Noticed a hit on this, came to this post and saw the vid had been taken down. I found another, so enjoy! (while you can!)
June 30, 2008
Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
Noticed a hit on this, came to this post and saw the vid had been taken down. I found another, so enjoy! (while you can!)
1955 Texas Literary Map
Click on map for much larger view:
From the Library of Congress website.
You can d/l the large version (8+mb / .jp2)
(bottom left link)
I'm the same age as this map.
June 29, 2008
June 28, 2008
Hwy 282
Let's pretend: Instead of a Toyota pickup, imagine it's a '67 Fairlane. Imagine it's a long time ago, young and carefree and quite a bit careless with more horsepower than good sense.
Here's the 8 mile + route I rode or drove to school for 12 years.
(bottom right corner to top left from home/first pavement to Miami)
After I got my own car, the trip would look like the following video, but instead of 55 miles per hour at the most, it would be...well, more than that. A lot more, if the car could go that fast and the coast was clear and weather permitting. I took almost the exact same corners back then because...I had to. Thank the good Lord for not letting me kill someone and also for keeping my own young/dumb butt safe.
I never cut the blind corners though, even though the vid looks like it on some. I could see if anything was coming.
Earn entries in our upcoming "Free Gas for a Month" contest by naming the songs played and picked through during this ride. (you'll also have to imagine them being on an eight-track tape player if you wanna get authentic with the time)
Excuse the shoddy camera work; this was my second attempt at this. Excuse the singing at the end, sheesh. I also meant to drive into the school parking lot, but there was a little boy and his bike right at the entrance.
He waved, and I wish I had turned the camera on him and ended the movie right there.
Do not attempt this at home.
June 27, 2008
The Short Bus
This is a small bus that belongs to a nearby church.
Let's go back in time, ten years ago: I hadn't been online for long; I didn't even have a computer but would use the ones at the library. I was in a chatroom and got into an argument with someone (I don't remember who and don't even remember what we were arguing about) and I had "bested" him with some facts, which he promptly denounced, and then called me retarded.
Now, that's something I don't like to be called. It's as an offensive term to me as the "n-word" would be to black folks. I don't think I'M retarded, but I know several "mentally challenged" people, and while they might not be as intelligent as are most people, they're more fun to be around.
I went to school with a guy named Gary; actually, I believe both of my older sisters had Gary in the same grade I did. I don't know for sure, but I think Gary stayed in the same grade for about ten years. That's the way things were done back then, especially in our independent school district. We didn't take any federal money and weren't bound by most federal rules and guidelines.
I don't know why Gary quit going to school; perhaps it was because the school did start to take federal aid and couldn't provide the "appropriate" education for him.
Gary was a lot of fun; older than the rest of us, he was also stronger and never tired of giving us piggyback rides and could push us nearly to the sky in the playground swings. Gary would sometimes "read" along with us in class, but usually spent his time coloring.
Gary was, like nearly all the other "retarded" people I know who are socially functional, a sweet "boy"...and still is, because I ran into him a few weeks back at the grocery store. He remembered me AND my name (and it'd been 25 years since I'd seen him. I know many people who can't recall a name a day later. Hmmm, who's the retarded one?) Gary nearly broke my ribs hugging on me and invited me to come visit him at the group home where he resides.
Back to the chatroom argument:
The guy went on: "Bet u rode the short bus."
I had a feeling I was being insulted, but I sure didn't know the slur. I replied:
"Well, yeah, I did ride short busses back and forth to school."
Nothing from my antagonist for a few seconds, then:
"I KNEW IT!"
I ignored him and went on:
"Actually, I remember only one short bus, and it was short because it was a van. My first "bus" to school was an old "woody" station wagon, driven by a classmate's mother. Another classmate's mom drove the school route for a few years; at first we drove their family car, then they bought a nearly-new station wagon."
I'm sure the school district didn't pay much, but it was probably enough to make a car payment and pay for gas, probably plus a bit more.
It was after I had left the chat when I looked up "short bus" and found it was a slur against someone, the same as "retarded". Since my school was tiny and didn't have any special-needs kids other than Gary, I never had found out that in larger schools a "short bus" was used to take those kids back and forth to school.
I still laugh at that guy thinking he was really insulting me, making me furious, only to have me be honest and admit I HAD rode the "short bus" to school
(even our single "big bus" wasn't all that large; didn't need to be, what with us playing eight-man football. The girls and boys both rode the bus to basketball games, even having quite a few empty seats.)
Not that my story was so interesting, sorry to make you read through all of it, but I really like this bus. I bet it gets fairly good gas mileage, and a guy could fix it up and live in it. Have to put a bed, some cabinet space and kitchen, and esp. a shower and a bathroom.
Then I could dump my sewage tank on the front lawns of all those people who like to call others "retarded".
"Funny" thing; when looking for the definition of "short bus" I found this statement, so true.
"Arguing on the Internet is like competing in the Special Olympics. You might win, but you're still retarded."
That guy might've been right, I might very well be "retarded".
Takes one to know one, huh?
Several years ago I had a woman tell me I was "emotionally immature" and "sexually frustrated".
Could've been the other way 'round, just can't remember.
June 26, 2008
1970 Miami Warriors
(click for larger view)
Coach would always tell us: "Practice like you play, men."
We did. We photographed the same way, too.
Welcome to all visiting who have found this post via AOL or Google search.
You *may* be interested in video of the '71 Regional Championship game.
Coach would always tell us: "Practice like you play, men."
We did. We photographed the same way, too.
Welcome to all visiting who have found this post via AOL or Google search.
You *may* be interested in video of the '71 Regional Championship game.
Competing Cowboys Cut Costs by Carpooling
The online Reno Gazette-Journal reports that many rodeo cowboys are carpooling in order to beat the high gasoline prices.
It will be easy to tell the ones who do not carpool vs. the ones who do.
The ones who don't carpool will have hats like this:
The ones who have to carpool? They'll look like this:
June 25, 2008
Big Black Bull
Not a great photo, but couldn't let the alliteration go by.
Took several of him after this one; he was starting to flex his muscles and at first I thought he was just showing off for the camera. Instead, he soon dropped "something" to show me what he thought of me and my photos.
At least he's honest, huh?
I'll spare you those photos.
South of Miami, Texas
June 24, 2008
Road to the Horizon
The McLaughlin Road, to be precise, south of Miami, Texas, north of Laketon in Gray County.
While my pal was cleaning water gaps, I was taking bad photos.
Here's (a GoogleEarth screenshot) where I was standing when I took the above pic:
The recent rains had washed out the culvert and several others in the vicinity.
When we drove back by on our way home, we startled a doe watering at the "pond". I wasn't quick enough on the trigger to get a photograph of the deer.
What's Shakin' ?
You Are a Chocolate Shake |
 You are a total hedonist. You are drawn to pleasure. You are an expressive, over the top person. You're naturally dramatic. You're the type of person who always chooses quality over quantity. Life's too short to not have optimal experiences. You're proud of being picky. |
Burnin' the Bricks Part X
From the June 14, 2008 "Burnin' the Bricks" car show in Pampa:
This was one of my favorites.
June 23, 2008
June 22, 2008
June 21, 2008
Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier
Some of the greatest lyrics in rock 'n roll.
Nights of confusion and impossible dreams
Days at the mirror, patchin' up around the seams
You got your glory, you paid for it all
You take your pension in loneliness and alcohol
What a burn on someone, huh?
Always wondered if this was directed at anyone specifically.
A Little Bull
"A Little Bull" probably should've been the title of this blog, huh?
One of the heirs-in-waiting to the herd.
South of Miami, Texas.
Sweet Little Calf
Poor cattle; the mosquitoes were thick due to the recent heavy rains and no amount of tail swishing, ear-flicking and skin-rippling was going to keep them off for long.
Wasn't a lot on this little guy and while they landed on me, they didn't bite.
I guess the both of us were just too sweet for the skeeters.
South of Miami, Texas.
Burnin' the Bricks Part VII
'Vette Row. As you can see, several had already left by the time we got there.
From the June 14, 2008 "Burnin' the Bricks" car show in Pampa:
June 20, 2008
Perfect Pizza Preferences
What Your Pizza Reveals |
 Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either. You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are generous, outgoing, and considerate with your choices. You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna. The stereotype that best fits you is redneck. Your friends secretly agree. |
June 19, 2008
June 18, 2008
Yeah, right.
The last time I checked, I thought it might've been "Junior High".
The end is near, folks.
That's like asking Tiger Woods if he wants to play golf with you.
I thought this thing really was genuine until this last one.
I need to start a "Doofus" label, but it would index way too many posts.
The Duck & the Doofus
From the June 14, 2008 "Burnin' the Bricks" car show in Pampa:
A cool hood ornament and the reflection of a very bad photographer.
One Good Thing About Alcohol
After he has a couple more martinis, he won't be afraid to turn around.
I never cared much for the taste of alcohol, but always enjoyed the way it made me extremely clever and oh-so-much better looking.
Say Hello to Bubba
Originally posted: June 13, 2008
Potter County sheriff convicted in public corruption case
(I'm not going to copy and paste the entire AP news story. I don't want to have to room with Shumate)
Mike Shumate, Potter Co. sheriff, has been convicted of taking bribes in regards to a food service contract for the county jail.
Shumate first gained attention as the man in the Amarillo Crimestoppers TV ads, urging people to call in and report any information they have on crimes. Each segment aired during the ten o'clock news and reported on a recent crime, almost always ending with a shot of a jail door slamming shut and the warning by Shumate that "Bubba was waiting for you.", "Bubba" being a generic term for some badass inmate who would be the wrongdoer's roomie in prison.
Not that I was doing anything to be sent to prison over, but it always made ME want to keep my nose clean and stay outta jail.
It would be bad enough to have to go to prison, but how bad is it for former law enforcement people convicted of felonies and sentenced? *shudder*
Story and video on KVII.com
UPDATE
Former Sheriff Mike Shumate Sentenced
The numbers:
180 days in Jail / 8 years of probation & community service / Five thousand dollar fine
June 17, 2008
June 16, 2008
A Rattlesnake Hunt
No, not hunting FOR rattlers, but a rattlesnake hunting. Successfully.
Sucks to be a mouse.
Edit: Sorry, but it looks like the video has been taken down. It's been so long since I posted it, I forgot the name of it and a quick look around the website where it came from - http://www.thenewsroom.com/ - doesn't show seem to exist as it did when I nabbed the vid. Again, sorry 'bout that.
I'd Forever Favor Footie
If the matches were always between topless women.
Streaking to victory in topless match
(sorry, no photos)
My Bachelor Pad to the Test
A house with no spouse. (sigh)
What the House Test Says About You |
 You are happy with who you are, and you don't have an inflated sense of self importance. You do your own thing quietly. You don't take up a lot of space. You can't stand community oriented people and annoying "buy local" campaigns. You prefer to live the best life possible, and that doesn't really involve many other people. You are a calm, contemplative, and smart person. You take ideas very seriously. You look good in a low maintenance sort of way. You do the minimum required to be attractive. You are moved by the most simple of things. You can find pleasure from a small, perfect moment. |
That's Me!
From the Word of the Day feed in the right-hand column:
dilatory \DIL-uh-tor-ee\, adjective:1. Tending to put off what ought to be done at once; given to procrastination.2. Marked by procrastination or delay; intended to cause delay; -- said of actions or measures.
Dilatory is from Latin dilatorius, from dilator, "a dilatory person, a loiterer," from dilatus, past participle of differre, "to delay, to put off," from dis-, "apart, in different directions" + ferre, "to carry."
And to think I almost waited until tomorrow to put this in.
I've Got Such a Stupid Face
That's what a bunch of recent emails have told me, anyway. They all call me by name, so I was afraid the truth had gone out just how stupid I really look.
I've been getting them via my mikeintexas Gmail acct.; spoofed headers, etc. but they all say the same thing and link to an .exe file.
Doing some research about it, I've found out I'm not the only one who has a stupid face. (Whew!) Misery (and stupid) loves company.
From the website:
If “video.exe” is downloaded and executed, it will install the Srizbi bot, and effectively turn the computer into a spam machine capable of sending up to 25,000 spam messages per hour.
I'd hate that; my Gmail acct. receives something like 25,000 spam messages per hour and I don't think I would want to send that many.
Actually, I don't think my face is stupid; I mean, it looks like it's done wore out three or four bodies, but....
No, what's stupid was me not obsfucating my email address in this blog.
DOH!
Bionic Assessment Test
See What You're Made Of - Visit The Official Site
Skip the intro. if you like.
I really sucked at this; there's a typing sort of test, but mine wouldn't work, so I got a zero for that portion.
I'm 100% flesh & blood, except for my head...that's made of wood.
June 15, 2008
Picassa problems, practically picayune
Looks as though Picassa is having problems again. I've not been able to upload any photos today.
Most of my posts for the last several days, esp. the car show pics, are from the post-dating feature Blogger has provided us. That's a really nifty feature of these things.
August 18, 2007
It happened only once, and was most likely due to me deleting some unused photos out of this blog's album.
At least someone has a sense of humor, huh?
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