Slimed!, Meow!, -and- Miracle Births

Slimed! - Tennessee sludge spill grows to 1 billion gallons
Meow! - man claims Phoenix police officer wouldn't let him rescue cat
Miracle Births - mother on pill has triplets

On this day in history: December 31, 1985 - Rock musician Ricky Nelson dies in an airplane crash in De Kalb, TX at age 45.

Born on this day in history: December 31, 1937 - Anthony Hopkins (1937 - ) Born in Port Talbot, Wales, actor Anthony Hopkins made his stage debut in 1960, and went on to appear in numerous plays and films, including "The Elephant Man" (1980). He gained worldwide fame for his Oscar-winning performance as serial murderer Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). Hopkins was knighted in 1993, and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.

Scripture of the Day: "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." - Luke 12:31

Video of the Day: Electrabel - Happy New Year (2009)

Happy New Year Everyone! Click to enlarge.

Recommended Site: David Louis Harter Photography - a showcase for the photography of David Louis Harter

Top Things for 2008!
Top Mug Shots of 2008!
Sports Illustrated Photos of the Year
Best Quotes of 2008
Naughtiest and Nicest CEOs of 2008
Funniest Stories of 2008

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and pray that through the coming year you will enjoy good health, joy, and prosperity.

To those of you who plan to be away from home this evening—traveling to spend New Year's Day with friends or relatives or going out this evening to attend New Year's celebrations—I pray that your travel will be safe and without incident.

To those of you who plan to stay home this evening, I pray that your evening is joyous.

- David

Meow!, He's Alive!, -and- Somebody's Watching You

Meow! - man fined for tossing wife's cat out of house
He's Alive! - man told he cannot get ID card because he's been dead for 14 years
Somebody's Watching You - Homeland Security tests mind-reading system

On this day in history: September 25, 1980 - After spending the whole day drinking, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham dies from alcohol poisoning.

Born on this day in history: September 25, 1969 - Catherine Zeta-Jones (1969 - ) Born in Swansea, Wales, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones became known in the BBC TV series "The Darling Buds of May" (1991). She went on to international stardom in "The Mask of Zorro" (1998) and "Traffic" (2000), in which she co-starred with Michael Douglas, whom she later married.

Scripture of the Day: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? — Luke 9:25

Video of the Day: Baby Porcupine Eats a Banana and Has Hiccups!

Hillary is bored! Apparently, being a Senator is not as exciting as (almost) being a Presidential candidate! Click to enlarge.

The Power Outage

I departed my office, stopped at Sav-Mor Foods to purchase grocery items, and arrived at our house. I placed my purchases on the dining room table and flipped the switch for the evaporative cooler to "on." There was no response. I quickly determined that the power was out throughout the house!

I scurried to Mr. Nitro, retrieved my Razr cellular telephone, and called Laura at her office. I apprised her of the situation and asked her to call Pacific Gas & Electric and report the power outage. I explained that the house was dark and oppressively hot and felt that she could better address the problem. She soon called and told me PG&E said they would send a repair technician at once. It was 3:45 PM.

At 5:25 PM, the power was still off, the house had become hotter, and no PG&E service truck was visible in the area. I called PG&E. The representative assured me that a repair order had been made. She said that the problem should be fixed "very soon."

Laura arrived at 5:55 PM. At 6:25 PM, the telephone rang, and Laura answered it. It was an automated call from PG&E. The call stated that the power would be returned sometime between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM.

At 6:45 PM, we departed to attend Bible class at Harvest Christian Center.

We returned to our house at 8:30 PM. The power had not been restored. Laura called PG&E. The representative told her that the repair technician was "working on the problem" and should have it fixed soon.

At 10 PM, a PG&E repair technician appeared at our door. He asked where the meter was, and I told him it was on the back of the house. Soon, he told Laura that another technician had disconnected our power that afternoon! He returned to his truck to communicate with headquarters. He returned to say that apparently the service technician who had disconnected our power had done so in error. He apologized greatly and restored our power.

Whew! I hope never to live through such a nightmarish experience again!