I would've thought oatmeal.

You Are Granola

You are creative and inventive. You don't do much the ordinary or normal way. You like to explore new ideas and lifestyles. Something isn't for you just because other people do it. Quick breakfast fixes are definitely not your style. You're the type most likely to cook yourself an amazing homemade breakfast.

What Kind of Cereal Are You?

My home town is so small...

...the city limits signs are both on the same post!
...the City jail is called amoeba, because it only has one cell
...the McDonalds only has one Golden Arch
...the 7-11 is a 3 1/2 - 5 1/2
...the one-block-long Main Street dead ends in both directions
...the phone book has only one page
...there's nothing doing every minute
...the ZIP code was a fraction
...Second Street is in the next town over
...there's no place to go that you shouldn't
...a "Night on the Town" takes only 11 minutes
...the mayor had to annex property to eat a foot-long hot dog
...the New Year's baby was born in October

Perfect Trip

Not only nearly a perfect game (a "perfect" one wouldn't have allowed any points) but a perfect "trip".

When I was a kid, we had the Milles Bornes card game and me 'n my sisters and mom would play. The object of the game is to "travel" 1000 miles ('milles bornes" means "a thousand miles" in French) before one's opponents. It takes a "Go" card to start the trip, then mileage cards can be played. Your progress can be stopped by a "Stop" or an accident, out-of-gas or flat tire card and one must play a "remedy" card ("Go", repairs, gas, spare tire). If someone lays -for example- a flat tire on you and you have the "Puncture Proof" card, then you get extra points and they lose their turn, a "coup-fourré ". (which is French for "I kicked your butt". Actually, I think it's a fencing term)

I stumbled across a download for the game several years/computers ago and have installed it on each new computer as soon as I got online. I'm not for sure where one could find this same, exact game, but it should be easy enough to Google and find.

I'd be glad to send anyone the application (300kb) via email. It's really a blast to play.

Nobody Knows Me At All - The Weepies

Flying High Again

Your Personality at 35,000 Says...

Deep down, you prefer spending time alone to spending time with others. You enjoy thinking more than talking. You are good with your place in the world. You are confident and comfortable with who you are. Your gift is having a way with words. You know how to express yourself well. You are inspired by what is possible. Real life is often too ordinary for you. It's very easy for you to feel happy. You can find peace with any situation.

The Personality Test at 35,000 Feet

Hotmail out of Synch

Got this in my main Hotmail inbox earlier today. Basically, it means I cannot use my OE program to access any of my HM addys after June 30.

I've always liked using my Outlook Express even though I've been told and have read there are better email clients. Not for sure now, but signing in to a HM acct. via OE was the same as signing into one's Passport, thereby keeping them valid (and with the old 30mb limit on uploads to Groups) OE was one of the first programs I learned to use and it was comforting to have something that seldom caused trouble. (for me, anyway)

Not for sure I will like the new LiveMail; have already d/l the program but have yet to install. Instead, I expect I will start using and accessing my main GMail acct with my Thunderbird program, so to all my email pals, be on the lookout for my mail explaining the change of address. I've been trying to use my Firefox browser more and more, but there are a few sites that require Internet Explorer. (my LaunchCast radio/video website/subscription, for one)

The msg. boards around the 'net are already full of angry people; add those to the ones who already hate Microsoft and that means nearly everyone.

Here's the mail:

---

Dear Microsoft Outlook Express customer,

Thank you for using Microsoft® Outlook® Express. Our information indicates that you use Outlook Express to access a Windows Live™ Hotmail® e-mail account via a protocol called DAV (Distributed Authoring and Versioning protocol). DAV, like POP3 or IMAP, is the way that a mail client communicates with a web-based mail server.

As a valued customer, we want to provide advanced notice that as of June 30, 2008, Microsoft is disabling the DAV protocol and you will no longer be able to access your Hotmail Inbox via Outlook Express. As an alternative, we recommend that you download Windows Live Mail, a free desktop e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and much more. This next generation of free e-mail software will allow you to easily manage multiple e-mail accounts—including Windows Live Hotmail, plus other e-mail accounts that support POP3/IMAP. Better yet, Windows Live Mail integrates well with other Windows Live services, and downloads in minutes. After you provide your user name and password, you will automatically be linked to your Hotmail account, providing continued access to your email and contacts.

We encourage you to download Windows Live Mail at http://microsoft.msn.com/.

And, to make your transition smoother, we've provided answers to frequently asked questions below.

Again, thank you for your use of Outlook Express and we are confident that you'll be just as delighted with the new Windows Live Mail.

Your Windows Live Mail team

Frequently asked questions:

Why are we disabling DAV?

DAV is a legacy protocol that is not well suited for client access to large inboxes. Over time, as we've provided more e-mail storage to our users—and now offer 5GB inboxes for free—a more efficient access protocol is needed.

What are we replacing DAV with?

We have developed a new, much more efficient protocol called DeltaSynch that is far superior to DAV especially for large e-mail inboxes. It enables email clients to only download changes since the last time the client polled the email server for changes. This is much more efficient and high performing than having to download all the headers in every folder as is the case with DAV.

Is DeltaSynch compatible with Outlook Express?

The new protocol unfortunately is NOT supported by Outlook Express and support would require too many changes to the Outlook Express software.

Is there a different or new mail client I can try that uses DeltaSynch?

Microsoft is providing Windows Live Mail, a free e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and much more. This free, next generation email client enables users to easily manage multiple e-mail accounts including Windows Live Hotmail and other e-mail accounts that support POP3/IMAP. Windows Live Mail also integrates well with other Windows Live services, is optimized to work with Windows Live Hotmail, and offers:

Offline mail

Windows Live Hotmail account aggregation for those users with multiple Hotmail accounts

Account aggregation for POP and IMAP mail accounts

Rich photo-sharing capabilities

Advanced search via integration with Desktop Search

Safety tools (Anti-Virus scanning, anti-phishing, anti-spam features across aggregated accounts for customers who do not have an Anti-Virus product)

Integration with Windows Live services including Windows Live Spaces

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed aggregation

Ability to send SMS (short message service) text to a mobile phone from Windows Live Mail

Where can I download the new Windows Live Mail client?

You can download the new client at http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview.

Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please read our online Privacy Statement.
Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

Twist & Shout - The Beatles

New York 1965

Pin-up Girls

A cool feed/gadget.

Always have liked this old pinups (although I've noticed a few photos mixed in the ones I've looked through) and a few years ago was pleased to discover that my online pal Garazon enjoyed them too.

State prison guard shortage 'critical'

NOTE: I've noticed quite a few "hits" on this from Google searchs. Sorry, but the link is no longer valid. The Houston Chron. does archive their articles, so perhaps you can find it there. Sorry for the inconvenience.

---

From the online Houston Chronicle

---

AUSTIN — The Neal prison in Amarillo has so few guards working these days that Dorothy Barfoot, a correctional officer, often finds herself working alone in a dorm with 80 to 100 male felons. Sometimes she gets so scared her knees shake.

"Usually there should be two (correctional officers with me), at least," said the 13-year veteran.

But the prison can't find enough people to do the job of guarding inmates in Amarillo or anywhere else.

The Texas prison system is short more than 4,300 guards, with 17 percent of its full-time security positions unfilled. Nearly one in five of the state's 106 prisons operates with fewer than 75 percent of its correctional guards.

Far-flung Fort Stockton, the worst-staffed unit, operates with 59 percent of its correctional officers.

Barfoot's lockup in Amarillo operates with 76 percent of its alloted guard positions.

The prison system has 34 percent fewer guards today than when seven Texas inmates pulled off an escape at the Connally Unit in South Texas in 2000, even though its inmate population has grown 5 percent since then, to 153,000.

Testifying before a legislative hearing last month, Texas Prison Board Chairman Brad Livingston called the guard shortage "critical."

To deal with the shortage, the prison board recently approved a 10 percent emergency raise for new employees, bringing starting salaries to $25,000 a year and $1,500 signing bonuses for those taking jobs at the hardest-to-staff units.

The raises were an attempt to address the fact that Texas guards earned the second-lowest salaries in the nation, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The turnover rate for first-year correctional staff is 43 percent.

The signing bonuses were a recognition that staffing shortages are as much about geography as about pay.

Texas prisons were built in some of the most out-of-the-way areas of the state.

Thirteen of the 15 prisons with the most severe guard shortages are in towns with fewer than 15,000 people.

---

The article also brings up the Dalhart prison, and then there is a msg. board at the bottom of the page. That's what I always find interesting; the reactions of people to these types of topics.

Personally, I wouldn't work in a prison for the new starting salary. Oh, I suppose I would, if there wasn't a single thing left I could work at, but in my opinion, that starting salary needs to be raised again, perhaps doubled. They'd have to quadruple it for me to consider hiring on.

Life in a Northern Town

Heard this song a week or so ago on the country music station and couldn't remember who had released the earlier version.

Here's (Wiki Warning!) The Dream Academy version, released in 1985



Wiki - for what it's worth - explains about the song.

Here's the Sugarland version, just as I saw it on CMT.

Scary Psychological Test

From the inbox:
___________

Read this question, come up with an answer, and then scroll down to the bottom for the result. This is not a trick question. It is as it reads. No one I know has gotten it right - including me.

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met this guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing, She believed him to be her dream and she fell in love with him right there but did not ask for his number and no matter how hard she tried she could not find him.

A few days later she killed her sister.

Question: What is her motive in killing her sister?



Give this some thought before you answer.


(Scroll Down)
















Answer:

She was hoping that the guy would appear at the funeral again.

If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath. This was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer.

Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn't answer the question correctly - good for you.

If you got the answer correct, please let me know so I can take you off of my email list unless that will tick you off, then I'll just be extra nice to you from now on.

__________

I was thinking something along the lines that he was her nephew, fathered by.... whoever. Then I gave up and scrolled down.

Who's Sorry Now - Connie Francis

It's worth more than I thought

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

It's worth more than I put into it, anyway.

'71 8-Man Regional Championship

There has been such a demand for me to post the video of the game, I decided I'd cut the excess out, divide the file in half (ten minute limit on uploaded vids) and let the entire world see how good we were.

Well, there's been ONE person wanting it, anyway.

"Good" is subjective, I suppose. It's like that old hound dog my pop used to own; the more years since it died, the better the dog got.

Women Rule!

They do, and most especially in McLean, TX.

What Nut Are You?

You Are a Hazelnut

You are very unique and distinct. You may even freak some people out. Most people don't really know how to interact with you. You get along best with anyone who is super sweet. But you really do get along with almost anyone. You just need a chance to wow them.

What Nut Are You?

Be Sure and Vote!

No, not in any upcoming primary election, it's much more important than that!

Please take the time to vote in the current ToTG poll in the right-hand column.

The choices are: (and you can pick more than one)

Mike's fantastic photos

Mike's sparkling wit

Mike's taste in music

There's a best part?

I like pie.

Another Saturday Night - Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens, singin' 'bout my life. (sigh)

Please Sign This Petition

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure.

Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require Insurance Companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their Web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the Web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

Thank You in advance.

Sign the Petition

(note: I know this was from last month, but every now 'n then there's something that DESERVES a "bump". In fact, I'm going to "post-date" it so it will be at the top for a few more days)

Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin

Does Drudge Fudge?

Maybe I'll be the first on the 'net to have noticed this, not that that would be any great achievement. Maybe it's a scoop of some sort, though, huh?

This is presently at the very top of The Drudge Report (home page)

THANKS FOR MAKING MARCH '08 THE BIGGEST MONTH IN THE DRUDGEREPORT'S 13 YEAR HISTORY!

MAIN PAGE LOADED 590,943,577 TIMES... TOPS MARCH 2007'S 425,371,511... TOPS MARCH 2006'S 287,443,312 ... MANY THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT... THE LOVERS AND THE HATERS... AND NEWS ENTHUSIASTS IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES!

I like Drudge and visit it every day for a fair synopsis of news. I like that he has all sorts of news, some even tending to the bizarre but true things that happen in this world. My momma also liked Drudge.

The numbers posted made me wonder about something, though. I know the page has an auto-refresh script; I timed it several times and it was three minutes from entering, then the page refreshed.

The website updates frequently, so I can understand the reasoning behind having that particular script. I've used it for various and sundry reasons in some of my own crude and amateurish pages I've made.

(I would post the source code for the auto-refresh, but you have to tinker with it to get it to render without Blogger stripping it out, just like MSN Groups)

What I'm wondering is there surely must be others like myself, who will leave it on the page after viewing the newest headlines. (most of the time, the headlines of hot topics will stay on the page, but sometimes be bumped down by the latest news) I've done it a lot over this last year, watching for election returns and news.

Anyway...

Would the several refreshes count as a single hit of those millions, or is it a new count when clicking "Back" to the Drudge home page?

I sometimes right click/open new window on certain URLs on the Drudge site such as Breitbart, because I'm always clicking away from that link to a deeper link within that website, to view a video or for some of that weird stuff I enjoy reading.

I suppose, looking at what they claim, "page loads" might very well be accurate. I'm wondering why he couldn't at least estimate "readers".

Is Drudge fudging the numbers? You know where you go for lying! (look what happened to Pres. Clinton after Drudge broke the Lewinski scandal)

Makes me wonder 'bout that, too. I get a javascript error on Drudge (they're fairly common throughout the 'net, I think). Here's a screenshot; look at the js error line number:

Thought for the Day

(only the "best" from my email archives)

Handle every stressful situation like a dog.



Piss on it and walk away.

Monkey on a Minibike

I used to have a minibike. (pop made it for me, it was a good one)

I couldn't ride this well, though.

Gift Suggestion

Something I'd love to have, because my ass sure seems chapped a lot here lately.

Taint Paint

(from the website)

Use Taint Paint's all natural mixture of bees wax,
coconut oil, almond oil and vitamin E to combat:

Mechanic’s ass
Trucker’s Butt
Chaped Chode
Torn up Taint
Athlete’s Chafe
Asshole Casserole
Diaper Rash (Both Infant and Elderly)
Farmer’s Crack
Swamp ass (Swass) and Crotch
Over Sexed Grundel
Raw Booty
Niagra Balls
Tender Haunches-
And any other rubbed or sore area.
For External Use Only

I've had all of those.(at one time or 'nother)

Remember, my birthday is close and Christmas isn't all that far off!

(I could use it before then, though)