View from the room

This is the view out my window. A little overly blue. I think I may buy a raft and float out to that island tomorrow!

Grim Leadership

Bert in 'O8!

Not a Fast Way to Cross the Street

The New Bay Bridge

Here is the view of the new bridge across Biloxi Bay from the 11th floor. The lights are very pretty at night. Especially if your camera doesn't stink.

What is Worse than a Blowout?

A flat spare. This dispatch comes to you roadside, waiting on my ride.

News of Note

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed into law a bill that allows disabled hunters to shoot from their cars.

Holy Smokes!

There's a lego version of the Holy Trinity.

Groovy stair climber dancing

Spiral

So Drunk, so crispy

God. I went to a vegetarian cookout. At least the mint in the julep's was fresh!

This Turtle.....

Had a full night....

So Drunk, so crispy

God. I went to a vegetarian cookout. At least the mint in the julep's was fresh!

No Mobile Homes at the Capitol Please

Please take no offense. I spent years living in mobile homes. My brother lives in one now. That said, can we not have one in the "front yard" of the capitol?!

NOTE on Changes

I'm working on a few themed versions of my blog that i will rotate in randomly. All of it is a work in progress. I've started with the Tulane Theme first. MS State would be up if I could find a decent Maroon to use! Others to come, hopefully switched by what's going on in the world (or at least my world) at the time.

Just Kidding

I thought this was pretty funny. Even if you don't, you've gotta be impressed with how hard it would be to recall/deliver these lines!

ha!

Top of the 8th and I had to go....

But we were ahead by 1 against a much better team!

Governor's Cup

MS State v. Ole Miss at the local stadium. It appears we have a sellout crowd!

New Orleans Bathroom Graffiti

Um, not only true, but also pretty toned down for a barroom bathroom stall...

Oysters in New Orleans

Finally I get some lunch today. I like sitting at the bar.

It seems....

The Green Eye won. Ahem. I'm still not so sure about these running eyeballs.

Are those Eyeballs?

Yes. Someone decided s good way to promote their eye doctor business is to sponsor a running eyeball race at the baseball game. Kinda gross actually.

This Foul Ball....

...Actually almost hit me in the foot! Haw!

Close to the Action

My seats were so close, I sorta had a strange view of the game. Here you can see the batter socking the ball down and putting us down by one.

First Minor League Game of the Season

I really like our minor league team in Mississippi. It is in the town where I attended high school. It is a great park, and it costs no more than going to a movie. I could spend a few days a week out here (and sometimes do). I love baseball season.

We Win!!

I don't talk about a lot of my work here...I don't really know why. it's right along the lines of what i always type here. I mentioned my current project here once before. I've been working for a year to end a program called face-to-face. it, quite literally has cost the state more than $50 Million dollars and, in some places, tripled the infant mortality rate. It has cut 80,000 qualified citizens from Medicaid--virtually all women and children. all needy. My job was to end "face-to-face". I've worked politicians and interest groups and the press in every corner of the state, all for a full year.

Well, I got the word, just a minute ago, that the bill that will end the program will pass into law. we won, and the point of the last year of my life is almost complete. Just need to avoid a veto from the governor now (which will let him avoid a lawsuit from me) and we're really done. whew. i'm exhausted.

...I guess now i need a new job! heh.

One Thing I Like...

...is how people over explain things. This is perhaps somewhat of a Southern behaviour in some examples, but it isn't confined to the south. examples?

talking on the telephone line.
a walking stick.
Finish up.
Get up on it. (heck, i guess "get down on it" too).
Drinking Glass (were we mixed up).

and my favorite phrase, generally yelled at a strange dog snooping where it shouldn't and uttered by someone with a worn voice of at least 60:

"Get up dog, get up from around here!"

Memphis Loses The NCAA Championship....

...and I threw up on myself about 5 times. Ugh. I've felt sick for about an hour now, just watching the game. I still like memphis about 500x better than Kansas in every way possible.

30,000 Without Power in Jackson

If you didn't hear, Mississippi was hit with 6 powerful tornadoes. Jackson got quite a bit of damage. I was at lunch when it hit. I had placed an order and was sipping on my coke when i looked out the window and the tree outside the window was bending at a 45 degree angle. a Semi Truck in the parking lot was swaying and about to tump over. the power was out and the restaurant crew moved all of us to the back of the building in the bar/kitchen area. a funnel cloud was directly over the building and would end up touching down just after it passed us. we got extensive damage. billboards by the restaurant were sheered down and thrown into the interstate. a car lot just walking distance from my location had about 40% of its cars blown out by the twister. it was a pretty intense few minutes. when it was done, whole sections of the city were out of power and 30,000 are still without power as i write this. trees where crashing through houses all over town and a good friend of mine just happened to be home. he looked out the window and saw the tree outside starting to give. he ran out of the room just before the tree broke through and crashed into the room. had he not moved with quickness, he would be dead now. it was a terrible disaster, and it is an amazing feat that (as of what i've heard) no one was killed. many parts of the city were hit MUCH harder than they were during Katrina. Friday was a terrible way to end the week.

FINAL FOUR!!!!

OK, with the exception of when MSU almost beat Memphis, i've been pulling for the Memphis Tigers all the way, all year. they are just awesom and that school deserves everything they get. They won tonight and i hope to see them win the whole thing Monday.

That said, Kansas (ugh) was beating the CRAP of Univ. of North Carolina...until now. they were being beaten worse than any team in final 4 history. UNC is within 5 now. creezus, this is AMAZING.

I've Got a List of Demands

So, i've been taken over the last year by the number of songs i've come to really like and came across via a commercial. this time (link above) it was a nike commercial. i never get inspired by nike commercials, but this thing really took me. its a song called "List of Demands" by Saul Williams. (Song here--after the commercial up top, that's the one to watch. also, live version with NIN here)

I've been sorta taken with the song because, well, i've spent the last few years being remarkably angry and a bit direction-less. for the entirety of my adulthood, virtually every success i've had came from the proper direction of my anger. I've spent a good while with all the anger and none of the direction. i'm tired of that. it just makes me bitter. i'm tired of being bitter, as it isn't my nature. This song has reminded me to start being myself again. i can't wait.

Only on Airplanes

I'm having a nice cool Ginger Ale. I really like this stuff, but only seem to drink it on Airplanes. I must be a damn fool.

Also, while "Gingervating" is a pretty nice word, I may have to start dropping "Ginvigorating" into conversations soon.

More Pics from the Baseball Weekend.

Now, this is the good stuff. it was taken by my pal, Dr. Wagner. click the link above. he did some fantastic shots! I will post some from the Mississippi State game we saw the next day. I actually took some of the photos that day. well see if any are as good as these Dr. Wagner took Saturday!