In retrospect, Pong and its look-alikes were incredibly dull games. Two paddles and a ball. Wow. I’m pretty sure my Radio Shack version was only in black and white as well. Of course, I only played it on black and white TVs so I can’t be sure.
Ahhhh, and maybe another.
Oh, but don't overdo it. No, no...ohhhhhh, too late.
C'mon, just slow down and pace yourself and...awwwwwwww, man.
OK that's enough, time to sleep it off.
BOSTON -- A criminal investigation has been launched into the death of an 8-year-old Connecticut boy who accidentally shot himself in the head while firing an Uzi at a Massachusetts gun club during the weekend.
Christopher Bizilj, of Ashford, Conn., lost control of the weapon on Sunday while firing it at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club.
A criminal investigation involving state and local police is being conducted, according to Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett. Officials are focusing on whether the statute that governs firearms in Massachusetts was violated.
"At this point, I have found no lawful authority which allows an 8-year-old to possess or fire a machine gun," Bennett said in a statement.
Bennett also questioned whether it was a "reckless or wanton act" to allow the boy to use a fully loaded automatic weapon.
And I restrained myself from using the word “nut” anywhere in this post. 
I’ve always wondered if getting one of these houses isn’t a mixed blessing. Sure, the new homes are a much needed windfall for deserving families, but I suspect that the community is always looking for and judging any “misuse” of the gift house or "misbehavior" of the recipient family. If a customer clearly out of view of the staff and management is sneaking a smoke, only the customer should be fined.In other words, the smokers should always be ticketed. The owner should only be ticketed if there is a reason to believe they were aware of the smoking in their establishment and did nothing about it.
If the establishment is full of smokers puffing away right in front of staff and management, then both the customers AND the owners should be fined. This would also apply to employees if they were the ones smoking.
WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.The boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman's Club, Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere said.
The boy was with a certified instructor and "was shooting the weapon down range when the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury," a police statement said. Police called it a "self-inflicted accidental shooting."
Putting the "nut" in gun nut.
...chances are that in ten days, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will have a big decision to make about who he sends to Washington.The trouble with this speculation, of course, is that the decision ultimately comes down to the whims of one exceptionally unpredictable politician. Virtually no one, including Blagojevich, has completely ruled out the possibility that the governor might pick himself to fill the seat - a move so controversial that it is almost never attempted.
Still, there's no harm in speculation, so without further ado...
You can almost certainly rule out Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel, one of a troika of superpowered Illinois Democrats in Washington (along with Obama, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin). At 48, Emanuel is already the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House. Ahead if him are current Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is 68 years old, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who is 69, and Majority Whip James Clyburn, who is 68.
The math would seem to suggest, then, that Emanuel may well become Speaker of the House some day - a historic ascension which would make him the highest-ranking Jewish officeholder in American history. It's doubtful he would give up an excellent shot at the Speakership to move to the back of the line as a freshman United States Senator (although Emanuel will be only 49 next year and would have plenty of time to climb the ladder in the Senate; Robert Menendez gave up the same position Emanuel holds, that of caucus chair, to accept a Senate nomination).
The same would not be true of State Senate President Emil Jones, a Blagojevich ally, would be selected to fill the seat. At 73, Jones holds a position of exceptional prominence in Illinois politics, which he would be sacrificing to become 100th in seniority in Washington. Blagojevich may also be reluctant to send one of his few friends in Springfield out of the state.
Selecting Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan would solve one of Blagojevich's biggest problems; it would remove a potential rival for his reelection to the governorship, a position which Madigan reportedly covets. On the other hand, Blagojevich is a long-time political enemy of Madigan's father, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, and as such, he probably has little desire to do any kind of favors for the Madigan family.
Blagojevich will be under some pressure to appoint a minority, and there are a number of possibilites there. At 67, Rep. Danny Davis is probably too old for an appointment as a freshman Senator, but it's well known that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. would welcome the appointment. Another possibility there is Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who would be the first Hispanic Senator elected from Illinois.
The hot rumors revolve around Illinois Veterans' Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, who would, I believe, be the first Asian-American woman in the United States Senate. Although she has never held elected office (she narrowly lost a race for Congress to Rep. Peter Roskam in 2006), she is apparently very well-liked by Obama, Durbin, Emanuel and Blagojevich, and a good relationship with those four power brokers goes a long way.
Outside of minority picks, Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston has been very clear that she'd like the appointment. She's certainly a solid liberal, but she's had some bad press over the last few years (her husband pled guilty in 2006 to a check-kiting scheme and served five months in prison, though Schakowsky herself was not accused of any wrongdoing).
State Comptroller Dan Hynes, who sought the seat in 2004 and lost to Obama in the primary, would also be a solid pick, as would Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. Hynes and Blago apparently have a frosty relationship (a lot of people have such a relationship with Blagojevich), but Hynes could be appointed to the Senate to forestall a potential primary challenge for the Governorship in 2010. The same is true of 32-year-old State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who, like Hynes, Madigan and Quinn, is rumored to seek the Governor's office.
Then there's always the possibility that Blagojevich might appoint himself. He's just...er, unconventional enough to actually do it, and since most of the other powerful Democrats in Springfield currently seek the Governorship, he might be in better position to survive a 2010 primary (which would be more likely to come from a U.S. Rep, like Schakowsky, Davis, Jackson or Gutierrez.
Overall, there's really no telling what Blagojevich will do if he gets the opportunity. Rumors are currently swirling around Duckworth, but rumors are awfully fickle.
That reminds me, how have the Bud frogs been during under this administration?
And here's CNN's reaction. They have a cool map like Fred's but are ever so more serious about it.
Here's how the foremost authority on everything describes Beer Pong:Beer pong ... is a drinking game in which players throw a table tennis ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in one of several cups of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-player teams, one on each side of a table, and a number of cups set up on each side. There are no official rules, so rules may vary widely, though usually there are 6 or 15 plastic cups arranged in a triangle on each side. The number of players on a team can vary as well, from one to three or more.
When a ball lands in a cup, the defending team must consume all of the beer inside that cup. The cup is generally not completely filled. A recent Time article stated that cups were 1/4 to 1/3 full. The game is won by eliminating all the other team's cups before all of one's own cups are eliminated. The losing team must then consume all the beer remaining in the winning team's cups.
And Beer Pong balls designed for the sport.
Like I said, I'm past the age where I need to pound beer as a matter of sport. I prefer to do it at my own (slower) pace these days.
Have a great weekend! And enjoy a beer with or without your balls.
Oh, and one other thing. I found out that at least one AIG employee has been harassed here in Springfield because of the perceived sins of the larger company management. I’m told that a local employee wearing an AIG badge was verbally abused at a local box store for the whole AIG mess. People, get a grip. Do not take your frustrations out on low level workers shopping at a retail store. That employee has nothing to do with AIG corporate decisions and that employee may wind up being a victim of the situation if the Springfield office is sold (they are up for sale), or the office is disbanded or layoffs come or whatever.
But here’s where it gets sticky for AIG. The $15 out of pocket cost per person doesn’t pay for the entire cost of the bus, so AIG pays for the rest out of some employee activity fund. Apparently, someone at AIG, fearing bad publicity, decided the bus trip needed to be cancelled at the last minute. The problem is, the way I understand it, AIG saves no money since the bus has already been paid for. A bigger problem is that some people participating in the trip went and bought things like non-refundable theater tickets for Saturday. These people now either have to eat that cost or drive up on their own.
The Republican National Committee appears to have spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.
According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.
The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.
If we were all given a clothing stipend like that, this recession would be over very quickly.
In time, I think places like that may indeed become the last refuge for the public smoking hardcore dead-enders, but smoke-free will still be the norm as most proprietors are good citizens willing to work within the law, even if the politicians and law enforcement cant figure out exactly how far to go in enforcing the law. If violations ever did become widespread, which I doubt will happen, I think enforcement measure would be stepped up. Right now there’s just no need for it.
All snarkiness aside, congratulations to Kate Catalano of Brewhaus for being the Best Waitperson runner-up. We look forward to her sound beer advice on our trips there. She also sometimes hangs around to listen to our inane ramblings between beer recommendations.
Since 1989, Iceland which manufactures few things and exports almost nothing, has seen the rise of a few breweries. One Icelandic beer is Viking beer.
Another is Thule.
And this is the light version of Viking. The "Lite" logo reminds me of something but I seriously can't think of what.
I'm not sure you can buy any of these here in the the U.S. but you can order them online. For a price. A hefty price. Here.
I did a calculation and even at the cheapest shipping rate, it would cost me $78 for a six pack of Viking (although a six of Thule would run me only $48). To help out the the hard-hit people of Iceland I am almost inclined to order one, but if I did, the Mrs. would probably ship the beer and ME to back Iceland where I would probably live here.
Have a great weekend! And remember: Save Iceland, Drink Viking.DES MOINES, Iowa -- Operating room nurse Pauline Taylor knows her refusal to get a flu shot is based on faulty logic. But ever since she got sick after getting a shot a few years ago, she's sworn off the vaccine.Uh-huh. And at any given time, check out how many workers at healthcare facilities are standing outside smoking.
"I rarely get sick. The only thing I could narrow it down to is that I had gotten this shot," said Taylor, who works at University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. "I know that it's not a live virus. It just seemed pretty coincidental."
Such stories frustrate Dr. William Schaffner.
As chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University, he hears that kind of talk frequently and knows it's in part to blame for a surprising statistic - nearly 60 percent of health care workers fail to get a flu shot.
This reminds me of the old George Carlin bit that goes something like…Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin mistook some of her own fans for hecklers Monday at a rally that drew thousands.
A massive crowd of at least 20,000 spread across the parking lot of Richmond International Raceway, and scores of people on the outer periphery more than 100 yards from the stage could not hear."Louder! Louder!" they began chanting, and the cry spread across the crowd to Palin's left. Some pointed skyward, urging that the volume be increased.
Audience: Louder, Louder!The not so funny part:
Carlin: What? The Louder family is here? They follow me everywhere and just shout out their name.
Palin stopped her remarks briefly and looked toward the commotion.[Slapping my forehead]. OK, everyone is entitled to a mistake (or a thousand) but mistaking the Louder family for protesters isn’t my main bitch with this. Rather, it’s the invoking the troops as a shield against protest, real or not. You hear this all the time from our friends on the right. “Our brave soldiers throughout the ages fought and died for your right to protest and you go and actually use that right! How Disrespectful!”
"I hope those protesters have the courage and honor to give veterans thanks for their right to protest," she said.
Some in the crowd tried to shout toward her what was really being said, but she couldn't hear them.
I think it would be more dishonorable NOT to voice your opinion in light of those same sacrifices. It’s like buying a flashlight and then yelling at your spouse when they use it during a power outage, “I paid good money for that flashlight and you’re wearing it out by using it!” That’s a bad analogy but a) it’s all I could think of at the moment, b) all blog posts making a point need an analogy and c) our troops fought and died so that I could make that analogy.On a sunny day in which many had stood in place for more than three hours without shade, at least 25 people collapsed from heat-related illnesses and three were hospitalized, according to the Henrico County fire department.Remember when the right was practically calling Barack Obama a mass murderer for “allowing” people to pass out from the heat at a rally here in Springfield a couple of months ago? I wonder if they will hold Palin to the same standard. No, I don’t really wonder.
Update: Link to ad here courtesy of Rich Miller.
The other thing that apparently can’t be resisted is period TV. On several occasions the TV is on in the background (or foreground) and we see TV shows and commercials from 1973. Imagine! Along those same lines, there is a soundtrack of music that one might have heard in 1973. It’s a good soundtrack, but it’s overlaid onto the show and not just incidental background music. That comes off kind of gimmicky. But, again, it’s a good soundtrack so I give it a pass.
Also, once we are back in 1973, there is this kind of weird hue in the air that gives everything a surreal look to it. I’m not sure why this is. The air (well, except for more pollution), colors sunlight, etc. all looked the same back then as they do now. All I can figure is that the makers of the show wanted to somehow convey the feeling of strangeness that our hero must be experiencing. I’m not sure how the hue helps this. I mean, the show does a pretty good job of getting the fashion, the vehicles, the technology, etc. of the time correct. That would be strange enough for anyone.
The actual story is kind of compelling. We aren’t sure if this guy is really back in time or is in a coma dreaming the whole thing. Given that he hears voices coming from his radio and TV addressing him as if he were laying unconscious in a hospital, certainly makes us think it is all a dream, but who knows. Meanwhile, he spends his working hours helping solve a crime that is almost identical to the one he was working on in 2008.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the story is how our hero tries to introduce things like forensics and psychological profiling into an environment that is clearly using only shoe leather and brute force to catch the bad guy. I think they overplay the degree to which the one female cop on the show is oppressed, dismissed and harassed. This was 1973 not 1914. Still, point well taken that women were just beginning to assert themselves as equals in the workplace.
All in all, I was entertained. I must admit that even finding the faults is entertaining to me. So, I will go back for at least another episode and probably more.
Life on Mars is on Thursdays at 9:00 PM.
LaHood supports the McCain ticket, but doesn't like what he sees at some of the McCain-Palin rallies: When Barack Obama's name has been mentioned by Sarah Palin, there are shouts of "terrorist," and LaHood says Palin should put a stop to it.
"Look it," LaHood said. "This doesn't befit the office that she's running for. And frankly, people don't like it."
LaHood says it could backfire on the Republican ticket.
He says the names that Obama is being called, "Certainly don't reflect the character of the man."
But more like this kind:
Put them together and you have this:
Or this:
But hey, here's a good idea, a fake beer gut that serves you a six pack. It's perfect for getting your favorite drink into an otherwise dry place.
You've got to be a hardcore drinker to go to that extreme. That's why I'll be buying mine here.
Have a great weekend! And if you run into him, say Hi to Joe Six Pack.
And another one of a guy having just pulled his hair out or something:
[Democrat Ron] Stradt’s car… is a 2008 BMW X3, which he described as a “smaller SUV.”
…
“It’s the only vehicle made by BMW that’s 100 percent union-made,” Stradt said, saying the X3 is produced in Austria. His car probably has “more union parts and more union labor than some of the American-label cars,” some of which are now made in plants outside the U.S, he said.
Stradt is running against incumbent Republican State’s Attorney JOHN SCHMIDT.
Schmidt didn’t comment about the license-plate frame. When I asked, he said he drives a 2005 Cadillac CTS, which he bought used, but his other family car is a Honda minivan.
Stradt’s wife drives an Audi.
They report, I post, you decide.
I did give it to him but of course he broke it the next day. Today I bought three more, so we can have boxing matches (one for his mom too). They’re like portable Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
PLEASANT PLAINS — A golden toilet stool at the end of a rainbow has become a symbol of the future growth and economic development Mayor Jim Verkuilen hopes
new municipal sanitary sewer lines will bring to this village of about 800.
“It’s like a pot of gold,” Verkuilen said with a laugh.
The stool and rainbow adorned a float the village entered in Pleasant Plains High School’s homecoming parade last month, and the float will be on display during the community’s “First Flush Party” on Saturday.
The party was organized to celebrate the recently completed sewer installation and say thank you to all of the project’s workers as well as residents who were patient during construction, Verkuilen said.
…
The village’s use of septic systems deterred many developers and residents alike from coming to the village, Verkuilen said, adding that he believes the municipal sewer lines will make Pleasant Plains more attractive to businesses and families.
Now that the installation is complete, a new 60-lot south-side subdivision is expected to go up. The village also has annexed about 160 acres north of Pleasant Plains High School and is looking for a developer.
As a former resident of Pleasant Plains, let me say that the worst part of living there wasn’t the septic systems (we never had any problem with ours). Rather, it was the distance from Springfield where both Mrs. TEH and I worked. And shopped. And ate out. And about everything else except sleep.
When we moved into Springfield, gas prices were half of what they are now, but I calculated at the time that our savings in transportation costs would go a very long way in offsetting the cost of the more expensive house we bought on Springfield’s west side.
While Plains is a nice, quiet, safe place to live, it’s kind of out there and not near anywhere you want to go. And to get to Springfield, you have to take the two-lane Route 125/97 which is one solid line of cars during the morning and evening work commutes. It’s not a bad road otherwise, especially if you like deer.
Maybe I’m wrong; sewers will attract people to live and set up businesses in Plains. But I’m betting it won’t make a big difference. Meanwhile, congrats to the citizens of the community for gaining a worry-free flush lifestyle.
–The questions will be culled from a group of 100 to 150 uncommitted likely voters in the audience and another one-third to come via the Internet. Brokaw selects which questions to ask from written queries submitted prior to the debate.
–The Gallup Organization makes sure the questioners reflect the demographic makeup of the nation.
–An audience member isn’t allowed to switch questions and will not be allowed a follow-up either. His or her microphone will be turned off after the question is read and a camera shot will only be shown of the person asking — not reacting.
–The moderator may not ask followups or make comments.
–McCain and Obama will be provided with director’s chairs, but they’re also allowed to stand. They can’t roam past their “designated area” marked on the stage and are not supposed to ask each other direct questions.
In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric’s questions for her “less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media.” At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, “Sit down, boy.”
Still, it has to be better than having a bunch of large, foam #1 fingers pointed your way.
CHICAGO - The next gubernatorial election is still two years away, but Attorney General Lisa Madigan acknowledges she's "thinking about" a run for the state's top job.
Madigan didn't offer any other hints Monday about a plan to challenge her fellow Democrat, Governor Rod Blagojevich, should he seek re-election.
Well, at least she might get along better with that other Madigan.
My guess is that Boone will win reelection on name recognition and because she is a Republican (the majority party here). For the reasons stated above, incumbent corners have a huge advantage. That doesn’t mean Phoenix doesn’t have what it takes or wouldn’t be better than Boone. I think it’s just the political reality.
All this is to say I don’t have much of an opinion on the matter and I’m not even sure what way I’m going to go on November 4.
The Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September (and running to early October). It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year, and is an enjoyable event with an important part of Bavarian culture.
Here's a comparison a couple of guys did between German and American Oktoberfest beers.
Sam Adams of any variety taste like Sam Adams to me, I don't care how much Oktober they put into it.
Right now, American beer companies seems to be all wanting to get on the wheat beer bandwagon. Can the Oktoberfest fad be far behind. I still say leave it to the Germans.
Have a great weekend! And don't fest too much during Oktober.
[Southern Illinois University at Carbondale] is taking on the first national college study about the effects of quitting marijuana using the nicotine patch on withdrawal symptoms.
The SIUC smoking laboratory, which has studied the effects of tobacco use with student participants for years, has added a new twist, said David Gilbert, the lab's director. Through the $17,000 first phase of the study, "cannabis-dependent" students will be monitored as they quit smoking marijuana.
The story doesn’t make it clear, but I have to assume we are talking about people who want to quit smoking tobacco AND marijuana. Otherwise, why would you pump a lot of nicotine into someone not addicted to nicotine? That would probably be dangerous not to mention not all that useful. That would be like trying to wean someone off alcohol by giving them amphetamines.U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama have asked the U.S. Air Force to station RC-12 aircraft in Springfield as part of a new flying mission for the 183rd Tactical Fighter Wing.The Springfield base lost its last F-16 Sept. 23. Assigning the RC-12 to Springfield would allow the base to continue in a flying mission. The Air Force is planning to acquire a number of RC-12 aircraft to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts, but it has not specified where the aircraft would be based.
The RC-12 is a twin-engine, turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft that can also be used for medical evacuations. The aircraft also has a camera, which could send live video to military commanders.
Geez, what a bow-wow. Might want to see a dermatologist about that.
I’m always surprised when I see what’s on these sample ballots. Oh, he has an opponent, who knew? Who are all these people running for president? What county board district am I in again?
But here’s the thing. It’s a high school. The kids are old enough to know not to run into the street. They aren’t on a playground chasing balls into the street. Almost none of the students at Lutheran even cross the street on foot. Those that don’t drive cars or get rides from other students or parents might take the bus which stops on the same side of the street as the school. I’ve never seen a student cross the street on foot and there are no crosswalks near the school. Still, we are supposed to slow down to 20 mph from an otherwise 40 mph speed zone.
He really ingratiates himself to the interviewer. By all means, let's elect this guy.
