Synapses Gapses

Certainly been some interesting things in the news here lately.  Floods, bombs, and lots o’ oil just to name a few.  Would it surprise you to find out have some thoughts on them?  Didn’t think so.  By the way, tonight’s music has nothing to do with the content.  Just what I felt like playing.  If you’re ready, here we go:

• Up to 95 followers on Twitter now.  Hoping to be up to 100 sometime soon.  Got my first celebrity tweetback last night.  Sent Kelsey Grammer a tweet about how much the Mrs and I love Frasier.  He tweeted back “Thank you.”  Have noticed he’s pretty good about responding to people, but wasn’t expecting a reply from him myself.  Yes, short and sweet but still purty cool to me.  Am glad made the decision to join Twitter.  Have “met” interesting people from all around the world.  Been a lot of fun and informative all at the same time.  Several friends speak different languages about half the time.  (@GadgetClo – Spanish; @ingek73 – Dutch, I think)  Really enjoy them when they speak English.  Someday will have to learn how to read their languages cuz sure whatever they are saying in it is interesting, too.  If you follow me on Twitter, thanks for the follow!;
• Speaking of different languages, one of the things which has intrigued me the most about Twitter is seeing how different American English is from British English.  There’s been several times I’ve had to either ask what something meant or looked it up on Google or Bing.  For instance, yesterday was some sort of holiday so lots of folks were off work.  Several people were talking about going to car boot sales.  My first thought was a lot of people sure need tires over there.  Turned out they are similar to flea markets and/or garage sales over here in the States.  In Britain, a car boot is the trunk so a car boot sale is someone selling stuff out of the trunk of their car.  Have seen several people use the term “knackered,” too.  Think it means “tired,” but I’m not completely sure about that.  Thus endeth the lesson.  Amazing how we use the same words but speak such a different language all at the same time;
• Been watching the big oil slick out in the Gulf, especially since used to live that way.  Before all this is over, there will be plenty of lawsuits.  Heard the sharks, er, lawyers are already circling around all along the coast.  Within a couple of days, there were already about 10 suits seeking class-action status.  Only in America.  Saw a quote where the BP chairman said there will be lots of fraudulent claims filed since this is America.  Sad statement cuz it’s true.  Seems like BP is trying to do the right thing.  Have seen some folks complaining about how slow our gov’t has been to react to it.  Not really sure what they could have done differently at this point.  But sure we’ll find out soon enough.  Hope it gets contained quickly;
• Got a big election coming up in Britain on Thursday.  Will be interested to see who wins and how it ultimately affects the US.  Not really sure who I should be rooting for.  My Twitter friends from over there have made compelling cases for two of the candidates.  About the only thing they seem to agree on (I think) is none of them really want Gordon Brown to win. Most of them watched all three debates.  Sad to say, didn’t watch a single one of ours in the last election and can’t remember the last time I did watch one.  Keep hearing something about a hung parliament, but have to admit not really sure what that means.  Think it’s where no party has a clear majority.  As I understand British politics, that will make it difficult to choose the next prime minister.  Could get real interesting to see what happens with one of our strongest (if not THE strongest) allies.   If you’re from Britain, make sure you vote.  As someone told me once, if you don’t vote, you got no right to complain.  Just don’t be like rural Alabamians (and several other Southern states) who vote early and often;
• Gonna be interesting to see who all is involved in the Time Square bomb plot.  Somehow doubt this dude acted alone.  Keep hearing about what a hero the police officer is who recognized what was going on, and rightfully so.  Don’t hear much about the vendor who told him about it, though.  Seems like he should be getting some credit, too.  Anyway, dude almost got away with it(why do I hear “And I would have, too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids” in my head).  Another 5 minutes and he would have been gone forever.  Now folks are arguing whether it’s the gov’t’s or the airline’s fault he almost got away.  Seems to me like TSA should have known he was on the no-fly list before the airline did and not let his sorry butt through security.  Someone in Customs was supposed to be checking his papers before he got on the plane, weren’t they?  See another long investigation coming on this, too.  How much you wanna bet we don’t find any fault with ourselves?;
• Did you hear about the Philadelphia Phillies fan who got tasered at the game the other night?  Some 17 year-old kid decided it would be a good idea to jump onto the field and run around.  Even asked his dad if it would be OK before he did it.  Supposedly daddy didn’t say yes but didn’t say no, either.  Anywho, while he was running on the field, a police officer pulled out a taser and shot him with it.  Now people are giving the officer a hard time about it.  To me, the idiaht deserved everything he got.  Should have gone up in the stands and got daddy, too, for not at least trying to stop him.  Maybe this will stop others from running out there looking for attention.  Puts a lot of people at risk when dopes run out on the field like that.  Will say it again: idiaht;
• Been watching America: The Story of Us on the History Channel.  Overall, think it’s been pretty good even though they are glossing over a lot of things.  Have noticed a slight liberal twist to most of it.  Bout the only conservative who’s been on there is Newt Gingrich, so far, anyway.  Still, been some interesting things on the show.  Seem to be going out of their way sometimes to talk about the contributions of some folks in our early history you don’t normally hear about.  Has been good to see how much African-Americans contributed to the cause during the American Revolution.  Thought they went a little too far when they talked about Baron Von Stueben having to leave the Prussian army over rumors he was gay.  Not really sure what that had to do with anything other than just to throw it in there.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  But, recommend tuning in to it.  Gonna talk about the Civil War this week;
• Know I’ve been pimping the Stanley Cup playoffs in my last couple of blogs, but I’m gonna pimp them some more.  Have been some awesome games this year.  Some of the goalies have been nothing short of spectacular.  Been some real hard hits, too.  There’s nothing in sports like Stanley Cup playoff hockey in my opinion.  You should really check it out.  Who knows, you might love it!!!

Hope you’re having a great week!  Let’s hope they figure out a way to round up all that oil before it destroys too much coastland.

Peace out!

These May Only Interest Me, But…

Before get started, how do you like the new look of the page?  Just seems a little more serene and thought-provoking.  Like the old saying goes, if you cant impress ‘em with your smarts, divert their attention.

Anyway, been some things in the news which have caught my attention.  May only interest me, but, they might interest you, too.  So, if you’re curious about what piques my interest, here we go:

• Jaime Escalante died this week.  You may be asking who he is.  He was the inspiration for the movie Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips.  Mr. Escalante was a math teacher in an inner-city school.  You know, the schools where no one is supposed to be able to learn?  Anyway, he started teaching advanced math classes such as calculus and his students became some of the best students in the country.  He proved attitude has more influence than conditions, which is something I’ve thought for a long time.  It’s easy for kids to lay blame on someone or something else if adults do it, too.  Just something to think about when you’re talking to your kids.  RIP, Mr. Escalante;
• Been seeing a lot of headlines about the Sandra Bullock/Jesse James situation.  Who is cheating on who with whom?  Why did they do it?  Who will be filing for divorce?  Why should we care?  If he cheated on her, that should be between them and not played out in all the tabloids.  Would this really be a story if she hadn’t won the Oscar this year?  Hard to say for sure, but I doubt it.  Barely know who he is and she hadn’t really been heard from in a long time until The Blind Side came out.  Am I saying he shouldn’t have cheated on her?  Absolutely not.  Just wishing the media would leave them alone, or at least her, anyway;
• Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was killed in Iraq in 2006.  A Baptist church out of Iowa decided to protest the war during his funeral.  His father Albert Snyder filed suit against the church for invading the privacy of the funeral and causing even more distress than was already there.  The initial jury awarded him millions of dollars.  The appeals court not only overturned the award but ordered Mr. Snyder to pay the church’s legal bills.  Now, can understand the court saying the church had the right to free speech since they were protesting outside the funeral in a public place.  Freedom of speech even applies to idiots as long as they are not inciting violence or anything like that.  But, it’s a real slap in the face of Mr. Snyder to be ordered to pay the legal fees for the church in my opinion.  Would not consider this a frivolous lawsuit.  Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything.  The funeral for someone who died for your freedoms is not the place for an anti-war protest.  Anyway, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Mr. Snyder’s appeal.  Hope they have some sense about ‘em;
• President Obama has decided to open up some of the oil fields along the Gulf Coast and Virginia which have been closed for the last 20 years.  Now, you would think the Pubs would be happy and the Dems would be upset.  Well, at least one Pub has said it didn’t go far enough.  Some Dems are supporting it while others are leery about environmental concerns.  Obama started his presidential campaign by saying he was agin it but would open them up if there was scientific proof it would help.  Guess he found it somewhere.  Can’t imagine there’s enough oil in those reserves to make even a tiny dent in our needs.  But, have to give him credit for trying to appease the other side of the aisle on at least one issue.  I’ll give you a little oil in exchange for signing a health bill few people in the public are happy with.  Seems like a fair trade, huh?;
• Heard about Pat Venditte?  He’s a right-handed pitcher for the Yankees.  No, he’s a left handed pitcher for the Yankees.  No, oh, heck, he throws with both hands.  Just depends on which side of the plate the batter stands on.  Has a six-fingered glove so he can switch it back and forth.  Now, it’s amazing enough when anyone is talented enough to pitch a baseball at the professional level.  Hard to imagine having that kind of talent in both arms.  He’s still in the minors for now, but he may make it to The Show before too long.  Will have to keep an eye out for him;
• Most of you know I’m an Alabama Crimson Tide fan through and through.  But, saw a story this week where one of Auburn’s recruits (who picked AU over UA for some reason) was diagnosed with leukemia this week.  His name is Shon Coleman.  Has to be very tough to hear this kind of news when it seems you have everything going for you, especially for an athlete of his caliber.  My thoughts and prayers go out to him for his recovery and to his family for their comfort.  War Eagle, Shon!;
• As you may have seen on the left, decided to join the Twitter world last week.  My screen name is ScotPS23.  Some interesting people to follow on there.  Decided to follow Dr. Alan Zimmerman.  He wrote a note to thank me.  He mentioned my twins so know it wasn’t just some standard reply.  Was pretty excited about that.  It’s a great way to keep up with the news if you want.  The thing I wasn’t expecting is some of the businesses who decide to follow you.  Guess it’s in the hope you will follow them.  Had a couple of sports gambling and a vitamin store start following me.  Didn’t return the favor so they dropped me.  Oh well.  Try to provide an update on my thoughts several times during the day.  It’s a good release if nothing else;
• The more I hear “Mother” from Pink Floyd’s The Wall, the more I appreciate it’s melodies.  Could listen to it over and over again without the lyrics.  They are a little too Oedipal for me.  But, it has my second-most-favorite David Gilmour guitar solo in it.  Very nice.

Well, that’s all for now.  A little longer than I intended.  Hope one or two of ‘em interested you as much as they did me.  Thanks as always for making it this far.

Later.

More Stuff

Hope everyone’s had a great week.  Mine’s been pretty good.  Even though the week started with more snow in the Deep South, gonna be an awesome weekend weather-wise here.  Sunny and 60’s.   Can’t wait.

Gotta few things to comment on and wanted to throw them out there while they’re still fresh in me noggin.  So, if you’re willing to proceed, here we go:

• A North Carolina congressmen has submitted a proposal to replace Ulysses S Grant on the $50 bill with Ronald Reagan.  Now, I’m about as big a Reagan fan as you will find, however, not so sure about this one.  In the grand scheme of things, Grant did more for our country by winning the Civil War as a soldier than Reagan did during his presidency.  Think all the current folks on our money should stay put.  If they want to honor Reagan with his mug on some money, they should probably come up with another coin like a $0.20 piece.  That would help cover those $0.99 plus tax things you always have to find extra change for.  Just a thought;
• Saw where Scott Matheson was nominated by President Obama to be a federal judge.  So what, you may be asking.  Well, turns out he’s the brother of Jim Matheson, a Dem congressman from Utah, who also happens to be undecided on his healthcare reform vote.  Imagine that.  Now, Obama claims that has nothing to do with his selection, and from what I’ve read, Scott seems qualified for the position.  But, it still looks a little fishy no matter how you slice it.  Just goes to show the more things change, the more they stay the same;
• President Obama had a press conference the other day with a bunch of doctors standing behind him wearing white coats.  Why do doctors have to wear these things when they are out in public?  You see them all the time making public appearances wearing their white coats or surgical scrubs like they just left a waiting room full of patients or someone on the operating table.  Guess they think it lends an air of credibility or something.  Think it makes them look like they are trying to distract you from the dribble coming out of their mouths myself;
• Joined a blog promotion website called SeededBuzz.com.  The concept is you read other blogs and then provide a link to their blog on yours when you use theirs as inspiration on yours.  Sounds more complicated than it really is.  So, if you’re a blogger, suggest you check it out to see if it might be for you.  Ain’t a charge to be a basic member, but, naturally, you can upgrade for a small fee if you like.  They encourage you to remain a free member, though.  Say all this to let you know I will provide comments on other blogs from time to time now.  Will also provide a link to the blog so you can read it for yourself if you like;
• Read about a law being introduced out in California to outlaw cursing for a week on An Authors Journey (link here).  The politician who proposed it says cursing leads to all kind of social mayhem so it should be illegal for a week.  Should be noted there is no penalty if you break the law if and when it is passed.  This brings several thoughts to mind.  One, why worry about this $@^# when California has an economic crisis worse than the US?  Someone else agrees with this question in limerick form here  Two, at what point in language history did these words become bad to say?  If you think about it, why is “manure” or “anus” any better to say than their more colorful alternatives?  Even some innocuous words such as "hole" can be seen as offensive, I guess.  Have watched shows before where the speaker has said “ass” and the second half of the word is bleeped out.  To me, would think they would bleep the former rather than the latter.  Anyway, just seems like a politician wanting to tell his constituents he’s getting legislation passed when it comes time for re-election.  Better hope no one asks him what it is;
• US Common Sense (link here) has a commentary about Starbucks refusing to kowtow to the anti-handgun movement.  Seems California (and 42 other states) has a law which states you can openly carry handguns anywhere you want.  The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence went to several businesses asking them to prevent people from coming into their places if they were openly packing heat.  Several capitulated but Starbucks refused saying they always follow the local laws and regulations.   I say good for Starbucks!  It irritates me when people want to push their beliefs by trying to hold corporations hostage.  Went out and bought a venti non-fat latte this morning just to show my support.  Now, will say I’m not a big fan of handguns myself; however, I will fight to the death your right to own one (legally) if you so choose.  But, that is a topic for a whole ‘nother blog;
• Gonna have an interesting trial coming up here shortly.  Anthony Galea, a sports medicine doctor in Canada, is being tried for attempting to have HGH smuggled from the US into Canada.  He’s treated some big-name stars including Alex Rodriguez and Tigger Woods.  Of course, they deny taking HGH and say they were taking part in some sort of blood-cleansing type therapy the doc is famous for.  Could get real interesting, though.  Not usually a conspiracy theorist, but have always thought it was a little odd that Tigger blew out his knee the year the PGA started testing for performance-enhancing drugs.  Not that I think it gave him an unfair advantage if he did take PED’s.  His mental toughness is what separates him from everyone else.  Probably didn't take them.  Still…;
• Did you see where McDonald’s has struck up a sponsorship deal with…brace yourself…Weight Watchers?  Yup.  Happened in New Zealand.  McD’s will be able to use the WW seal of approval for several of their meals including chicken nuggets and filet-o-fish sandwiches.  Needless to say, not all health advocates are crazy about it seeing as how McD’s is always the poster child for unhealthy eating.  Never would have thought it would happen myself, but more power to them if that’s what both parties want to do.  It’s their name and money 0n the line.  Will be interesting to see if it makes its way to this side of the pond;
• Could be an interesting weekend in Alabama.  The bingo parlors have opened back up.  The state authorities have said they’re gonna raid them.  The county authorities have said they gonna stop ‘em at the door.  And our politicians wonder why people, including our own citizens, make fun of Alabama;
• March is one of the best months of the year for sports fans.  The NCAA basketball tournament (a.k.a – March Madness) will be starting soon.  Baseball spring training has started.  Basketball and hockey are wrapping up their seasons to start the playoffs.  Will be lots of stuff for sports folks to yak about.  Should be a fun month.

That’s all the news that is the news…to me…for now, anyway.  Thanks as always for trudging through it.  Hope you enjoyed it or at least have a few more things to think about, if you need more.  Please be sure to check the links on the left, too.  Some good stuff over there.

Have a great weekend!

And Now for Something Completely Different...

Well, not really. I just like saying that. Just have some more random gapses in the synapses to get out of me brain. Having Deadliest Catch withdrawals tonight so no telling what might come out:

• So, the Feds set aside money for the Cash for Clunkers program which was supposed to last for several months and it ran out after one weekend. And, they want us to believe they can handle health care?


• Was reading today that liberals are up in arms because someone has put up posters in Los Angeles depicting President Obama as Heath Ledger's version of The Joker. Funny how they didn't think anything of it when Vanity Fair did the same thing to W. Now, ain't saying either one is good or bad. Personally, think The Joker would be upset being compared to either one of them. What I'm trying to point out is the hypocrisy of the thinking. Just another example of agreeing with the freedom of speech until someone says something you don't agree with.


• Funny how you actually have to learn things when you get older. When I was younger (and SEVERAL pounds lighter), could run without worrying about my technique. Now that I've gained a few years (and pounds), actually have to pay attention to how I'm using my legs, knees, and feet. Funny how that happens.


• In case you're wondering, started the Couch to 5K program last week. Purty neat program. Downloaded the app onto my iPhone but think there's a book out there, too. It tells you when to run, when to walk, when you're at the halfway point, and when you are done. Ain't killed me...yet. First night was pretty rough, though.


• Shark Week on Discovery is pretty good, but it ain't Deadliest Catch.


• Honestly think this year's Deadliest Catch was the best, yet. A lot of drama and emotions this year. When this show first came on, thought it was one of the silliest premises for a show I'd ever heard of. Now think it's the best show on television.


• Anybody else watching Big Brother this year? Don't like many of the people on it this year. But, much like a bad wreck, just can't make myself quit watching it. Not only that, read a blog on it every day about what is going on in the house CBS won't (or can't) show you.


• In the spirit of my last post, if you have a concern you would like someone to pray for, please feel free to leave me a comment. Won't promise your wish will come true, but can promise I will pray for you and your concern. Other people who read this blog may pray for you, too. They may tell some folks and, before you know it, there may be lots of folks praying for you and/or your concern. Never know what might happen then. If you prefer to keep it anonymous, you can send me an e-mail using the link in my profile. Could then post it on my blog as either an "Unspoken Request" or "Unknown Concern" if you want. God will know what you want the prayer for. We'll just be letting him know we are praying for it, too, whatever it is.