Sunday Will Never Be The Same

I, like many others, am shocked and saddened today upon learning of the sudden death of NBC Washington Bureau Chief and host of Meet The Press, Tim Russert. There's a lot being said about Tim, and I did not know him other than his television persona, yet I found him to be one of the most likeable, yet insightful observers of the political scene. He appeared to thrive on politics, and even in the midst of pressing a politician for an honest answer, he never got antagonistic or disagreeable. Tim Russert, Sunday mornings will not be the same without you. The MTP institution will continue, no doubt. But the Russert era is sadly over.

"If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press."

Back In The Fast Lane!

Yeah baby!! After a month and a half since I disconnected Comcast cable Internet service at the townhouse, I finally have my own broadband again! Yesterday my Qwest DSL router came via UPS. Now Comcast worked pretty well, but I must say that the DSL is even faster. It was not difficult to set up, but Qwest, like most Internet providers, assume you either use Microsoft Windows or Macintosh OSX. They provide a CD that runs on one of those systems to set up the modem. I generally detest setup CDs, as they mess with your computers settings. I don't want any of their "features", either software or web, so I would rather just set up and go. But given that they provided no instructions for configuring the service manually, I borrowed the lovely spouse's laptop that has Windows XP on it to run the setup routine.

A few minutes later, we are back online! The router I ordered from them includes an integrated WiFi 802.11 b/g access point makes it very convenient to set up a home network. It comes preconfigured for WEP encryption, but it was a snap to reconfigure with WPA, so I did that and we were off to the races. I also set the power from 4 all the way up to 10, so I should get good coverage. Right now, on this Linux laptop, I am getting a 93% signal, and I am downstairs and the router is across the house and upstairs.

I originally plugged the router in to a phone port in the living room, but it apparently isn't live, so I moved it to the kitchen for setup. Unfortunately, I noticed that the wires all over the counter would not make the LS happy, so I moved it upstairs to the other phone port...the one in our bedroom. Well, come bedtime, she notices the flashing LEDs were too bright for her to sleep, so I told her to stick it under the bed for now. So that is where it is at the moment. I may have to find a better solution, but for now, it works.

I had Qwest DSL where I lived 3 years ago, and it was fairly solid service. I am hoping I get an equally stable DSL here. So far, so good.

The New Mister Television

In the 1950s, comedian Milton Berle, fondly called "Uncle Miltie", was also given the nickname "Mister Television" for his groundbreaking work in the early days of network TV. Is there a successor to the title in today's world of 500 channels? If so, I nominate the ever ubiquitous Regis Philbin for the honor.

Regis just turns up all over the dial. His long-running Regis & Kelly (formerly Regis & Kathie Lee) continues in syndication; Game Show Network reruns ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; Last year he hosted NBC's America's Got Talent, and he now is on a revival of the old favorite Password on CBS. In this revival of the old show that was amicably hosted by the late Allen Ludden, Regis Philbin and celebrity contestants play with the average Joe or Jane to see if they can give away a million bucks. And who better to do that than Reege? The new Million Dollar Password looks like it could be the latest hit game show, as it has all the core components...a familiar and likeable host, a million-dollar prize, and the nostagia factor to bring the baby boomers into the fan base.

I watched the premiere episode, and thought the contestant, Dante Mercadante (love that name), left too early. He was doing great, but got cold feet. But who can argue with his fifty-grand prize money?

The password is "entertaining".

The Ongoing I-69 Project

The ongoing project to extend Interstate Highway 69 south from Indianapolis to the Texas-Mexico border continues to move along slower than rush hour traffic. The plan has been surrounded by a number of controversies, with people fighting against it for anti-NAFTA reasons to conspiracy theories to environmental opposition. In Texas, the project is the Trans-Texas Corridor, and will run southwestward from Texarkana to an eventual triple fork running to the towns of Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville, all on the Rio Grande and the Mexican border.

The Houston Chronicle reports today that TxDOT has changed plans to route the highway through rural areas to the north and west of Houston, instead using existing US 59 (the Southwest and Eastex Freeways), the 610 Look (West Loop and North Loop), or the Grand Parkway (Texas 99). Through most of the state, US 59 will become the new I-69, and while much upgrading is needed, a lot of this highway is already up to Interstate standards, particularly in the Houston area.

However, running the new "I" either straight through on US 59, or worse, putting it on 610 (the busiest highway in Texas, and possibly the U.S.) seems to me to be a bad idea. If this gets Grand Parkway completed, it will be a much better routing, in my opinion, although the new road will quickly become as developed and congested as the others. Still, it is far enough on the outskirts of the city to avoid running the Mexico to Canada traffic into the Bayou City's rush hours.

I-69 already exists from Indianapolis to the Canadian border in Michigan, and upon completion, this will be a major trade route from Mexico to the markets in Canada such as Toronto, Montreal, London, and other major cities. For more on I-69, check out the following links:

I-69 Article on Wikipedia

Keep Texas Moving

Snopes debunks a sexy I-69 myth

Houston Chronicle article about the routing of the highway

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!!!

Well, it is June 1, and it has been a while since I posted anything dealing with roadgeekery. Therefore, it's time to do so!

I took this picture in late April heading back to Colorado from Houston. It is a stretch of Texas Highway 6, just a few miles to the north of the towns of Bryan and College Station. Highway 6 is a major state highway that runs from Galveston County on the Gulf Coast, to the Red River where it crosses into Oklahoma to become Oklahoma Highway 6. Major cities of note on the route include Houston, College Station and Waco.

The thing that makes this stretch of highway interesting is the fact that there is not one center stripe, but two...one for each lane. But that's not all. Notice that there are not only rumble strips in the pavement on the outer edges of the roadway, but between the center stripes, there is also a rumble strip. This is a great idea, as it would give a loud, audible warning if a driver veers across into the oncoming lane. Such a simple thing could easily result in saved lives by warning inattentive drivers that they could be about to cause a deadly head-on accident.

This is one innovation that should be considered for all roads where oncoming traffic shares the pavement without benefit of an esplanade.

My PCLOS Haiku

On the discussion board for PCLinuxOS, someone started a thread to post haiku about the operating system. Developed by a guy in Houston who calls himself Texstar online, it is a great Linux distribution. So anyway, I wrote some haiku for the thread at the forum, and decided to post them here. So away we go . . .

Haiku #1

PC was too slow
Got an OS from Texstar
Best upgrade ever!

Haiku #2

My OS of choice?
Make mine PCLOS.
No Microsoft here.

Haiku #3

Use Linux? Of course!
Customizable? You bet!
Fast, safe, and secure!

Get Ready for the Aliens!

Will the city of Denver have an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission? It will if Denver resident Jeff Peckman has his way. The 54-year-old who reportedly lives with his parents (big surprise, huh?) has been petitioning the city to create such a commission just in case we have an otherworldly visitor.

Today, Peckman is supporting his case by showing a film that purports to be actual video of a space alien. One film "expert" says that it appears to be real and not doctored in any way. Allrighty then.

Long time Denver residents complain about the Californication of Colorado by the influx of folks from the west coast. Just wait until the aliens get here. Nobody will be able to get a seat on the light rail!

CLICK HERE for a story on this from The Denver Post.

Ding Ding!

This week I have noticed a number of traffic counters deployed on various thoroughfares around Parker, Colorado. I am not sure why the counts are occurring, but I have to assume that a study is underway for planning which roads may need upgrades. These counting devices consist of a pressure hose stretched across the roadway and every time a set of tires rolls over it, a counter is incremented.

This got me thinking about another pressure hose device that used to be very common. Back when gasoline was purchased at a "service station" (they actually pumped your gas and performed other maintenance checks), there was a pressure hose across the vehicle paths that was connected to a loud bell. When a car entered the pump area, a loud "ding ding" was heard, notifying employees that a customer had arrived. I don't remember when the last time I encountered one of those was, but it has to be years, maybe even decades ago. Still, the sound is indelibly written into my memory to the point that I would instantly recognize it if I heard it today.

This makes one think . . . how many of today's adult drivers have no recollection of this once-familiar sound? Many people cannot remember a time when the station personnel pumped gasoline, checked fluid levels and tire pressure, washed the windows, and wore uniforms with the oil company's logo on their shirts. For that matter, how many people now driving remember gasoline selling for less than 35 cents per gallon?

One other thing provided free by service stations were roadmaps. One thing I have always loved is maps, and as a young kid, I was always glad when I could pick up a new road map at a service station.

Speaking of gas stations, I recall that the more expensive gas used to be called "High-Test" or "Ethyl". I believe Ethyl Corporation made an additive that boosted octane. However, it contained lead, and was eventually phased out of motor fuels. Every brand of gasoline tried hard to differentiate its product from the competition. There was Texaco's Fire Chief and Sky Chief brands. Super Shell with the mysterious additive "TCP" was also available. I remember my dad joking that TCP stood for a "TeaCup of Phillips". Phillips 66 future merger partner used the slogan, "Conoco! Hottest Brand Going!" Many other brands have been merged out of existence, such as Skelly, Apco, D-X, Gulf, and Sohio/Boron. Humble, Esso, Enco, and others were rebranded Exxon. Cities Service is now Citgo. Atlantic and Richfield became Arco, and now is part of BP if memory serves. More obscure brands included Gibble Gas, Hess, Fina, Pure, and Clarke.

Ding Ding!

Sunday at the Meat And Three

Well, this has been a rather busy month for me, hence the lack of posting on the blog. But so as to not disappoint my few readers, it's time for another post.

Last night I returned from Tennessee courtesy of Southwest Airlines. My company had its annual retailer conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. What a crazy five days! And what an enormous hotel. Last year, we were at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas, and the Opryland facility is much, MUCH larger than that one. The lush foliage and waterfalls inside the biodome give the appearance of being in a tropical jungle, and it is really weird. It feels like you are outside, but you are really inside a glass dome. Pretty, but it doesn't feel quite right to me.

Anyway, the trip afforded me the opportunity yesterday to see my uncle, aunt, and cousin who live just outside of Nashville. They took me to lunch at a type of place that Nashvillians love . . . generically known as a "Meat and Three", called this because they serve a meal of a choice of meat and three side dishes for a fixed price. This is apparently a common type of establishment in the southern United States, but I don't recall having heard of them as this before. These places are typically family owned and serve what I consider home-style cooking. If you think Cracker Barrel or Black-Eyed Pea, you get the idea of the kind of food, only these are little hole-in-the-wall joints, rather than bland, cookie-cutter, corporate-owned chain restaurants.

The place we went was The Dinner Bell Restaurant on Lebanon Pike in Donelson, Tennessee. The service was fast and the food was delicious. I had a fried boneless chicken breast for the meat, and selected for brocolli and rice casserole, fresh sliced tomatoes, and cooked cabbage as my three sides. Oh man, was it ever tasty!

There was a steady stream of customers, but with the fast service and table turnover, seating was not a problem. We arrived just before the "after church" Sunday diners started coming in.

I don't know if there are any real Meat and Threes here in Colorado, but I now plan to see if there are any out there.

Okay, so it stuck!

Beautiful, ain't it? But this is springtime!

(Photo taken on MotoQ cell phone)

Yeah, I know. Here is a view out the back window about an hour after I said the snow probably wouldn't stick. If this keeps up, maybe we'll have a white Memorial Day!

That Blasted Groundhog!

Back on February 2, Punxatawney Phil, the weather forecasting groundhog, predicted 6 more weeks of Winter. So here we are 13 weeks later, the first of May, and it is snowing like crazy, the sky is gray and you cannot see very far away because of the dense snow and fog. Yesterday we had seasonal, nearly 80 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Today it's a different story.

Since snow goes along with living in Colorado, that part in itself is not too distressing. What is bothersome is that I have carpet cleaners coming to the house in an hour or so, and they will have this mess to deal with. I suppose it will be no big deal to them, since the hose from their truck-mounted equipment will come into the house with no trouble...I just don't want them tracking snow all over the place.

This weather is supposed to last into tonight, but the ground is warm, so I doubt we will see much accumulation in the Denver metro area; however the mountains will likely see some significant amounts sticking to the ground. I am sure all of the blossoming plants around here, such as the many oriental pear trees, are getting quite confused.

Obama Denounces Wright

So, the blog entries here have been less frequent, largely because not much has been happening that I felt like writing about. Yes, there are stories in the news that are beyond belief, yet all too real. The appalling story of pubescent girls in Warren Jeffs' fundamentalist Mormon cult being given in "spiritual marriages" that are nothing but child rape shocks the rational mind, and once again points out the evil that religion does to the human mind. The news item about the depraved man in Austria who kept his own daughter as a sex slave, impregnating her seven times and burning one child that died by putting the body in the furnace of his home goes beyond what a normal person can wrap their head around. These totally repugnant and twisted news items are so foreign to how I think that I haven't felt like providing any commentary. The stories speak for themselves to the depravity that human beings are capable of committing.

So instead, I will comment on the sad state of our society when it comes to race relations. Case in point is the extreme right's continued attacks upon Senator Barack Obama. They have tried to paint him as a muslim (to quote Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"), at least as far as Constitutional requirement for office. Playing upon his middle name to connect him in people's minds with Saddam Hussein, accusing him of refusing to respect the flag, and trying to pin the disgusting words of Jeremiah Wright on Mr. Obama, continue incessantly by the irrational righties. I think I have this figured out however. These objections are smokescreens.

The detractors don't want debate on the issues. They would rather work in the realm of character assassination, lies, and innuendo. The reason, in my opinion, is the fact that these objections are substitutes for the fact that these folks hold racist beliefs. The fact that Senator Obama is half African is absolutely scary to the racist crowd. They cannot maintain any credibility in today's society by laying their racism out on the table for all to see. Therefore, they substitute other spurious attacks on him to accomplish their goal of keeping Obama from gaining the White House at any cost. And shamefully, Hillary Clinton has also joined the fray in taking this card from the deck of Karl Rove. I am thoroughly disgusted.

It is clear to me that of the three remaining candidates for President, Mr. Obama is the most rational, intelligent, and statesmanlike of the bunch. I hope he can get the nomination of his party wrapped up in short order, as I believe his message of hope, change, and progress is exactly the prescription to cure what ails our nation today.