National Oatmeal Cookie Day, Budweiser Facebook Glass, and Fun

National Oatmeal Cookie Day - YES! Today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day! Oatmeal cookies are easily my favorite of all cookies extant! Oats were likely first eaten by the Scottish people. Other countries such as Rome and England looked down on the Scots for eating a food used as animal feed. The English used to say, "A grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people." The Scots would reply with. "England is noted for the excellence of her horses; Scotland for the excellence of her men."

Oatmeal cookies derived from the Bannocks that were eaten by the ancient people of Scotland during the 5th century. During the middle ages the Scots added spices, raisins and nuts to the Bannocks that came to be known as oatcakes. The Quaker Oats company popularized Oatcakes in the early 1900's in the US by printing the recipe on their Oat packages. The recipe was reformulated twice more by Quaker Oats in the 1900's to bring us the Oatmeal cookies we love today.

Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Budweiser Unveils Beer Glass that Connects to Facebook - The best descriptor I can offer for this product is CREEPY!!!!


Toasting with new friends just got a futuristic upgrade. Budweiser recently unveiled the "Buddy Cup," a pint glass with a built-in chip that connects to Facebook. The cup automatically connects people on Facebook when they clink glasses with another "Buddy Cup" user—creating a virtual friendship instantly.

It is time to grab a super-size can of creep repellent!!!

Budweiser has never employed good taste as a consideration for ad production, but this latest adventure in advertising is truly abhorrent on several levels:
The "Buddy Cup"

promotes and glamorizes drinking.

appeals to an underage marketplace.

encourages indiscriminate, casual, random friendships that lack standards of selection.

exposes personal comportment to a public forum.

etc.

Now, for some fun!

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow, Petting a Porcupine, and Google Nexus Smartwatch

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow - The title of this should be, "Hair Yesterday Gone Today," but that lacked the cadence I desired.

Laura determined it was time that I shed my winter hair and address spring with trimmed locks.
Here I am prior to the shearing:

Here is the vast mound of hair that fell to the floor during the shearing:

Here I am, sporting my welcoming spring hair:

Petting a Porcupine - I openly admit never to have petted a porcupine. Here, however, is someone who has:

Here is the Google Nexus Smartwatch:

Get Ready for Summer With This Mega Trailer Mashup, Carjacked Delivery Driver Delivers Pizza on Foot Before Calling Police, and Don't Call It a Monster

Get Ready for Summer With This Mega Trailer Mashup - This summer, superheroes will face down evil, robots will clash with monsters, and monsters will go to college. What if all those stories were combined for in single film?

Carjacked Delivery Driver Delivers Pizza on Foot Before Calling Police - A delivery driver for Papa John's in Atlanta was stepping out of his car when two gunmen approached him. They demanded his car and took off, leaving the driver alone with his pizza. But instead of fleeing the scene or immediately calling the police, the driver did the honorable thing – he walked the pizza to the house that ordered it, accepted his payment, and then ran to get help.

Police said the man filed out an incident report, but didn't want to be dropped off at work. According to the report, he wanted to tell his boss at a later time so he wouldn't be fired. Who can know what sort of professional relationship this guy had with his boss, but it seems likely he would be promoted or rewarded instead of fired.

Don't Call It a Monster - North America's largest lizard gets the first part of its name from the Gila River, which runs through Arizona and New Mexico. Its habitat is the desert scrub and dry foothills of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave deserts. The creature is the subject of dozens of dread-inducing bits of folklore that are, at best, unverifiable. (Unlucky male camper in the desert wakes up to find a Gila monster chewing on some tender body part. Lizard spits venom in someone’s eye.

The creature's lumbering form and sinister look play a part in popular culture. In The Treasure of Sierra Madre, for example, a Gila monster is part of a suspenseful ordeal for the character played by Humphrey Bogart. In Meet Me at the Morgue, a 1953 mystery by Ross MacDonald, a sullen blonde says of her suitor, "Big offers he makes. Mink coat, a new car, a trip to Honolulu. I told him I'd sooner go with a Gila monster." As part of the 1950s trend for enlarging animals to make them scarier, the creature is the subject of a 1959 B movie, The Giant Gila Monster. First victims? Necking teenagers.

Fast-Talking Computer Hacker

Fast-Talking Computer Hacker Just Has To Break Through Encryption Shield Before Uploading Nano-Virus - LOS ANGELES — After dashing off an indiscernible code on his laptop keyboard and sharply striking the enter key multiple times with his forefinger, a fast-talking, visibly tense computer hacker said that he just has to break through the encryption shield before he could upload the nano-virus, sources confirmed Tuesday.

The arrogant if socially awkward hacker, a 30-year-old software-programmer-turned-cyberpunk known only as "Cipher," reportedly told his buttoned-up yet eager employers who were hovering over him and watching his every move that breaking into the supercomputer's mainframe would be "child’s play."

"The firewall's a bitch, but I should be able to get around it," Cipher said before swiftly wheeling his computer chair to an adjacent desk, clearing away the pile of empty pizza boxes and Maxim magazines and scanning the numbers and figures scrolling across two mounted flat-screen monitors. "Oh, what have we here? Looks like they updated their security system. Impressive. But not impressive enough."

"And...I’m in," he added as the words "ACCESS GRANTED" appeared on his laptop screen.

Wolf Attacks, American Innovation, and Shooting the Biggest Guns Money Can Buy

Study: Wolf Attacks Still Leading Cause Of Death In U.S. - BETHESDA, MD—According to a new study released Monday by the National Institutes of Health, for the 25th straight year, violent wolf attacks remain the leading cause of death in the United States.

The human health agency's latest findings revealed that being viciously killed by a ravenous wolf resulted in more fatalities than any other malady, claiming the lives of more than 800,000 Americans in the last year alone. The NIH's annual mortality report also confirmed that one person in the United States dies every 40 seconds from a wolf attack.

"Despite efforts to combat this terrible affliction, research indicates Americans are far more likely to be ruthlessly slaughtered by one or more man-eating wolves than ever before," said the study's author, William Rhodes, adding that an estimated 1 in 3 Americans will suffer a wolf attack at some point in their lives. "Our knowledge about the savage encounters has improved, but we aren't any closer to reducing the unfortunate number of people who every day are stopped in their tracks by a deadly wolf."

Nation Starting To Realize New Era Of American Innovation Never Gonna Happen - WASHINGTON—After nearly a decade of promises that the nation was on the brink of a technological, economic, and scientific golden age, citizens across the country confirmed Monday they are now realizing a bold new era of American innovation is just flat-out not gonna happen.

Citing the fragile economy and an exceedingly volatile political landscape, many Americans told reporters they are now fairly certain that the chances of the United States spearheading global advancements within the likes of biotechnology, health care, or manufacturing are pretty much zilch.

Shooting the Biggest Guns Money Can Buy - The Big Sandy Shoot

The Coyote Principle, Last Evening's Dinner, and Adorable Animals

The Coyote Principle -

California
The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out and attacks the Governor's dog, then bites the Governor.

1. The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie Bambi and then realizes he should stop because the coyote is only doing what is natural.
2. He calls animal control. Animal Control captures the coyote and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.
3. He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects the dead dog and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases.
4. The Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting his bite wound bandaged.
5. The running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Fish & Game conducts a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is now free of dangerous animals.
6. The Governor spends $50,000 in state funds implementing a "coyote awareness program" for residents of the area.
7. The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies and how to permanently eradicate the disease throughout the world.
8. The Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack. The State spends $150,000 to hire and train a new agent with additional special training re: the nature of coyotes.
9. PETA protests the coyote's relocation and files a $5 million suit against the State.

Texas

The Governor of Texas is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks his dog.

1. The Governor shoots the coyote with his personal pistol and keeps jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .380 ACP hollow-point cartridge.
2. The buzzards eat the dead coyote.

And that, my friends, is why California is broke and Texas is not.

Last Evening's Dinner - Laura remains in Tucson. She will return this afternoon. Zeus, Thor, and I eagerly await her return. While the kitties feasted upon Kit & Kaboodle, I sautéed sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced mushrooms, sliced baby sweet peppers, green onions, minced garlic, Pappy’s seasoning, ground black pepper, ground basil, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika in extra-virgin olive oil. The three of us dined while watching "Big Cat Diary" on Animal Planet.

Only in America - American Guns

Only in America - American Guns - This is a documentary about guns in America. It is well worth setting aside 40+ minutes of your time to view this video!

One Is What One Eats

One Is What One Eats - Laura continues her vacation in Tucson, where she is visiting with friends and family. I miss her, of course, as do the kitties, Zeus and Thor. We must eat, however, and with Laura away, dining chores fall fully upon me. Last evening’s dinner was tasty indeed. It featured a New York strip steak that I marinated overnight with minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, and ground basil. As the steak grilled, I sautéed sliced white mushrooms and baby sweet peppers in extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and Pappy’s seasoning.

The kitties enjoyed their usual dry cat food. For a dinnertime treat, I gave them a serving of Seafood Medley kitty treats. I have no photograph of this to offer. I did, however, photograph last evening's dinner!


This morning's meal was not nearly as succulent as last evening's meal, yet it was very healthful and tasty!

I enjoyed a banana, four huge strawberries, and a toasted Jalapeno bagel with cream cheese.

The Perfect Burger

The Perfect Burger - Laura is visiting family members in Tucson, Arizona. The kitties, Zeus and Thor, and I are bonding. I gave them an extra portion of kitty treats. They began devouring the kitty treats with great fervor. The sight made me realize it was time for me to dine. I had the butcher at the local market grind a filet mignon. From this, I produced The Perfect Burger.

I poached and minced a dozen garlic cloves, a medium Jalapeño, and a small habanero. I added Pappy’s seasoning, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, and ground basil.

I grilled this on a Caphalon grilling pan. I smeared Sierra Nevada Stout mustard on a toasted sourdough bun and placed sliced tomato and sliced red onion to the bun, sprinkled the tomato with red pepper flakes and ground black pepper, placed pepperjack cheese atop the burger patty and placed it on the bun when the cheese had melted. I turned the fries to broil for the last two minutes, prepared a dip with catsup, mayonnaise, Jalapeño relish, and Crystal Extra-Hot Louisiana Sauce.

It was indeed The Perfect Burger.

I am certain we have all joked about "taking a road trip" using Google Maps' Street View. I tried and soon tired of the amount of work and time involved in creating such a road trip. The team at T+L Labs put in all the work for you and created this amazing, mesmerizing road trip video using street view. It careens down roads at warp speed, often panning the view as if you are in the backseat looking out the window. This is an amazing journey! Get comfortable and ride!

They Walk Among Us!

They Walk Among Us! - Media critic and social analyst Mark Dice shows how people are literally in a trance as he gets trendy liberals in California to sign a petition banning their birthrights. Some of these people were not just in a trance and nodded their head as they expressed vehement support for repealing the Second Amendment and enacting door to door gun confiscation. The following clip is a stark reminder of how our liberties are in peril and how many Americans are part of a cult of authoritarians masquerading as liberals.

Now for some fun!

Happy National Velociraptor Awareness Day!

Happy National Velociraptor Awareness Day! - As I meander about, I find that people are very aware of the threat posed by zombies, and most are prepared to do battle with a zombie horde. Few. however, appear to be similarly aware of the threat posed by velociraptors, and most are ill-prepared to deal with a velociraptor swarm.

The American Society for Velociraptor Attack Prevention is an excellent resource for information regarding velociraptors and methodologies for dealing with them.

Here is a brief overview of information available from the ASVA: Know the Enemy

The velociraptor is a bipedal carnivore with a long, stiffened tail and can be distinguished from other dromaeosaurids by its long and low skull, with an upturned snout. It bores a relatively large, sickle-shaped claw, typical of dromaeosaurid and troodontid dinosaurs. This enlarged claw, up to 67 millimeters (2.6 in) long around its outer edge, is a predatory device, used to tear into the prey, delivering a fatal blow.

Velociraptors are often found on tropical islands, converted to millionaire amusement parks, but are commonly being sighted in the Pacific Northwest. Of the essential facts you should know about velociraptors:

Velociraptors hunt in packs, and are known to form an equilateral triangle around their prey. Velociraptors can accelerate 4 m/s2, with a top speed of 25 m/s on open terrain, 10 m/s while wounded, and 10 m/s in indoor laboratories.

Velociraptors can open doors, but are slowed by them. They can open an initial door in approximately 5 minutes, and will take half that time for each subsequent door.

Velociraptors do not know fear.

Help! I'm steppin' into the twilight zone

- In "Twilight Zone," Golden Earring states,
"Help I'm steppin' into the twilight zone
The place is a madhouse
Feels like being cloned"

Items in the news often make me feel as though I am stepping into the twilight zone!

Woman Called 911 "Because She Was Lonely," Deputies Say

Applicants wanted for a one-way ticket to Mars

Brazilian Man Sports Eyeball Tattoos

Snake Allegedly Baked in Bread

84-Year-Old Inmate, Accused of Trying to Kill Prosecutor

Teen Allegedly Calls 911 to Complain about Mom

Mom Tosses Baby on Bus to Fight Woman for "Disrespecting" Her Baby

Stolen, Swallowed Engagement Ring Allegedly Recovered By Police

Ohio Day Care Worker, Arrested For Allegedly Biting 5-Year-Old Child

Man Allegedly Steals Toy Car At Gunpoint

Woman calls 911, asks for a divorce

Frozen Vultures Fall from Sky

Man Finds in a Wall Wallet 35 Years After He Lost It

World's Smallest Park Fight Creates Feud Between Brits, Americans

Now, it is time to relax and be entertained!

They walk among us!

They walk among us! - Recently, Infowars reporter Lee Ann McAdoo was able to find people that were willing to sign a petition calling for the outright ban of dihydrogen monoxide (water).

In the video below, Mark shows how ill-informed people really are as they comment on news stories about the U.S. and Russia nuking China. This also underscores how people are totally out of touch, self-centered, and have zero knowledge of anything outside of their own petty day-to-day issues.

Giant Snails Invade Florida

Giant Snails Invade Florida - I have cancelled plans to vacation in Florida!

National Walk on Your Wild Side Day

National Walk on Your Wild Side Day - Today is National Walk on Your Wild Side Day! Be Unpredictable! Walk On Your Wild Side Day is a chance to do something no one would ever expect you to do. Today is a day to embrace your inner wild streak, to dress as you would not dress on any other day, to wear nothing but neon pink, to dye your hair green for a day, etc.

Lou Reed offered these thoughts:
"Holly came from Miami F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side

Candy came from out on the island,
In the backroom she was everybody's darling,
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
She sayes, hey baby, take a walk on the wild side
Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls go,

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City is the place where they said:
Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said hey Joe, take a walk on the wild side

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Lookin' for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should have seen him go, go, go
They said, hey Sugar, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, alright, huh

Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side
I said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side And the colored girls say

Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo"

The song is about Andy Warhol's Factory People—in particular, Candy Darling.


"Andy Warhol’s FACTORY PEOPLE," tells the story of the 60’s Silver Factory that Andy founded in 1964 in an abandoned hat factory on East 47th Street in New York City. The Silver Factory lasted until 1968 when Andy gave up the lease and moved to the White Factory on Union Square. Shortly after moving in the Spring of '68 Andy was shot by Valerie Solanas and this event bookends the period of time covered in "Factory People." The idea of the film is to tell the real story of the culture, who was there with Andy, who participated in the work with Andy, and what really happened during this period…all without passing judgement on Andy, his work, his friends, and the people who were there at the time. The film takes and in-depth look at the lives and times of the people who hung out with Andy and "worked" at the Silver Factory during the Sixties, making it all click as a new counter-culture arose and began to exert its influence throughout the arts.

Andy Warhol's Factory People Episode 1 from sarasotafringefilms on Vimeo.

Andy Warhol's Factory People Episode 2 from sarasotafringefilms on Vimeo.

Andy Warhol's Factory People Episode 3 from sarasotafringefilms on Vimeo.

Louie Louie Day

Louie Louie Day - Louie Louie Day is now officially registered with the National Special Events Registry and Chase's Calendar of Events, the two leading sources of special events, holidays and observances. April 11 provides an annual opportunity to celebrate the song that has been called best party song of all time, has been recorded more times than any other rock song in history, and was very nearly declared the official state song of Washington State. Why April 11? Primarily because it's the birthday of Richard Berry, the man who composed "Louie Louie." But, in addition, many other important milestones in the history of "Louie Louie" occurred on or around April 11. Here is a partial list of such events:

April 11, 1935 - Richard Berry was born in Extension, Louisiana.

April 1957 - The first recorded version of "Louie Louie," by Richard Berry and the Pharaohs, is released on Flip records (as a b-side to "You Are My Sunshine").

April 6, 1963 - At Northwestern Recorders, in Portland, Oregon, the Kingsmen record what is to become the most famous version of "Louie Louie." About a week later, Paul Revere and the Raiders record their own version of "Louie Louie" in the same studio.

April 12, 1985 - "Louie Louie Day" in Washington state as declared by the Washington State Senate. This was as far as the legislature was willing to go along with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek campaign to make "Louie Louie" the official state song of Washington. On that day, a rally and performance were held at the State Capitol in Olympia, which featured a number of performers including the Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Thurston County Commissioner George Barner.

April 14, 1985 - "Louie Louie Day" in Seattle as proclaimed by the mayor of Seattle (proclamation issued on April 10, 1985). On this day, a Louie Louie event was held at Seattle Center, which included a performance by Jr. Cadillac. These two events in mid-April 1985 marked the height of the effort to make "Louie Louie" the official state song of Washington.

April 2, 1986 – "Louie Louie Day" proclaimed by the state of Oregon.

April 10, 1998 - The Kingsmen won a historic legal case against Gusto Records and GML in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. At the heart of their case was the undisputed fact that Gusto Records/GML, which acquired the rights to the original Kingsmen masters from Wand/Scepter Records, including the most well-known recording of "Louie Louie," never paid a penny in royalties from record or CD sales, despite a 1968 contract that guaranteed a 9% royalty to the band members. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case, the members of the Kingsmen were able to collect about $200,000 in royalties that had been held in trust since the group sued in 1993 on grounds that the companies had failed to honor a 1968 contract. By winning this case, the Kingsmen gained complete ownership of all 105 recordings originally recorded for Wand/Scepter Records.

April 11, 2003 - A group "Louie Louie" fans discussing Richard Berry's birthday on the Yahoo Louie Louie Party decide that April 11 should be designated Louie Louie Day as an annual recognition of this great song.

April 11, 2007 - A (only slightly) more organized effort to promote Louie Louie Day occurs, under the auspices of the newly-formed Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society (LLAMAS).

April 11, 2008 - The conclusion of the first ever "Louie Louie" video contest.

So on April 11, make sure to listen to your favorite version(s) of Louie Louie, call your local radio stations to request that they play it, and spread the word about the song and and its important place in rock history.
NOTE: The following is a compilation of 51 versions of "Louie Louie"! ENJOY!

Local Police Department Crime Information Resource for Citizens, National Farm Animals Day, and Bizarre News

Local Police Department Crime Information Resource for Citizens - There is an excellent new crime information resource provided by the Corning Police Department. To access this excellent resource, go to: CPD Online. Administrative Analyst Tom Watson maintains the site. I expressed to him that I thought the site was really well done and provided an excellent resource for citizens interested in obtaining information regarding local crimes.

I highly recommend the site to all citizens. The highlight of the site is a crime map that shows where crimes and incidents have taken place. The legend shows the type of call, and clicking on a flag on the map opens a Google Street View image of the location and another window reports Call Type, Address, Date of Call, Time of Call, Date Closed, Time Closed, Disposition, and Incident #. Visitors may also sign up for email alerts. The alerts may be chosen for specific incident types and one may choose to have them sent daily or weekly.

National Farm Animals Day - April 10th is National Farm Animals Day, an annual event that helps shine the spotlight on the plight of slaughter animals. This special day also helps find homes for abused, neglected and/or abandoned farm animals and also brings attention to the many benefits of a compassionate, meat-free diet. The annual holiday is the brainchild of animal lover, vegetarian and Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert, Colleen Paige, who also founded National Puppy Day.

Bizarre News - These are some of the unusual news items I encountered this morning, whilst scurrying about the Web.

NJ Police hunt for thief who took $100,000 of hamburger patties

High school baseball players accused of biting teammate in hazing ritual

Woman Tries To Steal Research Ship While Scientists Sleep

Man Accused Of Biting Naked 13-month Old Son On Highway

$3,000 Toilet Stolen From Japanese Public Bathroom

Man Breaks Guinness World Record By Cracking 142 Eggs With Head In One Minute

DUI Suspect, Calls 911 On Himself

Crosstown Traffic

Crosstown Traffic - Jimi said,
"I'm not the only soul who's accused of hit and run
Tire tracks all across your back
I can see you had your fun"

Jimi made this statement over 40 years ago. At that time, there is little doubt he was speaking of sexual congress and the relative experience his partner has compared with his own. Jimi often (nearly always!) used sexual metaphors and innuendos to state his position (no pun intended). This song is an excellent example of this. "Hit and run," of course, symbolizes one-night stands. Jimi's position in this matter is clear: He feels he is often disparaged for that which might easily be overlooked—or, even, accepted as natural—done by others. He is naming himself as a victim of those who condemn promiscuity.

The "tire tracks" are the emotional "scars" left by previous sexual encounters.

The underlying theme of "Crosstown Traffic" is that one cannot shift nor eschew the culpability for an act by simply pointing to another's commission of the same act. We must each stand or fall on our own. Additionally, it is not credible to excuse improper behavior by pointing to worse behavior in another.

Gun Control, Parks and Recreation, Hack, The Bible, and Monday Madness

Gun Control - The gun buyback program is a great success in Chicago!

"Parks and Recreation" and "Hack" - Laura and I enjoy watching commercial-free television series on Netflix and Amazon. All episodes of the programs we choose to watch are generally available, making it an enjoyable process to watch an entire series of episodes at whatever pace we choose. Because there are no commercials, half-hour programs become 21-23 minutes, and hour-long programs become 41-43 minutes. Generally, we have a comedy and a drama that we watch—alternating between the two depending upon our mood.

Currently, we are watching the comedy series, "Parks and Recreation." Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on the NBC television network, starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. It was conceived by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur and debuted on April 9, 2009. Currently in its fifth season, it uses a single-camera, mockumentary filming style, with the implication being that a documentary crew is filming everyone.

We are also watching the dramatic series, "Hack." When corruption charges strip him of his job, his family and his pride, former cop Mike Olshansky (David Morse) forges a new identity as a Philadelphia cab driver, patrolling the city as a roving vigilante who works with local police.

"The Bible" - We generally do not buy DVDs, since we have access to thousands of movies and television programs via instant streaming from Netflix and Amazon. An exception to this, however, was our purchase of "The Bible." "The Bible" is a television miniseries based on the Bible. It is produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett and was broadcast weekly between March 3 and March 31, 2013 on History Channel. Burnett considers the scripted 10-hour series to be the "most important" project he has undertaken. The project was conceived by Burnett and Downey, who are married, after watching Cecil B. DeMille's version of The Ten Commandments for the first time since childhood. The series is Mark Burnett's first scripted project. In addition to Burnett and Downey, executive producers include Richard Bedser and History's Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs.

Monday Madness - It is time to relax and enjoy the morning!

Friday Fun

Friday Fun - This week has been a very somber week for this blog. Stories of gun control, same-sex marriage, etc., have unduly taxed me, and I declare today to be a day filled with chortles. Therefore, I suggest that you dress casually, relax, and enjoy Friday Fun!

They Walk Among Us and Reasons to Vote GOP in 2014

They Walk Among Us - These are outstanding examples of why there should be mandatory minimum IQ standards imposed on candidates for public office:

CO Democrat Doesn't Understand High-Capacity Magazines Can Be Reloaded

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO): "I will tell you these are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now they’re going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available." (April 2, 2013, Denver Post forum)

CO Dem Rep Tells Senior Citizen "You'd Probably Be Dead Anyway"

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) strikes again and insults a senior citizen concerned about how he is supposed to defend himself against criminals who have high-capacity magazines if they are banned. She says to wait for the police and otherwise he'd "probably be dead anyway."

Obama: Michelle Told Me "If I Was Living Out In A Farm In Iowa, I'd Probably Want A Gun"

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "And I told the story about two conversations I had. The first conversation was when Michelle came back from doing some campaigning out in rural Iowa. And we were sitting at dinner, and she had been to like a big county, a lot of driving out there, a lot of farmland. And she said, if I was living out in a farm in Iowa, I'd probably want a gun, too. If somebody just drives up into your driveway and you're not home -- you don't know who these people are and you don't know how long it's going to take for the sheriffs to respond. I can see why you'd want some guns for protection. That's one conversation."

Gun Control - then Tyranny, Camps, Police State, Death:

Some good reasons to vote GOP in 2014

Unemployment and Job Creation:

States with Republican governors have a 7.6% unemployment rate States with Democratic governors have an 8.6% unemployment rate

Top 5 states with the largest unemployment rate drops over the last 12 months have GOP governors, led by Nevada, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and Ohio.

Over the last 12 months, the unemployment rate in Republican-led states has decreased faster than in states with Democratic governors. Over the last 12 months, states with Republican governors have added nearly 1.4 million jobs, accounting for more than 60% of the nation’s job growth.

CNBC recently released its annual rankings of top states for business and the list was led by states with Republican governors:

4 of 5 top states have GOP governors

8 of 10 top states have GOP governors

12 of 15 top states have GOP governors

More states with GOP governors topped this year’s list than one year ago. In 2011:

3 of 5 top states had GOP governors

6 of 10 top states had GOP governors

11 of 15 top states had GOP governors

Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc. Ranking:

9 of 10 top pro-business states as ranked by Pollina are led by Republican governors, led by Virginia.

Site Selection Magazine:

9 of 10 most competitive states as ranked by Site Selection are led by Republican governors, led by Virginia.

8 of 10 states with the most new and expanded corporate facilities have Republican governors, led by Ohio.

Area Development:

8 of 10 top states for business according to Area Development have GOP governors, led by Texas.

Chief Executive:

9 of 10 best states in which do business according to Chief Executive are led by GOP governors. Forbes: 10 of 15 best states for business have GOP governors, led by Utah.

9 of 10 best states for jobs have GOP governors, led by Texas Business Facilities:

10 of 10 states for best business climate according to Business Facilities are led by GOP governors, led by Texas.

Sensitivity Training For Men. Facebook, and Other Issues

Sensitivity Training For Men - [Disclaimer: What follows is intended as humor. No deprecation of women is intended or implied.]

I was devastated to find out my wife was having an affair; but, by turning to religion, I was soon able to come to terms with the whole thing. I converted to Islam, and we're stoning her in the morning!

My wife has been missing a week now. The police said to prepare for the worst. So, I had to go down to Goodwill to get all of her clothes back.

The Red Cross just knocked on my door and asked if we could contribute towards the floods in Pakistan. I said we'd love to, but our garden hose only reaches the driveway.

Facebook - Moments ago, I received an email with the Subject, "Your Facebook account has been disconnected." The message body proposed that this disconnection was accidental and a link to restore my Facebook account was provided.

Accidental? I warrant not! Few events in my life brought me pleasure that exceeded that which I experienced when I managed to remove my Facebook account! If you wish to read more, visit my earlier anti-Facebook rant: Facebook is Evil!

Let It Rain and Gun Control

Let It Rain - I realize that water levels are becoming dangerously low in lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks, and we need rain and snow. I really enjoy warm, dry, sunny weather, however. Tomorrow is forecast to be very warm, with temperatures reaching into the low 80s! Thursday, however, rain and wind are forecast, and highs are predicted to be in the high 50s to low 60s! When the rain comes, it will be welcomed by many. I shall long for the return of the sun. I am being selfish, however, and I fully admit it.

Let it rain!

States are proposing gun-regulating legislation:

CA lawmakers consider regulating, taxing ammo

Dems propose $10,000 fine for insuranceless gun owners

GA town passes law requiring residents to own guns

"Armed Citizen Project" may expand to Dallas

There is a dramatic diversity among these legislative proposals: It is patently obvious that little or no harmony of opinion exists between the states. This fact leads many to propose that federal legislation should set gun-regulating standards. Many, contrarily, argue that individual state legislation reflects the will of the people and that gun-regulating laws should necessarily be state-based in order to ensure that the will of the people is satisfied.

In my opinion, there should be no new gun regulation—neither by the federal government nor by individual states. I recommend that the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution should be strictly followed and that any proposed legislation that would in any way restrict the God-given right to own and bear arms should not be allowed.

The Old Testament teaches that the morality of self-defense is not only presumed—the act of self-defense is permitted and even mandated by key Biblical figures. Jesus' disciples carried swords, and Jesus even said in some contexts the unarmed should arm themselves.

The right to bear arms predates the Bill of Rights; the Second Amendment was based partially on the right to bear arms in English common-law and was influenced by the English Bill of Rights of 1689. This right is an auxiliary right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense, resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state.

It all seems so simple: By restricting the constitutional right of citizens to self defense by limiting their access to firearms significantly limits the capability of citizens to protect themselves against personal attack, terrorism, and tyranny.

The concept of "gun control" is, in fact, ill advised, at best, and highly dangerous, at worst: When the availability of firearms is restricted by legislation, it is only the law-abiding citizen who is affected—since criminals pay no mind to gun laws. After all, they are purposed to commit crimes, and it is patently inane to imagine a bank robber, for example, is going to be concerned with the legality of the firearm he acquires to facilitate his perpetration of criminal activity. After all, he has already committed himself to a life of crime, so it makes no sense whatever to imagine he will selectively obey some laws while ignoring others!

The Telemarketer

The Telemarketer - AH. the telemarketer: Easily one of the most loathsome creatures to slither upon the earth!

Generally, I recognize them and quickly end their telephone solicitations by either saying something witty ("You have reached an active crime scene. Do not disconnect. An agent will be with you shortly. Be certain to answer honestly. Do not disconnect.") or by simply ending the call by returning the handset to its perch.

This morning, however, I allowed The Telemarketer to engage me in conversation. (I quickly put the number displayed by Caller ID into Google and determined it to be a telemarketer.) This is the text of this conversation:

ME: Good morning. Thank you for calling California Technologies. How may I direct your call?

TM: Can I speak to the person responsible for making decisions for your office telephone?

ME: Certainly. One moment, please.

ME: (changing my voice) This is Balthazar.

TM: Good morning. I've been talking to other people like you and they all want to save money on office telephone costs. I can save your company big money every month. I bet that's something you'd like to know more about!

ME: Really! (nearly shouting) That sounds like a dream come true! In fact, I haven't had a good night's sleep in months. I lie awake—tossing and turning through the night, trying to come up with a solution to our high telephone costs!

TM: Well that's great! I'm here to help. How much does your company spend on long distance every month?

ME: It varies a bit each month, of course, but generally we spend about $40,000 on long-distance calling.

TM: (following about 30 seconds of silence) What was that again?

ME: Our long-distance bill is about $40,000 a month. Then we've got another $10,000 or so in local calling and Yellow Page ads and so forth. About $50,000 a month total, I'd estimate.

TM: (muffled, indistinguishable sounds indicating the telemarketer had placed his hand over the handset's mouthpiece) Well that's great. What would you say if I told you we could save you at least half of your monthly phone costs?

ME: That sounds great! Let's do it!

TM: Great! I'm going to email you a consent to move service to get started. I need your email address.

ME: Oh, well, you see, I've heard about that and don't get me wrong I'm sure it's good for folks that don't like actually talking to people one-on-one, but all our business is done with telephones. We don't have any email or computers or anything. Can't you fax me the form?

TM: Sure! What's your fax number?

ME: Our fax number is: xxx-xx-xxxx (I give him the fax number of AT&T.)

I have heard no more from The Telemarketer.