Friday I'm In Love - The Cure

Third Time's the Charm!

More likely the third and last time this will happen; another of my crappy photos has been chosen for the KVII Photo of the Day and is featured on today's home page. It is also in the archives.

They really must be hurtin' for photo submissions; I've sent four photos and had three accepted.

That's batting .750, almost as good as the Rangers.

I can't pitch, either.

Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt

There's no "P" in "Pool"

Bathroom Break - These bloopers are hilarious

Alamo Joe

I've been getting the Texas Day By Day daily newsletter in my inbox for several years and when I started this blog, was pleased to see they also provide a feed for websites. (look in the right-hand navbar)

Today's entry is an interesting one:

(from the website)

Alamo survivor Joe escapes from slavery

On this day in 1837, an important figure of early Texas, known only as Joe, apparently made good his escape from slavery. He was a slave of William B. Travis and one of the few survivors of the battle ofthe Alamo.

Joe was born about 1813. He claimed that as the famous battle began he armed himself and followed Travis into the fray. After the battle the Mexican troops searched the buildings and called for any blacks to reveal themselves. Joe responded and was struck by a pistol shot and bayonet thrust before a Mexican captain intervened.

Joe was taken to Bexar, where he was detained and interrogated by Santa Anna about Texas and its army. He somehow made his way to Sam Houston's camp at Gonzales. He was questioned at Groce's Retreat about the events at the Alamo.

He was then returned to Travis's estate, and on the anniversary of the battle of San Jacinto he and an unidentified Mexican man escaped. A notice offering a fifty-dollar reward for his return was published in the Telegraph and Texas Register for three months and discontinued on August 26, 1837. Joe was last reported in Austin in August 1875

What Carnival Ride Are You?

I wasn't surprised at my results.

You Are a Haunted House

You are a deeply complicated and sometimes deeply disturbed person. You can't help but be attracted to the dark side of life - even when it's pretty gruesome. In relationships, you are honest and real. So real that it's definitely a little scary. You don't fake it or play along just to get along. And people either respect this... or deeply resent it Your life is thoughtful, deep, and even philosophical at times. You see the world as it is. You don't sugar coat anything. Facing and fighting your fears is important to you. You believe that too much of life is whitewashed. You're not too morbid... you just believe that you can't enjoy life without exorcising a few demons first! At your best, you are brave, intense, and fearless. Not only do you face the abyss head on - you challenge your friends to do the same. At your worst, you are depressed and morose. If you're not careful, your thoughts take over your mind... and they aren't pretty!

What Carnival Ride Are You?

Bust for Lust

NOTE: The game no longer exists at the site, sorry 'bout that. I should take this post down, but it would involve going back through 5+ yrs. of posts and I don't want to do that. I'm not sorry 'bout that, not at all.

---

Can you help this guy sneak a peek at his beauty without getting caught?

How to Play...

Use your mouse to guide the guys head left or right making sure she doesn't see you sneaking a peak.

If she catches you peeking down her blouse, expect a big beer can to hit you on top of the head.

Pretty much like real life.

Play Bust for Lust

Stormy Weather

Once again the Panhandle is getting a storm rolling off the mountains in New Mexico. The large tstorm just developing over the top of me looks like the worst will be to the east, but there are other storms developing off to the west.

The sky is ominously dark off to the south, and I'm thinking that maybe the storm clouds behind the Groom Cross might make for a stunning photograph.

Then again, they have hail, strong winds and frequent lightning strikes. That reminds me, I need to see if the builder of the cross knows if it's been hit by lightning. I'm sure it's grounded, but the tall structure should still be a magnet for lightning, wouldn't you think?

My Angel

If you know me you also know that I love to take photos of the Groom Cross and in particular the angel atop the empty tomb. I've posted some of these photos before, but wanted to include them in this presentation.

Looking towards the northeast, you can get the cross and the tomb and angel all into the same shot. I really don't like the trees that were planted and "spoil" the bottom part of the view of the large cross.

I prefer to have the cross at my back and take photos nearly due west. I have to be careful because there are some ugly radio towers in the background.

I love it when there are clouds behind her.

And sometimes I like to photograph her head on, facing nearly due north.

My favorite time to photograph her is in the late evenings, near sunset; I am almost always enthralled the way the sun, the clouds and the sky frame the shot.

And sometimes I like to take the same photograph from the same perspective, but shoot with a different setting, such as in black and white:

It sounds silly, but sometimes when my days are dark and dreary I think of her and a ray of sunshine pierces my gloomy mood.

I think of how achingly beautiful she can be with the setting sun creating a halo of pure dazzling white against the azure sky, a few wisps of clouds disappearing with the light.

I never could get very close to her, though; using zoom gave me the best detail I could get from the ground, even standing on a stepladder I sometimes take with me.

Early one Sunday morning, I got up and over there around sunrise. I wanted to get some closeups of her, without anyone around because I had in mind climbing out on top of the "tomb" structure -- where there's a sign that asks people NOT to climb on it.

I felt a little odd doing something like this, at a place I love (and would hate to be banned from), but I also felt obsessed with looking into the statue's face.

A few weeks earlier, I had mentioned to a woman in the gift shop that the angel was one of my favorite things to photograph out there. She told me that before the tomb "exhibit" was finished, the angel was stored in the store. She said people would put their babies in the angel's arms and take photos. I thought that a touching story.

With camera in hand, I climbed out on the slippery fake rock, slick with the morning dew. I nearly fell a couple of times, but got close to "my" angel. I was nearly there!

I jumped down into her little "niche", the cubbyhole where she was mounted and where the lights and wiring for the tomb were hidden.

She was as beautiful as I thought she would be; I sat there in the cool Texas dawn, staring at her, oblivious to the noise of the truck traffic on nearby I-40. Something was SO familiar about her and then it hit me so hard that I nearly fell off the structure.

She looks JUST LIKE my ex-wife!

This is where I'd normally say something like "But my ex was no angel!" but that would be a lie, at least hateful and undeserved. She put up with me for over five years, and if she's not going to be an angel, she at least qualifies for sainthood, bless her.

Groom Cross Photo

Since I've uploaded hundreds of photos of the Groom Cross to the 'net, from several posts in MSN Groups, to Webshots, to Photobucket and to here, I was wondering if Google had indexed/trawled any of my photos.

A search showed none of mine, but I did run across a website with a photo taken from an airplane flying fairly close overhead. It's an older photograph, and it doesn't show the fountain that's now there or the Last Supper exhibit, but it shows the entire location.

Safety Dance - Men in Hats

Snap Shots

Put in a new little widget from Snap Shots, will preview the links for you before you click, sort of like the Windows Live! does.



Lemme know what you think.

In Each Life...

A little rain must fall.

I think there's been more this summer than for the rest of my life combined.



Here comes one of those wicked little t-storms (just to the left of the arrow) and it's just now parking itself atop my house (and leaky roof)

I'm With the General

From the desk of Gen. Chuck Yeager:

Congressman Duncan Hunter is the best candidate for President of the United States of America - he has integrity, tenacity, courage, and diplomacy. He is intelligent and thoughtful, does his research and acts on it. He is the only candidate who has the best of Ronald Reagan's character and politics

I have known Congressman Duncan Hunter for over 35 years. Duncan Hunter has served his country not only in Congress, but also in the Army. In Vietnam, he served in one of the most dangerous outfits - the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 75th Army Rangers, on advance recce teams of three on patrol from their unit, at night.

Duncan Hunter is the former and very effective Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and I am proud to be the Honorary Chair of the Congressman Duncan Hunter for President Committee.

Official Duncan Hunter for President site

All These Things I've Done - The Killers

This is the British version of the song; we also have the American video version.

# 59

"59" would be the number of a linebacker on the defensive side in football.

It would also be the age of a linebacker playing college football.

37 years after he was kicked off his college team, Sul Ross (Alpine, TX), Mike Flynt has decided to finish out his senior year of elgibility.

READ THE ARTICLE

There comes a time in every man's life, a very sad day; It's the day when the last man our age retires from the NFL. Most of us know deep-down we'd never have stood a chance of making an NFL roster, but as long as there was some old fart our own age playing, we could harbor the illusion that we COULD have played pro ball.

For my dad, that guy was George Blanda. For me, it was Joe Montana. I'm more than old enough to have a boy playing in the NFL but the sad thing is I'm old enough to have one in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. -sigh-

The following is NOT a photo of Mr. Flynt; it's a photo of the oldest person in professional football, Saul Good, the trainer for the Women's Pro League franchise in Texas, the Houston Ho's.

Saul specializes in shoulder pad adjustments and after-practice rubdowns.

Don't let him get you alone in the towel closet.

Double My Fame!

Yep, that's right; one of my photos is going to be featured (AGAIN - woohoo!) on the KVII News at Five and is featured on their website home page. (also in the community section archives)

I'm nearly famous, huh?

When you submit a photo, you can also submit a caption and it is read by the news anchor doing the photo of the day commentary. I put this with the pic:

Groom Cross through a thin thicket of thistles thirsting for last Thursday's thunderstorm

If they can read that without stumbling, then they're probably ready for a larger market, maybe even Des Moines.

The way I got it figured, if I can get them to publish 58 more pictures, I'll have my fifteen minutes of fame in fifteen second increments.

Tuesday Afternoon - The Moody Blues

Food Buying Facts

10 Things Your Grocery Store Doesn't Want You to Know

A year spent working in a grocery store has altered my own buying habits. I've also quit eating certain items and am extremely careful when buying many others.

A Sculpture by Ron Mueck

MORE SCULPTURES

Worker Injured at New Cowboys Stadium

A worker struck by a crane at the construction site for the new Dallas Cowboy's stadium required a crane to lift him to a waiting ambulance.

VIDEO

FoxNews Dallas online

RHPS Stuff

Click that for some BIG lips!

(go ahead, click on it; that's the perspective you get from the opening screen if you happen to sit in the front row in the theater)

"LIPS!"

Some RHPS links because I see you shiver with antici...








PATION!

The Official Fan site

Great for fans, with downloads and a forum...don't miss the Shock Treatment section!

View the IMDB RHPS listing "The Mother of All Cult Films"

See what Wiki has to say

Watch a 30-second re-enactment by bunnies

Visit Cosmo's Factory, the self-proclaimed #1 fan site, but this website claims to be the oldest.

Hot Patootie - RHPS

There's a Light - RHPS

The Time Warp - RHPS

So far, so good

How 'bout them Cowboys!!!

Since this IS a blog, I've decided to write as much as I can about the Dallas Cowboys, mention any noteworthy news, trades or injuries, plus try my best to review the last game and perhaps even preview the next opponent.

Then again, if they start playing like crapola, I may never mention them again. We'll see.

You're certainly welcome to comment, and if there's certain news or something else you would like to discuss in a new thread, please reply and I'll start one. Maybe.

There's a Dallas Cowboys feed on the side navbar from The Dallas News, but I also go to the official Dallas Cowboys website (award winning!) You can do that too, so I will save my posts for commentary on what's happening.

Yesterday's game vs. the Denver Broncos was satisfying; the Cowboys not only walked away with a 31-20 win, the DC first units looked excellent against both of Denver's. I would think Mike Shanahan's teams would be better prepared than that, so I am going to give the 'Boys the credit for being that much farther along in the season. I also noticed the same thing last week against the defending Super Bowl champs. (whom the Cowpokes beat LAST year, too)

Granted, this is only pre-season and the games mean nothing and at least half of each game has been played by guys who won't be on ANY NFL roster by the regular season, but it's encouraging to see how advanced that Dallas looks.

The only position that's really up for grabs is the kicker spot. M. Gramatica has looked good, but Nick Folk hit a 52 yarder (good for at least 57)in the last game under a pressure (end of half)situation and the vet would make three times what they'd have to pay the rookie. It may very well come down to economics, but Gramatic IS pretty much a proven commodity. I really wouldn't want to wager on this either way, but I honestly don't think Dallas will keep two kickers, preferring to try to get another def. lineman via the waiver wires over the next few weeks.

Dallas is blessed with some capable starters and some very good backups at other spots, and that may pose a hard problem for the Dallas front office in having to decide who to cut when The Turk comes to visit for the last time. Junior Glymph, a reserve LB may very well be wearing different colors, perhaps even starting for a different team by the time of the first reg. season game.

Guard/center Joe Berger may be another of the last cuts. He will certainly not be able to be placed on the practice squad; linemen that can do both spots are rare and he won't clear waivers.

I think Dallas will keep as many WRs as they can, probably six, mainly due to the age of the top two wideouts, T.O. and Glenn. (Glenn did not play due to a knee 'scope a few weeks back but is expected to be back within a few weeks, at least by the reg. season) I think they have a decent WR corps even without those two vets.


Stanbeck, the QB turned WR, showed great speed and hands the other night from the backup QB, seasoned vet Brad Johnson, who also helped calm some fears "IF ROMO CAN'T GET THE JOB DONE" or the silly conjecture that last year's fumbled placekick attempt will bother him during this season. Hogwash, he's a vet. Johnson put the ball right in Stanback's hands and in the only spot where the ball could be caught. That old wiley vet might not have a big arm (if he ever did) but he's got a great touch and was cool under pressure.

I watched some of the Giants/Ravens game tonight; NY won by a score of 13-12, but the Giants didn't impress me much, other than the HUGE RB Brandon Jacobs. There will certainly be some collisions between the two hard-hitting Dallas safeties and this mountain of a running back. (6'4" 264lbs, larger than most linebackers, as large as some defensive ends)

I can't see much competition there and I doubt there will be much from the Redskins; I'm waiting to see an Eagle game.

That's the Cowboys news for now!

A Pair of Potent Potables

I usually wouldn't put two videos into the same post, but while listening to music last night these wound up together in my mp3 jukebox. I'm not for sure what they had in common other than the very obvious unless it was grouped by artist. I still thought it funny.

It just goes to show you how far aphrodisiac songwriting had advanced in a couple of decades. At least there was music; now all we have are adverts about Viagra and "the little blue pill".

(my favorite was the older gentleman trying to throw the football through the tire and failing. Once he takes the pill, he becomes Troy Aikman, zipping it through the tire each time with vim and vigor--which mean the same thing, I think. I was always amused at the suggestive allegory but on the other hand was disturbed by the symbols used. I wouldn't think being compared to a swinging ol' rubber tire that's been driven for 25,000 miles would be flattering, and the shape of the football, if thought of in that context, would be quite scary, indeed)

A quick search through YouTube found the videos. Whatever you do, please don't play them at the same time; it may very well trigger the Apocalypse.

Love Potion # 9 - The Searchers



Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc

August 19 Birthdays

Born on August 19

Actress Kyra Sedgwick born 1965

-Haven't seen her new series, The Closer, on the tube yet, but always sort of liked her. I knew a girl here in town who resembled her. (and I am SO bad at seeing that sort of thing) It might be the overbite or whatever.

Actor John Stamos born 1963

-This was the guy on that Full House series. I've not watched that much even though it's been on in reruns for years, but know of the Olsen twins. (here /ereh)I do know this guy was nuts for divorcing his wife, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, but she's since de-hyphenated.

Either way, she's-really-hot. She was the ONLY thing worthwhile about the remake of Rollerball.

Actor Adam Arkin born 1956

- I LOVED this guy's character on Northern Exposure. He was Adam, a gourmet cook and pathological liar (or WAS he?) who was married to the brilliant, yet hypochondriac Eve.

Political activist Tipper Gore born 1948

-I am the love child of Tipper Gore and Frank Zappa.

Former President Bill Clinton born 1946

-Happy Birthday. Hope someone blows on your candle today. I also hope you're still not wasting those good Cuban cigars, that's what always annoyed me the most about you.

Dammit, Janet - RHPS

Dedicated to Alison & Chester

Ya'll stay outta creepy mansions and ya'll do fine, I reckon.



BTW, as a bit of trivia, the first time I ever saw RHPS was in Denton.

Didn't even have to take this test...

To know the answer to this BlogThing

I didn't even mess around with this one as I did the last one.

You Would Be a Pet Cat

Independent and aloof, you don't like to be dependent on anyone. And as for other people, you can take them or leave them. You often don't care. You live your life by your own rules. And you have deep motivations that no one truly understands. Why you would make a great pet: You're not needy or greedy... unlike other four legged friends. Why you would make a bad pet: You're not exactly running down to greet people at the door What you would love about being a cat: Agility and freedom What you would hate about being a cat: Being treated like a dog by clueless humans

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?

What is Love - Haddaway

Superstition - Stevie Wonder

Live on the BBC

Here Come da Storms

(screenshot from composite reflectivity loop at NWS)

See the red spot, just to the right and beneath Borger? That's me. One ten square mile tstorm and it's parked right atop my house. (and leaky roof)

Guess this is the weather coming in from the front of Hurricane Dean. Usually afternoon tstorms blow in from the southwest, but this is coming in straight from the Gulf of Mexico, southeast.

I used to roughneck with a guy named Dean; we called him "Birdlegs" because...well... Several years later, I started dating a young woman who was married, but he hadn't been around in years and years and come to find out, it was the same guy.

"Hurricane Dean". That doesn't sound so tough, but it's wreaking havoc in the Carib.

It rained SO heavy for about two minutes a little while ago, I could barely see the houses across the street. Now the streets are flooded and the water is running at a rate I'd hate to try to wade through.

I sort of like rainy weather, unless I constantly have to work out in it, then it's not much fun, at least not slogging through the mud. That same woman I spoke of up above lived in a little apt. that had a corrugated tin roof, ugly but functional and I liked to listen to the sound of the rain when I was over there. I was a little worried about lightning hitting the metal roof though.

Ever been camping in a tent and having to stay inside it while it rained? Maybe the new nylon and composite tents are better, but back when I was a kid, the canvas types shed water pretty good, but you could see the rain seeping through and the material would turn dark with moisture. It would stay that way unless you touched it, and for some reason that would let the water wick through right at that spot.

We don't get a lot of rain in Texas, something like 16 in. avg. and I believe some areas have already doubled that amt. I will have to check the yearly rainfalls in this area, but I expect we too are above the average.

A quick peek at some more southern radars shows what looks like (in motion) a small hurricane in the middle of Texas, esp. watching the storms curl around the edge of a large circle.

Hijab Harmony Humoured

It's a slow news day in the Texas Panhandle.

EVERY day is a slow news day in the Texas Panhandle, plus I've run out of horse pics.

I found the following news article humorous humourous even if it did take place across the pond.

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Hear ye, hear ye, MP3...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's top lawyer decided on Thursday that no action would be taken against a Muslim woman accused of listening to an MP3 music player under her hijab while on jury duty. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was thrown off the jury considering a murder trial when one of her fellow jurors reported seeing headphone wires coming out of her headscarf.

Attorney General Baroness Patricia Scotland had "carefully" considered the case and decided not to press criminal charges, saying it would be too difficult to prove if the woman was guilty, a spokeswoman for her office said.

"(She) has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of proving beyond reasonable doubt any alleged contempt of court," the spokeswoman said.

The suspected incident had occurred during a trial in June at London's Blackfriars Court of a man accused of bludgeoning his wife to death.

The case was briefly halted while the woman, who could have been jailed if found guilty of contempt, was discharged from the jury and arrested.

---

At the time she was arrested, she was listening to "Jihad Hajji and the Baghdad Bombers" with their #7 hit on the charts, going to the top with an AK-47 bullet, "Infidel Rock".

I like the studio version, where they're backed up by that heavenly choir the "72 Virgins".

Keep that under your hat, though, wouldja?

Blue-Eyed Horse

You'll have to click the photo below for a larger view and to see clearer, but this horse has the prettiest blue eyes.

It also has a long blonde mane and a color at the top of its head that makes it look like a sweatband with the hair spilling out over it. It was a hot day and the animal was lathered up a bit, too.

Reminded me of my ex-wife after her exercise classes.

---

Welcome to everyone who has found this post via Google or some other search engine.

There's another photo of this same horse in the post Ebony and Ivory.

Maybe My Mule

I've got a few favorite "friends" out at the horse lots. I like this mule; he's colorful, friendly and doesn't bite and appreciates the weeds I feed him.

He also holds still, even posing while I take his photograph.



He likes the treats, but I think he's lonely and wants my company. I can talk to him and sometimes he'll shut his eyes. That might be because my voice grates on his nerves, I dunno.



Had a long-haired donkey come over to see what was going on, but a quick nip on the flanks by my pal sent the shaggy interloper on towards the other side of the pen. I was flattered that someone would be jealous of me, it's been a long time since ANYONE was interested...

I swear, his body language seemed as though he was trying to draw my attention towards something, and sure 'nuff, he finally got me pointed in the right direction.



"Uh, you DID get that phone number, right?"

Y'know, I bet he'd be a better mouse catcher than the Beej. He'd at least stomp on the bugs.

Wonder how much a mule costs?

Momma & Baby Mule

Good Grief, Gobs of Goats!

"Hey, take MY picture!" this goat seemed to say to me as I was out taking photos of the mules, chickens, dogs and misc. other creatures out at the horse lots west of the Pampa city limits.

I swear, it kept bleating as if talking to me, but I think it was telling this other goat that it really shouldn't be outside the gate.



On down the road there was an entire pen full of goats and a couple of black sheep. I'm familiar with black sheep so I didn't take any photos. (seriously, they were shy and ran into the little barn when I got close. If you'll click the photo below you'll get a larger view and can see one of them, directly in the middle of all the other animals)



I love to take photos of goat's faces; they're so interesting and expressive.



I liked the coloration of this one, but when I'd poke my camera through the fence wire to get an unobstructed shot, he'd turn his head or another goat would try to eat my camera.



I finally lured him into a frontal view with the offer of some tasty weeds.

Well, HE thought they were tasty; I'm more into spinach and endive.

Duke & Lil' Trigger

I was driving around the horse lot west of the Pampa city limits and was looking to my left when I heard the unmistakable sound of a bloodhound from the right of my vehicle. Sure 'nuff, there he was on the other side of the road.

He LOOKS to me to be at least a good bit of bloodhound and he sounded like one; I don't recall my dad ever owning one, but he had hunting dogs, both bird and 'coon.

I wasn't for sure if he'd let me pet him or if he'd be protective of his territory and want to hang a fang in me.

I got close and he "bayed" for me, that deep, hoarse mixture of a bark and a bellow.



He was wagging his tail, but....



He almost licked me to death, he was so glad to have someone to pay attention to him. I'll have to remember to bring him a chew bone next time I'm there. It makes me sad, because I know dogs get lonely too. Been there, done that, doggonnit.

I don't blame him for being lonely, because his only company in the pen was this anti-social billy goat who bleated his disapproval of the dog fraternizing with strangers. Being downwind of this billy was no treat for the dog, I'm sure, because the brown stain on his chin whiskers is where he pees on them.



At least the ol' dog had SOME company; in the pen next to him was a Shetland Pony.



The poor thing was skittish and I found out why; he was blind in one eye and could sense me on that side of him. (on the left, his right eye if you'll click the following pic for a larger view)

As long as he could see me, he stayed calm.

I'm not for sure if the horse was extra-small or the bloodhound was extra-large.

Duke & Lil' Trigger, that's what I named 'em.

Dunno where the rest of the Clampetts were; probably out at the cement pond.