Banjodude

Cars came out yesterday!!!

2006-11-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

I picked up my copy yesterday morning...Anyone else got it yet?

Crikey, We're Going to Miss This Bloke!

2006-09-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Jordo!!!

2006-08-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am back!

2006-07-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Apologizing for the "absense". Just a lot going on. Keep the comments coming, love hearing from everyone.

Gulf Shores Mini-Vacation

2006-07-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

I love the beach! How many amens can I get for that?

JFest a Real Blessing

2006-06-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

My SUW (Sport Utility Woman)

2006-05-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Guess I Could Stand to Lose Some Weight, Huh?

2006-05-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

I Ain't Never Had Too Much Fun!

2006-05-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

How Redneck is That?!

2006-05-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I needed the tires for my new (other) SUV...

My Poor Baby!

2006-05-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

Getting it towed from Dynetics. Hopefully to resurrect at a later time...

Now my new SUV is broken

2006-05-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Trouble, trouble, trouble is all I'm having with my trucks now. My Nissan broke down on me this morning. Hopefully my Nissan will be good to go in a couple of days. My Ford is up on blocks, I'm eventually going to fix it (I hope what I do to it fixes it).

Shar-A-Thon 2006

2006-05-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Carman Concert was a Blast!

2006-05-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

My New Ride!

2006-04-27T05:44:00.000-07:00

So I went out to Albertville to pick up this sweet deal. She's old and high-mileage, but a keeper.

Carman Biography

2006-04-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

For thopse of you who were aking about Carman...

"He looked around and saw things. Things that disturbed him, things that made him mad. Instead of railing against the wind, he looked into himself-he listened for God. Knowing that following his vision would require a radical shift in life as he knew it, Carman also knew he had to go. And so, he committed himself to do something about it-to be part of a solution."

You can read more here.

Carman in Florence

2006-04-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

And guess what?! I'm going. Surprised? I've loved Carman and his testimony for years! We'll be going April 21st.

Me and My Gang

2006-04-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

So I went to WalMart at midnight last night...OK, this morning, if you want to get technical, and picked up Rascal Flatt's album that came out today. It's really good! You can preview it here. Of course, most of you are already familiar with the smash hit "What Hurts the Most." There's also a hilarious one called "Backwards,"making fun of Country Music. I could diverge and elaborate on each song, but I'll spare you. I encourage you to check it out.

...Sniff...

2006-03-29T06:21:00.000-08:00

So my mom text messaged me yesterday and told me my Oscar had jumped out and was dried up behind my tank. I was pretty sad. I moved him out this morning before work. So now I have one living fish to my name. Guess I'll start over, especially not that I've got another tank.

Happy St. Patricks' Day, lads and lassies!

2006-03-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Harlem Globetrotters 2006

2006-03-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

Went to see them last night on their"Unstoppable Tour" at the VBC. It was awesome! Any of you guys ever been? They're a HOOT! (Images soon to come)

Bob and Larry Get a Clue in SHEERLOCK HOLMES!

2006-03-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are on the case in the next hilarious installment of VeggieTales, Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler! It came out on DVD and video March 11.

I Ate Breakfast!

2006-03-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

Whoohoo! Big deal, right? Well, I haven't had breakfast in a while, so it is cool! Went to IHOP this morning with a friend. Oh, yes, I do have a friend, believe it or not. And it was of the female species. So I had a good start to my Tuesday. Anything exciting going on?

How as your weekend?

2006-03-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

So, what's up this wonderful Monday? Tell me what ya'll did this weekend.
Saturday, I went to a men's prayer breakfast, then chilled at home. Then we went to visit a famliy from church, the Berlin's, with the Clay's. That was cool. We went down in a cave, and we LOTS of great food. I tried deer heart for the first time. It's AWESOME!
Yesterday, besides church, just went out to eat lunch with friend sfrom church, and after evening service, we all walked over to Subway. A good time had by all. Then late last night, I was working on some video editing, and watched the Cosby Show. How about all you guys?

Volunteer for Shar-athon!

2006-03-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

WAY-FM is currently in need of volunteers to help out during our Annual Share-A-Thon May 1-4th. We could use individuals and groups to answer phones during the four day event. If you have the time or have more questions please email Melanie at melanie@wayfm.com.

Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett Dies at 45

2006-03-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! Seems like a lot of celebs passing recently.

Season 2 comes out on dvd today

2006-03-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

I purchased Season 1 of the Cosby Show last night, and the girl at the movie store asked if I wanted to reserve a copy of Season 2. When she said they only had one set, I was like, o yeah! So I get to go tonight and pick it up. It's like, all of a sudden, I'm crazy about old TV shows. I was looking at I Love Lucy boxed sets, but those suckers are EXPENSIVE! So, I was up til midnight last night...I think I watched 4 episodes of the Cosby Show in a row. I'll probably end up seeing a couple of I Love Lucy episodes at Ruths tonight after school. Good times.

AT&T to pay $67B for BellSouth

2006-03-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

Anyone have any opinions on this? That's a lot of money, I think!

AT&T (T) on Sunday announced plans to buy BellSouth (BLS) for $67 billion in stock, about an 18% premium over BellSouth's current share price, and assume about $22 billion in debt. The result would be a telecommunications behemoth with about $120 billion in annual revenue.

MySpace

2006-03-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

So, I took the plunge and set up a MySpace account. Anyone else use MySpace. My brother and asome friends do. It's kinda cool, a little more complex than blogspot is. Check it out! One of these days I'll get more on there.

Don Knotts Died at 81

2006-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Seems kinda young to me. He didn't look in that bad of shape. We'll miss him. I loved everything he played in.

Cohen picks herself off ice to earn silver medal

2006-02-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

I was pretty disappointed, I was really hoping the best for her. She did a great job, but it's hard to recover from 2 falls.

So Sudoko!

2006-02-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

Anyone else caught this? It's the latest craze at work. Looks cool. Sudoko is a puzzle that now appears in most newspapers daily. The aim is to fill in a 9X9 square with numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, each column and each 3x3 sub-block contains each number exactly once.

Gotta Love a Good LAN Party!

2006-02-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

Although this one was small compared to the last 2, it was a blast. Literally!

Threat of Icy Roads Did Not deter Casting Crowns!

2006-02-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

And apparantly not the fans, either. It was a sold-out show. We got over to Chattanooga about 4:00 Alabama time, an hour before the doors opened at Memorial Auditorium. Joshua and I met up with volunteers, and got ready to take tickets at the door and hand out programs. When 6:00 cam...madness ensued. You may think handing out programs isno big deal, but when you've got a few thousand people coming through 3 small doorways, it gets intense. But it was fun, and the concert was phenomenal (sp?), as usual. These guys are the best. Nicole Nordeman and Josh Bates were great, too, and Tony Nolan gives a great message. It always ends up being a spirit-filled worship service. Click here for more photos.

Snowboard Cross 2006

2006-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

Anyone catch this on the olympics last night? It's totally awesome!

Love it when siblings are saved!!!

2006-02-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

Joshua got saved this morning! I won't elaborate, because that's for him to do, but I'm excited. Said he was convicted during the Paul Washer series.

Love the Google Graphic for today...any comments on the games?

2006-02-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

First ever Olympic snowboardcross gold

2006-02-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

Anybody catch this guy? I missed the snowboarding. Not watching near as much of the games as I'd like to.

2006-02-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2006-02-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Too True!

2006-02-07T20:46:00.001-08:00

2006-02-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

The newest from Microsoft!

2006-02-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

A Whole New Way to Always Stay in Stock...

2006-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

Working Another Concert, as Usual.

2006-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Looing forward to going and working this concert on the 18th. I usually do merchandise tables, but we're going to hand out programs, that way we don't miss much of the show.

Bible Talk

2006-02-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

We can all get so busy sometimes, with school, church, work, and life in general. Oh, and bloggin' too. It's easy to forget what's supposed to be most important in our lives, which is following our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, being in the Word, and prayer. So let's be in the Word a bit. I'd like us all to share our life verse (favorite Scripture); my main one is:

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Please share yours. I allow anonymous blogging now, so you don't have an excuse.

Like I promised...

2006-02-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest additions to the family... The top left one is a new one...he's a red-bellied pacu. The left one is a red devil. You've already met the bottom one..the pink convict, and the big one, the Oscar.

This one's a Red Devil, and although he's supposed to be the meanest one in there, he's a chicken. Oh, that's what I'll call him...Chicken.
Got some crabs in a small tank underneath...
View from a distance...

The driver presets the cruise control at whatever speed he or she thinks appropriate -- at 70 miles per hour, for example. "If a car pulls into the sp

2006-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Honda UK has launched a car that can drive itself on motorways and dual-carriageways, the British equivalent of freeways.
When it is in self-drive mode, the new Honda Accord ADAS automatically accelerates and decelerates, and can steer around bends. However, its Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) self-drive technology only works on motorways and dual-carriageways.
While this might sound like the kind of technology we've all been waiting for, giving weary drivers the ability on long trips to get in the back seat to catch some shut-eye, Graham Avent, a spokesperson for Honda UK, said that, when the ADAS system is switched on, drivers cannot simply ignore what's happening.
"They can't climb in to the back of the car and go to sleep," he said. "It is very important to get the message across that this technology does not replace the driver."

Something's Fishy...Again

2006-01-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

So there's 2 additions to my new fish tank: a Red-Bellied Pacu, and a Red Devil. Too much fun! Pictures to come!

New Life Baptist Church

2006-01-25T07:37:00.000-08:00

Check out our church website... http:\\nlbc-harvest.org
Geoffrey, Josh, and myself have all enjoyed working on it.

Other Way Buddy!

2006-01-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

So, I'm driving home last night at midnight, and as I head up a small hill on Highway 72, what should I see but headlights in my lane, COMING TOWARDS ME! REALLY FAST! Now, get this folks, this a 4 lane divided highway, it's NOT easy to go the wrong way. But this little white car was!
So I swerve, he swerves, we came REALLY close to having a booboo. I end up off the road. I honk a few times and quickly turn around to stop the guy, you know, just to make sure everything was OK. I get right up on him, and turns off into CVS Pharmacy, and I'm thinking "Now, do I really want to do this?" Well, after a quick thought, I just start turning around, and he starts to head off, then I end up following him again. Maybe I DO want to talk to him. Well, he ends up going back the direction he was originally going, this time in the correct lane. So I just let it go, turned around and went home. But I still wish I talked him, I'm so curious as to why he was doing that. Oh, well. At least I was awake the rest of the way home.

Christmas Tour a Real "JINGLE"

2006-01-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry a little late for this one...
Went to Birmingham to run MercyMe's merchandise table. It was a lot of fun. MercyMe and Steven Curtis Chapman really know how to get in the Christmas spirit.

We're gonna miss them!

2006-01-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

Nashville, Tenn., (January 18, 2006) – One of the industries top bands, Audio Adrenaline announces that it will add a final chapter to its substantial career with Adios, slated to release later this year. After 15-years of music and mission, Audio Adrenaline is choosing to say "adios," offering one more nod to its considerable fan base with the album and select live events.

After years of giving his all on stage and in the studio, Audio Adrenaline frontman Mark Stuart is experiencing ongoing vocal challenges. After consulting with doctors, it is clear the toll his voice has taken will prevent his ability to continue a consistent live performance schedule.

To read more on this go to http://www.audioa.com/news.aspx

Something's Fishy

2006-01-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

Got my new 125 gallon tank set up, and my 3 favorite babies are enjoying it. More fishies soon to join them.

Paintball at the Haynes went well!

2006-01-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Concert this Saturday!

2005-12-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

Going down to Birmingham to work a great Christmas Concert. Will have details after the show...Until then, God Bless.

Jayar

2005-11-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

What I Was Made For

2005-11-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

The concert was a lot of fun! It was more like a worship service, which is really great.

Going to see Big Daddy Weave November 6th.

2005-11-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

7 mile hike well worth it!

2005-10-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

I took these at the Walls of Jericho north of Scottsboro.

Walls of Jericho, Quite the Hike!

2005-10-31T08:17:00.000-08:00

Mark Lowry Concert a Hoot!

2005-10-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

I went with my friend Geoffrey to see Mark Lowry in concert with Lordsong Saturday night. We had a great time. Mark is, in my opinion, the greatest Christian comedian of all time. And Lordsong is a wonderful gospel group. We laughed, sang, and prayed for two and a half hours. He is really quite the joker.

Fiddler's Convention 2005 a Blast!

2005-10-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yeehaw!!! Got the usual steak sandwich and funnel cake, played with various groups on my banjo, and enjpoyed some great pickin at the competition. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, Athens State hosts the annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler's Convention each October. Great fun if you're into bluegrass/gospel music and good food. Jam sessions, craft booths, games, food, and of course the competitions. It was this past weekend, and since I was toting around my banjo, I didn't get pics. Surprising, I know, so I found a couple on the web. Can't wait tll next years convention!

2005-10-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

2005-10-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Near Miss for 2 Jets on a Las Vegas Runway

2005-09-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

By MATTHEW L. WALD

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 - An America West passenger jet taking off from Las Vegas missed hitting an Air Canada jet by about 100 feet last Thursday night, according to a preliminary report, because a controller in the tower confused two planes and issued conflicting instructions.
The controller has been taken off duty and sent for more training, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and the episode is under investigation.
America West Flight 539, departing for Cleveland, was cleared for takeoff about 11 p.m. local time on Runway 25 Right. At the same time, Air Canada Flight 593 had landed on Runway 25 Left, a parallel runway, on a flight from Toronto, and had been cleared to taxi to the terminal, across 25 Right. A collision was averted because the America West plane was airborne by the time it reached the point where the Air Canada plane was crossing.
The America West and Air Canada planes were both midsized Airbus jets that carry more than 100 passengers.
An F.A.A. spokeswoman said Wednesday that the agency did not believe that the America West plane had flown directly over the Air Canada plane, but that investigators were still trying to determine how close the two jets came.
Donn Walker, an F.A.A. spokesman, said the tower controller had cleared the America West plane for takeoff. Then a different America West plane, a Boeing 757, taxiing behind Flight 539, asked for a brief delay. The controller responded by revoking the takeoff clearance for the 757 - although he had never issued one for that plane - and cleared the Air Canada plane to cross the runway. Meanwhile Flight 539, duly cleared, rolled down the runway for takeoff.
"Our system is set up as much as possible to absorb human error and still not have a collision," Mr. Walker said.
He said, as did others, that the aviation agency had computer systems in place that would alert controllers to some kinds of human error, like pilots not following directions because they misheard an instruction or got lost in the field, but that it did not have an automatic system for warning controllers about confusing two airplanes.
In July at Kennedy International Airport in New York, a DC-8 cargo plane nearly hit a fully loaded Boeing 767 that blundered onto the active runway. The tower controller could not spot the problem because of heavy rain and clouds that cut visibility to near zero and made radar ineffective. The aviation agency has a system for seeing through clouds and rain, using signals given off by the planes themselves, as opposed to radar, which bounces electromagnetic energy off the planes' skins. But the agency has not installed it at Kennedy.

Electric Outlet Can Be Wireless Link

2005-09-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

By YURI KAGEYAMA

TOKYO (AP) - The common electric socket will serve as your home's connection to broadband with a new chip developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. - doing away with all the Ethernet cables or the hassle of hooking up to a wireless network device.
Products are still being developed, but gadgets embedded with the chip from the Japanese manufacturer of Panasonic products can hook up to a broadband network by plugging into the common electrical outlet, company officials said Thursday.
That's because the Osaka-based company has come up with technology to use electric wiring in the home to relay not just electricity but also data.
The technology has been around for some time - including in the United States - but Matsushita's system is unique in that it delivers fast-speed broadband information at up to 170 megabits per second, which is faster than Ethernet.
The advantage is that the lowly electric socket is everywhere. Right now, a broadband outlet still isn't usually available in every room, even in homes that have broadband connections.
In the future home envisioned by Matsushita, people will be able to download and watch high-definition movies in any room of the house that has an outlet.
Attach a special device made by Matsushita into a socket and all you have to do is plug your TV or other gadgets into a socket for instant connection to broadband, which allows for faster transmission of online information than dial-up telephone connections.
Matsushita hopes to eventually sell refrigerators, TVs and other products with the chip already installed.
A network-connected refrigerator may allow users to connect from a mobile phone or laptop to check whether you're low on eggs, for example. Or you may want to turn gadgets off or on, such as your washing machine or air-conditioner, from outside the home.
But for now, an adaptor when plugged into an outlet will allow gadgets with Ethernet connections - even those without the Matsushita chip - to receive broadband.
Matsushita official Tomiya Miyazaki said that even homes with optical fiber connections don't have broadband outlets in every room, and people are tired of setting up gadgets with their home wireless LAN device.
"Our goal is to have every gadget plugged in this way so that people don't have to even think about connecting it to broadband," he said.
Samples of the technology are being made available to companies, including other Japanese electronics makers, that may wish to use it for their products, Matsushita officials said. A demonstration of the technology will be on show at the CEATEC exhibition that showcases electronic technology, opening near Tokyo next month.
Acceptance of the technology is more likely in Europe and the United States because of stricter regulations over power line use in Japan, according to Matsushita. The company is in talks with the Japanese government to have regulations eased.

Tim Sinclair Leaving WAYFM!

2005-09-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tim is moving to where Heather lives. He'll be leaving late October, I think. The mornings just won't be the same without him.

2005-09-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

20:45:48 - Bush mobilises hurricane relief effort
18:47:57 - Hurricane Rita pours more water into New Orleans
16:09:17 - Fires and floods hit hurricane-stricken US
11:49:27 - Hurricane Rita brings widespread power cuts
09:30:19 - Hurricane Rita comes ashore
08:42:15 - Hurricane Rita brings early death and destruction
00:20:09 - Rita’s rains breach New Orleans levees

SLAM!

2005-09-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Rita plowed into the Gulf Coast early Saturday, lashing Texas and Louisiana with driving rain, flooding low-lying regions, knocking power out to more than 675,000 people and sparking fires across the region.
Rita made landfall at 3:30 a.m. EDT as a Category 3 storm just east of Sabine Pass, on the Texas-Louisiana line, bringing a 20-foot storm surge and up to 25 inches of rain, the National Hurricane Center said. Within four hours it had weakened to a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 100 mph, as it moved further inland between Beaumont and Jasper, Texas.
Residents in hard-hit western Louisiana called police early Saturday to report roofs being ripped off and downed trees. Rescuers were forced to wait until the winds outside died down to safe levels.
"We can't even get out to check yet," said Sgt. Wendell Carroll of Louisiana's Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office. "All we can hear is the wind a' howling."
The storm spun off tornadoes as it churned northwest at 12 mph with winds that topped 120 mph, causing transformers to explode in the pre- dawn darkness. Four counties in southeast Texas were under a tornado warning early Saturday.
In Jasper County, north of Beaumont, a house with seven people inside floated in floodwaters after it came off its foundation, said sheriff's communications supervisor Alice Duckworth.
Duckworth said the 30 emergency workers were stuck in the emergency operations center because of flooding. "We can't get any fire trucks out," she said.
Rita spared the flood-prone cities of Houston and Galveston a direct hit. "It looks like the Houston and Galveston area has really lucked out," said Max Mayfield, director of the hurricane center.
But rain from Rita drenched parts of New Orleans on Saturday, straining an already fragile levee system that failed in places on Friday.
The National Weather Service said New Orleans was expected to get spurts of rain dropping 3 to 4 inches per hour. On Friday, hurricane- driven storm surges topped one levee, while another began leaking.
Fires were reported in and around Houston, including one in a two- story apartment building in southeast Houston that left at least eight units damaged, authorities said. Nobody was hurt, according to District Chief Jack Williams. Another blaze broke out before dawn at a shopping complex in Pasadena. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
In a hotel in Beaumont, Texas, near where Rita struck, windows were blown out and shards of glass and pieces of trees were strewn throughout the flooding lobby, KHOU-TV reported.
In Tyler County in eastern Texas, high winds ripped roofs off several buildings, including the police department in Woodville, sheriff's Chief Deputy Clint Sturrock said.
The junior high school in nearby Warren also lost its roof, and fire _ likely triggered by lightning _ broke out in a pile of logs. "We just let it burn," Sturrock said.
In Newton County, on the Texas-Louisiana line, power was out and the wind was howling. "It's blowing so hard here at the jail, it's about to suck the doors out," said county Judge Truman Dougharty.
He said trees were down throughout the county but that few calls were coming in to the sheriff's office _ probably because few people had phone service.
"All we can do is hang on," he said.
More than 675,000 CenterPoint Energy customers in Texas were without power in the company's service area, which stretches from Galveston into Houston north to Humble, company spokeswoman Patricia Frank said. Entergy spokesman David Caplan said about 55,000 of its Texas customers in the storm-affected area were without electricity.
Rita's heaviest rains _ up to 3 to 4 inches an hour _ fell in Lake Charles, La., National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Omundson said. The town had 8 inches of rain more than two hours before the storm's landfall. Near the coastal town of Cameron, the weather service recorded a wind gust of 112 mph as the storm's center approached.
In Vinton, west of Lake Charles, police could see several building fires from their station and took calls from residents reporting others at homes and businesses throughout town, Lt. Arthur Phillips said.
"It's tore up pretty good," he said. "We've taken quite a beating."
The roof of the town's recreation center was completely torn off, and residents reported businesses destroyed by winds and homes damaged by fallen trees, Phillips said.
The storm brought chaos even far from its path. South of Dallas, a bus of Rita evacuees caught fire in gridlocked traffic, killing as many as 24 nursing home residents who thought they were getting out of harm's way.
In Galveston, about 100 miles away from the storm's eye, a fire erupted in the historic Strand district late Friday. Wind-whipped flames leapt across three buildings. City manager Steve LeBlanc said the blaze could have been caused by downed power lines.
"It was like a war zone, shooting fire across the street," Fire Chief Michael Varela said Saturday.
Officials estimated at least 90 percent of surrounding Jefferson County residents had heeded warnings that a storm surge could submerge swaths of the low-lying county _ including the seawall-and-levee- protected city of Port Arthur, near Sabine Pass.
As the storm raged, the torches of oil refineries could still be seen burning in the distance from downtown Beaumont. Officials worried about the storm's threat to those facilities and chemical plants strung along the Texas and Louisiana coast.
The facilities represent a quarter of the nation's oil refining capacity and business analysts said damage from Rita could send gas prices as high as $4 a gallon. Environmentalists warned of the risk of a toxic spill.
In the days before the storm's arrival, hundreds of thousands of residents of Texas and Louisiana fled their homes in a mass exodus of 2.8 million people that produced gridlock and heartbreak.
Grocery shelves were emptied, gas stations ran out of fuel and motorists had to push their cars to the side of highways after idling for hours in stuck traffic and running out of gas.
Nearly 1,300 patients were airlifted out of an airport near Beaumont in a rush Thursday night and Friday morning, but only after the county's top official made a panicked call to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison for help.
"We had patients throwing up. It was very ugly," said Jefferson County Judge Carl Griffith, who blamed delays on the Transportation Security Administration, which insisted every wheelchair-bound passenger be checked with a metal-detector.
Kandy Huffman had no way to leave, and she pushed her broken-down car down the street to her home with plans to ride out the storm in Port Arthur, where the streetlights were turned off and stores were boarded up.
"All you can do is pray for best," she said as a driving rain started to fall. "We're surrounded by the people we love. Even if we have to all cuddle up, we know where everybody is."
Late Friday, southwestern Louisiana was soaked by driving rain and coastal flooding. Sugarcane fields, ranches and marshlands were already under water at dusk in coastal Cameron Parish.
The sparsely populated region was almost completely evacuated, but authorities rushed to the aid of a man who had decided to ride out the storm in a house near the Gulf of Mexico after one of man's friends called for help. They were turned back by flooded roads.
Empty coastal highways and small towns were blasted with wind-swept rain. A metal hurricane evacuation route sign along one road wagged violently in the wind, and clumps of cattle huddled in fields.
Steve Rinard, a meteorologist in Lake Charles, said he could not keep count of the tornado warnings across southern Louisiana. "They were just popping up like firecrackers," he said.
President Bush, mindful of criticism the federal government was slow to respond to Hurricane Katrina three weeks ago, planned to visit his home state Saturday. He will go to the state's emergency operations center in Austin and then to San Antonio.
In Lake Charles, home to the nation's 12th-largest seaport and refineries run by ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Citgo and Shell, nearly all 70,000 residents had evacuated. Several riverboat casinos that mostly serve tourists from Texas also closed ahead of the storm.
"We see these storms a little differently after Katrina," said city administrator Paul Rainwater. "We all realize that no matter how safe you feel ... you have to take it seriously, you have to plan."
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said over 90 percent of residents in southwestern parishes, about 150,000 people, had evacuated.
Some residents of southwest Louisiana headed to a shelter in Lafayette, joining evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who had been there nearly a month.
"I am thankful for my life and that we are all safe," said Blanche Edgarson, 53, of Plaquemines Parish, an area that was devastated by Katrina. "But I'm very depressed, and I don't know where we will go from here."

Katrina Relief Trip a Success!

2005-09-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Early Friday morning, 25 men and boys met at New Life Baptist Church at 6:00A.M.. Despite the rain, we managed to load all supplies, tools, and donations into various trucks and trailers. Then at about 6:30, we piled in and got on the road. Uneventful, normal, 6-7 hour trip, with one potty break (No women, so one was enough:)). We ended up at a plant in Laurel, Mississippi, where we met up with another church, and they divided us into 3 groups and sent us on missions. I ended up at a family's place where about 40 pine trees were laying like pick-up sticks, and others ready to fall. We began firing up the chainsaws, and hauling brush and logs. I hopped in an old farm truck and began making numerous trips into the yard, we loaded up, and hauled the load to the street, then went back for more. There was also another truck, trailer, and driver doing the same. About 7:00, we quit for the day, and 16 of us went to this one family's place to take showers, get a homecooked meal, and find a spot on the floor, or, if you were lucky like I was, a bed to crash in. ZZZZ Then comes 5:30, back to the plant to regroup and divide, and I ended up back at the same place. Another great day of felling trees, driving, hauling, and dumping. We finished up around 2:30, had prayer with the family, and went back to the same house for a shower, then we got back on the road. Ended back at the church at 10:00 or so. Overall, we had a great time being used by God to minister to another church. We ended all supporting the same church, the other groups went to various families homes to clear their yard. So now that we helped other members of the body, they'll be able to go further south, and help another church. It's a neat picture of the Body of Christ working together.

Tim Sinclair Engaged!

2005-09-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Wayfm's Morning show host is engaged to Heather! Congrats to both of them.

Why get in a hurry?

2005-09-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

You know, with the price of gas now, it makes more sense just to take it easy on the road. No more zipping and zooming up around, I say just slow down and take it easy. It's a whole lot less stressful, let the other stressfuls zoom around you. I'm not condemning anyone, just putting in my 2 cents worth. I think I'll take it easy on the way home tonight.

2005-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Residents of Jefferson Parish hold hands as they wade through flooded streets Monday. The parish is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for three days. Some residents brought cameras to document damage for insurance claims.

2005-09-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Cindy Yankovich and Lynn Patterson examine the destruction in Paterson's home which was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in East Biloxi, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005.

2005-09-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Search and Rescue workers from Oakland, Ca. rest while searching for victims in homes destroyed Hurricane Katrina in East Biloxi, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005.

2005-09-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

U.S. Marines gather their gear after arriving by hovercraft on the shores of East Biloxi, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005. Members of the armed forces are participating in distributing aid and patrolling the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Many Still Refuse to Leave New Orleans

2005-09-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

New Orleans police officers are moving through the Hurricane Katrina- devastated city and trying to get thousands of residents who have resisted moving to leave, a deputy police chief said Monday.
During a news conference, Deputy Superintendent Warren Riley said police were telling the remaining residents that there is no food, water or jobs and nothing to remain in New Orleans for.
"This city has been destroyed," Riley said.
Riley said police did have the authority to force evacuations, but did not spell out whether officers are taking that step. In an earlier interview on WWL radio, Mayor Ray Nagin said that authorities were going to try to persuade people to leave. Officers will no longer be handing out water to people who will not evacuate, the mayor said.
Riley estimated that fewer than 10,000 people were left in the city. He said some simply did not want to leave their homes _ while others were hanging back to engage in criminal activities, such as looting.
"We don't know how long this is going to last," he said.
Riley also said police were asking people not to return to the city for now. New Orleans is still without utilities and has collapsed power lines all over the city, Riley said.
Riley said that after nearly a week of most police efforts being aimed at rescue, the department, aided by the National Guard, was turning toward "more of a law enforcement mode now."
"We are targeting looters, we are targeting those who want to create mayhem in this city," Riley said.
However, the department is short-staffed: between 400 and 500 officers on the 1,600-member police force are unaccounted for, Riley said. Some lost their homes and some are looking for their families, Riley said.
"Some simply left because they said they could not deal with the catastrophe," Riley said.
Riley said police communications, especially with other agencies, is improving after a chaotic start.
"We have moved from chaos to organized chaos and now we are better organized," Riley said.
With thousands of active military, National Guard units and federal agencies continuing to patrol the city, "we feel that the city is very secure," Riley said.
At a news conference in Baton Rouge, Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau, head of the Louisiana National Guard, said he expected to have 21,000 soliders in 13 hurricane-affected parishes by the end of Monday.

Is Corn Alcohol the Way to Go?

2005-09-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, what can I say? Gas is ridiculous. Jeffrey in Georgia said gas is between 3 and 4 dollars a gallon, and that's from the stations that are still open. Someone here said GA is going dry. So, I say let's all start a still in our backyards and make an alternate fuel supply. Let's get diesel cars and go to McDonald's and get all their used French Fry Oil. What do ya'll think? Put in your 2 cents worth...

Gasoline futures surge to record high

2005-09-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

US gasoline futures surged to a record high on Wednesday after the Department of Energy reported a 500,000 barrel drop in gasoline inventories to 194.4m barrels as stocks fell for a ninth week in succession.
The September Nymex gasoline contract rose 17.2 per cent to $2.90, its highest level since opening in 1984.

2005-09-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

President Bush pledged Wednesday to do "all in our power" to save lives and provide sustenance to uncounted victims of Hurricane Katrina but cautioned that recovery of the Gulf Coast will take years.
"We're dealing with one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history," he said at the White House after breaking off his Texas vacation and viewing the devastation from Air Force One.

Real Crimes Committed By Dumb Criminals

2005-08-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Chicago: A man was wanted for throwing bricks through jewelry store windows and making off with the loot. He was arrested last night after throwing a brick into a Plexiglas window...the brick bounced back, hit him in the head and knocked him cold until the police got there.

Portsmouth, RI: Police charged Gregory Rosa, 25, with a string of vending machine robberies in January when he: 1. fled from police inexplicably when they spotted him loitering around a vending machine and 2. later tried to post his $400 bail in coins.

When Stan Caddell wanted to wash his Chevrolet, he backed the car into a foot of water in the Mississippi River at Hannibal, Missouri. When he got out to clean the car, it floated away. Police were able to retrieve the vehicle some distance downstream. According to an officer on the scene, no action would be taken against the driver because "you can't ticket a guy for being stupid..."

Kentucky: Two men tried to pull the front off a cash machine by running a chain from the machine to the bumper of their pickup truck. Instead of pulling the front panel off the machine, though, they pulled the bumper off their truck. Scared, they left the scene and drove home. With the chain still attached to the machine. With their bumper still attached to the chain. With their vehicle's license plate still attached to the bumper.

A bank robber in Bumpus, Tenn., handed a teller the following note: "Watch out. This is a rubbery. I hav an oozy traned on your but. Dump the in a sack, this one. No die packkets or other triks or I will tare you a new naval. No kwarter with red stuff on them, too." Dr. Creon V.B. Smyk of the Ohio Valley Educational Council says such notes are, lamentably, the rule. "Right across the board, we see poor pre-writing skills, problems with omissions, tense, agreement, spelling and clarity," he moaned. Smyk believes that the quality of robbery notes could be improved if criminals could be taught to plan before writing. "We have to stress organization: Make an outline of your robbery note before you write it," he said. "Some of the notes get totally sidetracked on issues like the make, model and caliber of the gun, number of bullets, etc., until one loses sight of the main idea -- the robbery."

A lawyer defending a man accused of burglary tried this creative defense: "My client merely inserted his arm into the window and removed a few trifling articles. His arm is not himself, and I fail to see how you can punish the whole individual for an offense committed by his limb." "Well put," the judge replied. "Using your logic, I sentence the defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he chooses." The defendant smiled. With his lawyer's assistance he detached his artificial limb, laid it on the bench, and walked out.

Crazy But True Facts

2005-08-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

More Monopoly money is printed yearly than real money throughout the world.
Penguins are not found in the North Pole
People photocopying their buttocks are the cause of 23% of all photocopier errors worldwide.
A dentist invented the Electric Chair.
Rudolf the Red-nosed reindeer was actually created as a promotional figure for Montgommery Wards department stores.
A cockroach can live nine days without its head before it starves to death.
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
A whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound.
Walt Disney got the idea for Mickey Mouse from watching mice play in a garage, where he was forced to work, because he could not afford to rent an art studio.
About 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens each year.
About a third of all Americans flush the toilet while they're still sitting on it.
Alexander Graham Bell's wife and mother were both deaf .
The "O" when used as a prefix in Irish surnames means "descendant of."
Alfred Hitchcock did not have a belly button. It was eliminated when he was sewn up after surgery.
Cockroaches break wind every 15 minutes.
Charlie Brown's dad was a barber.
Fish scales are an ingredient in most lipsticks.
Frank Baum, the writer of "The Wizrd of OZ", looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz."
The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp (a variety of the marijuana plant) paper
On average, every chocolate bar contains at least three insect legs.

An Atheist

2005-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

A young woman teacher with obvious liberal tendencies explains to her class of small children that she is an atheist. She asks her class if they are atheists too. Not really knowing what atheism is but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks.
There is, however, one exception. A beautiful girl named Lucy has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different.
"Because I'm not an atheist."
Then, asks the teacher, "What are you?"
"I'm a Christian."
The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Lucy why she is a Christian.
"Well, I was brought up knowing and loving Jesus. My mom is a Christian, and my dad is a Christian, so I am a Christian."
The teacher is now angry. "That's no reason," she says loudly.
"What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was a moron. What would you be then?"
She paused, and smiled. "Then," says Lucy, "I'd be an atheist."

Clean Jokes for a Dirty World

2005-08-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

If you like this joke, and the next few, you can find more like it at

A True Story

2005-08-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

A teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family of seven) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

A True Story

2005-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

A father knelt with his son to hear his prayers. The three year old boy began in all seriousness: "Our Father who Art in Heaven, how do You know my name? And another four-year-old prayed: "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

S.Korean man dies after 50 hours of computer games

2005-08-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean man who played computer games for 50 hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet cafe, authorities said on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old man, identified only by his family name Lee, had been playing on-line battle simulation games at the cybercafe in the southeastern city of Taegu, police said.
Lee had planted himself in front of a computer monitor to play on-line games on August 3. He only left the spot over the next three days to go to the toilet and take brief naps on a makeshift bed, they said.
"We presume the cause of death was heart failure stemming from exhaustion," a Taegu provincial police official said by telephone.
Lee had recently quit his job to spend more time playing games, the daily JoongAng Ilbo reported after interviewing former work colleagues and staff at the Internet cafe.
After he failed to return home, Lee's mother asked his former colleagues to find him. When they reached the cafe, Lee said he would finish the game and then go home, the paper reported.
He died a few minutes later, it said.
South Korea, one of the most wired countries in the world, has a large and highly developed game industry.

Discovery Touchdown Successful!

2005-08-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Discovery and its crew of seven glided safely back to Earth on Tuesday, ending a riveting, at times agonizing, 14-day test of space shuttle safety that was shadowed by the ghosts of Columbia.
Discovery swooped through the darkness of the Mojave Desert and landed on the Edwards runway at 5:11 a.m. PDT, well before sunrise. It marked the conclusion of the first shuttle re-entry since Columbia's tragic return.
The detour to California came after thunderstorms in Cape Canaveral, Fla., prevented the shuttle from returning to its home base.
"Congratulations on a truly spectacular test flight," Mission Control said once Discovery came to a stop. "Welcome home, friends."
"We're happy to be back and we congratulate the whole team for a job well done," Commander Eileen Collins replied.
The inherently dangerous ride down through the atmosphere — more anxiety-ridden than normal because of what happened to Columbia 2 1/2 years ago — went smoothly. No problems were immediately reported by Mission Control.
Held up a day by bad weather in Florida, the shuttle soared across the Pacific and over Southern California, passing just north of Los Angeles on its way to Edwards.
NASA adjusted the flight path in order to skirt Los Angeles because of new public safety considerations in the wake of the Columbia disaster, which rained debris onto Texas and Louisiana.
Discovery's journey, which began with a liftoff on July 26, spanned 219 orbits of Earth and 5.8 million miles.

Some of you may appreciate these!

2005-08-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

A Look at Bill Gates' Computer...

2005-08-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Panhandler v1.0 (Beta)

2005-08-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Redmond, WA -- Microsoft Corporation chair, CEO and all-around babe magnet Bill Gates announced yesterday the introduction of a new product for Windows 95: Microsoft Panhandling."The idea came to me the other day when a homeless man asked me for money," recalls Gates. "I suddenly realized that we were missing a golden opportunity. Here was a chance to make a profit without any initial monetary investment. Naturally, this man then became my competition, so I had my limo driver run over him several times."Microsoft engineers have been working around the clock to complete Gates' vision of panhandling for the 21st century."We feel that our program designers really understand how the poor and needy situation works," says Microsoft Homeless product leader Bernard Liu. "Except for the fact that they're stinking rich."Microsoft Panhandling will be automatically installed with Windows 95. At random intervals, a dialog box pops up, asking the user if they could spare any change so that Microsoft has enough money to get a hot meal. ("This is a little lie," admits software engineer Adam Miller, "since our diet consists of Coke and Twinkies, but what panhandler doesn't embellish a little?") The user can click Yes, in which case a random amount of change between $.05 and $142.50 is transferred from the user's bank account to Microsoft's. The user can also respond No, in which case the program politely tells the user to have a nice day. The "No" button has not yet been implemented."We're experiencing a little trouble programming the No button," Bernard Liu says, "but we should definitely have it up and running within the next couple of years. Or at least by the time Windows 2014 comes out. Maybe." Gates says this is just the start of an entire line of products."Be on the lookout for products like Microsoft Mugging, which either takes $50 or erases your hard drive, and Microsoft Squeegee Guy, which will clean up your Windows for a dollar." (When Microsoft Squeegee Guy ships, Windows 95 will no longer automatically refresh your windows.)But there are competitors on the horizon. Sun Microsystems and Oracle Corporation are introducing panhandling products of their own."Gates is a few tacos short of a combination platter, if you get my drift," says Oracle Head Honcho and 3rd degree black belt Larry Ellison. "I mean, in the future, we won't need laptop computers asking you for change. You'll have an entire network of machines asking you for money."Gates responded with, "I know what you are, but what am I?" General pandemonium then ensued.

Types of Computer Viruses

2005-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Adam and Eve virus: Takes a couple of bytes out of your Apple.
Airline virus: You're in Dallas, but your data is in Singapore.
Anita Hill virus: Lies dormant for ten years.
Arnold Schwarzenegger virus: Terminates and stays resident. It'll be back.
AT&T virus: Every three minutes it tells you what great service you are getting.
The MCI virus: Every three minutes it reminds you that you're paying too much for the AT&T virus.
Bill Clinton virus: This virus mutates from region to region and we're not exactly sure what it does.
Bill Clinton virus: Promises to give equal time to all processes: 50% to poor, slow processes; 50% to middle-class processes, and 50% to rich ones. This virus protests your computer's involvement in other computer's affairs, even though it has been having one of its own for 12 years.
Congressional Virus: Overdraws your computer.
Congressional Virus: The computer locks up, screen splits erratically with a message appearing on each half blaming the other side for the problem.
Dan Quayle virus: Prevents your system from spawning any child processes without joining into a binary network.
Dan Quayle virus: Simplye addse ane ee toe everye worde youe typee..
David Duke virus: Makes your screen go completely white.
Elvis virus: Your computer gets fat, slow, and lazy and then self destructs, only to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across rural America.
Federal bureaucrat virus: Divides your hard disk into hundreds of little units, each of which do practically nothing, but all of which claim to be the most important part of the computer.
Freudian virus: Your computer becomes obsessed with marrying its own motherboard.
Gallup virus: Sixty percent of the PCs infected will lose 38 percent of their data 14 percent of the time (plus or minus a 3.5 percent margin of error).
George Bush virus: Doesn't do anything, but you can't get rid of it until November.
Government economist virus: Nothing works, but all your diagnostic software says everything is fine.
Jerry Brown virus: Blanks your screen and begins flashing an 800 number.
Madonna virus: If your computer gets this virus, lock up your dog!
Mario Cuomo virus: It would be a great virus, but it refuses to run.
Michael Jackson virus: Hard to identify because it is constantly altering its appearance. This virus won't harm your PC, but it will trash your car.
New World Order virus: probably harmless, but it makes a lot of people really mad just thinking about it.
Nike virus: Just Does It!
Ollie North virus: Turns your printer into a document shredder.
Oprah Winfrey virus: Your 200MB hard drive suddenly shrinks to 80MB, and then slowly expands back to 200MB.
Pat Buchanan virus: Shifts all your output to the extreme right of your screen.
Paul Revere virus: This revolutionary virus does not horse around. It warns you of impending hard disk attack---once if by LAN, twice if by C:.
Paul Tsongas virus: Pops up on December 25 and says, "I'm not Santa Claus."
PBS virus: Your PC stops every few minutes to ask for money.
Politically correct virus: Never calls itself a "virus", but instead refers to itself as an "electronic microorganism".
Richard Nixon virus: Also known as the "Tricky Dick Virus", you can wipe it out but it always makes a comeback.
Right To Life virus: Won't allow you to delete a file, regardless of how old it is. If you attempt to erase a file, it requires you to first see a counselor about possible alternatives.
Ross Perot virus: Activates every component in your system, just before the whole thing quits.
Ted Kennedy virus: Crashes your computer but denies it ever happened.
Ted Turner virus: Colorizes your monochrome monitor.
Terry Randle virus: Prints "Oh no you don't" whenever you choose "Abort" from the "Abort, Retry, Fail" message.
Texas virus: Makes sure that it's bigger than any other file.
UK Parliament virus: Splits the screen into two with a message in each half blaming other side for the state of the system.
Warren Commission virus: Won't allow you to open your files for 75 years.

Discovery Delayed Another Day

2005-08-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

Because weather conditions in Florida are not ideal, NASA has chosen to wait til tomorrow to try to land the shuttle.

Mr. ABC Dies at 67

2005-08-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

Peter died with his family around him, without pain and in peace. He knew he'd lived a good life," his wife and children said in a statement.
In announcing Jennings' death to his ABC colleagues, News President David Westin wrote:
"For four decades, Peter has been our colleague, our friend, and our leader in so many ways. None of us will be the same without him.
"As you all know, Peter learned only this spring that the health problem he'd been struggling with was lung cancer. With Kayce, he moved straight into an aggressive chemotherapy treatment. He knew that it was an uphill struggle. But he faced it with realism, courage, and a firm hope that he would be one of the fortunate ones. In the end, he was not.
"We will have many opportunities in the coming hours and days to remember Peter for all that he meant to us all. It cannot be overstated or captured in words alone. But for the moment, the finest tribute we can give is to continue to do the work he loved so much and inspired us to do."

Dumb Georgia Laws

2005-08-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

Members of the state assembly cannot be ticketed for speeding while the state assembly is in session.
Donkeys may not be kept in bathtubs.
Signs are required to be written in English.
You have the right to commit simple battery if provoked by "fighting" words.
No one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday.
It is illegal to use profanity in front of a dead body which lies in a funeral home or in a coroners office.
Acworth
All citizens must own a rake.
Atlanta
Against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
One man may not be on another man's back.
Columbus
Can't cut off a chicken's head on Sunday.
It is illegal to carry a chicken by it's feet down Broadway on Sunday.
Gainesville
Chicken must be eaten with the hands.
Jonesboro
It is illegal to say "Oh, Boy"
Kennesaw
Every head of household must possess a firearm of some kind.
Marietta
Though it is illegal to spit from a car or bus, citizens may spit from a truck.
St. Mary's
No spitting on the sidewalk is permitted after dark.
Quitman
Cars are not to drive on sidewalks.
It is illegal for a chicken to cross the road.

Dumb Alabama Laws

2005-08-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
Dominoes may not be played on Sunday.
You may not drive barefooted.
It is illegal to maim oneself to escape duty.
It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy.
Women are able to retain all property they owned prior to marriage in the case of divorce. However, this provision does not apply to men.
Masks may not be worn in public.
Putting salt on a railraod track may be punishable by death.
Boogers may not be flicked into the wind.
Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.
It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile.
Men may not spit in front of the opposite sex.
Incestous marriages are legal.
It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
You must have windshield wipers on your car.
You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
Anniston
You may not wear blue jeans down Noble Street.
Jasper
It is illegal for a husband to beat his wife with a stick larger in diameter than his thumb.
Lee County
It is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County after sundown on Wednesday.
Mobile
It is unlawful to wear women's pumps with sharp, high heels.
It is unlawful to howl at ladies inside the city limits.
Montgomery
It is considered an offense to open an umbrella on a street, for fear of it spooking horses. (Repealed)

Yet another repair?

2005-08-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) - With a gentle tug of his gloved right hand, Discovery astronaut Stephen Robinson removed two worrisome pieces of filler material from the shuttle's belly Wednesday in an unprecedented space repair job that drew a big sigh of relief from NASA.
But he may have to go out again to fix yet another trouble spot.
Robinson was barely back inside the shuttle and out of his spacesuit Wednesday when Mission Control informed the crew there was a chance that a fourth spacewalk may be needed Saturday to deal with a torn thermal blanket below a cockpit window.
If the spacewalk is necessary, it would delay the shuttle's scheduled undocking from the space station and push back Discovery's return to Earth until at least Tuesday, NASA officials said.
The concern is that a roughly 1-foot section of the blanket could rip away during re-entry, whip backward and slam into the shuttle, perhaps causing grave damage. Engineers expect to know by Thursday afternoon whether the danger is real and whether any blanket trimming is required.
"I think in the old days we would not have worried about this nearly so much," Hale said. "I am very hopeful that we will be able to put this issue at rest.
Overall, Discovery seems to be in good shape for re-entry, he said.

Man Pays Fine in Pennies. Was it really worth it?

2005-08-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

A man who tried to get even by paying a traffic ticket with $120 in pennies got upstaged by a North Dakota judge who made him stay until they were counted. Robert John Zukowski brought a garbage can full of about 12,000 pennies to Clay County District Court to pay his fine for speeding, the Fargo Forum reported. Court Administrator Jan Crossette lugged the bucket of change to a bank, which used a machine to count the money and gave her $120 in bills. Zukowski got a few pennies back in overpayment. Judge John Pearson told the newspaper he thought Zukowski's anger was misdirected. "If the person is mad at the cop, why take it out on court administration?" Pearson asked. "They're punishing the wrong people."

More on the Shuttle Repair

2005-08-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

Spacewalking astronaut Steve Robinson plucked a couple of loose fiber strips from Discovery's belly on Wednesday in an unprecedented repair to the shuttle's heat shield.
"I'm grasping it and I'm pulling it and it's coming out very easily. Beautiful. Nice," Robinson radioed as he pulled the material out from between the heat resistant tiles on the shuttle's underside.
"It looks like this big patient is cured."
With fellow spacewalker Soichi Noguchi watching from a perch on the International Space Station, to which Discovery is docked on the first shuttle flight since the 2003 Columbia disaster, Robinson was lowered on the station's robot arm to an area below Discovery's nose.
Moving deliberately, he used his gloved fingers to tug out the two strips with surprisingly little effort. Robinson carried a small hacksaw, scissors and forceps in case he could not pull the strips out.
The strips, made of ceramic covered cloth, are thought to have come loose from their adhesive bond and, though protruding only an inch (2.5 cm), NASA engineers feared they could change the aerodynamics enough during landing on Aug. 8 to cause dangerous heat damage to the shuttle.