How Do You Spell That?

Caught live on Google Maps

Can't say exactly what day this was, but if you notice just north of the dam and a little to the east are two square boxes. Those are the restrooms for the Roush Lake Recreational Area.

Posted by Brian at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why? Because their local Education Outreach Coordinator sends e-mails like this...

Subject: This time, it's for real: Save NPR and PBS

Hi,

You know that email petition that keeps circulating about how Congress is slashing funding for NPR and PBS? Well, now it's actually true. (Really. Check at the bottom if you don't believe me.)

Sign the petition telling Congress to save NPR and PBS:

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

A House panel has voted to eliminate all public funding for NPR and PBS, starting with "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and other commercial-free children's shows. If approved, this would be the most severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.

The cuts would slash 25% of the federal funding this year―$100 million―and end funding altogether within two years. The loss could kill beloved children's shows like "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Arthur," and "Postcards from Buster." Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships.

Already, 300,000 people have signed the petition. Can you help us reach 400,000 signatures today?

http://www.moveon.org/publicbroadcasting/

Thanks!

P.S. Read the Washington Post report on the threat to NPR and PBS at:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=745

Susie Peirce
Education Outreach Coordinator
WFWA PBS 39
Dr. Rudy & Rhonda Kachmann Teleplex
2501 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne IN 46805-1562

Where do I begin? An organization that is primarily funded by public dollars begging for help. That's not a big deal I guess, schools do that all the time. But the one thing that gets me is three seperate links to moveon.org, a Political Action Committee who's sole existance is to promote the Democratic Party's agenda. And the people at PBS wonder why the general public views them as a liberal organization?

Update: Oh, and don't send an e-mail to the Station's Manager either. He apparently is too busy to read his own damn e-mail...

From: Roger Rhodes

Roger Rhodes is not available to review your message.

For time sensitive business matters you may wish to call the corporate offices and leave a voice mail or ask for Rich Bienz, Vice President.

Posted by Brian at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sexual Offenders Not Welcome At Public Shelters

What's the gist of the story? If there is a hurricane in Florida and you need to seek shelter and you are a sexual offender, you will be unable to enter the facility. The sheriff's office is more than willing to shelter you however, inside their nice warm jail, in which they will gladly transport you there against your will if you go anywhere near the storm shelter.

Maybe it's because I'm a guy, but I'm finding it hard to believe that it's OK to let this guy into a shelter but some guy who did a bad thing twenty years ago will be left out to possibly die.

Hate to say this, but this law will most likely be passed and it will take the death of some family who couldn't enter a storm shelter because of something dad did twenty years ago that will change the public perception.

Posted by Brian at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Good: Pink Floyd is reforming for the Live8 concert in London.

The Bad: David Gilmour's press release:

"Like most people, I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased air to the third world. It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GMP to the starving nations. Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it's got to be worthwhile."

The Ugly: Where the hell do I start? Using Mr. Gilmour's logic, I'm sure that in the case where he's loaned money to someone who is extremely poor; he has forgiven the debt immediately because he doesn't want to be "crazy" like us Americans.

Oh wait that's right, days before I started hammering Derek with IMs about his probable pending trip to London, Bush and Blair had already started pushing for debt relief. And of course Bush annouced back in 2003 when Geldof was busy filming television shows a huge and sweeping package for AIDS relief in Africa.

Remember our stingy tsunami relief that eventually totalled over $350 million dollars BEFORE private donations were tallied? How about the well publicized joke that George Bush was so stupid that he sent an Aircraft Carrier to a disaster site.

I am so tired of the snivelling, self-righteous crap that comes out of these Elitist assholes mouths everyday about how we should "do more" but then demand that venues spends hours pulling all the Brown M&Ms out of the damn bag.

Dave, I love your music but you and your buddies are full of crap. When you start sending off lump sums of your touring dollars to hellp the poor, then I might listen more.

(Disclaimer: I actually do support the G8's debt relief...but I also love to point out hyprocrisy when it rears it's self-righteous head.)

Posted by Brian at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And no, I don't mean an age group with heritage from our friends south of the border. I mean the totally vapid, self-serving decision making some of hollywood Elite have made. Anyone who would stop a child from being breastfed because of their own neuroses needs to seriously reflect on why they are a parent.

Predictions on how this ends:

#1. Mea Culpa. Rosie comes out and says she was wrong, yadda yadda yadda, everyone's happy.

#2. F*ck You! Rosie says what she does as a parent is her own business (never mind that she's in a relationship with the child's parent) and this is the first item of several that eventually breaks up the marriage/relationship/whatever is politically correct to call it.

My personal guess is she'll pull a #2 until it hits the major media, then about face to #1 putting her squarely in the center of attention once again.

(UPDATE) One more thing....her blog is full of comments from "lactivists". It's bad enough to have a sit in for public breastfeeding but to call your group a bunch of "lactivists" seems just as self serving to me....

Posted by Brian at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Transterrestrial Musings

NSF is supposed to have a press release later today about the discovery of a possible Earth sized planet.

(UPDATE): The planet is eight times the mass of the Earth and rotates around it's star every 1.9 days. Cancel the plans to build the extraterrestial beachfront property...

If anything, 2014 can't get here soon enough.

Posted by Brian at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rejected by other sites, it's here tonight for your viewing pleasure.

ATA Flight out of Denver, flying over Kansas at 39,000 feet.

Posted by Brian at 1:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why you ask? Because you occasionally get to see some really cool planes like this...

It's a 1930's vintage Lockheed Electra. It's beautiful and it's was loud. Loud enough to where you would ahve a hard time holding a coversation as he flew over my house at somewhere close to 1500 feet. I've got the camera ready to grab a picture in case he flies over again...

Posted by Brian at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

#1. Whoever let Lucas move forward with a evil guy named "Dooku" should be beaten.
#2. CGI was wonderful.
#3. Derek's points are right on.
#4. Why is it we get to see Hayden's bare chest, but not Natalie Portman's?
#5. Interesting, maybe. Cheesy, yes. Did the kids love it? Yes. Did I?

Posted by Brian at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)