperNanny? Daisy, you've been very, very naughty. Just when we thought we could trust you, too. You are over a year old now. You've been doing well with your house training. We thought you were finished with some things. But, the last few days you have not behaved. I used to have to close all the doors to the rooms so you would not go into them. I had to keep the door to the den closed while you and I were there. You did so well that we started opening the door so that you could go upstairs. You and Lady were being nice but You are being bad now. Same on you. I caught you chewing on desk leg. Then I noticed that you had been pulling the cardboard off boxes in the living room. I know they have the Dickens Village in them but you can't tear them up. And don't ask why those boxes are still in the living room! But last night was the worst! Jimmy had the heating pad on the bed because his was having some back pain. So, Why did Daisy decide to tear into the pad and pull out the little foam pad that is for moist heat? Now I have to got see if I can find a thin piece of foam to put back in the heating pad. You are just lucky you didn't try to chew on the electric cord or the heating unit.

Daisy, you are in Big trouble!

Messages from Above?

The other day a guy from San Antonio had all the news people buzzing because of a tree with water pouring out of it. Some believers thought it was a sign. Others looked for some other explanation. The guy said he was sitting outside reading his Bible and noticed the water. Interesting, he was also wearing a Star Of David necklace. Guess he wanted to have all his bases covered. At some point the city decided to investigate. A crew was sent to check it out. They turned of the water to the man's house and the water stopped flowing from the tree. Hum? A sign?

Now a worker at an upscale chocolate factory has found a lump of chocolate that seems to look like the Virgin Mary. Just add this to the ever growing sightings of people who see images of Jesus or Mary in just about everything from a piece of bread to trees, or windows.

What does all this mean? The ney-sayers say that it is just a persons immagination. Others say these various sightings are messages from God. Are they? Are we all to the point that we will grasp at almost anything to "believe". Look at how so many ministers are saying that the Israel-Lebanon conflict is just the begining of the end of the world. Throughout history, there have been sightings or signs attrubited to messages from God. There have been statues that appeared to cry or look like they are bleeding. What should we believe? Scientists say that there is always a good explanation for things. The tree's roots apparently grew into the water pipes. That was fairly simple to diagnose. But what if all these things are signs? Hum?

Uh, Your Pants Are Falling Down

I saw a guy in the checkout line at WalMart yesterday who could have used some help dressing. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" Carson Kressley should have taken him shopping. This guy apparently never got the memo that oversized clothes are passe. He was wearing jeans, a knit shirt short sleeved shirt and a basketball type jersey over that. The first thing I noticed was that his jeans were bunched up around his ankles. Ok so he doesn't know how to hem his pants. Then I realized that these pants were not around his waist. They weren't even around his hips. If he sneezed hard those pants would surely have fallen down. He must have not had enough money to buy a belt. But then I saw the jersey over his shirt. That jersey would have been to big for the Jolly Green Giant. That fashion statement hung down around his calves. Yao Ming could have used that jersey as a night shirt. Fashions change and it is about time guys get the message. On the other hand he could probably fit four people in that outfit with him. Wonder what the shrinkage is? How come my stuff shrinks and his hasn't? Of course people still wear all that stuff in the music videos so I guess no one has told them either. Hey guys, the oversized clothes aren't styling. Maybe you'd like to get frisked cause it looks like you could carry off have a store in those outfits. By the way, I think your pants are about to fall down. Oops!

And I Stayed Up For This?

As I sit here bleary eyed this morning I have to ask myself why did I do that? Why did I watch the Astros game(marathon)? Worse yet why were there any fans left in the stands? Eighteen innings for nothing. Maybe they should have brought Andy in to pitch relief. Even though he pitches this afternoon. Roger started the game and as usual got no help, of course he didn't help himself much either. Even Jim Deshaies' "good luck charm" jacket could not help. Nothing worked, yet again. Brad Lidge could have closed the game. The Astros were ahead in the ninth 6-5. One more time Lidge didn't do his job. As a result the game went into extra innings. On and on the game went. Both teams used just about every available player. Is it time to give up? Well, the 'stros are still within striking distance of the Wild Card. But, it is begining to look more and more that they can start making Oct. vacation plans.
And to think that the Texas Rangers wanted to trade for Lidge. The Astros could still turn things around. Or it could freeze here next week. Take a wild guess to see which happens first.

The Longhorns and the Tide both open their seasons Sept. 2. The Texans won their first preseason game. Ok so it's only preseason. But maybe it's time to shift interest from baseball to football. After all, looks like the Astros will soon be clearing out their lockers. Maybe football will be better.

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

What was he thinking? The judge says, have Boy George clean the streets of New York City. Did he really expect the guy to be able to do this without a mob scene? With all the photographers and reporters following him around, how can he get anything done. I'm not saying the the "Culture Club" singer should be given preferential treatment, but the judge had to know there would be havoc on the streets. Surely there has to be something else that would be appropriate punishment. What a mess.

Just Give It Back

Somehow I have misplaced my energy. Or maybe it was stolen. I just want it back, no questions asked. It's not nice to steal, so whoever took it please return it. If you really need energy, I'll share it with you. Ok, maybe that's won't work. But, I've been looking all over for it and haven't found it. I took the dogs outside to see if they could find it. Daisy bounced around while Lady lay on the patio. We must have looked under every blade of grass. No energy there. Back inside we went. Up the stairs we went. I didnt leave it in the laundry room or in the bed. Not under the bed either. Back down the stairs we went. How does one long dog go down stairs so fast?

I just don't have any desire to do anything. Don't want to walk, watch tv, or read. I don't want to clean house. I just stand there and look. I don't want to cook. It is a bit cooler standing in front of the freezer trying to decide what I probably won't fix for dinner. I need to clean out cabinets. The kitchen pantry is so full of stuff that I can't find anything. I really need to get all the stuff out of the pantry that Amanda put in there. But that sound too much like work. Wonder when she will be back to get it? I really need to shampoo the carpets. But, if I don't buy the shampoo, I can't do it. How's that for logic?

Maybe it is the heat. Maybe I'm just lazy. Maybe I just don't want to think about it. But I really need to find my energy. If I put too many things off too long, I really won't want to do anything.

Don't expect any ransom to be paid. If I have to pay you, you might as well keep it. I would like it back though. So, if you find my energy, please, just give it back, no questions will be asked. After all, you might find yourself without energy someday. You'll want yours back then. Now, if I get on the exercise bike maybe I can find the energy to move, or maybe not.

Flying Nude?

Once again chaos reigns over the flying public. Kudos to the MI5 and Scotland Yard. At least they find some of their attackers. What does our governent do? Let's see...
Somehow I am begining to feel like a hostage. The terrorists don't really have to DO anything. Just the suggestion of embending doom is enough to put the flying public(and the rest of us)further into what could be considered a police state. You can't go anywhere without someone watching you. Those of us who obey the laws keep getting squeezed further and further. And yet most people say the increased security makes them feel better. Really? How come we can't keep illegal aliens from crossing our borders, even with the border agents and the National Guard?

So, since it so easy for some people to get into this country why do we not make screening easier? Let's not worry about the people streaming over our border from Mexico. They don't get searched (unless they get caught). Now that the British are not allowing any carry on bags, we can beat that. Not only can we all fly without carry on bags, we can fly nude. It would make screening a lot easier. No belt buckles or bra straps to set off metal detectors. We'd have nothing to carry that could not be seen in the clear plastic bags. We would not have to take off our shoes, or be patted down or wanded by the TSA. We wouldn't have to take keys, cell phones, and change out of our pockets since we wouldn't have any. The bomb sniffing dogs would have an easier time sniffing out suspicious smells. After all there are some creative people who are flying in pajamas. Maybe we could do away with the x-ray machine they use to check out baggage. Or maybe we could just climb on it and get a full body scan. Cheaper than going to the doctor for one. Don't want to fly nude? How about go to the airport nude and be met at the door with a hospital gown? Can't hide anything in it. But at least we'd be secure and maybe the planes would not have so many delays. Of course then the airlines would have to carry extra blankets and charge the passengers a fortune for them. Airline security, gotta love it.

Roy Oswalt, Home Run King?

The Houston Astros ripped the Pittsburgh Pirates 14 to 1. Roger Clemens must be thinking "where are those runs when I pitch?" It was one of those rare Astros games when everything went right. Pitching, fielding, batting all clicked.

Roy O was in the middle of a stunning game. Some fans had to be thinking no-hitter. He was pitching that well. But, alas it was not to be. But,he was happy to win with a LOT of run support. But the best part of the game for Oswalt and the fans had to be when he hit a home run. Oswalt hit his first career home run! The fans were on their feet with an ovation. As Roy went down the steps into the dugout, not one player said a word to him. The old silent treatment. Then players all grinned and congratulated him. Baseball traditon at it's best. As Roy said later "They straight faced me. It was pretty good. I knew what was going on. It was pretty nice." Then he had to up to the dugout steps to tip his hat to the hometowm fans who were all standing in applause.

Guess that's one way to make a statement! After all Oswalt wasn't very happy about the trade rumors around trade deadline. Who could seriously think the Astros would trade the Ace? After all Drayton just last year bought him his own backhoe so he could move dirt around on his farm.

Well, now Andy,Roger and Brandon will have to try to beat Roy. After all Roy is a power hitter now.

Texans Restart

Here we go again. Pre-season football in Houston starts this week-end. Questions, questions, questions. What can we expect? Will the Kubiak, Sherman era begin with a bang or a ho-hum? Kubiak is a no-nonsense guy. He works the players hard. Some words were said that a number of players were grumbling during training camp. Good! Kubiak has taken the approach that anyone and everyone can and must do a better job. So far he has not minced words with the players. Good or bad play is discussed in front of everybody, media included.

The offensive line is supposed to be better. We shall see. David Carr has been given another chance. Since the Texans will now be using a tight end, maybe Carr will be able to complete a pass. That is assuming that the line allows him to remain upright for more that thirty seconds.

Will the #1 draft pick be able to toe the line(pun intended)? Hopefully Mario Williams will be able to produce. He has had so many problems with a toe problem during training camp. Injury problems to some key players have depleted the depth of the team. I guess we will see...

The new era of the Kubiak team will begin. Is Houston ready? The days of "Love ya, Blue" are over. Former coach Bum Phillips did visit the team and thought they have potential. How much? Well, I guess you could say a 3-13 season would be a moral victory of sorts. Hopefully, the Texans restart will be an exciting move to the future. I'll watch the game with crossed fingers. Pay attention David, this could be your last chance! You've been given new coaches and a total new system. Time to get off your backside and be the leader!

The Lottery for Schools

The Texas Lotto helps schools in Texas by giving money to the school fund. The Texas Lotto, in a recent tv promo, proudly states that in the last 8 years it has provided eight billion dollars to schools. So how come school systems are still having a hard time finding funding? Why are they continuing to cut programs? Music, art, and phys, ed. are just a few of the cuts. But, school taxes continue to be a problem. Where is that eight billion going? Maybe there are just too many programs to fund. I wonder. I remember the discussions when Texas was trying to decide if we should have a lottery. To borrow a statement from a movie "show me the money", or at least where it went.

And You're Going to Drive That Car?

My elder daughter, Traci, is having a grand time in Detroit with some of her friends. A get away from small children is always nice for a mom. Sometimes you have to be around people whose food you don't need to cut. She asked her sister, Annie to stay with the kids. No problem. Annie brought her two boys to visit with their cousins. Four kids, three boys and a girl. The oldest starts school this year.

So that was the plan. Traci gets time away from the kids, Annie goes crazy. Annie's two boys are four and not yet two. Traci's boy is five and her daughter is four. Four kids that young. Where's the vodka!

So there is one glaring problem in this little story. Traci took off leaving her car for Annie to drive. Uh, what about the inspection sticker, what about the registration sticker? Seems that both these necessary stickers are out of date. Annie, has avoided going out for two reasons. Reason #1-four small children in a PT Cruiser. Reason #2-stickers are not current on the car. Four small children together is a nightmare under the best of circumstances. Then driving a car without proper stickers is like driving with a neon sign saying "ticket me". I can't believe Traci left Annie that car to drive. Why did she not get these things taken care of before she left? Who knows.

Tonight, Annie has to drive from Waco to Dallas to pick Traci up at the airport. Of course she will have to take the kids. I can not imagine what will happen along the way. Even if the children behave well, she will still probably get stopped by the police. Even if she avoids the cops on the highway, what will happen when she gets to the airport?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If I were Annie, I think I would be tempted to really put some hurt to Traci, especially if Annie gets stopped. I just can't believe that Traci would be so careless. When you are taking care of small children you cannot take chances. I just can't believe that Annie is going to have to drive that car to the airport. Is there a chance that Traci will learn anything? Uh...

Back to School ...Shopping That Is

It's tax free weekend shopping time again. Guess I won't be going to WalMart or Target this weekend. I'd rather not get run over by the crowds. I tried to do early Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving one year. Never again! I'm about to that point again with the annual tax free school shopping week-end. I'd really rather not have to fight the crowds of people. I'd hate to have to beat up some one buying adult diapers!

I find the tax fee idea good, but question some of the logic. This idea was supposed to help parents save money shopping for back to school things. I remember those days when I tried to buy school clothes for three kids. Not a fun thing to do. So,this week end there is no tax on certain items under $100. Jeans, shirts, jackets, shoes,gym suits and school uniforms are just a few items on the tax free list. But so are adult diapers, baby clothes, baby diapers, wedding dresses, and pajamas. So long as they are under the $100 limit, they are tax free. Why are wedding dresses on the list? Is there a high school junior wearing one to school? Now maybe a swim suit is ok if a kid is on the swim team, right? Baseball and football jerseys are ok, but not foolball pants. Personal flotation devices are not. Can't use those in the pool with the swimsuits.

School supplies are not tax free. No paper, pencils, notebooks, backpacks, map colors, and so on. Just how long to they think a ream of notebook paper will last? Cloth and lace, knitting yarns and other fabrics are not tax free. Neither are handkerchiefs. I guess tissues are more sanitary. I always thought it funny that each child in a classroom had to bring a box of tissues. Twenty-three boxes of tissue in the closet. Boy, those kids sneeze a lot.

As for me, I plan to avoid the crowds shopping for bargains. I need to save my strength for the Christmas shopping. That's coming up soon enough.

So to all the parents who survive tax free weekend, just remember this old song "Happy Days Are Here, Again" as your kids start school. Next May the kids will be singing Alice Cooper's "School's Out..."

Whinning Again

First of all, a Big Thanks to all of you visiting via Dr. John. The back is better today. Now I have something else to whine about, these days but who doesn't? Jimmy has some poker buddies who have cable and/or internet through Comcast. They have complained that the services are not reliable during bad weather. Now I have seen commercials saying that dish services are bad too, but is Comcast really that bad? Jimmy's friends have told him almost everytime the weather is bad their cable or internet goes out. So, the announcement was made the other day that the lone cable provider in Houston, Time Warner, is pulling out. Comcast will be moving in. This all is part of an agreement between the two companies after another bankrupt company was acquired. Time Warner and Comcast have agreed to swap certain markets. Houston is one of them. Of course, this all has to be approved by the feds, and we all know how that will go. So how come Time Warner is still advertizing their "specials"? Why would I want to switch internet providers or phone services to get these "great" rates if Time Warner is leaving? Actually, until I heard this, I was looking into the possibility because SBC(I mean ATT) keeps raising it's rates. Right now SBC(ATT) and Time Warner are battling each other here to gain customers. One has a package deal of phone, internet,tv for one price, one has another package for a different price. So why should I switch everything that I've got to another? I've been complaining lately because my phone bill through which I have internet has gone up over $20/month from approximately $73 to $93. My cable is through TW which has gone up also but is still under $50/mo but just barely. Why is Time Warner wasting ad money if they are not going to be here?

The comments Jimmy's friends made about Comcast's bad service make me worry. I'm apparently not alone. Time Warner customers all over Houston are concerned. Most are concerned about their cable service. Will they have the same program selection and will the costs change? There would certainly be a problem for high speed cable internet since customers would have to change e-mail accounts. Of course neither company is talking. Naturally. I just know that the last thing I want is to have the tv or internet go down everytime a cloud sneezes.

A Pain in the Neck, I Mean Back

Funny how things affect a person's mood. An argument with the spouse or child will easily put you in a bad mood. People at work will annoy you. But, I was not ready to be in a bad mood today. However, when I got up this morning, or tried to get up, I was immediately irritated. My back hurts. I'm not usually a complainer, I just go on and do what I have to do. But today is a different story. Bending over to put food in the dogs bowls hurt, lifting anything hurt. It hurts to sit, it hurts to stand. Usually I work it out and finally any pain I have goes away. Today, nothing seems to work and I really dont feel like doing anything. Having pain in the back is a real pain in the neck! Guess I'll have to find the heating pad and go sit down with it. Daisy will love that because she'll want to be right by me. Could be worse as I think of people with much worse problems. But I feel like whinning today. Tomorrow will be better, right?

Stripping Down the River

Tubing down the Comal and Guadalupe rivers in a big attraction in New Braunfels, Texas. Families have a lot of fun in the summer doing this. Just hop into the tube and bring the refreshments along, too. How relaxing. moms and dads bring the kids for a fun floating time. There is no need to get out for a cool drink because the drinks float along, too. As usual though some people always have to push the limits of good taste. Tourists and residents have complained about loud music and over-indulgence by some. So the New Braunsfels City Council has been trying to cut down on the wild behavior. They banned volume drinking devices like beer bongs and increased fines for noise violations. A new ordinance banning containers with a volume of 5 ounces or less will take effect after the next city council meeting. This is supposed to cut down on Jello-shots and the associated litter. Not a bad idea since the area likes the family atmosphere, not the wildness.

So some strippers from a San Antonio men's club decided to protest this by tubing down the river Sunda, encouraging men to pay $25 for the privilege of tubing with them. The strippers were not going to "strip" so why did they want to charge the $25? The strippers said they were not trying to start trouble, they just wanted to have a good time, and protest the new ordinance. Why would a man pay $25 just to float down the river with strippers who aren't going to strip?

What is even funnier to me is that some parents were objecting to the strippers even though the women were not doing anything inappropriate. Protest aside, why can't a stripper float down the Comal or Guadalupe rivers just like everyone else? One of the city councilmen was disappointed because this "float" was going to occur on Sunday when people should be in church. He was also offended because, as he said, strippers are trained to take off their clothes. Yeah, but they can have a life too, can't they? If no-one said the woman were strippers would it make a difference? Suppose ordinary citizens wanted to float down the river to protest the new ordinance? Would they cause so much upset? Hum....