This Could Be The Day

I've been doing different things on the internet today. Well let me say trying to do things. I've become more and more annoyed. Even I can type faster than it is printing the words. Going from page to page is frustrating. I have defraged and run virus and spyware programs which don't show any problems. My DSL rom good old AT&T is the fastest speed they have. We have had issues since we moved here. It may be this computer or not. Right now I am about to toss it out the window. Actually, I'm beginning to think it may be the Window Live Onecare. I did not have this much trouble before even just before crashes. Now let me find an open window! GRR...

Sheryl Crow Says Limit Toilet Paper Usage!

So, Sheryl Crow is advocating limiting the use of toilet paper. Say what? She wants us to limit the number of squares we use per visit. Ok, sure. Ask any mother of small children to do this. Good luck. I used to work for a doctor who said, in jest, that he was going to limit the use of toilet paper in the office bathroom. However, Sheryl Crow is not kidding. On her blog she said,"Now I don't want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required." Somehow I don't see this happening. Come on, that will surely take away the fun of TP-ing somebody's house. Isn't that a status symbol? There would go yet another fun thing to do. And how would I explain to Daisy that she can no longer pull the toilet paper around. How am I going to limit her to three squares? To limit the use of toilet paper could bring big changes in the art of potty training children. This could be the great American crisis. Tell a three year old child to use no more than three squares. Not gonna happen.

Then of course this was also during the time that Ms.Crow and her good buddy Laurie David, producer of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" got into a fight with Karl Rove. I would have paid good money to see that fight. They asked him to take a "fresh look" at global warming. Let's see, save trees, argue with Karl Rove, which would you do? How many trees will we save if we all use a maximum of three squares of toilet paper per restroom visit? Personally I would pay the extra money to TP Karl Rove. That would be worth the money!

Sorry Sheryl, I just dont see "law-abiding Americans limiting toilet paper usage. It is an American tradition. Sometimes three squares just won't clean the problem. It is bad enough when a person has to go or take a kid to a public restroom only to discover no toilet paper. Ask any mother about that nightmare!

Sometimes We Should Just Shut Up.

First we see the rants of a madman. All the news channels have broadcast this. Some people were not happy to have this shown, others felt they got a look into the troubled mind of this person. His parents are now forced to leave their home and move frequently so that the public will not bother them.

Then we see the rants of another man. This man is a public figure who has a tv show currently running on NBC. TMZ.com has broadcast the ranting phone call of Alec Baldwin to his daughter, Ireland. He is very angry at her because she did not answer her phone. He screams at her, calling her a "pig". He blames his ex-wife and yells that his daughter has done him wrong. The news channels deleted the profanity when they aired the audio. Somehow I get the feeling that it is "all about Alec". He complains how his daughter treated him badly on and on.

Maybe we should all take a look at what we say and how we say it. Let's look at ourselves the way others see us. True this is hard to do, but maybe we should. I know I have thrown tantrums in the past. Usually, I felt better afterwards. After all, this was an easy way to blow off steam and let loose frustration. Sometimes I felt bad after ranting, sometimes I was embarrassed.

There is an old saying which relates "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". If more people followed that philosophy, there would be fewer upset people in this world. Maybe there would be fewer wars. If we just stopped to think before we start ranting...Is there a better way to get the point across? Obviously Alec Baldwin never thinks before he speaks at least without a script in front of him. I knew that he and his wife had a very contentious marriage and divorce but I really wish he (they) would leave the kid out of it.

I wonder if all hot air being spewed by the blowhards of this world are contributing to global warming. There is one thing for sure if we thought more about what we were about to say or yell we might be better off. At least the world would be a little quieter.

Look at That-That's My Car!

Jimmy and I were playing with the Google maps the other day. It seems that all the news channels are now using it for stories. Zoom in on any city or country. Just think of those wonderful satellites roaming the skys taking pictures of Mother Earth. With just a click of a mouse you can find nearly anything in the world. Is that comforting? Did we find those weapons of mass distruction? Is a rogue army building up some lethal hardware? What is going on at Paris Hilton's house?

Then I looked right down at our building. I saw my car in the parking lot. That felt a little strange. Do I feel secure that someone is watching over me? Do I feel that my privacy is invaded? There is no good answer here. To think that someone can send a message to a satellite and find almost anything or anyone is both empowering and unnerving. Seeing my car in our parking lot made an impression on me. Technology is great. To think that satellite is keeping watch over my little car, well...uh,hum. I can't help feeling a little unsettled. Yet in our fast moving world, it is important to know where my car is.

Decorating? Don't Forget the AC Compressor

In the spring many people think of home improvement projects. Many choose to repaint or decorate a room or rooms in their house. Some decide it is time to landscape their yard or plant new flowers and shrubs or trees. All the colors of the new growing flowers just seem to make people a little more optimistic about life.

So think about this. Not only can you go to the local plant store or nursery to get those pretty, colorful plants, you can now have color on your air conditioner compressor. Huh? The York brand of air conditioners has been advertizing that they now have their compressors in colors. After all the house has a color scheme, right? The outside siding, trim or brick has different colors. Flowers and plants frequently accent the outside colors of the house. So now the air conditioner compressors are in colors too. Yeah, make sure the compressor matches the colors of the house.No longer is there the boring metal box sitting by or behind the house. It is now a decorative accent!

But, it does not stop with just the color offerings of the compressors. Now a compressor can also tell all the neighbors what college team you support. Somehow the color accents of the compressors can now include logos of colleges. Imagine that! So tell your neighbors what school you support by flying it's banner and showing it on the AC compressor. Isn't this a little much? What if your family favors more than one school? What if you sell your house?

I can just see it now. As a true Texas Longhorn fan, would you buy a house whose owner's air conditioner says Texas A&M Aggies? Call the decorator! Then call the AC sales man. What next?

Socks Travel Light

We have all heard the jokes about losing socks in the wash. I rarely have that problem. However, the last couple of weeks a sock or two has decided to take a trip. I learned some time ago not to leave the socks on the floor while sorting the clothes for washing. Daisy loves to steal them. But the other week one of my black socks decided to go on a trip. I looked in the washing machine, the floor, the basket and even under the bed. No luck. Then today one of my tan socks took off too. Maybe they are going on strke for better shoes. I feel their pain. Every time it rains they get wet as we walk the dogs outside. It's not their fault, the shoes are old and have holes in them.Or maybe they just want a little adventure before they go to the great plastic bag that gets thrown into the landfill of the lost. Socks know these things. They feel the air between the toes or at the back. They know time is short.A little last fling before dying. We could all use one of those.

Alas,I found them lingering beside the washer. One never made it to the washer and the other made it through but jumped to the floor before going to the dryer. Come on guys, your mates miss you. I know, I know, you don't have that much time left and you want to see a few more things before I have to replace you. I feel for you. An old pair of socks so warm and comforting, what stories they could tell. Hold on a little longer please. I'm not ready to let you go just yet. But, get back in the sock drawer, now!

Give Him the Bird

Jimmy and I have been discussing question of getting rid of Astro the parrot. I'm in favor, he's not. Of course Jimmy doesn't have to clean the cage, the wall, the table or sweep the floor of seeds and poop. Occasionally he looks into the cage and speaks to the bird. I get stuck with the loudmouth bird and all the mess. We have found someone who would like to have it. So, this morning Jimmy stands in front of the cage and chats with the bird. "Oh, I'll just go buy another one" he said. As the steam rises from my ears, I told him fine-you do all the care and cleaning and smelling of it. This place is too small for us and the bird. To keep the bird quiet so it won't disturb the neighbors, I have to keep the cage covered. I've said over and over it's not fair to the bird. We can't even put him on the patio because he is so noisy. Of course the cats in the neighborhood would love it.

Then we see a news story about a man stuck in a tree. Breaking news- a man is stuck 60 feet up a tree with along with a bird. This guy owns a $2000 Unbrella Cockatoo which had flown out a window. The man climbed a tree to rescue this bird and could not get down. News choppers are overhead broadcasting pictures of the man and bird in the tree. A couple of local fire departments go to the scene but due to the location can't get to the tree to rescue the man. A Houston police department helicopter was called but wasn't able to help. Next,the Coast Guard comes out and finally is able to rescue the man and his prized bird. Let's see, the first fire department estimated their cost for this attempted rescue to be between $5,000 and $10,000. Neither the Coast Guard or the other local fire departments have said how much their price was. That guy must really love that bird.

Hiding Crackers are We?

Dogs really do funny things. I was cleaning up the living room the other day and found a surprise. It was wash day so first I picked up the blankets from Lady's chair;yes she has her own chair. Daisy's idea of her chair is anywhere I sit. So as I picked up the toys to put them in the other chair, I discovered a small theft. I noticed the other day that Daisy had jumped into the chair with all the toys and was pushing the little blanket around. It was like she was trying to cover up something.Now I know she was. She's quite adept at stealing food out of the hands of unsuspecting snackers. Just ask Amanda about the loss of her muffin. When I saw her nosing the blanket around I thought it was funny.

Imagine my surprise to discover that Daisy had found a snack pack of crackers somewhere and decided to "bury" them. I guess that the snack cracker package had fallen either off the counter or fell out of the pantry. I never saw her take them. She did not bite or smash them or try to tear open the plastic. She just hid them under the blanket in the chair. Wonder when she did that? Oh well. Kids say the darnest things and dogs do the darnest things. Maybe now I need to keep an inventory of our snacks?

Play Ball!

At last baseball season is here! I'm so tired of re-runs and other boring shows. Finally the Houston Astros hit the field tonight. I'll be there in spirit. Once again we will hope for a good season. There are several unknowns, especially with the pitching since the only ace on the staff is Roy Oswalt. The other starters are question marks. Plus we signed up a big bat in Carlos Lee. He has some mileage on him and there are some pundits who say we paid too much at $100 million over several years. At his age, who knows? The Astros waived Eric Bruntlett but he cleared waivers and is now in the minors. He has a lot of talent and hits the ball well. Why did the team try to get rid of him? Who knows. Hunter Pence is another of those young good prospects that many people thought should be on the team, but he too is back at AAA. He most likely will be back up with the 'Stros at sometime during the season. One question still lingering, what about Clemens? Will he, or won't he retire and where will he play, Houston, New York, Boston? A hint might be a billboard welcoming the new season, It features some of the players, including Clemens. Would he allow his picture in an Astro uniform if he planned to go to another team?

Then of course I have a problem tonight. The game starts about 6:00pm. Most baseball games take at least two hours to play. That puts the late innings possibly still going at 8:00. That is when I have to decide Dancing with the Stars, 24 or Astros. Play ball!

The Flavors and Aromas of Life

It was not that long ago that things like coffee and soap had one flavor or smell. You either drank your coffee black or put sugar and/or cream in it. Now you can choose flavored coffees like hazelnut, Irish cream, pecan, and so on. You can also pick your favorite flavor of creamers both liquid and granule. How about a little coconut creme or chocolate? What ever happened to plain cream?. You can have flavored water and soda drinks. Even liquor is now flavored. Where once there was rum,vodka,tequila, now they have all sorts of fruit flavored brands. Liquor store shelf space is getting crowded with flavor choices. What used to be Jamaican rum now has several fruity flavors and colors of blue and pink and yellow. Just try to go to the store for a bottle of rum or vodka. What used to take 15 minutes will take an hour while you try to decide.

If all the flavoring of everything is not bad enough, now you have to choose what scent you want in your laundry detergent and fabric softener. Just what is "Spring Breeze" and will it be the same in the fall? How do you really know that "April Rain" is what April rain smells like. How come there is no "Fall Leaves" or "January Snowdrift"? And don't try to pick a dish detergent. There are flower and citrus scents everywhere. Is this going to make the dishes cleaner? If you don't rinse well, the plates may taste like soapy jasmine. Does "Lemon Cascade" really clean any better in the dishwasher than regular Cascade?

I can't decide on anything any more. Now when I go grocery shopping I have to open every different bottle to decide if I like the smell. I stand at the coffee and tea isles and try to decide if I will take this one or that one. What happens if I pick something and don't like the smell or flavor. Oops, throw it away and go buy a different one. Maybe it is a marketing ploy. Then again, all these added choices seem to have exploded in the last few years when people under 35 decided they wanted to mix flavors in the cocktails. Do they buy several different deoderants so they can smell different each day? No wonder there is an increase in the "mega" stores. With the explosion of choices in just about every brand, they need more space. Now, where is my husband? He said he was going to pick up a couple of things at the store. Maybe he is trying to decide what flavor of dog foood to buy.

Cats Out, Plants In

I haven't noticed any cat trails in the "litterbox" flowerbed lately. I did plant a couple of tomato plants and a sweet pepper and a bell pepper there. Then I took the old pots of cactus that I have had for a long time and put them in the corners. Guess the cats don't like to get stuck. I still wonder about one of the neighbors who leaves his second floor window open all night so his cat can "hangout".

Now I have to wonder when my landlady will send someone to mow and clean up the "yard". I have seen someone mowing and cleaning up the yard area of one of the three buildings. But our building and the one next door have not had anything done yet. Weeds are high both in front and back. We don't have any weeds in front by the parking lot, but the other building does. Of course we dont have much in the way of grass or even dirt in some places. Then again, when it rains all the dirt in the area along the walkways leaks out into the sidewalk. But the buttercups are doing well along the other side and back. Best looking weeds in the neighborhood!

I did clean out a lot of the airplane plants along the side of the "patio". So in a "public service" announcement, please do not plant airplane plants in a garden. They will rapidly take over all space and roots will be everywhere. I still have not gotten all the root dug up. What a mess. I was able to plant some caladiums and a couple of marigolds. I did find something strange when I was trying to clean out the space-several colored plastic stones. I picked out 5 of them. I have no idea how many are still buried in the dirt. Funny when I dug a garden along the side of the house where we used to live, I found plastic "crystals" buried in the dirt too. Odd. I wonder if it is some kind of cultural thing?

Now I am looking for some production out of what I planted. Hope springs eternal.

Just How Does a Person Fall Off a Cruise Ship?

What is going on here. I have seen several stories about people falling off cruise ships. How does that happen? I've never been on a cruise ship and don't really want to but that is just me. So how come there are so many people falling from these ships? These are not small boats. They are multiple stories high. I am guessing that there are railings along the deck sides. Are they not high enough to keep someone from falling? I saw a story a couple of years ago about a girl who fell off a motel balcony. It became a murder investigation.

Do these people who have fallen off cruise ships do it on purpose? Are they drunk, or seasick?Are they leaning over the rail to watch the ocean? Or is it a Titanic moment in which they think they are "king of the world"?

The latest accident happened around Galveston. Let's face it, a cruise ship won't stop quickly. The Coast Guard was called and the cruise ship had to stop and tell all the passengers to be quiet while the ship's crew shined lights into the water in an effort to find the overboard passengers. Luckily both passengers were rescued. Now they are apparently not talking. Hummm. Are they waiting for a book offer? Or how about a movie? They may be waiting a while. Wonder why they have nothing to say?

That Missed Call

I forgot to take my cell phone downstairs with me the other day. I keep it in the drawer of the bedside table so that Daisy won't be tempted. I accidentally left the remote on the bed and she chewed the cover off the battery holder. Needless to say, I dont want Daisy to think of my phone as a snack. So when I realized I didn't have my phone, up the stairs I went. As luck would have it, I had missed a call from my daughter. So I called her back.

"Hi, what did you want?"

"This is the other daughter, do we sound that much alike?"

"Well, other daughter, yes you do and it's not like I talk to you that much anyway. So why are you, other daughter, answering the other other daughter's phone"

"Because she is trying to figure out how to use my vacuum cleaner in her car."

"I see, well, other daughter, give the other other daughter's phone to her so I can ask her what she wanted."

"Ok, Now as I said the first time when I spoke to the other daughter, what did you want?"

"I don't remember."

"Where are you, and how come the other daughter answered the phone?"

"We're at the other daughter's house cause we are going to Colorado and she is keeping the kids for us. I wondered why she said she was the other daughter."

"Yeah, well she handed you the phone, now that makes you the other daughter, since I was talking to the other daughter and now I am talking to the other, other daughter."

"What do you mean I'm the other, other daughter? I'm the good daughter."

"Well since I just spoke to the other daughter and now I am speaking to you, that makes you the other daughter, right?"

"Uh, I have no idea, and I am getting a headache trying to figure this out."

"Well that's what I get for having two daughters who sound so much alike.So now tell the other daughter I said goodby and I'll talk to the other, other daughter when she remembers what she called me for in the first place. Right? Is that too hard to remember? She answered your phone and told me she was the other daughter, so since she handed you the phone that means she handed the phone to the other, other daughter."

Sometimes it is more fun to confuse daughters than it is to talk to them. Of course I don't think either of the other daughters have figured it out yet.

You Might Need to Show Your Driver's License...

I was channel surfing yesterday afternoon and stopped at the Fox News Channel when I caught a bit of a story that grabbed my attention. I don't think I heard the whole story, but it bothered me a little. Remember when stores put cold medicine behind the counter in an effort to control how much was being bought? Since cold medicine has been heavily used in illegal meth production, the stores wanted to keep watch over the sale of the medicine. Some cold medicine makers even changed their formulas so that it could still remain on the shelves. I wonder if this has really helped.

As the Fox News story continued I was stunned to see that some stores/pharmacies now have a hand held device which scans drivers licenses when cold medicine is purchased. This way the store can keep a record of who is purchasing cold medicine and how many times it is bought. While I understand the need to control illegal drug labs, is this the only way? Yes I know that if a person only buys cold medicine once in a while, it should not be a problem. Just call me paranoid. I did read George Orwell's "1984" years ago. That is why the more times the government gets information on us the more I wonder if this is wise.

Soon all the states will be required to change the driver's licenses to comply with government regulations of a "national" ID/ driver's license. Yes we must be kept safe from attack and illegal aliens. Our national security is at risk, or so they say. It was not that long ago that when I had to get a couple of money orders for a little over $1000, I had to show my license and sign a book. Lately that seems to have almost gone away. At least I only had to do that only once. I've also noticed a change in buying liquor at some places. In the past when we would buy wine or beer at WalMart, the cashier would chuckle and ask if we were over 27. Now sometimes, they want a birth date. Oh but wait, it gets better. A couple of weeks ago we bought groceries at WalMart. When they rang up a bottle of wine, I had to give them my driver's license. They keyed in the number and I wondered why? We now have to show driver's licenses no matter what the age is to buy wine, beer, or liquor. Why? What's is funny is, at least at WalMart, not every store is following this new rule. Again, I wonder what is up.

Soon, we will have to show a driver's license to get married or have kids. Need a pair of shoes? Don't forget the license. Oh man! I forgot to get a quart of milk. Where did I put my license? Ah yes, the government is all knowing, all seeing, all screwed up.

Birds Do It, Bees Do It, So Get Off My Car!

Springtime in Houston, ah choo! Trees and flowers are blooming. Everywhere you look-pollen. Pollen is on the sidewalks and on the streets. It rained a few days ago and brought a lot of pollen out of the trees. People are sneezing and have itchy, watery eyes. Walking along the neighborhood streets you can see the yellow lines of pollen along the way. Escaping is impossible. Of course if all the pine and oak trees were cut down, there would be less pollen. But, that is not a good idea. There is a yellow film over everything. Barbeque pits, patios, and cars are all covered in pollen. Some people are driving around in a yellow haze. Others are spending a lot of time washing, or having their cars washed. Car washers are very busy. Pity the poor guy who has to keep the new cars clean at the dealerships. I washed the car last week and discovered more yellow pollen on the car Saturday. Where are the birds and bees who help to pollinate all these trees and flowers? Could they be pollinating the cars? Cars don't flower. If a tree dumps a load of pollen on a car, will a pine or oak tree grow? No. The birds and bees love to carry or feed on the pollen. Just like the old song says, "birds do it, bees do it". Move that pollen around. There are thousands of cars and trucks in Houston just waiting for that lovely yellow tinge. Maybe I should invest in a carwash. Get that pollen off my car. Time to wash the car again.

A Daschund as a Scapegoat?

There is a sad story in the news here. A 5 month old infant was injured and his genitals severely injured. The mother claims that he was mauled by the family dog, a daschund. A daschund? I've had daschunds for a lot of years and I have never seen this kind of behavior. My dogs have growled or snapped on occasion, only if they felt threatened. I just don't see that a daschund could or would do something so terrible to a baby. The local CPS is also skeptical about this claim. The child's mother said she was sleeping and woke to hear the baby crying. She said he was lying next to the dog. According to a neighbor the baby was naked. The mother apparently ran to the neighbor for help. Police are still investigating, but they don't think the dog did it. CPS says that they have never seen anything like this. The baby is now in the hospital and has had surgery. Reports are that he will probably never be able to have children and may have problems all his life as a result of this.

Who knows what really happened. The mother is not being fully cooperative with the police and her boyfriend was apparently not home at the time. I just don't understand why she would accuse the daschund of such a terrible thing. Now the poor little dog is in custody. I guess they could kill the dog and do a necropsy to see if any human tissue is in the stomach or intestine. But what if there is none? Lets just say that the baby and the dog deserve better. Hopefully the police will solve this crime soon and the daschund will be vindicated.

Just Thinking

Daisy and I went on our usual afternoon walk yesterday. Since it is Spring Break here there were some children outside. One cute little boy asked if he could pet her. I told him that would be ok. Daisy enjoyed the attention. But for a brief moment I worried. What if I were a stranger? I had seen the boy before from a distance occasionally. I had met his parents a couple of times when they went for a walk. But, for some reason, I felt strange and thought what if? With so many child predators out in the world, I just kept thinking about how easy it would have been. I remember seeing a tv report of how these people attract kids. Sometimes they ask the kids to help look for a dog or offer something to the child. I'm sure that somewhere a predator has used a dog or puppy as bait. I don't know why but this thought would not leave my head. Would this child be as eager to pet the dog if someone else was doing it? So, maybe I'm overreacting but... Too many children fall prey to unsavory characters. At least most of my neighbors have seen me walk Daisy every day. We don't know each other personally but I guess since I live in the neighborhood, they are not worried. But should they be worried? Daisy had fun. She bounced around and looked at me as if to say "that was fun Mom". But, I wonder, what if? Just thinking.

Really, It's Time to Dump That Pot(Plant)

I don't think there are very many women who don't like flowers and plants. We all love getting flowers for Valentine's, Easter, birthdays and anniversaries. The problem is that cut flower arrangements don't usually last more than a couple of weeks. Some of us also like to have plants in pots. Sometimes it is just a single plant or it could be an expensive gift arrangement. Like the cut flowers, plants in pots don't usually last very long either. Many flowering plants are nursery grown and forced to bloom at a certain time of year. Just look at all the poinsettias at Christmas, and the Easter lillies during the Easter season. It really doesn't matter what the plant is. Growing plants indoors is testy at best. From the common ivy or draceana to the picky African Violet, they seem to defy the owner. Imagine spending $20 to $40 on a palm tree only to have it decide to drop it's leaves and die. How many times do people buy a bromeliad thinking it will look good in the bathroom. Just pour the water in the little well at the top, right. Then watch it sour and die. The lovely African Violet that is blooming so well in the store will have it's leaves turn brown and the flowers fall off.

We are addicted to these moody green things. We love to buy them and decorate our homes. But sometimes it seems that these plants are on a suicide mission. As soon as we bring them home they decide to keel over and die. We wonder why? We watered it. Drowned it is more likely. Or sometimes we forget to water them at all. There they go. Call the plant doctor. Too bad the patient is terminal.

So how come so many people insist on keeping these dead things? We put them outside on a sunny day and forget to bring them inside when the temperature drops outside. I watched a lady in my building kill her corn plant this winter. She put it outside for the sun, then it froze. The same thing happened to her dracaena. Stubbornly holding on to hope that the plants will somehow come back to life, they still sit outside. The life is gone, no more leaves will sprout. So get rid of it! Why keep the skeletal remains of a once nice plant? Yeah that pot is big and expensive. So put something else in it. Better yet put a fake plant in it. They can't be killed. Of course dogs and babies may pull the leaves off. Making the ultimate sacrifice is difficult but sometimes it is best. Don't continue to look forlornly at that poor dead plant on the kitchen table. Take the now lifeless plant, go outside, walk over to the garbage can, lift the lid. Now dump the plant, pot and all in the trash. Your neighbors and the other plants will thank you. Face it you cannot make that plant live again. Once it is dead, that's it. It's time. Get rid of that pot plant.

Another Friday, Dig Up the Potpouri

Friday morning. All is quiet, well except for the crowd at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo who are yelling at Sam Champion. The Good Morning America weatherman is doing the weather from there. Somehow he looks a little out of place. Wonder how he is handling the smell? He is attempting to learn the difference between a llama and an alpaca, before doing the weather. Next up trick riding lessons. Don't even go there, Sam.

I saw a picture of Michael Jackson in Japan where the people paid $3500 for 30 seconds with him. There's a joke in there but I'll leave that to Leno and Letterman. What was the print on that suit he was wearing. From a distance he looked like a clown. So what else is new? I got it-bring him over to here to work as a rodeo clown. Wonder who he would scare more, the bull/bronco riders or the animals?

So, do we have another example of double standards? That pot is really calling the kettle black! Newt Gingrich just announced that he was having an extra-marital affair during the same time that he was leading the charge against President Clinton during the Monica days. I guess Newt wants to get those skeletons out of the closet now since he may run for president. Or maybe he read that Barack Obama paid his overdue parking tickets. Funny, when people decide to run for political office, their past escapades comes back to haunt them. And some candidates think no-one will find out... Ah, but the nose of the news never has a cold.

Paul Newman is in town to talk up the Houston Grand Prix. At 82, he still looks good to me! Somehow it looks a little funny to have McDonald's as his car's sponsor. Guess Newman's Own wasn't available to be a sponsor.

The sports people around here are having a field day over the fate of Texans quarterback, David Carr. Fans want him gone. The team is still reliving the nightmare of not drafting Vince Young. So now that draft season is looming closer, speculation is running wild. So is speculation about Roger Clemmons. Will he, won't he and where will he. The local media as well as the national is getting yet another "I don't know" from him. He's been everywhere, pitching BP here with the Astros to visiting his Yankee buddies.

Well, my coffee pot just beeped, time to get that last cup and contemplate the day. Or at least go make the bed. Daisy is hinting that she wants to go for a walk.

Government Dysfunction?

It seems like every time I look at a news issue which involves our government, there is no answer. Maybe it is my imagination. It does not seem follow any party line, it just seems to waste time. Looking at the bipartizan panels and what they have done, or not done, recently I wonder what does get done. The recent commissions on 9/11, the Iraq War and now Military Health Care are just the most covered issues of late. The President appoints a panel to research and offer suggestions about an issue. The report is published. The President reads it. Then off to report heaven it goes, never to be heard from again. A lot of people were very critical of the lack of response to the 9/11 report. The Iraq War report has been sort of swept under the rug. Now that Mr. Bush wants a panel to study the problems with Walter Reed and other military health care issues. I have a sinking feeling that unless the American public does not demand action, there will be little done.

The Senate and House both have their pet projects. Each state has issues they want to present to their elected representatives. I get the feeling that there is a lot of money spent by our government on doing very little. We have all heard of the millions, or billions spent on "pork" that ultimately benefits very few. On big issues of national interest we have the same problem. Lots of talk, little action. Maybe the Walter Reed disaster will change this. I hope so, but...

If a business were to run the way the government does it would be in bankruptcy. Maybe we could turn the government into a for profit company? Nah, they still couldn't accomplish anything. Are we paying our government by the word? There seems to be a lot of words spoken but little done. Let's watch what is done about the military health care system. This terrible situation is center stage. As far as I am concerned how this is handled will dictate not only how we solve problems but how the world will view us.