This Kiss Miss

Notable North Texas athletes, mayors, and personalities offered their singing talents (or at least singing efforts!) to recreate Faith Hill's hit single "This Kiss."

This must-see video debuted before Faith Hill's concert at Bass Hall in Fort Worth for the opening concert of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee's Kick-off Concert Series.

---

Good Grief. To think I used to really admire some of those people.

A Thief at Dawn

I awoke early this morning; my blood sugar was too high and it always leads to excessive thirst. Of course, drinking so much water leads to something else, so I had a restless night.

Looking bleary-eyed at the clock (4:01 a.m.!!!)and remembering that the Beej was outside, I stumbled my way to the front door where I found him waiting on me. He was vocal in his having had been left out for most of the night, but I ignored him, went to the bathroom, took a healthy drink of water and tried to go back to sleep.

It wasn't five minutes after lying down that I heard and felt a heavy thump from the front porch. After taking my air conditioner down a few months ago, I just left it there. It's extremely heavy and I nearly threw my back out taking it down. If not moved with caution, the fins on the back can slice multiple cuts on the mover's hands and wrists.

Then came the sound of metal on metal, and I jumped up. Another larger, louder thump came immediately after and as I jerked open the door, I saw a guy slam the door on what looked like a small Ford Bronco, black or dark green, with the tailgate and door open as it sped off down the street. ( the back open and ready for my AC, I deduced. He had dropped the a/c when he heard me rushing to the door)

Even though the only thing I had on my feet was a pair of brand-new white socks, I started to give chase. I couldn't read the license, but as I stopped running and stood there, I saw the vehicle go down the street for a few blocks, then turn into a driveway.

I went back inside, grabbed my keys and drove down the block, slowing down by the house. The guy was standing by the truck, then when I drove on and turned around at the next block, he moved onto the porch. The sun wasn't up yet, but the glow from the east and the dim streetlights gave me a decent look at him. Returning my stare as I drove back by, he stood there defiantly, but when I slowed to stop, he popped into the house. I wished I had brought a pistol, then immediately was glad I didn't. I wasn't all that angry, not then...I just felt violated and scared. The time to have shot him was when he had my a/c in his hands.

He could be anyone, but I'm bettin' he's a crackhead (seriously, what sort of semi-smart thief would steal from a house w/ the lights and TV on? Stealing a refrigerated air conditioner in winter?) and I'll have to be extra vigilant and careful. In a way, I'm hopin' he'll try again and I'll be a little more ready for him. I don't really want to shoot him for trying to steal my air conditioner; I can have sympathy for someone who has let drugs rule his life and, that life, even though it's a pathetic one, is worth more than a two hundred dollar cooling unit.

No, I want to shoot him because he caused me to ruin a brand-new pair of white socks.

Oklahoma Tornadoes

TornadoVideos.net storm chasers captured three tornadoes in west-central Oklahoma on March 8, 2010, including the damaging Hammon tornado! Follow along with these and other chasers Live at www.TornadoVideos.net



This isn't too far away and I've roughnecked/drilled in that area.

Ear Wiggling

From the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders website:

Secret Talents: Justine Phillips

---

Pffft, I can wiggle my big ol' LBJ ears much better than that. I can wiggle my ears so rapidly that, if I've got a good headwind and lean into the hearty Panhandle breeze plus flap my arms some, I can lift off the ground a little bit.

If you look at the menu below the vid, there are a few other "talents" demonstrated, such as touching tongue to nose, wiggling eyes and juggling.

I can juggle too, and can spell "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I".

That's probably enough braggin'.

Short-Term Energy Outlook

I subscribe to this govt. website's reports and predictions on energy.

---

The Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration

Highlights

* Although spot crude oil prices continue to fluctuate on a daily basis, EIA’s projections for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil spot prices have remained relatively stable over the last 4 Outlooks. EIA expects WTI prices to average above $80 per barrel this spring, rising to an average of about $82 per barrel by the end of the year and to $85 per barrel by the end of 2011.

* Projected economic growth this year is higher in this forecast, with U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 2.8 percent and world oil-consumption-weighted real GDP growing by 3.4 percent, compared with 2.3 percent and 2.7 percent growth, respectively, in last month’s Outlook. The 2011 forecast for real GDP growth is relatively unchanged at 2.6 percent and 3.5 percent for the United States and the world, respectively.

* EIA forecasts that the annual average regular grade retail gasoline price will increase from $2.35 per gallon in 2009 to $2.84 in 2010 and to $2.96 in 2011 because of the projected rising crude oil prices. Average U.S. pump prices likely will exceed $3 per gallon at times during the forthcoming spring and summer driving season. Projected annual average retail diesel fuel prices are $2.96 and $3.14 per gallon, respectively, in 2010 and 2011.

* EIA expects this year’s annual average natural gas Henry Hub spot price to be $5.17 per million Btu (MMBtu), a $1.22-per-MMBtu increase over the 2009 average. EIA projects price increases to continue in 2011, averaging $5.65 per MMBtu for the year. Projected working gas inventories end the first quarter of 2010 at about 1,550 billion cubic feet (Bcf) compared with 1,644 Bcf in the previous Outlook because of colder-than-normal weather in February. Natural-gas-weighted heating degree-days were nearly 11 percent above the 30-year norm last month.

* The annual average residential electricity price changes only slightly over the forecast period, averaging 11.5 cents per kilowatthour (kWh) in both 2009 and 2010, and then rising to 11.6 cents per kWh in 2011.

* Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels, which declined by 6.4 percent in 2009, increase by 1.5 percent and 1.2 percent in 2010 and 2011, respectively, in the forecast as economic growth fuels higher energy consumption.

Kick the Bucket

You Are KFC

You are down home and traditional. You appreciate a home cooked meal that reminds you of your childhood. When it comes to choices, pleasure always wins out for you. You never sacrifice quality of experience. You are not anxious to try new things. You tend to be both personally and fiscally conservative. You like to be comfortable and safe. For you, there's nothing better than feeling completely cozy.

What Fast Food Restaurant Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

---

There were a couple of questions I could've given a different answer, but these results suit me. I really like KFC, even if I don't eat there much.