Article: Just say 'NO' to peace on earth!

It's official. The world has gone insane. Here's an article about a neighborhood that's up in arms because someone in their midst put up an Xmas wreath in the shape of a peace symbol. Apparently, they consider the wreath to be an anti-war protest. Her HOA has imposed a daily fine as long as the wreath stays up. What is this world coming to?!

Even if it is an anti-war protest....freedom of speech! There's nothing derogatory or offensive about a peace symbol. How is it that people are allowed to put signs up or bumper stickers on their cars that promote the destruction of the enemy in Iraq (and just about anywhere else in the middle east), but a peace symbol MUST be censored? But, again, that's ONLY if it actually WERE a protest on this lady's part.

Nobody's ever heard the old saying "Peace on Earth...Good Will Toward Men"? You really only hear that spoken around the Xmas holidays. It's also part of a very popular Xmas carol. Apparently, we should start sensoring it now.

I'm telling you....in a couple of decades, you're going to need PERMISSION before you are allowed to say anything to make sure that it isn't offensive or can't be misinterpretted by any extremists out there among the ~6 billion other inhabitants of this planet.

Note: Apparently, others accused her of using the wreath as a satanic symbol. I was planning on commenting on that but, after some searching, realized that there are some historic arguments for it. I seriously doubt that was her intention though. Then again, that's only MY humbled opinion.

Article: Student dropout rates becoming "epidemic"

According to this article, the number of kids not wishing to finish high school is mind-boggling. Apparently, some major cities have drop-out rates as high as 40-50%. That's pretty.....interesting. It appears (IMHO) that the divide between the educated and the uneducated is increasing....particularly in a time when higher and higher forms of education are required to stay competitive in the job market.

I just couldn't imagine ever applying for a job and not being able to show ANY indication that I had ANY type of formal education. Without, at least, a high school diploma, employers wouldn't be able to objectively tell an 11th grade dropout from someone raised in the back hills of Kentucky learning to make moonshine from the day they were born. Heck...without a high school diploma (or equivalent), the MILITARY wouldn't even take them. That's saying a lot!

I personally think that it has less to do with kids thinking they already know enough or that they're wasting their time and more to do with a lack of motivation. The sad fact of the matter is that you really have to WANT to learn to ever be able to get there. If someone doesn't want to learn, then there's very little that you can do to help them.

Article: Creationism museum

Interestingly enough, some dude is building a museum which will illustrate the story of creation as it is literally spelled out in the book of Genesis. The price tag? $25 million. Here's an interesting excerpt.....

Nothing can dent the designer's zeal as he leads us gingerly through the labyrinth of rooms still under construction, with bits of wood, and the odd dinosaur head occasionally blocking our path. The light of keenness shines from the faces of the workers, too, as they chisel out mountain sides and work out where to put the Tree of Life. They greet us cheerily as we pass. They, too, know they are doing the Lord's Work, and each has signed a contract saying they believe in the Seven Days of Creation theory. Mornings on this construction site start with prayer meetings. Don't think for a minute that this is some sort of crazy little hole-in-the-corner project.

I particularly like this excerpt as well.....

But what, I ask wonderingly, about those fossilised remains of early man-like creatures? Marsh knows all about that: "There are no such things. Humans are basically as you see them today. Those skeletons they've found, what's the word? ... they could have been deformed, diseased or something. I've seen people like that running round the streets of New York."

I'm wondering what former-mayor Giuliani would have to say about that.

In all honestly, I wouldn't mind visiting this museum at least once after it's completed. I would like to see what they are able to come up with.

Entry: Geek limerick of the day

There once was a lady named Bright
who's speed was much faster than light.
She set out one day
in a relative way
and returned on the previous night.



(I read this in the latest book that I'm reading called 'Resurrection', by Steve Alten. I thought it was kind of catchy. Not a bad book so far.)

Entry: I'm home

Hola amigos! I returned from the rather frigid west coast yesterday afternoon. I had a pretty good time with dad up in the mountains of California (as usual). Activities included (but were not limited to)...

1. Watching a few zillion movies
2. Riding ATVs through the mountains
3. Changing out tires on dad's '71 International
(an annual tradition)
4. Getting stuffed with great food by my step mother
5. Seeing a dog sled demonstration

I'll tell you what....those forrests can sure bring back the appreciation that I have for nature. I used to have it in spades but pretty much lost it ~10 years ago. Definately looking forward to next year's trip (which I'm thinking might be in the summer instead of the fall).

Article: Fun with a microwave

Ever wonder what would happen if you put a bar of soap in a microwave? How about a piece of aluminum foil or a lightbulb? The answers to these questions and more can be answered at this site that was put together by an intrepid nerd (or, possibly, an pyromaniac) who was out to explore the unknown.

Sparking grapes....now THAT'S cool!! :)

Article: What kind of sleeper are you?

I was browsing the web looking for some desent articles on correct sleeping positions. I ran across this site that supposedly makes correlations between a person's personality and the position that they sleep in. It pretty much nailed my personality perfectly. Check it out and see if it rings true for you too.

Also, for anyone else out there who cares, here's a site for correct sleeping positions.

Entry: 'Meg' coming to the big screen

I was leisurely strolling through Barnes and Noble today when I discovered that one of my favorite storylines is soon to make it to the big screen.

Steve Alten is, IMHO, a great author. His stories may not be to everyone's tastes, but many of them hold a fascination with me. The first of his books that I read...'Meg'...is the story of a Megalodon (a pre-historic shark that has been mentioned a couple times in other posts) that ascends from the deep and basically kills/eats everything it encounters.

The fact that it's a giant shark isn't what I find so interesting. The fact that it's a giant shark that once ruled the world's oceans and, as some would argue, could possibly still lurk in the depths, actually existed.

Doesn't that picture kinda send a chill up your spine? Between stories of things like Megalodon and the Colossal squid, it's no surprise that I ever hesitate to swim in the open ocean away from the beach. But then again....I *AM* a coward. ;)

Entry: It's almost Xmas time again

Article: When NOT to open your mouth

Yet another hilarious article. Apparently, the guy who plays Borat got the snot kicked out of him in NY for doing his Borat persona to a random passer-by.

And I thought *I* had a big mouth! ;)

Article: Wanna see Colonel Sanders from space?

This is just hilarious. Some folks created a massive KFC logo in the desert with the idea of having it viewable from space. It's finger lickin' good! :)

Entry: Yard of the Month

Congratulations to my mother for winning Eagle Landing's coveted 'Yard of the Month' award. She is proudly displaying the sign in her front yard.

She deserves every bit of credit and recognition that she gets! :)

Article: Dolphin caught with four fins

This is pretty cool. Some Japanese folks recently caught a dolphin that has four fins. The hind fins are believed to be relics from the mammal's terrestrial-based ancestry. I would honestly not be surprised if this was more common than we knew.

Although I tend to post a lot of opinions on this site, I usually try to distance myself from expressing any sentiments that indicate that I think a group or demographic is wrong in any respect. However, when it comes to the issue of Evolution, I've always found it difficult to imagine how some can forsake exaplainable genetic mutation and, pretty much, the entire fossil record for their own personal doctrines. I mean....maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps this dolphin is one of "God's" many wonderful gifts to the planet (ie....mankind). But....if this is the case, then the fossil record would have to be the greatest practical joke in man's history of existance.

It would be hilarious if a geologist or archeologist were to die and go to heaven and be given an audience with God himself. God extends his (or her) hand to be shaken only to withdraw it as the scientist reached with a resounding "PSYCHE!!!!!".

Castlevania, baby!!

Awwwwww yeeeaaahhhhh! Everybody's favorite game is coming to the big screen.

I still remember the first time I played the original back in '87. Man...I was hooked! Since then, I have bested six of the games in the series (3 for NES, 2 for SNES, and one for Genesis). Is it sad that I can remember that? Of course! It's not like I ever claimed to have a life. :)

In all honesty, I doubt that this movie will do the justice that the game deserves. Who knows....they might even try to add the boomerang-style axes that some of the enemy knights throw. That would be hilarious. If they leave out the Grim Reaper, then I will be majorly miffed.

Anybody else out there have a favorite Belmont? I'm a Simon fan myself. Can't beat the classics.

Article: Go Speed Racer....Go!!

Yep...it's true. They're making a live action 'Speed Racer' movie. Go figure that they'd bring the directors of the Matrix trilogy to direct it. This show was the one that gave the original meaning to the term "trunk monkey".

Entry: Long live Orwell!

This is one of those articles that I'm just going to let folks read for themselves. It makes me think of things like '1984' and 'V for Vendetta'. I'm in NO way saying that anyone is working toward the establishment of an orwellian society, but the fact remains that ANY administration wishing to do just that would have to take this as an initial step. It's the kind of REAL news that I wish networks would report on instead of trivial non-issues like Madonna's adopted son.

It's also interesting to mention that most people seem to forget that we are living in a union. Each state has it's own leadership, military, laws, taxes, supreme courts, and constitutions. I have no issues with a federal government per se, but it's very interesting how the federal and state governements are supposed to keep each other in check and how things would be effected if that protection were to erode.

Most interesting.

---

In a telling bit of understatement, the Senator from Vermont noted that "the implications of changing the (Posse Comitatus) Act are enormous". "There is good reason," he said, "for the constructive friction in existing law when it comes to martial law declarations. Using the military for law enforcement goes against one of the founding tenets of our democracy. We fail our Constitution, neglecting the rights of the States, when we make it easier for the President to declare martial law and trample on local and state sovereignty."

---

Entry: The house is back!

I just realized that there's a house that keeps re-ocurring in my dreams. It's not quite what I would classify as a mansion...but it is a REALLY big house. In my dreams, I recall that this house has a mystique about it....and aura of unrest, if you will (for lack of better words to use). Sometimes it's haunted, and sometimes it's simply uncomfortable to be in (for unknown reasons).

I remember, in the first dream in which this house appeared, that it was supposedly owned by distant relatives who had long since passed on. My mother was giving me a tour of it. I remembered thinking of what a cool house it was. The second dream was a tad more "lively". It involved zombies trying to kill me. Not exactly what I would call a nightmare, but definately one of those run-for-your-life dreams. ( The snake and shark dreams are the ones that I would classify as nightmares.) In the third dream (last night), the house was occupied by a family that was hosting a reunion. I was sneaking around the house, evading the inhabitants, in search of its mysteries (again, for lack of a better way to explain it).

These three dreams have absolutely nothing to do with one another. I do find it odd that the house is a constant though. Even the rooms are all the same! And, it's not like I've ever seen the house or anything. It's a totally randomly generated house. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm wondering if there wasn't a fourth one. It seems to be just beyond my ability to reach it in my mind....just enough to know it's there but not to know what it was about. Weird? Of course! :)

I think that these three dreams have happened over the last 1.5 years, so it's not like I'm seeing that house every night or anything. Wouldn't it be weird to actually FIND a house that matched it by accident?! :)

[ maniacal laughter ensues ]

P.S. Hey....since when have MY posts ever been normal??? ;)

Entry: This morning

"Once upon a morning dreary, while I slacked off weak and weary,
Over many a TV show about history's forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some dude gently rapping, rapping at my house's door."

With all due respect to Mr. Edgar Allen Poe, I couldn't resist writing the above simply because I was able to see the Charleston Stage presentation of 'Nevermore' last night. It was absolutely glorious!!! It even had the screaching violin sound effects like they do in movies like 'The Exorcist'.

But, I digress. Indeed, there was a rapping on my front door this morning. I opened it to find a gentlemen dressed to the hilt (in a rather shocking electric-blue dress shirt and black tie). He said that he was delivering a "public service message" to the neighborhood.

So, at this point, I'm thinking "Oh lord....please, oh please, dear god....don't let this guy be on some politician's payrool. I have no desire to deal with that quagmire at the moment." The guy hands me a little pamphlet face-down and then proceeds to walk away (a tad more hastily than one would think).
I turned over the pamphlet only to find, to my greatest horror, that it was entitled "The End Is Near For False Religions".

I then let out a sigh and found myself thinking...."Why couldn't it have just been a politician."

So....before the gentleman had a chance to exit my property, I promptly call him back and ask him to take his pamphlet with him with the polite understanding that I wasn't interested. He thanked me for my time and wished me a good day. I wasn't trying to be rude by returning the material, but I wanted to negatively reinforce this guy's assumption that people don't mind propoganda visits at their residence.

Have you ever noticed how propoganda artists and solicitors almost ALWAYS try on the weekends? Granted...it wasn't that early in the morning, but I do recall many occasions where I'll get the 8am call from some dumb company wanting to sell me something on a Saturday morning. I mean....after getting up at 6am ever work day, why would I POSSIBLY want to sleep in on the weekends?!?!

But, again, I digress. As always, I respect this guy his right to his beliefs. I also respect his right to buy space on a billboard or a TV commercial. Is there a reason that it HAS to be a personal visitation? It's almost as if they don't want to GIVE you the chance to ignore the billboard or fast-forward your Tivo through the TV commercial. I get the distinct impression that "Our message will be delivered whether you like it or not!"

Sigh.

I wonder how large of an army their group had out there scouring the neighborhoods this morning. Who knows...they might be in YOUR neighborhood as we speak! Lock your doors and keep both eyes on your kids at all times! They're coming!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Update: I went out to check the mail the same day and found a flier attached to my door from some guy who wants to be mayor. Ugh!

Article: How to steal an election

NOTE: Please don't assume that because I posted this technical article that I am reinforcing the theory that previous elections have been unlawfully stolen. I reserve all judgement.

This is a pretty interesting article. This guy takes a look at all of the popular players in the voting machine industry and some serious weaknesses in each of their products.

The cool thing is that he didn't write the article to try and teach people to be mischievous (sp?) - he wrote it so that the world would be forced to wake up and the industry would have no choice but to add further scrutiny to its products before election time.

Picture: For all you hardcore console gamers out there...

Entry: I have made some changes

Some minor changes have been made to the blog's theme. I wonder if anyone'll notice. ;)

The content seems to be a tad lacking at the moment. Rest assured that there is more yet to be added.

P.S. If you whine...I'm going to sick my pet opossum on you.

Entry: Argg!

Yes, my children. I haven't posted for a while. Is this my way of saying that I'm giving up the blog? Heck no! It's simply my way of saying that I haven't been motivated lately. :)

I am planning on doing some overhauls to the format of this page so hang around and see what happens.

Picture: Pope Palpatine??

Wicke was kind enough to post a link to this picture. I can't HELP but add it here.

Now, I'm not a conspiracy theorist or anything but the above pictured compare-n'-contrast is just...well...hilarious! "I am Darth Benedict! Rarrr!!!" If he's ever up on the pulpit and lightening starts shooting out of his fingertips, that'd be cool!

Now, remember....I am not anti-pope (or anti-emperor, for that matter) and am not trying to besmirch his image. I just thought it was funny. :)

"On one hand, there's the pastromi on rye. The other....BLT. Oye! Decisions!"

Entry: Dating strengths and weaknesses

So, because I'm such a sucker and always jump on the bandwagon when I see a good personality-evaluation site, I decided to check out this one to see what my dating strengths and weaknesses are. Here are the results....

Dating Strengths	Dating Weaknesses
1. Financial Situation - 84.6% 2. Open-Mindedness - 63.6% 3. Independence - 57.1% 4. Sense of Humor - 57.1%	1. Shyness - 70.8% 2. Appearance - 66.7% 3. Selfishness - 54.5% 4. Insecurity - 53.8% 5. Pessimism - 50%

Dating Strengths Explained
Financial Situation - You've got your financial situation under control, which is a very desirable quality. Be careful to avoid women who are only interested in your money. Open-Mindedness - You are open to trying new things and entertaining new ideas, and this widens your pool of available women. Independence - Your strong sense of independence comes in handy while dating. You are not held back or tied down; you are free to pursue your interests. Sense of Humor - Women are attracted to people with a good sense of humor. Be sure to put yours on display!
Dating Weaknesses Explained
Shyness - You know all too well the limits shyness places on you. Putting yourself out there in social situations may be difficult, but essential to your dating success. Appearance - Devoting a greater effort at making good first impressions is a must. Try to be fit and develop a style if you want to catch a woman's attention. Selfishness - You think too much of yourself and your needs. You must learn to put your partner first and tend to her needs. Insecurity - Your insecurity makes you doubt yourself, but you must learn to love and trust yourself if you want to succeed in dating. Pessimism - Too much cynicism can be a turn-off. Try to see the brighter side of things and people will be attracted to your positive outlook.
Take the Dating Strengths and Weaknesses Quiz

Hmmm....interesting. :)

Article: Why isn't Saudization working?

Only folks who have ever had ties to the Saudi kingdom should read this. And, of those, only a handful will find it interesting. It discusses the current state of Saudization and why it's not working out quite like the Saudis thought that it would.

For those who don't know, back in the early 20th century, when Saudi was mainly tribal and the initial discoveries of oil were made, the royal family made an agreement with foreign nations that they could come in and make the major contributions to the development of their country but that a planned phase-out of expatriate employment would happen decades later to allow the state to be wholey owned and operated by Saudis and for Saudis. The primary instrument for this development was the formation of a company called the "Arabian / American Oil Company" (or "Aramco" for short). Aramco later became the greatest oil producing company in the world. In the late 80s, the Saudi govt. bought the last of the remaining publically traded stock in the company and it became a completely state-owned entity. Since then, the phase-out of foreign workers (called "Saudization") has been taking place. It has not been as successful as the Saudi government had hoped.

"Why did we fail in achieving the Saudization target? Is it because we are a spoiled nation? Is it because we don’t have the required expertise? Is it because Saudis are always waiting to assume administrative positions? Is it because we’re not used to being punctual and starting work early? Is it because we can’t do overtime like the foreigners that work in the Kingdom? Perhaps these are some of the reasons why the process of Saudization is not succeeding. Some people may think I’m exaggerating — but I wonder what the truth must be?"

My interest in this is simply because I was once a beneficiary of Aramco. That was long ago though. Since then, I just kinda keep tabs here and there.

Entry: Another Wednesday in the history of Miller

I had the fortune of seeing a blood-red moon this past weekend. It was pretty cool. I know it's just an illusion, but it's still neat to see regardless.

Other than that, the weekend was smooth and uneventful. Had a friend come over Saturday night. We talked and watched a movie. Went over to another friend's house with the intention of playing some UT2004 but was ultimately foiled since we couldnt' hear the doorbell from the game room (and since we were waiting for the pizza guy, that was a big deal). We watched another movie instead. For anyone who hasn't seen 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose', it's a pretty good flick.

The house-unpacking is coming along. I get a little more done every day. I'm going easy and taking my time since I spent 6 weeks moving all the stuff over. Sloth, unfortunately, is consistently one of my reigning virtues. :)

I haven't seen ANY good movies lately. That needs to change. Do you hear me Hollywood?! Get off your cheeks and start earning that money!!!

I need to take the initiative and get a new Betta. I will miss Rex dearly. He can never be replaced. But, unfortunately, I do need to move on.

I was helping out with the Charleston Stage people last night doing the props for the upcoming production of 'Nevermore'. That sounds like a truly awesome show and I can't wait to see it!

Ok....I know....this is a boring post. I figured I was overdue for one though. ;)

Website: Find wealthy men

So, I was driving around doing some errands on Sunday when I heard this commercial for www.wealthymen.com. This is a dating site where any woman can put up a public profile for guys to see but yet, only guys who make $100,000+ a year can post a profile.

"Wealthy Men is the one and only online personals dating site dedicated to those men seeking a higher quality online dating experience. Women who visit Wealthy Men, will find that each profile is of real men who have excelled greatly in their life, but are still seeking a partner to share their experiences with. All women can set up a free profile, however, only a select few men can join Wealthy Men as each of our members are verified by a salary approval process. This is your chance to be a part of a larger than life experience in an online personals website who make their dreams a reality. Your prince awaits."

I found this kind of interesting because I have always made a point to avoid the topic of my income on such sites. Not that I could ever be eligible to make a profile on wealthymen.com, I'm still one of those "love me for my mind" kind of people. (Which probably means that I'm poor as dirt) ;)

If anyone's wondering what the graphic for this post has to do with it, he's one of the first profiles that showed up when I clicked to browse. Seriously though...who needs THAT much muscle??? The dudes trapezius (sp?) muscles are bigger than my thights!

Give us a kiss....

Article: To veil or not to veil...

I found this interesting article over at the Arab News today. It discusses the Arab view of the requirement for the women to be veiled. Of course, that view is bound to vary wildly depending on the person whom you ask. As with any other religious point, it's all up to interpretation. I also found that I was also wrong on a couple of the points that I've argued in the past. Anyway...for any who are interested....

Entry: Yet ANOTHER manic Tuesday ;)

Hello and good morning/day/evening to all! Just got done with the Labor Day weekend. Didn't really do anything spectacular. Mostly dorked around the house. Still plenty of unpacking and organizing to get done.

I regret to inform everyone that Rex, my fearless attack Betta, died last Wednesday. <:( He has been with me for a year. I think that the stress of the move was his final undoing. He had a very rough move (much to my disappointment) and, as anyone who has owned any bettas knows, stress can actually kill these fish. So, if you would, observe a moment of silence, and wish Rex a happy and fruitful afterlife. Give 'em hell, Rex!!

As just about EVERYONE knows by now, Steve Irwin, the fearless aussie "Crocodile Hunter", was fatally attacked by a Stingray. I wish that I could say that it is a huge tragedy, but the truth of the matter is that he lived his life playing with fire (figuratively speaking, of course). There are only so many times that you can handle deadly snakes, swim with man-eating sharks, wrestle crocodiles, and befriend lions before one of them decides that they don't like you. I really did enjoy his show. The silver lining here is that he truly enjoyed his work. Everyone who knew him says that he loved life as much as he seemed to on camera. The man lived more in his 45 (was he 45??) years than most people could do in 3 lifetimes. If only everyone could be so lucky.

I have a bunch of other stuff to mention here but, for some reason, I can't remember any of it. This is what I get for waiting so long to post anything. ;)

Entry: Just another manic Tuesday

It's not really a manic Tuesday. I just had that song 'Manic Monday' (The Bangles) stuck in my head while I was thinking of a title for this entry. :)

Had the big move this last weekend. I now have furniture in my new house. Yeah! I can sleep in a bed again!! The move was relatively uneventful with the exception of the death trap that I got from UHaul. I felt like a dead man walking (err....driving) when I was behind the wheel of that thing. I had the help of some friends as well. I'd like to thank Clay (with his brand new Honda CRV), Corbette, Justin, Wicke, and Tracy. I definately appreciated their taking time out of their hard-earned weekends to help with the effort. Imagine what a heart-breaker it is to finally get your washer and dryer moved in only to find out that the plug on the end of the dryer chord doesn't match the plug in the wall due to new wiring codes. Go figure. Yet ANOTHER trip to Lowes. Man...I must REALLY love debt!

I get to spend the rest of this work week scrubbing the heck out of my apartment to get it ready to be abandoned. Fun fun fun.

Oh yeah....I hate watering my lawn. Bah!!

Article: Warcraft + IPod = Terrorist

This is an interesting albeit frightening account of how playing Warcraft and owning an Ipod can lead to terrorism. Here's another link here. Man...I really feel for this guy. I really don't know which part of this story would irk me the most if it ever happened to me.

Entry: As I mature...

Many thanks to Benson for sending me the following...

• I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope that they panic and give in.
• I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just jerks.
• I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.
• I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better be very well endowed.
• I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are more screwed up than you think.
• I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished.
• I've learned that we are responsible for what we do....unless we are celebrities.
• I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades, and there had better be a lot of money to take its place.
• I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working in your house, one of your kids did it.
• I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away.

Entry: Dreams

Ever have a horror dream? And no...I'm not referring to a nightmare. I'm talking about a dream that wasn't really something that scared you, but had a real horror genre about it. Kinda weird but also kinda cool at the same time. (This is about the time that everyone reading this starts to wonder about just how much of a freak I am). I had one of my first last night. Maybe that's what I get for sleeping on a hardwood floor. :)

WARNING: The following is extremely abstract and subjective content. Feel free to enjoy or ignore. :)

Seriously though...physicians and PhDs often scoff at the academics who devote their lives to the study of dreams. I'm hardly a dream expert but I can definately appreciate their dynamics by what I observe through experience. I started paying attention to things like these a few years ago when I suddenly realized how to tell when I was about to fall asleep. For most people, they lie there (in whatever state of fatigue) and wait to wake up the next morning. The next morning when they wake up, the last thing they remember was lying there in bed waiting for the sandman to take them. Suddenly...BLAM....it's morning and time to wakeup! "When the heck did I fall asleep??" There are actually ways to tell that you're about to doze off and I'm glad that I was able to notice it. It makes life simpler. For instance, if I'm at work and I am feeling a bit fatigued or drowsy, if I notice the signs, I'll immediately get up and go for a walk. However, if I'm feeling fatigued and drowsy and the signs aren't there, then I'll be fine. Weird how that works.

Being a computer nerd, I also tend to observe the dream mechanism through the eyes of a programmer. Sound weird? Of course it does! :) But seriously...have you ever woken up from a dream and remembered it quite lucidly but, as the day progressed, you could remember less and less of it until it gets to the point that you remember that you HAD a dream but really have no idea what it was about? Happens to me all the time. Have you also noticed that, even though that dream has been forgotten, that it could be repeated later in another dream? Or better yet.....when you wake up one morning and you're still in that weird delirious state, that you find that you not only are very lucid about the dream that you just had but also of some previous dreams that you've been unable to recall? Or even have the ability to remember dreams that you don't even remember ever having? Again...weird. To me, it seems like there are parts of the brain that are randomly accessible (analogy to RAM) during a dream state but, after awakening, become more and more inaccessible until they reside completely in protected memory which is completely unaccessable to the conscious mind. I think that those protective barriers are broken-down and re-created every time that we dream.

There are also those few golden minutes after you often awake that your mind is stuck between reality and the dream state. I read a study a few years ago that suggested that that particular state is analogous to substance intoxication. It's weird how you can dream of flying pink elephants and, if you wake up at just the right moment, you can spend the next minute thinking that there are flying pink elephants outside your window even though you're awake. Then again...I don't know if this applies to everybody, but I find it weird at times. I've even gone so far as to ask people weird things right after waking up only to be quite embarassed a few minutes later after I'm completely lucid.

If it weren't for mysteries like these, life would be a lot more boring....dont'cha think? :) Personally, I think that mysteries like dreams, Nessie, the origin of the universe, what's in a black hole, UFOs, and whatnot, are a healthy component of life. Without them, so much would be lost. What fun would there be if we could explain EVERYTHING? Then again...that's simply the gospel according to Miller. ;)

Entry: A beautiful day in the neighborhood

So, I met this girl at this wedding about a month ago. Nice girl. Married...mother of one...a classic profile. Being that I was having a slow morning at work yesterday, I sent her an e-mail saying "I'm bored. Feel like entertaining me?". Yeah...well...we're chatting on IM later that day and she randomly says something to the effect of "Ummm.....I'm married." Of course, I'm like "WTF...where did that come from??". Apparently, my previous e-mail gave her the impression that I was propositioning her. It never even dawned on me that that's how she would take it! Wow. Talk about embarassing. Then there's the whole thing about worrying whether or not she believes that I didn't mean it that way.

Saw 'Snakes on a Plane' this last weekend. That movie rocked! It's a completely plotless attempt at humor through slapstick comedy and scenes of horrific death. It would take a special kind of person to enjoy this movie but, if you are one such person, then this movie will have you cracking up! One spoiler though....DO NOT SIT THROUGH THE SONG AT THE END CREDITS. THE MUSIC IS HORRIBLE AND THERE IS NO EXTRA SCENE AFTERWARDS.

I am now residing at my new house in Hanahan. The big move isn't until this weekend, but I've officially transferred my flag from my apartment. By the way...sleeping on hardwood floors BITES!!! Rex seems to like his new digs though. He has a little lamp that I put by his tank and he just sits there mesmorized by it. It's kinda like that scene from 'Finding Nemo'. "It's so.....pretty!". I'm wondering if it's healthy or not.

By the way...at the ripe old age of 29, I am not scared in the slightest to publically say that my mom rocks! That woman has volunteered so much effort to the finding and situating of my new house that it boggles the mind how she has enough time for it all. She's the best!

I have kids in my new neighborhood. And by kids, I mean LOTS of kids. I never thought I'd say this, but it's actually nice to see. I haven't seen packs of little kids playing together in yards like this probably since I left Saudi back in the 80s. I put some sprinklers out in the backyard area to do some watering and, immediately, a couple of young-uns came over and started running through them. They were in a state of rapture while they did it too. If they only knew what was in store for them as adults, they'd never grow up. :)

Entry: State of the Miller

Yep....it's been almost two weeks since my last post. I'm slacking again. <:(

I just noticed a song that is playing on my computer. It's 'Time After Time' by Sarah McLachlan (featuring Cyndi Lauper). Is it just me, or is every other song that comes out these days just a cover of an 80's song?! I heard a remake of 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' yesterday by some band that sounded like Nickelback (or, maybe it actually was them). I'm having flashbacks to Korn's cover of Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall'. Spooky, I say.

By the way...Tracy can't spell. :)

I've been preoccupied with the new digs for the last few weeks. I haven't moved in yet. That fun is reserved for next weekend. I'm spending my time now making home improvements and making sure that everything is good-to-go when it comes time to move.

I saw a couple of movies this past weekend. Of course, they're the kinds of movies that hardly anyone I know will ever want to see. I saw 'Pulse' (which was kinda hokey, but had a really well-done bathtub scene). I also saw 'The Descent' on Sunday. Not bad. It kinda wreeks of 'The Cave' though. Except, in this latest incarnation, the bad guys all look like Gollum. And I must say that the last few seconds of that movie made absolutely no sense at all.

Why does buying a house have to cost so much $$$ ???

Entry: Random Entry

For all of you enthusiasts out there, this is the one week of the year that you should tune in to the Discovery Channel. "Why?" you ask. Because, it's SHARK WEEK! I have no idea what it is about sharks. They're so fascinating and so terrifying at the same time. Of course, I know that this is an irrational fear, but then again, what isn't these days? I was watching one of the shows last night and they had a clip of a Great White shark attack that was caught on film. I wasn't repulsed by it...I just thought it looked something straight out of a movie. There was a group of people in the water...one of them shouts "SHARK" and they all scatter for the nearest boat. One woman doesn't make it. She doggy paddles as fast as she can, but she's still the odd one out. The giant shadow moves toward her slowly and she starts panicing and splashing even louder. All of a sudden, the water goes red when the shark gets to her. It was weird SEEING something like this that actually happened.

Of course, as we all know, there's a monster heat wave battering the east and mid-west. My question to you is this...if there was a camera crew driving around in a hot city taking pictures of folks, is THIS the picture that you'd want them to take of YOU? If this dude were smiling, it would have looked like a commercial for bottled water. I could imagine it now...just add the Barry White voice. "Oh yeah baby...."


So, I was reading CNN and noticed this story on how some online gambling site is taking bets as to when Fidel Castro will die. I think that that's hilarious and sad all at the same time. I don't have anything personal against Cuba. Castro took control ov the goverment 50+ years ago and has outlasted how many US presidents?? This guy's a fighter....you have to admit. I also try not to use death as an excuse to celebrate as some people have been doing recently. Granted, I'm not a Cuban refugee and can't exactly empathize with them, but still. Did any of you ever go to StromWatch.com back when Strom Thurmond was still alive? It had a graphic on the top of the page that showed Strom's face morphing into a skull and back. Laughing at it was one of those guilty pleasures. :)