Inside Stuff

I can't add anything to this...it's not allowed anymore.

But there was a time when "Radio News" was something you couldn't turn off.

(((Warning this is no longer politically correct))




P.S. Final Four Hotel Rooms Here!


Yeah, I have no shame....20/20 blogging :)

Final Four Madness

The final four tourney is about to descend on San Antonio which means I'm getting flooded with NCAA® 2008 Men's Tournament information. The big worry in San Antonio is whether the giant new convention center Hyatt hotel will be actually finished in time. They say it's ready, but you get the impression that if a few guests reach for the shower faucet and it comes off in their hands, no one will be shocked...except maybe the guest paying a gazillion dollars for the room.

(((Warning blatant plug coming)))


Of course, folks looking for last minute hotels for the Final Four® should realize that if they book a room in Universal City, Selma, Schertz, New Braunfels or any other nearby town, they'll still be 15 to 30 miles or less from the Alamodome and their hotel rates will be far less. Heck, you could even stay south of town in Lytle and then head for the coast after the games. Spring Break is in full swing, if that's your cup o' tea (although tea is not usually what's being served). Yes, there are plenty of available rooms for the Final Four. Just wanted to make sure anyone looking for a "last minute final four hotel" didn't think they'd missed out.

(((Blatant commercial plug now ending)))

Anyway, one interesting fact: They put down the "floor" for the games at the Alamodome yesterday. Did you know they only use wood from trees grown north of the 38th parallel for the court? It's true. Maybe I'll tell you why later, when I have time to post more insightful blatant plugs information.

In the interim:



This time lapsed video of the floor installation in Atlanta is sort of cool.

Talking The Talk

So, I was looking up some translations this morning and ran across this guy.

He speaks too.

Of course if you don't speak Spanish you don't know what he's saying...




This is the English reverse translation of what I originally typed...but I had to modify it after realizing that it lost a lot in the translation.


Speaking of not perfect. A preacher near Fort Worth is offering you a chance to win a new vehicle if you'll listen to his three minute testimony, and hopefully be convinced in those three minutes to give your life to Christ.





Personally, I've always said whatever gets you right with God works for me, but I sort of wonder if the promise of eternal life in God's kingdom isn't "bait" enough. Winning a car seems a little earthly doesn't it?

Then again, this Pastor's ministry has dabbled in the unusual before. I think he's the same guy who offered people at a rodeo who listened to his testimony free rides on a mechanical bull.

The drawing for the car is being overseen by the law firm of:

Whitaker, Chalk, Swindle and Sawyer.

Sometimes, you just have to write it and leave it up to interpretation.

Easter

He is Risen!


Easter 2008.

The house is quiet and my goal is for us to make it to the 9 a.m. church service. My reality tells me that's unlikely.

We haven't been the best at rallying for church lately and so I figure if we make the 11 a.m. service I won't complain.

We have three people, and I think one dog, now living in our 'upper room ministry.' One of those folks, all unrelated except by circumstance and work projects (and in the case of the dog, by species), "might" join us today at church. I would think it's a long shot to believe any of the other "humans" will make it - the dog, Gypsy or Gabby depending on who is calling her name, I'm sure would be eager to come along, and possibly be the best behaved among the bunch...but getting this group organized and ready to do almost anything is a lot like herding cats.



How we went from an empty nest to a full house is a story I've yet to figure out completely. I'm really not certain I need to know the "how" anyway...as long as I'm still comfortable with the "why" and the "Who."

Sometimes you open your doors to a brilliant day, sunshine and Easter eggs.

Sometimes we open our doors to other surprises. In each case, I find it best to leave the details to God.

This is the way He works.

At least in my life.

As soon as I opened the door to Him, He was the first one to enter.

He's made Himself at home, despite our failings, our moments of frail faith...our time challenges, and our apparent tendency toward trust bordering on lunacy.

He is a merciful and patient God.

He is alive!

We're driving forward.

He is Risen!


I better start the coffee aroma wafting around the house if I expect anyone else to rise this morning though.

God bless you. Praise God for His mercies and His message.

You can be reborn, remade, resurrected!

Open the door.

Offend? Moi?

"Do I offend?" - Pepe Le Pew


Please don't take offense.

These images are from a "college humor" website.

Seriously, if you can't be silly when you're a kid...when can you be?



Okay, I suppose my posting this makes the point that you can be silly in your 50's too.


Anyway I am old enough to have edited out some of the images which were guaranteed to offend. I may be young at heart, but I'm in a slightly wiser "wineskin."



Of course, there are folks who will become fixated...they won't budge in their opinions, nor lighten up. They're just sort of stuck in their beliefs about this sort of thing.



But I don't believe there's much sense in washing our hands of everyone who offends us.




Maybe it's because I remember doing a lot of silly, stupid and probably offensive things. As I aged, I saw things differently.



I think once in a while - not always - remembering the dark days of your past is an excellent way to shed light on the path you should take in the future.

P.S.

If I did offend you, my apologies. Please click here, I'm sure this website will not disturb you theologically, morally or mentally.

I Bet You'll 'Rish You Didn't See This

I've been so busy lately, odds are I won't be posting anything before St. Patrick's Day, so I figured this was as good of a time as any...besides I found a website that let me make this goofy little display.

Actually, while working on some personal business websites and learning that I'm a lousy basic web designer, especially when I'm rushed, I've also been trying to learn more about using Shockwave flash with marginal success.

So I took some liberties with the code in the video below...removing a good chunk of it which is not really kosher..although I don't think the Irish are too concerned about being kosher in the culinary sense of the word.

In any case, I'm rationalizing my butchering in a number of ways, including that they have nothing on their website saying you shouldn't tinker with their product. Plus I've produced a radio feature about this little widget maker and their website for use on St. Patrick's day....and trust me, that will get more attention than my blog.

Okay, I still feel guilty. So before I go any further, this is the link to their site, where you can make your own goofy blatant plug for Irish Spring.

I will warn you that the most difficult part is not choosing what you're going to look like...



Although that is pretty scary...I found the hardest aspect was trying to work out a speech pattern, which you'll see or hear if I ever stop typing.

I think I'll do that now...

It's not like anything I write is going to make it any better.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
====


(((Post Script)) - Sorry, but the little video keeps making noise and there's apparently no way to turn it off....

Well there is one way.

Which is why the little video is gone.

Happy Palm Sunday!

=======
P.S.S. - I think THOUGHT they caught on and turned off the non-stop gurgling which runs even if this video promotion isn't running. So I took a risk worthy of St. Patrick - not really sure what that constitutes in this day an age, drivin' out snakes, or drinking green beer from a dirty glass. In any case, here's another silly time waster, my apologies in advance..

PSSSS

Okay, sorry. Hope you saw it. Not sure anyone sees anything here anymore. But I couldn't get it to stop making a bubbling sounds....CONSTANTLY. So, it's gone.

If you want to punish yourself...you can still see it here. As you'll note I put a lot of effort into putting up the website.

Guess it's my Irish temper.

"May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you."

Swurfp's Up and Other Chemistractions

After spending all of my time at the computer lately actually doing work type stuff, or learning how to do work type stuff, I know I need to stop for a bit. I need a distraction, which luckily I've found thanks to Wired.

It's a list of 10 Amazing Chemistry videos although a few of them I'm not exactly amazed by. Don't get me wrong, they are interesting, but they have that chemigeek aura which evokes memories of "homework" (not that I ever took chemistry) which in turn reminds me of the work I should be doing. You might not be able to follow my thinking - not to worry, you're hardly the first - but suffice it to say I'm guilty of skimming through a couple.

First off, before you see the origin of the image below, what's it look like to you?

No, it's not the Virgin Mary - well, at least no one is claiming it to be as far as I know, but then again I only now posted it - and don't put too much pressure on yourself, there is no "right" answer. It's subjective...and face it, it's not like anyone is going to hear your answer anyway.

I'll go first...to me it looks like a swan...or a Smurf...or one of those rubbery non-biodegradable Easter candies...um...[Pause for a 'Senior moment']...oh yeah, Peeps©. I'm opting for a blend of all the above and calling it a "swurfp."

As you'll see, it's neither edible or something you'll want your kids to handle much less eat. It also doesn't have the staying power of a "Peep©" although admittedly, beyond uranium by-products, I'm not certain if anything does...

Presenting:the Swurfp

So by now you've either gone back to work or you're curious as to the swurfp's origins. I'm not going to think too much about which camp you've chosen. Therefore, keeping with the theme of distraction - here's the video:

Cool huh? As I mentioned, Wired has 10 videos you can check out, I'm only pirating one more which I think fits my "theme." Well, it's at least at the same basic level as swurfpism in that it involves something sort of cute which we associate with kids, or perhaps your inner child - a little red Gummi bear.



Harmless, innocent... at least upon entry to our digestive systems, I'm not so sure how our bodies deal with our gobbling down dye infused quasi-edible rubber stuff, but I do know that in the following chemistry video one red Gummi bear is...transgummed. I don't want to spoil it, but he definitely loses steam in the cute and edible departments.

The video speaks for itself but for the chemigeeks amongst us, the ingredients at play are one red Gummi bear and a mixture of oxygen, chlorine and potassium. That sounds innocent - not Gummi bear innocent - but nothing to spark gummimania. You chemigeeks surely already realize this, but for my fellow chemistracation depribates allow me to explain that the trio of oxygen chlorine and potassium can be combined into what's known as potassium chlorate.

Yes, you do too know it, you just don't know you know it. You probably have used potassium chlorate lots of times in your life, it's in disinfecting agents, "safety" matches, and...um...fireworks.

Further elaboration seems unnecessary, so...as they say in Hollywood and no doubt in highly lit storage units rented by low budget pornographers,"Let's roll the video!"

Goodbye Gummi! I'm getting all misty...then again so did Gummi.

I don't know if the teacher responsible for the gumminnihilation was wearing goggles or a mask to prevent breathing in the gummigas - nor do I know if gummifumes are hazardous although since potassium chlorate is an ingredient in matches and fireworks, I imagine simply the gummivaporative odors merit some prophylactic filtration.

The video does clearly show the little red Gummi bear's fumifier is not wearing gloves, which doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Then again, I never studied chemistry.

I actually am fairly well versed in English and yet amid my frenzy of fictitious phraseology who am I to criticize the practices of a gummicutioner?

Obviously I'm a borderline bacchanalian entymologesiac, and borderline probably isn't the right word.


I should have stopped at Swurfp...but then I wouldn't have distracted you this long...

Where's the humoriversion in that?

Final Four Hotel Rooms - Still Available!

Plenty of room at the inn...

Are there still rooms available for the NCAA Final Four?

Open hotel rooms for the NCAA Tourney?

Final Four hotels?

Anyone asking you those questions...probably not, I just put them in there to play with search engine algorithms.

You see, this is a blatant plug.
I'd apologize, but we live in a capitalist society.

Google will search my blog faster than any website I can put up.

Pardon the interruption but I wanted to get this in to answer those folks needing Final Four lodging.

The are plenty of available rooms for the 2008 Men's NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.

You need to remember that there are a dozen or more cities within 30 minutes of downtown San Antonio, where the NCAA Final Four rooms are less expensive and plentiful!

Hey, I've been working on this stuff during every free moment, and plan to for the foreseeable future. As a wise man once told me, "If you're not going to promote yourself, who is?"

So think of it as sort of like financially motivated blog Tourette's...once in a while I'll just spout something that seemingly makes no sense. Of course, the argument could be made that this is not a new phenomena...

Inexpensive rooms available for the Final Four!