HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

...To Me!!

Still alive and well; never too old to rock and roll!

A 'TRAVELING' BOOK

Travels by Michael Crichton: And now for something different(for the author); a non-fiction book. Not really a travelogue, however, though he does travel. A lot of the book covers autobiographical material as we learn of his educational experiences and why he didn't become a practicing Doctor. (Why do Drs 'practice' anyway?) Some of the travels are psychic in nature as he learns about spoon bending, auras, and the like.

An interesting book, but perhaps misleadingly titled.

COINCIDENCE?

eWEEK Magazine reports that in 2008 sales of laptops outpaced sales of desktop computers for the first time ever...

They also report that it is estimated that 12,000 laptops are lost or stolen in U.S. airports every week...yes that's 12,000 every week!!!

coincidence?...Hmmmmm....

POINTS TO PONDER

1) Big Brother is probably the company you work for.

2) If napkins are for your mouth, and sanitary napkins are not; then are we wiping our mouths with unsanitary napkins? And why?

3) If you are polyorchid then you have more than 2 testicles. That's gotta be uncomfortable in tight pants!

4) Pepper...the gateway spice...

5) In life, is having options optional or a requirement?

6) And finally...There's no ignorance like ignorance of one's ignorance.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Obama: 'I Screwed Up'

Three words from the new president that you never heard from President Bush: "I screwed up." So said Barack Obama in reference to his handling of Tom Daschle's appointment in a series of interviews yesterday. "I'm here on television saying I screwed up. And that's part of the era of responsibility, is not never making mistakes, it's owning up to them and trying to make sure you don't repeat them and that's what we intend to do," he said on NBC. He told CNN, "Look, ultimately, I campaigned on changing Washington and bottom-up politics. And I don't want to send a message to the American people that there are two sets of standards, one for powerful people, and one for ordinary folks who are working every day and paying their taxes."

(w/thanks to The Daily Beast)

Nice to hear someone admit they're wrong for a change, thanks Mr President.

THE HOLLOW EARTH

No, not the real one(!?). The Hollow Earth by Rudy Rucker: An odd book from the late 1800s or early 1900s about an expedition to the inside of the Earth, along the line of Pellucidar, At the Earth's Core, Journey To the Center Of the Earth, and others of that ilk. The only problem is, this was published in 1990, not 1890. It even has the conceit of being a 'found manuscript' of true events, etc,etc. While this was new in the 1890s, by now this type of story is dated and not

really for the reader over the age of 10 or so who may not have come across Jules Verne or E.R.Burroughs. A shame really, because it's the first fiction book I've come across that has Edgar Allan Poe as one of the main characters.

Though the cover says "A Science Fiction Novel", it is neither Science nor particularly novel.

It may pass as a juvenile novel, but there is some light nudity and implied sex, and the racial stereotypes fit the 1800s better than the 2000s, or even the latter 1900s.

So remember...'CAVEAT LECTOR' and be forewarned...

LOST IN SPACE?

Oh wait, that's a different show - hahaha. But I see in the paper that the remains of Gene Roddenberry & his wife have been shot into space, never to return. Pretty cool, actually, a definite improvement to being stuck in the ground. And of course, absolutely appropriate for the creator of Star Trek.

So Gene and his wife (Majel Barrett - also on Star Trek) will now fly through space forever...

...and wouldn't it be funny if a thousand years from now one of our future spaceships came across the flying tomb?

Yeah, that would be so cool...

RIP: BILLY POWELL

  Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player Billy Powell has died at the age of 56 of a suspected heart attack in Florida. Powell, who played on hits including Sweet Home Alabama, called police saying he was having trouble breathing.
 Emergency services tried to resuscitate the musician but he was pronounced dead an hour later, police said. Powell joined the band in 1972 after working as their roadie and survived a 1977 plane crash which killed six people, including three band members.
 Powell, who had a history of heart problems, had missed an appointment with a doctor on Tuesday.
 A statement on the Lynyrd Skynyrd website said: "Beloved pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night. "The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time." In 1987, the band, including Powell, reformed with a new line-up.
 Johnny Van Zant, who replaced his brother Donnie as lead singer, said: "Maybe it is just the destiny of Lynyrd Skynyrd. "We've played before millions and millions of people and it's been a wonderful ride and a bumpy one too."
 Van Zant said the band had recorded songs for an upcoming album. US shows on Friday and Saturday night have been cancelled. The band are due to tour Europe, including concerts in London and Manchester, in May and June.
(w/thanks to The  Rock Doctor)

And so another  bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd joins the band in Rock&Roll heaven...

I guess by now there's two Lynyrd Skynyrds!

Rock on Billy, rock on...

TOYOTAS

...And that's a reasonable fascimile of my first Toyota, the model was called CORONA. More of a family sedan than the Corolla's were back in the 70s. Had a Corolla after that, it was probably not much larger than the Echo I drive now. Corolla's have got quite a bit larger than they used to be.

And now I see in the news that Toyota has overtaken GM as the world's largest selling auto manufacturer. 8.9 million vehicles (that's vee-hicles) as opposed to 8.3 million. And you sure see Toyotas all over the place now; back when I got my first one (replacing a '64 Volkswagen Beetle) Toyotas and other Japanese cars were quite rare. I remember a guy at my workplace (Norwalk Company -r.i.p.) bought the first Honda Civic CVCC that I ever saw, it looked like a car that had been put in a car crusher!

At one time in the early 80s, we had to buy a Renault because there was a quota put on Japanese cars and you couldn't find any to buy. You had to put $500 down and the dealers would put you on a list and call you when cars came in; if you didn't want any of the few they had got, bottom of the list you went!! And yet the "Big 3" never learnt the lesson that bigger isn't better, and now we have to spend our hard-earned money to keep them in business...what a world!

Thanks big 3, I love spending money for cars I don't even like...

FOUR GREAT RELIGIOUS TRUTHS

 Four Great Religious Truths

 During these serious times, people of all faiths should remember these four great religious truths:

 

1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.
2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the
   Christian world.
4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.