I'm took the day off. I did not get enough sleep last night. I ate a lot of meat at a party, which led to nasty gas pains at 2:00 am. I did not fall back asleep until 5:30 am. Tums relieved the gas pains but I got a nasty case of what I call "monkey mind". My mind would not rest. Thoughts racing around like a monkey on crack.

The party was fun and I enjoyed the food.

My knee, calves and lower back hurt. My God, I'm only 35 years old.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Summer S. Meatball
Refilled M. Beleaguers
Theorized K. Gethsemane
Pipsqueak Q. Indescribably
Summoned G. Capriciousness
Savoriest C. Guano
Jaime M. Citric
Extemporaneously C. Mortgagor
Freeholds S. Associates

The grass will grow again.

Yesterday I walked 4,791 steps. This week I ran 17.54 miles, burned 2226.2 calories and weigh 167.6 pounds.

I worked on an elliptical trainer yesterday and today to keep the strain off my knee. I hope to be running again by Monday.

Rusty 1991 - 2004

Rusty crossed the Rainbow Bridge today. He went quickly, surrounded by his humans. He got to enjoy a final car ride on a nice, spring-like day. He was smiling as he laid in the back seat with the cool wind blowing through his hair.

His spirit is no longer trapped in a body that could not move. He is now running in a nice field, free of pain.

More pictures of Rusty can be found here: http://community.webshots.com/user/toonhead

You were a good dog and I will miss you.

I walked 2,941 steps.

I hurt my knee while moving Rusty. Squat, pop, pain. I've been taking Advil and I have ice on it right now. It especially hurt while climbing stairs. I did not do leg extensions at the gym. I'm going to take an Aleve and put heat on it when I go to bed.

Things are still touch and go with Rusty. Sometimes his front legs get a bit stiff.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Trog (or as Joan Crawford would say, TROGGG!!!)
Trisects T. Taxicab
Toms Q. Staffing

One of my cartoons may soon appear on this site: http://www.migraine-aura.org/EN/Migraine_Art.html

Today I walked 2,283 steps. I'm not sure if the count is accurate because the waist of my pants were quite loose and this particular pair of pants does not have pockets. I noticed that this affects the counter. I also ran over 4.5 miles.

Rusty is still not standing on his own but is scooting pretty well and holds up his front end quite well. I cut off a lot of his hair on his underside. I hope that makes him feel better.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Heluabiinaen Uss
Ovulate R. Whitening
Twinges P. Granddaughter
Garibaldi M. Negation
Foods A. Transylvania

Rusty will walk again. I believe that.

I walked 4,505 steps today.

Rusty is able to work his way around the backyard a bit better but he still isn't standing. He prefers to be outside.

Rusty never scooted around on his butt like other dogs.

Work was a series of small annoyances about one thing. I was just real bitchy today. Fortunately, I'm housed in a far off corner of the building.

Goofy Spam names of the day:
Foolishness R. Bulldoze
Raillery S. Pelted
Drifter K. Interlinked
Listings C. Shy
Apologies A. Strand

All praises for another day.

I walked 2, 076 steps.

I stayed home with Rusty today. His mobility has gotten worse. We are trying some drugs to see if they will help him regain enough mobility to take care of business without soiling himself and to move himself short distances. The other option is major back surgery. He is too old to handle that. I'm really hoping that the drugs will work.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Shrew O. Cabot
Investigating Q. Oversimplification
Loquacity Q. Tempos
Holly H. Contentedness
Grasped E. Hadrian
Adduce D. Cacophony
Specification V. Kandinsky
Beckons C. Maggot

The lamest Trekkies have to be the ones from Nevada. In Nevada, one can legally exchange money for sex. There is no reason for a Trekkie in Nevada not to have gotten laid. Other than being under 21. If there is an over 21 year old Trekkie in Nevada that has never had sex, that is the lamest Trekkie in the world.

I am a Trekkie and I have sex on a regular basis.

This week I ran 17.67 miles and burned 2,161.6 calories and weigh 168.4 pounds. So far this year I have ran 393 miles and burned 51,795.3 calories.

Next week I start training for the Dallas White Rock Marathon. Yes, I'm insane. Start training in the middle of August in Texas. As far as insanity goes, I'm on a roll. I volunteered to teach Sunday school. Elementary school aged kids.

Walter is working on a temporary support harness for Rusty.

I'm about to give him a bath to get the urine out of his fur. I think that is the most frustrating aspect of all this for Rusty. Peeing on himself.

Goofy spam names for the day:
Vascular F. Swigs
Driers K. Omelet
Opaque G. Sheri
Hoyle L. Assailant
Unplanned F. Childproof

Tomorrow, August 8 is Happiness Happen Day.
Don't rain on my parade, mother-@#$%!

I walked 6,152 steps. I also ran a little over 5 miles.

I did some research on the web and found a company that makes wheelchairs for dogs. The wheelchairs come in all sizes. I'm going to take Rusty's measurements tomorrow and submit a request for a refurbished chair. A new one costs $300 with shipping. We will get a new one if a refurbished model is not available.

I will set up a fundraising site for Rusty's wheels. We will also be selling things on eBay to raise money for the wheels. For those who donate $5.00 or more I will mail some original cartoon artwork. These are the panels before they get scanned, colored and lettered. My handwritten notes are in the margins of a lot of them.

After Rusty has used his wheels, we will send them back to the company that built them so that another dog can regain mobility.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Commercially C. Ecclesiastical
Contaminate E. Manages
Printing M. Lactic

Yesterday I walked 3,495 steps. Today, 6,018. I was arranging chairs in a classroom.

Just watched Finding Nemo. It was a cute movie.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to make a hard decision about Rusty sooner than I want to. Other than mobility problems he is fine. He is not in pain and his appetite is good. He might get frustrated at not being able to move as well as he used to. I wonder if someone manufactures dog carts for dogs with normal length legs.

Harley is returning. His friend is going to Baltimore. Daisy will be happy to see him.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Rhetoric R. Flibbertigibbet
Daybed O. Bosses

I walked 3, 288 steps.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Mr Jhon Smut
Toiletry B. Closeouts
Gentles D. Temple
Showiness Q. Incantation
Hilario S. Agnostic

The memorial service for the friend that died was packed. The church had to drag out the ugly folding chairs. This man really was loved by our community and his family. He is now at home among the cosmos.

I walked 3,224 steps.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Durkheim U. Topsails
Functions M. Endorse
Withheld T. Woolliest
Labelled K. Contrasts
Sclerosis D. Flash
Dramatizations T. Prodding
Team E. Interlocking
Befitted V. Waterbury
Failing G. Mitering
Dentin I. Deadline
Alcibiades V. Suing

Chinese proverb:
If you want happiness for an hour - take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day - go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month - get married.
If you want happiness for a year - inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime - help others.

I received this via e-mail. It is a mailing from Progressive Review, an e-mail newsletter from GopherCentral.


Anybody but Bush - and then let's get back to work
Naomi Klein

Last month, I reluctantly joined the Anybody But Bush camp. It was "Bush in a Box" that finally got me, a gag gift my brother gave my father on his 66th birthday. Bush in a Box is a cardboard cut-out of President 43 with a set of adhesive speech balloons featuring the usual tired Bushisms: "Is our children learning?" "They misunderestimated me" - standard-issue Bush-bashing schlock, on sale at Wal-Mart, made in Malaysia.

Yet Bush in a Box filled me with despair. It's not that the president is dumb, which I already knew, it's that he makes us dumb. Don't get me wrong: my brother is an exceptionally bright guy; he heads a think-tank that publishes weighty policy papers on the failings of export-oriented resource extraction and the false savings of cuts to welfare. Whenever I have a question involving interest rates or currency boards, he's my first call. But Bush in a Box pretty much summarises the level of analysis coming from the left these days. You know the line: The White House has been hijacked by a shady gang of zealots who are either insane or stupid or both. Vote Kerry and return the country to sanity.

But the zealots in Bush's White House are neither insane nor stupid nor particularly shady. Rather, they openly serve the interests of the corporations that put them in office with bloody-minded efficiency. Their boldness stems not from the fact that they are a new breed of zealot but that the old breed finds itself in a newly unconstrained political climate. We know this, yet there is something about George Bush's combination of ignorance, piety and swagger that triggers a condition in progressives I've come to think of as Bush Blindness. When it strikes, it causes us to lose sight of everything we know about politics, economics and history and to focus exclusively on the admittedly odd personalities of the people in the White House. Other side-effects include delighting in psychologists' diagnoses of Bush's warped relationship with his father and brisk sales of Bush "dum gum" - $1.25.

This madness has to stop, and the fastest way of doing that is to elect John Kerry, not because he will be different but because in most key areas - Iraq, the "war on drugs", Israel/Palestine, free trade, corporate taxes - he will be just as bad. The main difference will be that as Kerry pursues these brutal policies, he will come off as intelligent, sane and blissfully dull. That's why I've joined the Anybody But Bush camp: only with a bore such as Kerry at the helm will we finally be able to put an end to the presidential pathologising and focus on the issues again. Of course, most progressives are already solidly in the Anybody But Bush camp, convinced that now is not the time to point out the similarities between the two corporate- controlled parties. I disagree. We need to face up to those disappointing similarities, and then we need to ask ourselves whether we have a better chance of fighting a corporate agenda pushed by Kerry or by Bush.

I have no illusions that the left will have "access" to a Kerry/Edwards White House. But it's worth remembering that it was under Bill Clinton that the progressive movements in the west began to turn our attention to systems again: corporate globalisation, even - gasp - capitalism and colonialism. We began to understand modern empire not as the purview of a single nation, no matter how powerful, but a global system of interlocking states, international institutions and corporations, an understanding that allowed us to build global networks in response, from the World Social Forum to Indymedia. Innocuous leaders who spout liberal platitudes while slashing welfare and privatising the planet push us to better identify those systems and to build movements agile and intelligent enough to confront them. With Mr Dum Gum out of the White House, progressives will have to get smart again, and that can only be good.

Some argue that Bush's extremism actually has a progressive effect because it unites the world against the US empire. But a world united against the United States isn't necessarily united against imperialism. Despite their rhetoric, France and Russia opposed the invasion of Iraq because it threatened their own plans to control Iraq's oil. With Kerry in power, European leaders will no longer be able to hide their imperial designs behind easy Bush-bashing, a development already forecast in Kerry's odious Iraq policy. Kerry argues that we need to give "our friends and allies ... a meaningful voice and role in Iraqi affairs", including "fair access to the multibillion-dollar reconstruction contracts. It also means letting them be a part of putting Iraq's profitable oil industry back together."

Yes, that's right: Iraq's problems will be solved with more foreign invaders, with France and Germany given a greater "voice" and a bigger share of the spoils of war. No mention is made of Iraqis, and their right to a "meaningful voice" in the running of their own country, let alone of their right to control their oil or to get a piece of the reconstruction. Under a Kerry government, the comforting illusion of a world united against imperial aggression will drop away, exposing
the jockeying for power that is the true face of modern empire. We'll also have to let go of the archaic idea that toppling a single man, or a Romanesque "empire", will solve all, or indeed any, of our problems. Yes, it will make for more complicated politics, but it has the added benefit of
being true. With Bush out of the picture, we lose the galvanising enemy, but we get to take on the actual policies that are transforming all of our countries.

The other day, I was ranting to a friend about Kerry's vicious support for the apartheid wall in Israel, his gratuitous attacks on Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and his abysmal record on free trade. "Yeah," he agreed sadly. "But at least he believes in evolution." So do I - the much- needed evolution of our progressive movements. And that won't happen until we put away the fridge magnets and Bush gags and get serious. And that will only happen once we get rid of the distraction-in-chief. So Anybody But Bush. And then let's get back to work.

This week I ran 14.94 miles, burned 1,914.7 calories and weigh 168.2 pounds.

Went to the Thunderbirds movie. It was fun and stayed pretty true to puppet show. The story focused mostly on Alan Tracey and his quest to become a member of the team. Ben Kingsley did a decent job as The Hood. The opening credits used a really cool animation style. The movie was directed by Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek:TNG. I would like to rent the DVD to check out the bonus features.

Right now, I'm not wearing any underpants.

Goofy spam names of the last few days:
Henpeck P. Trussed
Rents E. Relaid
Aerie M. Facts
Nudism G. Hes
Cinerama D. Scares
Infelicities L. Squat
Elizabethan B. Adviser
Pollen F. Immunized

Thunderbirds Are Go!

Yesterday, I walked 3,784 steps.

I received some sad news about a friend. Still in a bit of disbelief about it. He is survived by his wife and mother and maybe some siblings. Please pray for them.

The weather is back to normal.

Yesterday I walked 3,712 steps and today I walked 4,809.

There was a neat Thunderbirds movie on Plex. The closing credits featured the Royal Marine Band playing the theme music. It was quite cool.

I'm looking forward to the live action movie.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Profundities R. Spokespersons
Elijah B. Grater
Pickpockets T. Fief (any relation to Barney Fief, deputy of Mayberry? Actually, I think Barney spells it F-I-F-E.)

Insert whistling tune here.

 

It was so cool last night that I had to sleep under a blanket. We slept with the bedroom window open. There is a large cedar tree right in front of the window. I did not want to get out of my warm bed this morning.

It may be another cool night, tonight.

Is it really July in Texas?

I took 4,480 steps while wearing my stepometer. I had to keep it in my pocket today because my pants have become bigger. The waist of my pants was too loose for the stepometer to detect my steps. These pants used to be a bit tight. I'm glad that my clothes fit much looser. I need to take some new measurements.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Alley H. Experiences
Proofread S. Honeycombing
Moulted R. Deduces
Beseeching H. Sprinkled

yeehaw

I took 3,904 steps while wearing my step-o-meter.

The Altoid that I just had is off-setting the taste of the tap water I am drinking. We are out of bottled water but I am thirsty and do not want to drink more Coke at this hour.

A cool front blew in and it feels a bit like spring. The bedroom window is open and the house is actually cool. Is this really July in Texas?

Daisy is walking much better now. Aleve works great.
Rusty had a wound but it is much better. I think his legs are getting weaker. His appetite is still good and he does not appear to be in pain. I know that he is not going to live forever but I'm trying to avoid thinking about the end too much.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Schoolwork C. Birdwatchers
sterling just
Slag L. Twerp
queen tam
sir cheye
Emplacement L. Benares

Like Disco Superfly, there I was.

I added another Red Cross t-shirt to my collection.

Goofy Spam names of the day:
Alston B. Deathblow
Festering I. Rickets
Limbers A. Gunnysack

Rented Showtime and Austin Powers: Goldmember. They were a couple of nice lightweight movies. I'm glad we did not pay full price.

William Shatner giving Robert Deniro acting lessons was quite amusing.

Its Showtime!

This week I ran 14.61 miles, burned 1,884.8 calories and weigh 168.8 pounds.
I went to adultadd.com to take the screening test. My results were negative. That is nice to know.

I'm awaiting the premiere of Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited and Thunderbirds with eager anticipation. I think we will check out the Thunderbirds movie. It is cool that they kept the design of the ships.

Goofy Spam names of the day:
baton cyrillic
Intellectuals H. Custer
Despina Antoinette
Joy Rtmuody
Immortally H. Milkshake
Backdating O. Tropic

My great-great-grandfather was named George Custer Simmons. A milkshake would taste good right now. A tropical vacation would be nice.

I walked 4,708 steps according to the step-o-meter.

Sometimes, I am embarrased about my religious affiliation. Check out uua.org The thing that bothers me is the use of an Abu Gharib image as an advertisng logo. It is a powerful image but a real human being suffered in that image. The cause is noble but using a person's suffering for commercial purposes is distasteful. At least those who use Christ's image for commercial purposes waited until he died and ascended. The man depicted in the logo may not appreciate being reduced to the level of the Nike swoosh or MicroSoft Windows logo. I certainly wouldn't. At least not without permission. I would also prefer to be depicted not suffering and be well compensated like Michael Jordan. It is a stretch to assume that the man in the Abu Gharib image meets the above criteria.

Against the backdrop the the whole war, occupation, scandal and everything my gripe about a logo is rather trivial. But I feel it violates the first UU principle, affirming the inherent dignity and worth of every person, to reduce a human being that has suffered so much to a mere advertising logo. It does not matter how noble the cause advertised.

I sent an e-mail to the the STOP campaign expressing these thoughts.

People do goofy things with great intentions. That is the risk one takes in undertaking a worthy cause.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Unitarian D. Surf
Plastered J. Spasming
Counterclaimed Q. Worsening
Boarder S. Margarita
Rips H. Paradoxical
Deflected O. Preses

Despite some the occasional well-intentioned blunders, I think Unitarian-Universalism is a great religion.

My 150th post!

I walked 4,529 steps while wearing my step-o-meter. I had a great leg workout. I reached the limits that my quadriceps can handle right now. I managed to do 6 reps at 135 pounds on the leg extension machine but I was unable to complete 12 reps at 105 pounds after that. I also could no complete 12 reps on the 45 degree squat machine at 90 pounds. There is next week.

Marathon training starts on Aug. 15th. I'm looking forward to it. I want to run in the Dallas Marathon on Dec. 12th. I hope to shave 30 minutes off my Houston time.

Goofy spam names of the day:
NoDoz F. Nonresident
Loaders T. Purported
Shavings L. Busboy

Star Trek music is playing in my head in memory of Jerry Goldsmith.

I walked 2, 129 steps according to the step-o-meter. I still have not figured out how to make the wrist pulsemeter work.

Right now, I have the hiccups.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Richly H. Exterminators
repository Geneva
Esquire F. Lombard
Programmable B. Brass
Preface D. Portrayal

Poo Gas

Today I walked 3,297 steps while wearing my step-o-meter. Zen and sausage are the popular search terms on the advertisement. Zen Sausage, sounds like the name of a band.

Goofy spam names of the day:
Agra D. Nails
Rozelle B. Plenipotentiary
Relative L. Frenched
Valentine L. Propensities

Today I walked 2,642 steps while wearing my step-o-meter.
 
Today's goofy spam names:
Respell V. Vitamin
Popular Q. Conscription
 
 

I received my wrist pulsemeter. Now I just have to figure out the instructions in order to make it work.
 
Goofy spam names of the day:
Exemption D. Skewing
Swooing G. Possibility
Dialysis L. Minority
Neighing M. Approved
Canonizations H. Gesticulation
Spanning I. Crayola
Woo L. Playing
Nightshirt M. Strewn
 
I wonder if there is an award for most boring blog? If my blog won such an award then that would make my blog interesting. Thus the most boring blog award would go to a different blog but then that would make that blog interesting.

This week I ran 16.66 miles, burned 2202.7 calories and weigh 168.5 pounds.
Yesterday I walked 3,083 steps and today while going out to garage sales I walked 1,688 steps.
For some unknown reason this morning, I was extra bitchy. Everyone got on my nerves. Not a even a killing spree would have helped. The earth's gravity felt unusually strong. Maybe it was all the fat people.
 
I feel better now that I had a nap, a run and about to go to a party.
 
Yeah!

I took 5,166 steps. That is over 2.5 miles. Daisy misses Harley (he is with a friend) and she is limping a bit. Rusty is having trouble with his back leg.
 
The nights have been very cool lately. I think Rusty can sleep outside. It would certainly help with his bathroom problems.
 
I don't feel like posting spam names or Zen Koans.
 
I'm going to edit today's multi-panel cartoon. I think the profanity is too strong.

Today I took 3,265 steps. I also ran nearly 4.50 miles. I had some extra time because of the memorial service. I learned some interesting things about the person being memorialized.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
suffice Preston
Prosecute D. Canute
Inherited R. Peking

Tipping is not a city in China

I took 5,579 steps today.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Magdalena P. Sneed

Magdalena P. Sneed, if you are out there, I want to hear from you.

A Perfect World has topped the 100,000 mark. Yea!

According to my McDonald's Go Active Step-o-meter I took 4,353 steps today (between 7:00 am and 5:30 pm). I did not wear the thing during and after my workout. It is not waterproof. I am no lady, I sweat.

I successfully trimmed Daisy's toenails. She did not fuss too much. I gave her a lot of affection and some good food scraps.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Phonograph T. Vote
Obtain a Degree/Diploma, Noone is turned down! Laaser slidaustralite
Get Windows XP for Sixty Dollarz firebreak
Armful L. Woodworm
Segmented H. Loewe
Cameron diaz's perky breasts caught on camera, 30min VIDEO! spinalrift
sniff cicero calcite wrapup bismuth flatulent siesta me applicant mince beatify teutonic calfskin pick intimacy extendible andorra atop santa ferromagnetic buckwheat
Yarns T. Cesspools

I think I'll get ordained right now.

This week I ran 13.96 miles, burned 2033.1 calories and weigh 166.8 pounds. I tried one of the McDonalds Go Active Meals. I wanted the step-o-meter. It says it is not a toy but I think of it as one.

Rusty had a seizure Friday morning. He is okay now but he gave me quite a scare.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Digesting O. Stepfather
Queerness R. Masks - See the Cutest Chicks Cum Slut gteting jizezd internally in her ass
Need Phentermine or other drugs? Purchase here online capistrano
I trust my Father. He gave me everything. legalizes
Antiquity H. Predetermination

I tried one of the new treadmills at the gym. I like it. I like the new gym. It is nice, large and airy. I like not having to wait for a treadmill. I'm so happy.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Loraine chide
Clasp D. Machinists
Happiness L. Mainstay

Yak!

The spammers have been very uncreative lately and I've had other things to do.

I drew a simplified version of Willie Nelson for a cartoon. I was really thinking about the lyrics to Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. There is a bit of Dao in that song.

What Willie was saying, in the song, is that cowboys are the embodiment of the unity of opposites. As to why that is a bad thing, I do not know. I suppose society needs doctors and lawyers and such.

Country music and Eastern religion intersect.

The lyrics:
Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks
Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
They'll never stay home and they're always alone
Even with someone they love

Cowboys ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold
And they'd rather give you a song then diamonds or gold
Lonestar belt buckles and old faded Levi's each night begins a new day
And if you don't understand him and he don't die young
He'll probly just ride away

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks
Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
They'll never stay home and they're always alone
Even with someone they love

Cowboys like smokey old pool rooms and clear mountian moringin's
Little warm puppies and children and girls of the night
And them that don't know him won't like him
And them that do sometimes won't know how to take him
He ain't wrong he's just different
but his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks
Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
They'll never stay home and they're always alone
Even with someone they love

This week I ran 13.75 miles, burned 1903.1 calories and weigh 169.2 pounds.

I bathed the dogs and washed out their houses. They are a little miffed right now because their bedding is not dry and the houses are in the yard until the porch dries. Maybe they will sleep under the trees or bushes. It is a nice clear evening for a change.

At least the layer of dirt on the dogs will be fresh.

Smoked sausage, yum.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
STANDARD TERRY MILLS
Italians P. Suitable
Zucchini A. Ire - Inconent Slut Tripple Anal
Animus J. Billionaires
Oaydeo Btetfos - Deco viagra, $2.75...
nanometer Is it?
gainful Berry

Deco viagra for the impotent early 20th century American art lover.

I need to start using these names for registering at newspaper sites.

Smoked sausage, yum.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
STANDARD TERRY MILLS
Italians P. Suitable
Zucchini A. Ire - Inconent Slut Tripple Anal
Animus J. Billionaires
Oaydeo Btetfos - Deco viagra, $2.75...
nanometer Is it?
gainful Berry

Deco viagra for the impotent early 20th century American art lover.

I need to start using these names for registering at newspaper sites.

Smoked sausage, yum.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
STANDARD TERRY MILLS
Italians P. Suitable
Zucchini A. Ire - Inconent Slut Tripple Anal
Animus J. Billionaires
Oaydeo Btetfos - Deco viagra, $2.75...
nanometer Is it?
gainful Berry

Deco viagra for the impotent early 20th century American art lover.

I need to start using these names for registering at newspaper sites.

I am taking a Dreamweaver class. I like the software now that I've been familiarized with the environment. I think I will do my next site remodel using it.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Hard r@pe. Exclusive site [skeptic gordon]
Re: night. The convoy will
Old daddy r@pes his daughter with scream derision
vanilla Angel

What is with the rope porn?

I got sucked into a Cary Grant movie on AMC. Walk, Don't Run. Now, I'm going to bed a bit late. Small price to pay for a nice enjoyable movie.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
campanile ameslan
Xanax Here WITH OUT ANY PRSCRIPTION!...floristmushroom
World Wide Prelaunch Info - Turn 12.50 Into 1.25 Million dynamite

Now Jimmy Walker is sending me spam.

I love beef!

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
We are preezent Funny girIs Pierre
ENL@RGE your p'e'n'l's upholders acoustics
Shaved puzzies

Even my spam speaks with a bad French accent.

I still love beef. It's whats for lunch and dinner.

This week I ran 13.54 miles, burned 1971.4 calories and weigh 168.5 pounds.
The gym was giving away Atkins Endulgence Peanut Butter Cups. 160 calories, 120 from fat. 2 grams of net carbs. 15 grams of sugar alcohol. I haven't tried it yet. I bet a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup has better nutrition content. All beer is low in carbs.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
XLPI,. Hot Friday Morning Pick! atomize
lawgiving
[effigy] 75% off Windows XP fun
Wang I. Mayes
[creditors] 56%-off Office XP Pro eaten
Lac ranier principle
Don't Miss XLPI.,Friday Morning! bowline
Friday Morning Picks, XLPI.,.Get It ASAP! seattle
200% Profits Expected With XLPI,..Friday despatch

Oh darn I missed it!

Self-employment. What a need idea. I'm not sure I have the discipline to go freelance all the way. I hate getting up so early in the morning but I like the structure of a regular job.

I wish it would stop raining long enough for the ground to dry.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
[narcotics] half-price Windows XP Polyphemus
Freeman O. Giannini: Stupid Teen on cam
Attention, Get XLPI,,.Immediately Friday guerrilla
XLPI,.Hot Friday Morning Pick! spitz
Best software prices. - penis
Sitting at home bored,, These laides are just looking for passion. coverlet advisable

Polyphemus!

My lats are sore. I'm hungry and have a cramp. Rusty is getting old and incontinent. The Bassets are not capable of eating and getting petted at the same time. Petting breaks their concentration on the food. I met a nice dog named Angus. A professor brought him to work. It was a nice break.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day.
Bankrott des Gesundheitswesens durch Aulaender!
indolent (wants me to contact asap)
Be a MEGA-MEN! puzzles
coney The right answer to Diabete$. inflammatory

PTTHPTH!

My arms feel like cooked spaghetti. I had a good upper body workout today.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
[muffled] 50%-off Windows XP Pr0 plaid
Linda Don't Be A Victim Of Unwanted Intrusion Or Burglary
Please read, learn and inform your friend about how to stop the destruction of Our Country.
Hydrocodone - Order Meds From Home Now quadrillionbinary
recliner pockets around 5
Investor Update, UPTD Very Hot Tuesday couple
waiting: new contact (counsel)

Is there such a thing as wanted intrusion or burglary?

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Hot week picker, XLPI! Dont Miss It Tuesday chaperon
Laughingstocks E. Geology
Puchase Windows XP for Fifty Dollar takeoff

Hot Tub!

The affirmation worked. I overindulged the weekend of the 12th. The weight effect from that did not go away until Friday.

This week I ran 13.3 miles, burned 1917.1 calories and the weight averaged out to 169.1 pounds. I am still amazed that I weighed over 200 pounds in early 1999.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Co Stop the pain, heres how
[Jura] 70% off Premiere 7 mistyped
[innovate] half-price Premiere 7 manifolds
Arturo Q. Teaspoons - Wet Neighbour Tnees Naked
Purify the Blood, Destroy the Diease
B|G T_|_T_S p0r_n0calcify backlog
Savage Reid - I fantasized I was nailing her on the bed, giving her the high hard one (email address deleted) dkpto
baden
Feature: Isonics - NeutroTest, Bombs (go) Away...
Agape Lasagna - I can't believe she took the whole gang up there!
corrode Cotton

Life is good

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
assets mentor
[miniaturized] 57%-off Office XP Pro pend
Re: hi [Authorize]
Bathhouses L. Topaz
Spam
very 7-17 nude pak acrobatic nymphets
Hi slick Some security information for you surrenders

I love scanning.

I will weigh less than 170 pounds.
I will weigh less than 170 pounds.
I will weigh less than 170 pounds.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
davison exile scorpio min content devoid andrea cochlea eat serpens calorie begonia paoli toolmake consolidate
Farmer's daugher pigging out
Iraq P. Snorers
[Inanna] 65% off Office XP Pro Lorelei

Pig out!

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Notification d'etat de remise (echec)

Today's spam is pathetic but this is interesting:
The commencement speech given by Joh Stewart at William and Mary College
Commencement Speech

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Wastebasket K. Coriolanus
Deduces C. Outplayed - Laclookin 4 luv in all the wrong places doubt
Labored O. Flied

I am not going to redraw the old Whiz Bang episodes. I decided to move the characters forward 10 years to reflect where I am today. I started the first multi-panel gag. I like drawing like this. I won't be able to update as often but perhaps the quality will make up for the quantity.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Hint O. Shutout
remittance Burton
94% off on software - Autodesk, Corel, XP, Adobe - Kylew midwife 4520 fetishists
ferrous Gagnon
Ellis Generous
Patwardh K. Bipartite
Get Fr.ee Retail Microsoft and Adobe Software - Fajitas subpoena ballad cease

Thanks Patwardh, I feel great too!

I got rid of the awards program and extraneous biographical data. The website is just going to focus on cartoons and clip art. I plan on moving into more continuing story lines.

I am also getting rid of unnecessary buttons. I want as much server space for art as possible. Plus the pages will load faster.

I will start by redrawing some old Whiz Bang stories then move into new ones featuring the old characters. It has been 10 years since I drew those old comics. The redraws might be quite different from the originals in terms of style and tone. I hope I have matured artistically and as a writer. It should be interesting.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Re: Fwd: Stop to risk your life. Parke
you cant let me down
amateurs blow no charge
Euphrates T. Petticoat
Elained
[buildups] 59%-off Windows XP Pr0 consult
Pun J. Mechanistic

My life has become a bit easier.

This week I ran 11.30 miles, burned 1593.3 calories and weigh 167.2.

I'm going to a party.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
You cannot do that!
lipread Jacquelyn
Now shipping Xanax and Valium, etc. Mayfield trig ektachrome bonaparte
I never seen something like that before... infusion drones
temple nguyen - Have you combined your monetary obligations
spring sale - Windows 2003 Server Enterprise heroine
this is nothing for kids!

Yes, I can!

KAMU Radio is doing a tribute to Ray Charles. About damn time that one of the radio stations did something. The show is Brazos Valley Gold - it is an old country radio show. They are playing his arrangements of country songs.

Netscape Radio has a tribute channel. I'll listen to that when this radio show is over.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Mother of all_____ 1994
increase ur salary parents
Pervades C. Quantifier - Inoencnt Bitechs on cam
proscenium Angelique
[sinful] half price Dreamweaver MX 2004 technologists
Re: caller New: hey horney. Where are you? silhouette
Cherub F. Silliness
beauty Howell

One of these reads like Haiku.

Unchain my heart.

You're a Spirograph!! You're pretty tripped out,
even though you've been known to be a bit
boring at times. You manage to serve your
purpose in life while expending hardly any
effort (and are probably stoned to the gills
all the while).


What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I just found out that Ray Charles has died. A national treasure is gone.

I'll be spending my day off, courtesy of Mr. Reagan, mourning that loss. Ray Charles is someone who deserves a state funeral and the flags at half mast for a week.

I hope that his passing is not overshadowed by the Reagan funeral.

Rest in peace brother and thank you for the gift of your music. You taught my body to move and my soul to dance. Your music touched me.

Ray, you epitomized the best of America and humanity. The earth is diminished by your passing but heaven just improved 100%.

I will miss you.

UH-HUH!

You are DNA. You're a smart person, and you appear
incredibly complex to people who don't know
you. You're incomparably full of information,
and most of it is useless.


Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

My inner child is sixteen years old!

Life's not fair! It's never been fair, but while
adults might just accept that, I know
something's gotta change. And it's gonna
change, just as soon as I become an adult and
get some power of my own.


How Old is Your Inner Child?
brought to you by Quizilla

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
[logarithmically] 54%-off Offic XP Pro nuptial
function Johns
accipiter

I feel a redesign urge. I'm trying to resist it because I have not fully completed the current redesign.

I just need to redirect the urge elsewhere.

ACCIPITER!

Thnak you Nancy for having the funeral on Friday. I get a 3 day weekend. You have my condolences. I hope Ronald Reagan is at peace.

Hey, why didn't I get a day off when Nixon died? Ford may be the next one to go. Please have his funeral on a Friday or Monday.

National day of mourning for ex-presidents is a great incentive not to elect a president for a second term. Single terms equal more ex-presidents which lead to more national days of mourning when one dies thus leading to more three day weekends.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
linda causey, Don't drop dead at 9:00 am Monday!

I'll try not to.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
DONT BE SILLY TO PAY HUNDRED FOR SOFTWARES disappear realize
elyse
you look like an ape!

...and you smell like one too.

This week I ran 9.27 miles and burned 1319.3 calories. I weighed 169.6 pounds. I increased the incline on my Saturday run. It was a killer. I've weighed under 170 pounds for 18 weeks.

So far this year, I have ran 263 miles and burned 34,213.5 calories. My goal is to run 1,000 miles and burn 500,000 calories. That is just calories burned from running. I don't know how many I burn while lifting weights or doing other activities.

Last night Walter and I attended the Brazos County NAACP banquet. A very generous couple gave us their tickets. The speaker was terrific and the Marian Anderson String Quartet played a very challenging piece incredibly well. It is truly amazing that beautiful sounds can be made by sawing a bow of horsehair along some strings. At times the violins and cello sounded like different instruments. Sometimes they sounded like a flute and other times like the low notes of an organ. It was an amazing performance.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
craig vaccine
fiend bashful
bobette
becky
filipino

It looks like it is one and two word subject lines. Those require more thought to decifer.

I have a natural immunity to craig, therefore I don't need a vaccine.
A bashful fiend is better than an outgoing fiend.

FILIPINO!

A Unitarian Universalist walks into a fabric store and asks the clerk for nine yards of material. The clerk asks, "What are you going to make?" The UU says, "I'm making a nightgown for myself as a present for my husband."

The clerk says, "But nine yards is way too much material for a nightgown."

The UU says, "I know, but my husband would rather seek than find."

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Register M. Contains
Investor Update, CRHI Very Hot Monday worse
y stupidly stick with ur current job? copy plain chapter
One cup and you're up all night

Eek! I'm gaining weight. Hopefully, it is just a side effect of the monthly visitor. Okay, I have been eating a bit more than usual lately. Hopefully, things will go back to normal now that I'm getting back to my normal diet.

Maybe, I should not worry about it so much.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Hi, Nick. In this archive you can find all those things, you asked me.
Watch Out, Ur Girl Will Dump U itself carrying five

It is nice to see the Sumerian civilization is alive and well.

UR!

Salvador is in cockatiel attack mode. I will be typing and avoiding the sharp beak of doom.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
no growth then money back and u keep..
Freedom. Happyness. Joy! zoned
medications available w/o prescrpt10ns Laaser blutwurst paymaster
slow Speedy V1c1d1n Deliv3ry wound

BLUTWURST!

I'm back. I caught over 20 fish of various sizes. Ended up releasing them all because nobody likes to clean fish.

One of the fish finned me and I have a wound on my right thumb that will not heal properly. It hurts.

It was a good trip and I had a wonderful time.

Pictures will be posted eventually. Need to finish the roll and have the pictures developed.

Damn, my thumb hurts. The wound is where my thumb touches the keyboard when I type.

I need to keep a sense of perspective. There are men and women losing body parts and lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and I am bitching about a small cut I received on a fishing trip. Sorry about that.

Thank you to all the people who risk their lives so that I may live in some degree of safety. Soldiers, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and others.

Thanks for your service.

I'm going fishing this weekend!

This week I ran 9.74 miles, burned 1228.9 calories and weigh (ulp!) 169.3 pounds. I need to watch my portions.

Spam names and Zen koans of the day:
Lindsey screamed in agony as Todd finally sunk his meat completely into her bowels
Notarize K. Healthier
We give this almost for freeeee! layman
Malcom, For fast acting relief, try slowing down
School bitchs want you! dodgers
OEM Software Ware.house. transite

Get in my boat, fish!

Thich Nhat Hanh on the Iraq prison abuse scandal -- Beliefnet.com

Interesting insights.

100 posts!
Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
half price Windows 2000 Advanced Server ektachrome
This svveet teeen is new on the web ezechiel enclose
you are a bad writer
give it a try for me pelsae!
Are you tired a lot

The spammers are dyslexic and been reading this blog.

I'm going fishing this weekend!

SPLASH!

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Confectioner C. Placer
Politicized R. Figging - RE:Lac you have one new message from angel was
Ileen, Never confuse motion with action.
Just Release: SNNW Expected To Explode. sparse
Big Profits Tuesday For SNNW adjoin
Get SNNW Tuesday For Big GAins saturate
Tired Of Losing Trades? Get SNNW Tuesday co
alameda arteriolosclerosis sheridan floc
Emotional Stability - 67% Improvement
Be a mighty warrior in bed Cmm - cigar widows
Welcome to the Drunk Y0gung world bright drosphila

This is actually two days worth. I don't know what SNNW is but it must be a crappy product if it has to resort to spam.

The spam has also lowered expectations. Imagine a product being advertised that only claims 67% improvement, especially a product claiming to provide emotional stability.

"Oh, she is only 33% psycho bitch thanks to this emotional stability product!"

67% improvement.

I'm tired. I did a minimal update on the website. I didn't want to let my readers (all 30 of you) down by not replacing the cartoon on the index page. The archives are a little behind but I will catch up on those tonight.

I was at a meeting that went way too long. I agreed to co-chair this committee. What the hell was I thinking? I really need to learn to say no.

Just say no.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Nothing to ponder today.

Rusty is laying in front of a fan and Salvador is drumming with his beak.

Life is good.

Unitarian group denied tax status

By R.A. Dyer

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


AUSTIN - Unitarian Universalists have for decades presided over births, marriages and memorials. The church operates in every state, with more than 5,000 members in Texas alone.

But according to the office of Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a Denison Unitarian church isn't really a religious organization -- at least for tax purposes. Its reasoning: the organization "does not have one system of belief."

Never before -- not in this state or any other -- has a government agency denied Unitarians tax-exempt status because of the group's religious philosophy, church officials say. Strayhorn's ruling clearly infringes upon religious liberties, said Dan Althoff, board president for the Denison congregation that was rejected for tax exemption by the comptroller's office.

"I was surprised -- surprised and shocked -- because the Unitarian church in the United States has a very long history," said Althoff, who notes that father-and-son presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were both Unitarians.

His church is just one of several Unitarian congregations in North Texas, including churches in Fort Worth, Arlington and Southlake.

Strayhorn's ruling, as well as a similar decision by former Comptroller John Sharp, has left the comptroller's office straddling a sometimes murky gulf separating church and state.

What constitutes religion? When and how should government make that determination? Questions that for years have vexed the world's great philosophers have now become the province of the state comptroller's office.

Questions about the issue were referred to Jesse Ancira, the comptroller's top lawyer, who said Strayhorn has applied a consistent standard -- and then stuck to it. For any organization to qualify as a religion, members must have "simply a belief in God, or gods, or a higher power," he said.

"We have got to apply a test, and use some objective standards," Ancira said. "We're not using the test to deny the exemptions for a particular group because we like them or don't like them."

Traditional faiths

Since Strayhorn took over in January 1999, the comptroller's office has denied religious tax-exempt status to 17 groups and granted them to more than 1,000, according to records obtained by the Star-Telegram. Although there are exceptions, the lion's share of approvals have gone to groups that appear to have relatively traditional faiths, records show.

But of the denials, at least a fourth include less traditional groups, the records show. In addition to the Denison Unitarian church, the rejected groups include a Carrollton group of atheists and agnostics, a New Age group in Bastrop, and the Whispering Star Clan/Temple of Ancient Wisdom, an organization of witches in Copperas Cove.

Some of the denials occurred because of missing paperwork or other problems, according to the comptroller's office. A few, like the denial for the New Age group and the witches group, were decided because their services were closed to the public, according to documents.

But the denials of the Red River Unitarian Universalist Church in Denison and the North Texas Church of Freethought in Carrollton, as well as an earlier denial by Sharp for the Ethical Culture Fellowship of Austin, were ordered because the organizations did not mandate belief in a supreme being.

The disputed tax dollars don't amount to much, but the comptroller has taken a stand on principle, Ancira said.

"The issue as a whole is, do you want to open up a system where there can be abuse or fraud, or where any group can proclaim itself to be a religious organization and take advantage of the exception?" he said.

Those who oppose the comptroller's "God, gods or supreme being" test say that it can discriminate against legitimate faiths. For example, applying that standard could disqualify Buddhism because it does not mandate belief in a supreme being, critics say.

Opponents note that the federal government applies less stringent rules for federal tax exemptions, yet manages to discourage fraud and abuse. They also question whether the comptroller's office has formulated excuses to discriminate against nontraditional groups, such as those that include witches and pagans.

But Ancira says it's up to the comptroller's office to interpret state law, which he describes as rather vague. He insists the comptroller never favors one religion over another.

"This comptroller, in particular, wants everybody on a level playing field," he said.

'Creedless' religions

The comptroller's office has not always barred "creedless" religions from tax exemption, said Douglas Laycock, a University of Texas law professor who specializes in religious liberty issues.

That standard first came up in 1997, when then-Comptroller Sharp ruled against the Ethical Culture Fellowship of Austin. In making that decision, Sharp overturned the recommendation of his staff.

The Ethical Culture Fellowship sued, claiming that Sharp overstepped his authority. Allied with the group in the ongoing lawsuit are pastors from a broad range of faiths, including Baptists, Lutherans and Mennonites.

Both the lower court and the Texas Supreme Court have ruled against the state's decision. In one opinion, an appeals court said the comptroller's test "fails to include the whole range of belief systems that may, in our diverse and pluralistic society, merit the First Amendment protection."

Strayhorn vows to continue the legal fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. "Otherwise, any wannabe cult who dresses up and parades down Sixth Street on Halloween will be applying for an exemption," she said in a April 23 news release.

The Red River Unitarian Universalist Church, the 50-member congregation whose tax application was rejected by Strayhorn's office, has held services in Denison for the seven years. Althoff said his group includes "hard-core atheists" as well as "New Agey-type people."

But the lack of a single creed is a hallmark of Unitarianism, Althoff said. Instead, Unitarian Universalists have seven guiding principles, including "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part," according to the Unitarian Universalist Web site.

The group also draws from various religious and philosophical traditions, including Jewish, Christian, humanist and Earth-centered teachings, but promotes individual freedom of belief, according to the Web site. It notes that Unitarians and Universalists have operated in the United States for at least 200 years, although the two groups did not merge until 1961.

It now includes about 40 congregations in Texas, and more than 1,000 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Despite its lack of a specific creed, Unitarian Universalism is as much a religion as any other, Althoff said. From his perspective, religion is not just about the answers to life's big questions, but also calls on people to evaluate the questions themselves.

"It seems to me that any [group] that is specifically organized to address and explore the issues of what constitutes the good life, both here and perhaps in the afterworld, would qualify" as a religion, Althoff said.

The Rev. Anthony David, lead pastor of Pathways Church in Southlake, said he is disturbed by the comptroller's decisions because it ignores Unitarian Universalists' belief that spiritual fulfillment can emerge in "different ways at different levels."

"It reflects an incredible misunderstanding of what a church needs to look like," David said.

Pathways teaches that God is a term that describes the source of ultimate meaning and purpose, but the church does not advocate a one-size-fits-all theology, David said.

"Creedlessness doesn't mean no belief or anything goes," he said.

Craig Roshaven of Fort Worth's First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church said he has followed the comptroller's decisions with growing dismay.

His group has tax-exempt status, but he wonders what's to prevent Strayhorn from revoking it.

"The comptroller's logic could be applied to any of us," he said.

Ancira said the comptroller's office has no plans for such reversals. But then again, said Ancira, "There's nothing preventing us from doing so."

Staff Writer Darren Barbee contributed to this report.
-------------------
I'm so embarrassed.

This week I ran 11.50 miles, burned 1533.2 calories and weigh 168.8 pounds.

I cut my Friday run short to go to a X-Box Lan party. Halo is fun with 8 people playing. The capture the flag game was fun. The Warthog and Flag make great weapons. I ran over a few people with the Warthog and a friend killed a couple of people with the flag.

Walter is very gifted with the sniper rifle. A sniper rifle in a video game not a real sniper rifle. That comment is for Homeland Security. We are law abiding citizens that happen to partake in somewhat violent video games. That violence does not extend into the real world.

Protect your own damn children from violent video games. The games have ratings. Use them and firmly say no when your brat begs for the game. The majority of video gamers are adults. Deal with it.

AHHH!

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
[Rosanna] Do NOT delete it immidiately, Henderson Margaux
Nefariously H. Perilous
Gage, The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.

Rosanna, Rosanna

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Goa C. Settling
Haha, U Have A Real Small Pe--nis psammoma egosim vasant
This is are V1R-G1NS WORLD! Topeka
Oh no... no... dady (cowpoke)
Here's what you're looking for..........whitman
Asymmetrically A. Belle - Stupid Girl Tripple Anal

TOPEKA!

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
I'm bored with this life
methionine
warmth OFFsHORE SOURCE of Software CDs omicron
This is are V1R-G1NS WORLD! mutinies
Belinda, If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
You may do everything, but remember that ... quaintnessinductee
200% Profits Expected With CRHI, Thursday wharfage

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Diann, The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.
do you have an orgasm in the picture?
Don't be a fool to spend hundred on software, I can help carving

AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Goofy spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Sherlock, Ability is poor men's wealth
Shawnee, Successful action tends to become an end in itself
be strong - be a men! arson

Great googly moogly

Take the Cicada Test!

Check out the storm damage. Bonham Park is now Bonham Field.

I feel lucky that my home was undamaged despite the proximity of the tornado. I was merely inconvenienced.

I hesitate to use the term blessed or thank God for my safety. It sort of implies that I deserve some favor over another person. The people who had their homes damaged or destroyed could very well be morally and spiritually better than me. They are just as worthy of safety as I am. This sort of event causes me to cast doubt upon the concept of a personal God that is actively involved in the everyday affairs of humanity. This concept is often tied to the idea that this personal, active God is also compassionate and loving and does not wish for his children to suffer. Those two ideas tied together really cause me to doubt. I believe in the existence of God but not as defined by religions with which I am familiar. I do not have the vocabulary to define God and the concept is too large to define.

God is everything. Love and hate. Good and evil. Peace and war. Creation and destruction.
Sin and virtue. Dark and light. Spiritual and material. Meaningful and random.

Sounds a bit Taoist. It helps me make sense of it.

The people whose homes were destroyed or damaged seem grateful to be alive. I suppose one could thank God for that.

I count my blessings only to give me perspective and happiness. Some blessings are gained by my efforts and others are received without any regard to personal merit. I am grateful for both. Some curses are received because of my efforts and others are received without regard to personal merit. I only appreciate those as a reminder of how good I have it and to learn from the curses caused by my own mistakes or stupidity.

Shalom.

Cool Gun. It looks very Star Trek.

This week ran 15.03 miles, burned 2014.2 calories and weigh 166.6 pounds.
I had some extra time this week so I ran more.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Janice, The ancestor of every action in a thought

Don't call me Janice.

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
Musses T. Alertness
Pattie, Happiness is an expression of the soul in considered actions.

High and Dry

There was a bit of nasty weather very early this morning. The dogs were not happy. Rusty slept in the bathroom and the Bassets slept in the garage. Salvador rearranged his cage.

Salvador remodels quite a bit. He also knows quite a few showtunes and spends a lot of time looking at his reflection and preening. He especially likes looking at his relfection in the toaster. He even climbs on top of the toaster to look for his good looking friend. The toaster is covered when not in use. Burned bird turd emits a nasty smell. It also screws up the flavor of pop-tarts. I only know about the flavor distortion of pop-tarts secondhand. I prefer my pop-tarts untoasted.

Everyone made it through the storm. One of our trees lost a large branch and the streets are not fully drained. Less than a mile from the house a tree was uprooted and road signs were mangled. It looked like the work of a downburst.

A downburst is where a stong wind stomps on the ground damaging your trailer. A tornado is a strong wind that whirls and forms a funnel and rips apart your trailer. Either way, a trailer has been lost.

Oddly enough, the trailer next to the house with the uprooted tree and mangled road signs appeared to be undamaged.

It is still dark and the street lights are still on. I saw some automatic sprinkler systems running. I guess 5 to 8 inches of rain was not enough.

It is very gray and depressing outside. It intensifies the flourescent lighting in my office.

UGH!

Spam names and Zen Koans of the day:
I tried hard to untie myself

Not much today in terms of creativity and orginality. The new tactic of transposing letters is quite annoying.

Why can't spammers be sent to Abu Gharib? They could use a little humiliation.

Goofy spam names and Zen koans of the day:
Tamper R. Weekend
Forego V. Jockeyed: Lac, Greetings, white man:)
Oliver, Looking back, I have this regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so.
Hydr0c0d0ne and V1c0d1n whistle
Keep on time watches from Rolex finch

Atticus Whistle Finch

Goofy spam names and Zen koans of the day:
inducible major
yuk Hewett

Not much today. Maybe the light of scrutiny and mockery is scaring them off.

BWAHA!

I ran 6.52 miles, burned 1060.7 calories and weigh 165.2 pounds. I did not run today because I was visiting my mother-in-law. It was a wonderful visit. I enjoyed it very much.

Goofy spam names and subject lines of the day (yes, I actually receive these):
Organism R. Worthiest
Jaqueline, New faces have more authority than accustomed ones.
[Lizzie] Check picture, Chester Fay
Do you wanna look something you never seen before? So read. fanaticism heckle

Maybe it is not spam, maybe Zen Buddhist Monks are sending koans to every e-mail address in the world. Some of these things read like Zen koans.

SHAZAM!

Goofy spam names and subject lines of the day:
Showboat I. Orchestral
Arranges D. Sulfide
Sometimes it happens.Read it.mutinies empire
:-) Just do her! numbed

Goofy spam names and subject lines of the day:
Bankruptcies Q. Piper - Lac, lambda othant clamorous advance bellum soothsay haydn
Numbers Vasquez
Cristal Wilkie - Morton, I act tall!

Portzerbie!

Local radio sucks.

We have light suck, country suck, Texas country suck, a mix of suck, classic suck, modern rock suck, community suck, public suck, religious suck, Tejano suck and top 40 suck.

The classic suck station removed the local morning deejays for the Walton and Johnson Show. I have the radio on to hear music not chatter. If I wanted to hear talk I would listen to NPR. At least NPR chatter is interesting.

DJs are not funny.
DJS ARE NOT FUNNY!
I could go to any elementary school playground and witness a greater display of wit.

Just play the damn songs, tell me what the songs were, read the weather and give me a brief traffic report then shut the @#$%! up and play music. Preferably music that does not suck.

Rock music from the late 1980's does not constitute classic. Stop playing that song from Jet. They have another song out, try playing that.

Call your morning show something besides "The Zoo" Stop cutting off the guitar solo at the end of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy"

DJs are not funny.

Crank Yankers employs professional comedians and actors to make their crank calls. These are funny plus there are puppets. It is lame and stupid when a local DJ tries to make a crank call. Stop it. Just play some music. Preferably something that does not suck.

DJs are not funny.

If I wanted to know about what was on television last night, then I would have watched television last night. Stop trying to pass off material from professionals as your own. I watch a lot of stand up comedy, I can recognize the joke. Stop reading jokes you got from a e-mail joke list. I am subscribed to the same joke lists. The same goes for Weird News. Just play the damn songs. Preferably songs that do not suck.

DJs are not funny.

Limit Led Zepplin to one song a day. Play more Jethro Tull. Don't limit Beatles songs to just 4:00 on Friday. Choose to play Beatles songs that do not suck. There are a lot of them, so I don't understand why the classic suck station insists on playing "Rocky Racoon" exclusively.

DJs are not funny.

Stagger the commercial breaks among the radio stations. 10 radio stations and they have commercial breaks at the same time. I know you have to pay bills but why does everyone have to do it at the same time.

Never put children on the air. Never put children on the air. Never put children on the air. They are not cute and are just as witty as the DJs (who incidently, are not funny) but much less articulate. Never play a request from anyone between the ages of 9 and 17. They have no taste in music. As an adult, I have tried to listen to some of the songs I liked at those ages. I was horrified. My parents had more patience than I gave them credit for. Ratt, Quiet Riot, Poison, Motley Crue, and Twisted Sister (Your gonna burn in hell is a decent song), oh dear god. What was wrong with me?

I also wore parachute pants when I was a child. I acted, thought and dressed as a child. Now that I am an adult I am both amused and horrified by my childish ways. I have tried my best to put them aside.

In small doses, fart jokes are funny. Nobody really outgrows that.

When is that damn final episode of Friends going to air so that Americans can get on with their lives?

DJs are not funny.

I am grateful for the blessings of internet radio. I am able to confine my exposure to suck to my drive time. My tape player is broken. I don't have a CD player in the car. Headphones are illegal.

DJs are not funny.

Most bizarre spam subject line:
He held his prick there for minutes as he simply rotated (my e-mail address)

The spammers are using random words in subject lines to get past the filters. That one is almost intriguing enough to open.

Goofy spam names and subject lines of the day:
S_u_per V|@gr@ tomahawk carpeting
They do it and they are happy. haplessly
Precursor R. Spiritless
Wronged Q. Job
Chickpea M. Cronin

CHICKPEA!

Drama in the office. Yeehaw!

Friends, the television show sucks. I don't care about the fact the last episode is airing. No amount of hype can make me care.

I'm sitting at the desk of a shorter person. She has one of those below the desk keyboard platforms. It is nice and ergonomic for her but it is uncomfortable for me. Not really uncomfortable just a bit different. I like to be closer to the desk and this keyboard platform prevents me from doing so. I does keep my hands in a better position.

I still don't care about Friends. The damn story is even on the BBC World Service Radio.
---------------------------------------------------------
Lynndie England is an embarrassment to the United States. Her actions have not only humiliated Iraqis but has further endangered the lives of other Americans in Iraq. She will claim that she was following orders or that she was not properly trained. How to treat other humans beings is training one gets before joining the army.

She is at Ft. Bragg because she is pregnant. Perhaps, she should have an abortion or have the baby taken away from her soon after birth.

She was not properly supervised will probably be another excuse. Since when does an adult need supervision when it comes to treating humans as humans? This is not surfing the web or playing computer games while the boss is away, this is about the proper treatment of other human beings.

What sort of dumbass takes pictures of themselves committing crimes? I guess the army has to take just about anyone willing to volunteer. With that policy one is bound to attract a few dumbasses.

All the people involved in the prisoner abuse should be punished and steps taken to make sure it does not happen again.

Would it have killed the president to say, "I'm sorry"? Speaking on Arabic television is a great first step but if I were president I would have learned the phrase, "I'm sorry about the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and I will make sure it does not happen again" in Arabic. The rest of the interview could be in English but at least learning enough Arabic to make an apology would have sent a really strong message.

I'm nobody so I can spout all the opinion I want without affecting anything.

WASABI!

I am stunned.

Somehow, I failed to receive the memo that a class was not being offered. I found out today, during the last week of regular classes that this class was not being offered and therefore not meeting.

My brain hurts.

Every Tuesday and Thursday this semester I have been going into a classroom and turning on some equipment so that the class can be offered in two locations. I have been receiving phone calls from operations telling me to connect. I've had to run in between classes to make this connection. There was somebody at the other end doing the same thing. 3 months of making sure that connections were made and I finally find out that the @#$@%!!!!!! class was not being offered in the first place!

ARGH!

This past weekend I've been experiencing synchronous moments.

I've never thought about Alexander Hamilton before. After thinking about him, a book about him appears on the Barnes and Noble website. I went there to update my affiliate links.

I ranted about the EID stamp and then I see an article about the designer of that stamp in this month's Psychology Today. What led to the rant was a forwarded e-mail that I received. The e-mail was full of stupid statements. Muslims have committed acts of terrorism. So have Christians, Jews, pagans and athiests. The designer of the stamp is repelled by the extremism in Islam today. He even avoids Mosques because they have become too political. His son has walked away from the religion because of the extremism. I don't think this is what the prophets wanted.

Religion is a paradox. A source of great beauty and inspiration and a source of great violence and ignorance.

May all beings be safe.
May all beings live at ease.
May all beings be free.
May all beings have good health.
May all beings be.

While sitting at Sonic waiting for my order to arrive, I was looking at the new $10 bill. I was thinking damn, Alexander Hamilton is hot. Seriously, he was one good looking guy. It could have been an exceptionally flattering portrait but there is only so much one can do about ugly. Alexander Hamilton had to have been quite handsome. Look at George Washington, the artists did the best they could but he still looks kind of dorky. All the other founding fathers on the various US bills look ordinary despite the work of the best engravers in the world. Alexander Hamilton on the other hand has classic movie star good looks. Strong jaw, great eye line. Damn, he was just good looking. If you don't believe me, look at a US $10 bill sometime. Really look at Alexander Hamilton.

Here is a picture:


That is one hot founding father.

AARON BURR!

This week I ran 11.50 miles, burned 1729.5 calories and weigh 167.4 pounds.

I ran in a different gym. There was a church workshop in one of the meeting rooms at this gym and we were given one day access.

The meeting was productive and I had a good run.

One of Salvador's favorite movies is The Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster. Salvador loved the canary sounds. Now he is demanding more movies featuring bird sounds.

Thanks to the workshop, the dogs will not get their monthly bath. The dogs are happy about this.

Now, I'm going to review some websites for my awards program. I'm starting to catch up.

CHIRP!