tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58104292024-03-13T05:01:34.677-06:00Randy's Random RamblingsLife through my eyes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger599125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-36795434111234364812009-11-07T16:12:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:14:12.571-06:00A Saturday With RandyJoin me on this Saturday. The video is a bit crappy, since my little six-year-old Gateway camera does pretty good on still shots, but video is sorely lacking. But it is better than nothing. Maybe someday I'll get one of those cool HD pocket video cameras.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz4Jdwqh3RO0NyTrgD6Br4fZfDXs7Ef40qliKSbgUog8TW4mGiIZCanGbTAk5cTW3vWRoIGcehw0i4' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-11963120872086069672009-11-03T21:23:00.001-07:002012-03-25T16:01:11.801-06:00Google Maps Screw UpGoogle Maps has a major screw up. I noticed this when I was looking at Interstate 79 where it crosses from Pennsylvania to West Virginia near Morgantown. Look at this screenshot...it labels Pennsylvania as Tennessee. Tennessee & West Virginia do not even share a border at all. The mighty Google is not infallible after all!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SvECZFdl5sI/AAAAAAAADYE/S8XpsT--90w/s1600-h/gmap.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400100058180216514" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SvECZFdl5sI/AAAAAAAADYE/S8XpsT--90w/s400/gmap.png" style="cursor: pointer; height: 221px; width: 400px;" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-41383408420276420102009-11-03T19:00:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:14:12.571-06:00Poor Little LaikaFifty-two years ago today, November 3, 1957, the evil commies launched poor little Laika to her death by putting her in space with no plan to get her back. She succumbed to heat and stress hours into her space flight. She was the first living thing to be sent into space.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zsV-qozMz9A&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zsV-qozMz9A&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Lyrics:<br />The cage is very small<br />A tiny silver ball<br />That makes you a hero<br />The moment you step inside<br />The world is watching you<br />What youre about to do<br />Will live on forever<br />Even though youll be dead<br />And gone<br />Buckle up<br />Were about to turn the engines on.<br /><br />Boyoyoing<br /><br />Hello from Sputnik 2<br />I am receiving you<br />Thanks for the dog food<br />Im somewhere above you now<br />Guess what Malashenkov?<br />I took the collar off<br />Im holding my own leash<br />And walking myself outside<br />This door<br />I dont think<br />I want to be a good dog anymore.<br /><br />Now Im floating free<br />And the moons with me<br />And its bright enough<br />To light the dark<br /><br />And its so high up here<br />And the stars so clear -<br />Are they close enough?<br />Will they hear me bark from here?<br /><br />Moscow to Sputnik 2<br />I think were losing you<br />Your life signs are fading<br />We cant really say that were<br />Surprised<br />Its a shame<br />There is always something that gets compromised<br /><br />Now Im floating free<br />And the moons with me<br />And its bright enough<br />To light the dark<br /><br />And its so high up here<br />And the stars so clear -<br />Are they close enough?<br />Will they hear me bark from here?<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-50664828923035229872009-11-03T17:06:00.000-07:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00Charlotte's Rough Economic Ride May Not Be OverIt has been a year since the implosion of Charlotte-based Wachovia ended up with that banking giant being absorbed into Wells Fargo. Now two more blows may be in the offing. Bank of America, whose name is on everything from their Uptown Charlotte headquarters building to the Carolina Panthers' stadium, is seeking a new CEO. News Talk 1110 WBT is reporting that 98 percent of BoA's business comes from divisions headquartered elsewhere. What's more, the heads of those divisions have no ties to The Queen City. Add to that, the fact that CEO Ken Lewis is stepping down, and it is feared that a new CEO will move the corporate nerve center out of town.<br /><br />Then today, US Airways CEO, Doug Parker, was in town just a few days after announcing a major downsizing of both routes and personnel. Service is being scaled back, and some cities like Colorado Springs and Wichita, will be eliminated from the airlines flights altogether. There will also be 1000 jobs around the country vaporized by the restructuring. As I have mentioned in the past, US Airways holds a near monopoly on air travel into and out of Charlotte, with other carriers holding a small share of the traffic.<br /><br />Mecklenburg County has a current official unemployment rate of over 11%. If worst case scenarios become reality for these two major employers, Charlotte and the entire Metrolina region may have an even deeper hole to dig out of. This is a very nice city. It would be a shame to see this occur. As other cities without a great amount of economic diversity, Charlotte's crown as a major banking center may end up being its undoing.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-62760185884714088672009-10-31T14:08:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00The Sky Was Angry, My Friends!Yesterday afternoon and evening, I was traveling back to Colorado from Charlotte. Even though there was a significant line of bad weather stretching from north to south from the Great Lakes to around Alabama, the plane ride was pretty smooth. This time, I had to change planes in Kansas City. Coming out of Charlotte's Douglas International Airport, there are not many choices than US Airways. This comes from its days as a hub for one of US Airways' predecessor carriers, Piedmont Airlines. So I had a flight on that airline which was a code share with United. At Kansas City International, I had to change over to a real United flight on to Denver.<br /><br />I used to fly in and out of Kansas City with some regularity back in the late 1980s when I worked for Sprint. I used to like their terminal buildings, which are shaped like the letter "C", and you can get out of the car right next to your gate. No concourses to deal with. But in this post 9/11 world, that proves to be not such a good arrangement. The reason? That is because each airline has their own little area walled off by its gates. This means that in transferring from...oh, let's say US Airways to United Airlines...you have to leave the secure area for the former carrier and then go through the second carrier's security. You have to do the whole routine of shoes off, laptop out, and throw away your water bottle, even though you just got off a flight in a security-sterile environment.<br /><br />But that wasn't the worst of it. The flight from Kansas City to Denver was one of the three most turbulent flights I have ever had. Not #1, but not far behind. You are totally helpless in that situation. All you can do is ride it out. You can't turn back, you can't get out, and you can only endure. At least I made it home for the weekend. Monday morning it's back to Charlotte. My suitcase full of dirty clothes back in North Carolina also awaits my return to wash them. Still, it should be a very good week ahead. Lots going on at work, and the deadlines continue to loom large.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-53643709960960624992009-10-24T14:43:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00Lexington Barbeque FestivalToday is the 26th Annual Lexington Barbeque Festival in Lexington, North Carolina. It is a huge street festival that takes up about 2o or so blocks of downtown Lexington, the self-proclaimed "Barbeque Capital of the World". Here are a few photos from earlier this afternoon.<br /><br />First, if you feel the swine flu coming on, you may need one of these shirts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnlDLpTxI/AAAAAAAADXg/cnHJV28zKns/s1600-h/2PigShirt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnlDLpTxI/AAAAAAAADXg/cnHJV28zKns/s400/2PigShirt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270664726957842" border="0" /></a><br />I never heard of a collard sandwich before. The couple in the picture must have thought I wanted their picture, since they stopped to pose. Then a guy walked in front of them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnelye2-I/AAAAAAAADXY/_NI84rKTPj4/s1600-h/3collard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnelye2-I/AAAAAAAADXY/_NI84rKTPj4/s400/3collard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270553757572066" border="0" /></a><br />1927 Pontiac<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnedXTxTI/AAAAAAAADXQ/kzNlAiKiVEY/s1600-h/4Pontiac27.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnedXTxTI/AAAAAAAADXQ/kzNlAiKiVEY/s400/4Pontiac27.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270551496115506" border="0" /></a><br />1949 Ford in cherry condition<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNneIF8qNI/AAAAAAAADXI/7hpL9pJJYWA/s1600-h/5Ford49.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNneIF8qNI/AAAAAAAADXI/7hpL9pJJYWA/s400/5Ford49.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270545786153170" border="0" /></a><br />Grill & hood ornament of a Hudson Terraplane auto<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNndyWYvVI/AAAAAAAADXA/qZa2LYhjbGY/s1600-h/6Hudson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 329px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNndyWYvVI/AAAAAAAADXA/qZa2LYhjbGY/s400/6Hudson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270539949522258" border="0" /></a><br />General Johnson and The Chairmen of the Board did a great set of Carolina Shag Beach Music<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNndli3pZI/AAAAAAAADW4/d_0f63S3LB4/s1600-h/7Chairmen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 233px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNndli3pZI/AAAAAAAADW4/d_0f63S3LB4/s400/7Chairmen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270536512218514" border="0" /></a><br />Wish they all could be Carolina girls...NOT!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnMvz6JaI/AAAAAAAADWw/K04IXkJt5o8/s1600-h/8DontCare.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnMvz6JaI/AAAAAAAADWw/K04IXkJt5o8/s400/8DontCare.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270247210263970" border="0" /></a><br />Amazing sand sculpture of a haunted house<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnMQEaqvI/AAAAAAAADWo/dkLRJlGW0wY/s1600-h/9sand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnMQEaqvI/AAAAAAAADWo/dkLRJlGW0wY/s400/9sand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270238689569522" border="0" /></a><br />Davidson Covnty Covrt Hovse...faux Latin gives it a real touch of faux class<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnL5PsrvI/AAAAAAAADWg/Meh3zTBsmx4/s1600-h/91covrt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnL5PsrvI/AAAAAAAADWg/Meh3zTBsmx4/s400/91covrt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270232562872050" border="0" /></a><br />It<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> is</span> a barbeque festival after all...so let's partake!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnLuNF2aI/AAAAAAAADWY/yAuReRjbO5w/s1600-h/92q.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNnLuNF2aI/AAAAAAAADWY/yAuReRjbO5w/s400/92q.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396270229599148450" border="0" /></a><br />Two buns on top when you open up, and under the foil, red slaw and barbeque pig! MMMmmmm!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNpRYcwIwI/AAAAAAAADXo/SykxxxKsRN0/s1600-h/93q.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SuNpRYcwIwI/AAAAAAAADXo/SykxxxKsRN0/s400/93q.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396272525861724930" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-10575419964113336152009-10-18T15:52:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00A Quintessential Carolina Barbeque JointYesterday, some delicious Carolina barbeque was the lunch pick of the day. Off to find Gary's Barbeque, a quintessential barbeque joint in China Grove, North Carolina. The barbeque pork plate was some slow smoked, chopped pork; a baked potato, the distinctive red Carolina barbeque slaw, a slice of tomato, and three delicious hush puppies. The sauces available were a sweet and smoky sauce of about a ketchup consistency. Very good. There was also a vinegar-based sauce that was very thin by comparison, but oh so tasty. To drink the North Carolina favorite soft drink, Cheerwine, was perfect with the barbeque. Cheerwine tastes something like a cherry Dr Pepper, but not quite. We were too full to order dessert, but our waitress brought out a generous "taste" of their homemade banana pudding.<br /><br />This is my kind of place. I am not a fan of chain restaurants if I have a local eatery available.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="600" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Frandy.kendrick%2Falbumid%2F5394058100995540593%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-76880315915387550542009-10-18T15:30:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:16:01.850-06:00<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-29087987872296629242009-10-13T21:02:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00You Want Sweet Tea, Shugah?I can tell that I am in The South. Since I have been back in Charlotte, I have never seen so many biscuits. Yes, I do love biscuits, but they are in great abundance here, and with most every meal. You want fried food? No problem! As for ordering tea, the default here is "Sweet Tea", and man is it ever sweet. They sugar it up 'til it is <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> sweet. If I get it, I try to mix unsweetened tea to cut the sweetness down. <br /><br />Oh yes, speaking of sugar, one must get used to it. The female waitstaff at just about every restaurant will call you "shugah", sweetie, or honey. I do declare, such Southern charm. :-)<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-48807498349185369362009-10-10T22:00:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00Charlotte, North Carolina<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StFanwVH8UI/AAAAAAAADUg/5MxB_Pxvhog/s1600-h/P9276016+%5B%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StFanwVH8UI/AAAAAAAADUg/5MxB_Pxvhog/s400/P9276016+%5B%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391189867974095170" border="0" /></a>Charlotte, North Carolina was once my home, but the changes are dramatic since I left 37 years ago. I have always wanted to come back for a visit, but I never dreamed of coming back here to live. Life sure throws some strange curve balls, and we will just have to see how this one plays out.<br /><br />In any case, The Queen City is quite a lovely place. Unlike the open prairie of Colorado's Front Range, where you can see for miles; Charlotte seems like a forest. Trees everywhere, which seems so strange to me. Since I left, Charlotte became a major banking center, home to Bank of America (formerly NationsBank, formerly NCNB, formerly North Carolina National Bank), and Wachovia (now part of Wells Fargo). Since we taxpayers have had to bail out these big banks, I feel like I own part of these majestic building that stand tall into the North Carolina skies.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StFbJFIaujI/AAAAAAAADUo/vVnTudEXAlI/s1600-h/P9276031+%5B%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StFbJFIaujI/AAAAAAAADUo/vVnTudEXAlI/s400/P9276031+%5B%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391190440493627954" border="0" /></a> The top photo shows the base of BoA's headquarters at the main intersection of "Uptown Charlotte", the city's central business district. The streets are Trade & Tryon, and there are interesting statues on each corner facing into the middle of the intersection.<br /><br />The next picture is a piece of public art that is across from BoA, and is a huge disk-shaped sculpture. Finally we have a directional sign in Uptown, pointing people to various points of interest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StFb-88BcwI/AAAAAAAADUw/gnE2lSEIlZo/s1600-h/P9276032+%5B%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StFb-88BcwI/AAAAAAAADUw/gnE2lSEIlZo/s400/P9276032+%5B%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391191366007091970" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-52541100395565016872009-10-10T05:35:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00I'm Baaack!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StB00B2L1zI/AAAAAAAADTw/Ao5fmCnYMqI/s1600-h/NCLine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/StB00B2L1zI/AAAAAAAADTw/Ao5fmCnYMqI/s400/NCLine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390937191160207154" border="0" /></a>Greetings to all. After a six week long hiatus, I figured I would write a short post before getting back into the swing of things here. I have been, and continue to be quite busy. I am currently working a project for a company in North Carolina, and am under enormous pressure to get a product delivered by the first part of December. So these musings will be from 700 feet above sea level rather than my previous 6000 feet. The difference is amazing. Last night in Douglas County, Colorado, it was snowing and in the teens for a low. Here in the Carolina Piedmont region, it was clear and 77 degrees, a 60 degree spread!<br /><br />Last night, I had a crazy notion to drive over to the high school where I graduated back in 1971 to watch a football game. Well, it turns out it was their 50-year anniversary homecoming. The poor little school they played had just a few people there, no band, and they got clobbered. Felt kind of sorry for them, but I suppose that is why they were chosen as the opponent for homecoming...gotta have a win for the alumni!<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-43599756227172469242009-08-25T07:31:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00Baptist Pastor Prays for Obama to Die & Go To HellThere are very disturbing people in America today. Hate groups are on the rise. I thought we had gotten past most of this type of behavior. I am a strong advocate of free speech and the First Amendment, but this type of extremism could lead us to violence by inciting those on the edge of sanity to return us to an era of assassinations like in the 1960s. Even these type of lunatics have rabid followers. This man has very serious issues.<br /><br />If I may quote from the book this man purports to teach:<br /><br />"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence."<br /><br />1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NKJV)<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fq9G44tomKY&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fq9G44tomKY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-89894933569445198902009-08-24T07:30:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.572-06:00Cash For Clunkers - A Bad IdeaI will admit that I am not an economist, so those far wiser than me can likely refute some of what I say here. Still, with the CARS program, commonly known as "Cash for Clunkers", ending today, it seems a good time to reflect on this government stimulus plan.<br /><br />When the government bailout of General Motors and Chrysler Corporation took place, I was skeptical. After all, these are companies that had failed for a variety of reasons, most of them self-inflicted. So while I understood the need to try to save jobs, why reward these firms from the public till, for poor management decisions? We had already bailed out the banks, who turned around and rewarded their executive teams with big bonuses from the emergency taxpayer monies. Now we repeat the bailouts for GM & Chrysler?<br /><br />Then there is the fact that even if these companies survive in the short term, what will change in the long term? What would they do differently than what they had done to arrive at such a sorry state of affairs? The real problem is people are not buying their products in sufficient quantities to sustain their businesses. With unemployment soaring, even if people want to purchase one of their cars, how can they do so? It is a bigger problem than paying the current bills coming due.<br /><br />So now we come to the CARS program. I understand the desire of the government to get us all into more fuel efficient automobiles. I also understand the fact that this program creates a short-term spike in demand, which is good for the economy in general, and for the automakers specifically. It also is one stimulus plan that actually addresses the demand side of the equation and does something for the average person. But at what cost?<br /><br />As a matter of principle, I am opposed to taking tax money from all of us to subsidize the purchase of new cars for a few. Why should any of us pay for our neighbor's new vehicle?<br /><br />I also believe that the program is flawed in that it doesn't have any requirement that the rebates apply only to cars manufactured in the United States. We need to stimulate the economy at home before sending the tax monies to companies in Japan, Korea, and Europe. Sure, our economies are all interconnected, but for our public tax dollars, let's make sure they go to work at home before sending them with an express ticket to Tokyo.<br /><br />Another issue is that many of the cars deemed to be "clunkers" are perfectly serviceable autos that are much better than many folks can afford to purchase. It seems extremely wasteful to purposefully destroy a perfectly good car that could help someone get to their job. It would be better if these vehicles were donated to charity rather than ruining their engines and crushing them. Sure, it doesn't get them off the road, but they won't last forever anyway. In the meantime, they could do much good.<br /><br />And what about the parts market that will be negatively impacted by this destruction? Used replacement parts are one way that families can save money on repairs. Is this right to destroy what may be difficult to locate parts? This can conceivably create price inflation for those parts as a function of a more limited supply.<br /><br />It isn't the proverbial bed of roses for those taking advantage of the program either. In hard economic times, how many people who have their cars already paid for, will rush out to buy a new one under this program, only to lose their jobs and be left without any car at all. Even if they don't become unemployed, a big downside to this is that instead of having a perfectly good auto with no payments and lots of good miles left in them, people now have locked themselves into a new monthly payment.<br /><br />Then there is the fact that while the program was running, there was an expected spike in demand. But this is just a temporary spike. If someone was going to buy, they would likely do it during the program, and not wait until it expires. Artificially induced demand dries up once the stimulus for the demand ceases to exist. Will people also hold back on purchases waiting for an encore of the program?<br /><br />Overall, I have come to the conclusion that this is a misguided program that likely began with good intentions, but the net result is not worth the cost.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-22728757855988224122009-08-06T18:11:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00How Long Would YOU Survive?<a href="http://theoatmeal.com/quiz/bear_balls"><img src="http://theoatmeal.com/img/quizzes/generated/2_18_seconds.jpg" alt="How long could you survive after punching a bear in the balls?" /></a><br /><p>Created by <a href="http://theoatmeal.com">The Oatmeal</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-27801074810517655232009-08-06T12:44:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00Microwave-Free Zone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SnskqWhVD3I/AAAAAAAADS0/VgYM9cakwiw/s1600-h/Microwave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 370px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/SnskqWhVD3I/AAAAAAAADS0/VgYM9cakwiw/s400/Microwave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366923690960555890" border="0" /></a>The title of this post in no way means I believe there is anywhere not being bombarded by radio frequencies. The entire universe is awash in radio waves in a variety of lengths from natural sources. Here on earth, radio waves do everything from track our airplanes to hooking us to the Internet via wi-fi. No, instead I am speaking of cooking with a microwave oven. Or not.<br /><br />The Lovely Spouse and I moved into this house about 16 months ago. There was not a built-in microwave oven, unlike the past places we have lived for years. We have actually had a microwave oven in our homes since the early 1980s. So our initial thought was to buy one. At first we thought of buying a counter top oven, but then considered that maybe we should just purchase one to mount under the counter over the stove. In the meantime, as we wrestled with this dilemma, we continued to cook, and found out that we were doing okay for now, so the purchase could wait. As time moved on, we realized two things. One, we were doing fine without one; and two, the food we prepared by more conventional means was better!<br /><br />With the Lovely Spouse, it became a contest to see how long could we hold out buying a microwave oven. As it turns out, indefinitely. And then there's the quality of the food. Meat reheated in a microwave tends to get overdone and dry. Potatoes don't have the same consistency as conventional oven-baked ones. As I am writing this, I am eating some delicious tamales I bought frozen. In the past, I would have popped them in to the microwave for about 3 minutes and eaten them. Instead, I put a pot of water on the stove to boil, topped it with a covered steamer with the tamales inside for about 25 minutes. I can attest, the steaming produces a moist, tasty and hot product; whereas microwaving them would have made them hot, but less evenly heated and much drier.<br /><br />There are many times that we would have used the microwave in the past that we now use the toaster oven. Quick and efficient! Between that applicance, the stove and the regular oven, we are doing great. One of my sons was over shortly after we moved in, and he asked? "Where's your microwave?" In my best hillbilly voice, I replied, "Don't got one!". His reply was priceless. "How do you cook?" What he was trying to do was heat some water. We introduced him to the good old tea kettle.<br /><br />Are there times I miss having a microwave oven? Sure. But only occasionally. Most of the time, I don't care anymore. The food is tastier, and it doesn't take long to fix either. If you preplan just a little bit, you will enjoy flavorful, moist meals with little fuss. Now the question is do we go even further with the retro lifestyle? Do we dump satellite TV for over the air broadcasts? Do we kill the cell phones and just use the home line? In these hard economic times, maybe this is all part of a simpler, more frugal lifestyle.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-62803721294758153962009-07-30T19:17:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00Intelligent Political Discourse in America - R.I.P.I have to wonder, has some members of the Republican Congressional Delegation been taking some really bad drugs lately? Nutty right-wing conspiracy theories seem to me to be at an all time high. Some of the ideas being tossed about on the Internet make the whole business about President Obama's birth certificate look rational by comparison (and no, I believe that one is pretty insane too). Now we have Congressmen picking up the conspiracies and telling their constituents via town hall meetings and appearances on right-wing talk radio, that the Democrat's health care reform proposal will cause the government to talk to the elderly about how they want to die; and that the plan will end in the government putting seniors to death. Then the talk radio loonies throw about comparisons to Hitler and Mao (Godwin's Law anyone?).<br /><br />Is this the way American political dialog should be conducted? I think not. If these Republicans could come up with a viable plan of their own, they could talk about that. But no, they would rather continue to purvey fear upon our senior citizens, and everyone else too. What is sad is that so many buy it. I never thought I would see this country on such a downward slide so as to reach this low point in political discourse.<br /><br />Rachel Maddow on MSNBC has examples in the clip below.<br /><br /><div><iframe src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/32195170#32195170%7C174512%7C431990" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="339"></iframe><p style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); margin-top: 5px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; text-align: center; width: 425px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/">Breaking News</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important;">World News</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted rgb(153, 153, 153) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; height: 13px; color: rgb(87, 153, 219) ! important;">News about the Economy</a></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-23533393810008029442009-07-26T18:50:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00The Little GUI That CouldA look back at a piece of computing history. Audio player and transcript below.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.0.5.swf" w3c="true" flashvars="config={"key":"#$b6eb72a0f2f1e29f3d4","playlist":[{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/TheLittleGuiThatCould/LittleGUI.mp3","autoPlay":false}],"clip":{"autoPlay":true},"canvas":{"backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"none"},"plugins":{"audio":{"url":"http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.0.3-dev.swf"},"controls":{"playlist":false,"fullscreen":false,"gloss":"high","backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"medium","sliderColor":"0x777777","progressColor":"0x777777","timeColor":"0xeeeeee","durationColor":"0x01DAFF","buttonColor":"0x333333","buttonOverColor":"0x505050"}},"contextMenu":[{"Item TheLittleGuiThatCould at archive.org":"function()"},"-","Flowplayer 3.0.5"]}" width="350" height="24"></embed><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/Smz5XuxDCxI/AAAAAAAADSk/vUbfZ2rjnrk/s1600-h/geos.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/Smz5XuxDCxI/AAAAAAAADSk/vUbfZ2rjnrk/s400/geos.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362935442377476882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Back in 1990, the world of personal computing was divided into two camps; IBM Personal Computers and their clones running the ubiquitous MS-DOS, and Apple's Macintosh and its Graphical User Interface, or GUI. Text-based DOS ruled the business world, while the Mac had established a beach head in the graphic design, desktop publishing, and educational markets. But it was becoming clear that the future was a graphical one. Microsoft, the purveyor of MS-DOS had made early attempts with an environment called Windows that ran on top of DOS, but it was not very useful at that stage, and very few programs required it.<br /><p></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There were other attempts to bring DOS into the graphical world. Digital Research had tried to get its GEM Desktop accepted, but it gained very little traction in the marketplace. Part of that was because of an infringement lawsuit against Digital Research filed by Apple. Yet just when Microsoft was about to release its first really usable version of Windows, version 3.0, another program hit the shelves, that was in many ways superior to the Microsoft product. That program was called GeoWorks Ensemble.<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">GeoWorks was created by a small company named Berkeley Softworks, that had created GUIs for other computing platforms, such as the Commodore 64 home computer. GeoWorks was written in assembly language, making it extremely fast and responsive, even when running on an Intel 80286 chip. Like Windows, it still needed MS-DOS underneath its pretty shell, but it claimed several advances that Windows didn't yet have. These include filenames longer than the eight-plus-three format that DOS required, scalable typefaces, WYSIWYG desktop publishing, and a scalable interface. For neophytes, GeoWorks had a basic, iconic interface option, somewhat akin to the modern iPhone screen. For more advanced users there were two steps up, that resemble modern GUI design.<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So why are we not all using GeoWorks 9.0 today? I see at least three reasons. First, although Geoworks was sold with several great applications, such as GeoWrite, GeoDraw, and GeoDex, it initially lacked a spreadsheet application. At at time where Lotus 1-2-3 had set the bar for financial modelling, a spreadsheet was a must. Secondly, the developer's kit for GeoWorks was prohibitively expensive, dissuading software coders from developing for the platform. Finally, it was a pure case of being outmarketed. With the DOS cash cow, Microsoft could easily bury the smaller firm in an avalanche of advertising and public relations noise.<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Over the years, GeoWorks was sold twice...first to NewDeal Software, and then to BreadBox. But development remains stuck at least a decade in the past, and the niche markets that have been identified for the product have failed to respond.<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">How great it would be to see someone buy the rights who really cares about GeoWorks. It could be given modernized graphics, drivers for new hardware, support for OpenType, and perhaps even run on top of the Linux kernel. After all, Google's new operating system, Chrome, will use that kernel as its basis, and Linux is a solid base. Then perhaps we would see some real competition!<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Still, that will remain only a dream. I doubt there is any chance of that becoming reality. But for those of us who found GeoWorks a viable, and advanced operating environment, it will always remain the little GUI that could!<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-65177596664439274682009-07-24T12:56:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00A Walk Around Downtown Parker, Colorado<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwyzW7KlDb4-rYk2Z28lh_n08C3QBMu9MXyAFhtcqbqgYdQQeRX9_PsUVVt-UteuM5kQfGE0RO0xYI' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Here is a short walking tour around the downtown area of Parker, Colorado; known as Old Town Parker.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-52583106628071553522009-07-16T18:13:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00ProtoPod<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/Sl_Cszg0IoI/AAAAAAAADRw/wtwoT3JoV5s/s1600-h/KK-dg-1979-PC3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 291px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/Sl_Cszg0IoI/AAAAAAAADRw/wtwoT3JoV5s/s400/KK-dg-1979-PC3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359216156592054914" border="0" /></a>Think Apple invented the iPod in the 90s? Think again. A British visionary inventor came up with a startlingly accurate view of the future...in 1979! Kane Kramer invented the idea when flash memory was prohibitively expensive and could only hold 3 minutes of audio. Check out his web site <a href="http://www.kanekramer.com/html/development.htm">HERE</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-24944283527255158852009-07-16T17:57:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00What Next? Disco Balls to Return?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/Sl-_CD-SZAI/AAAAAAAADRo/TvSsgUNfk2A/s1600-h/CTAM64.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s_ZKA_i00qA/Sl-_CD-SZAI/AAAAAAAADRo/TvSsgUNfk2A/s400/CTAM64.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359212123741381634" border="0" /></a>The band, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheap Trick</span>, is releasing a new collection of tunes all these years after they were topping the charts. But they are really pulling a trick with this. The album, entitled <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Latest</span></span>, is being released not only on Compact Disc, but also on vinyl LP, and yes...even on 8-track cartridge!<br /><br />Get yours <a href="http://cheaptrick.shop.musictoday.com/Product.aspx?cp=10_21036&pc=CTAM64">HERE</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-76552650808669158602009-07-15T17:20:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00Food Oddities & Miracle CheetosHere are some odd and miraculous food items I found in my kitchen. I did make one narration mistake...Rodney King's beating was not associated with the O.J. Simpson trial, but I am too lazy to redo the soundtrack.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwBa9r-zdSo5kxoaNHHLI4__wcoUmHrQKMkDimJkV5aMGzzRe50b8flOQxN2tbsuaejXDiJqQDUotA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-31890770954013004072009-07-09T11:47:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:16:01.863-06:00Nine GadgetsMSNBC.com contributor Winda Benedetti did a feature <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31800716/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/%20%20We,%20too,%20possess%20the%20heart%20of%20an%20early%20adopter%20but%20the%20wallet%20and%20wary%20sensibility%20of%20a%20cautious%20consumer.%20%20Winda%20Benedetti,%20contributor%20msnbc.com%20%20iPhone%203G%20S%20Flip%20UltraHD%20GeForce%203D%20Vision%20Kit%20Squeezebox%20Boom%20Kindle%202%20Roomba%20562%20Pet%20Dream%20Cat%20Venus%20Transport%20bed%20%20Touch%20Watch%20Phone">HERE</a> about<br /><br /> <meta http-equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <title></title> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 3.0 (Linux)"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } A:link { so-language: zxx } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31800716/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31800716/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/</a></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We, too, possess the heart of an early adopter but the wallet and wary sensibility of a cautious consumer.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Winda Benedetti, contributor msnbc.com</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">iPhone 3G S</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Flip UltraHD</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">GeForce 3D Vision Kit</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Squeezebox Boom</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Kindle 2</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Roomba 562 Pet</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Dream Cat Venus</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Transport bed </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Touch Watch Phone</p><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-7792744879182071832009-07-09T08:14:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00Death by ChocolateA man who worked in a chocolate factory that makes raw chocolate to be used by other candy companies, died when he fell into a vat of melting chocolate. This story out of Camden, New Jersey. Twenty-nine-year-old Vincent Smith had only worked at the factory for a few weeks. Story <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/OSHA-Investigates-Mans-Death-in-Vat-of-Hot-Chocolate.html">HERE</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-21266294701306963692009-07-09T07:59:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.573-06:00The City of Brotherly HateLet me check my calendar...okay it says 2009. So why do some folks in Philadelphia think it is 1959? I might have expected a story like this fifty years ago, but not now. A day camp for kids paid The Valley Swim Club $1900 to allow their campers to swim there. The club is private, but advertises open membership. When the kids arrived, pandemonium broke out. What was the issue? The kids from the camp were mostly African-American.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>One of the campers quoted a woman at the club:</span><br /></div><p style="font-style: italic;" id="paragraph2">"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor.</p> <!-- add editorial related content --> <!-- display editorial related content --> <div class="sidebar_box_wrapper"><span class="sidebar_box"><span class="sidebar_box_header"></span></span></div><p id="paragraph3">Reports are that when the black children got in the pool, all the Caucasian kids immediately left. Horace Gibson, a parent of one of the day camp kids said:</p><p id="paragraph3"><span style="font-style: italic;">"The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."</span><br /></p><p id="paragraph3">The day after this happened, the camp was told their money would be refunded and they could not come back. The Valley Swim Club's president, John Duesler, said that the concern is that the kids would "change the complexion...and the atmosphere of the club".</p><p id="paragraph3">Yes blatant racism is alive and well in America, and it is not only in the South. And what a sad thing for these children to have experienced. For the full story as reported by Philly's NBC 10, <a href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pool-Boots-Kids-Who-Might-Change-the-Complexion.html">CLICK HERE</a>.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810429.post-34066176195672972812009-07-08T07:55:00.000-06:002011-06-28T21:14:12.574-06:00Google OSWill Google have the muscle to do what OS/2 and BeOS failed to accomplish? The search giant has announced it will soon be releasing a <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31791017/ns/tech_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/">new operating system</a> based on the company's Chrome browser.<br /><br />Personally, I would love to see more widespread choice. Although Google is touting the new OS as a Windows alternative for netbooks, can its wider deployment be far behind? Now if Apple can be persuaded to release OSX into the wild, we could see some real competitive choices. Windows, OSX, Google OS, Linux, wow! Let the OS wars begin!<div class="blogger-post-footer">All contents ©2010, all rights reserved.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0