Sleepless in Midland

Snake under the hood

Here's your problem. That constrictor on your engine belongs in a zoo.

Snakes are everywhere. Just the other day we had a cobra escaping from the Bronx Zoo. Then there was an escaped snake warning note left on a door in Sweden.

Now this. It may be in Brazil, but it's hard to say. It's a sight to behold as animal control workers tinker under the hood then like a magician’s trick, pull out a very large snake. Watch it on Youtube.

Via Newslite.tv.

Cool stuff for guys

Hey fellows, looking for something to give yourself for father's day? Check out the cool looking knives with stone inlays from Santa Fe Stoneworks. They hand make some knives, but the ones in the photo below were bought blank from a manufacturer, and the folks at Stoneworks installed the handles in their shop in Santa Fe, NM.

These are model JS20. The red is coral they call "bloodstone," and the green is malachite. [Psst. Can you keep a secret? I shouldn't disclose this, but they were "seconds" and were half off the $40 list price. Shh, don't tell anyone.]

They've got great looking steak knives, too.

The Royal Wedding Photo

Is it just me, or does this photo make it look like the bride-to-be is trying to edge out the groom-to-be?

Via Royalwedding.yahoo.com.

To add to the fairytale atmosphere the Prince should place a glass slipper on one of her tootsies.

Royal rules ban wedding satire

Banned in Britain.

The comedy group "The Chaser's War on Everything" took aim at the royal wedding with plans to provide satirical coverage for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. But no, the royal family put it's well heeled foot down. The Associated Press Television News issued new rules saying the wedding video could not be used "in any drama, comedy, satirical or similar entertainment program or content". Source. Via Andrew Bolt.

That must mean Joan Rivers won't be on TV making quips about the gowns. Dang.

Meanwhile, for a Chasers' sample, see this video featuring a gentleman going door to door attempting to sell items and services normally sold through email spam. "Hello madam, could I interest you in a penis enlargement?"

Better yet, if you haven't seen it already, check out The T-Mobile Royal Wedding.

Scientists: Social activity wards off dementia

Real science or wishful thinking?

This article -- Want better brains? Party! -- tells us that a recent study provided evidence that social activity helps old people keep their cognitive abilities from declining. Excerpt:

The study included 1,138 older adults with a mean age of 80 who are participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of common chronic conditions of aging. They each underwent yearly evaluations that included a medical history and neuropsychological tests.

Cognitive function was assessed using a battery of 19 tests for various types of memory (episodic, semantic and working memory), as well as perceptual speed and visuospatial ability.

At the start of the investigation, all participants were free of any signs of cognitive impairment. Over an average of five years, however, those who were more socially active showed reduced rates of cognitive decline. On average, those who had the highest levels of social activity (the 90th percentile) experienced only one quarter of the rate of cognitive decline experienced by the least socially active individuals

It's possible "social activity challenges older adults to participate in complex interpersonal exchanges, which could promote or main efficient neural networks in a case of 'use it or lose it,'" [ lead researcher Bryan ] James said.

It says they tried to rule out the possibility that cognitive decline precedes, or causes, social isolation, however a skeptic might question whether their results actually showed that.

Via Dave Barry who tells us we should obey the prescription to party.

The spirit of Air America is alive and talking

Anyone who listens to talk radio probably has a favorite host or two. And a lucky listener can keep the car radio tuned to the same station to get all of his/her favorites. So a station might be all conservative or all liberal.

Talk radio needs a market willing to pay for it. Rush Limbaugh and a myriad of others have proven that there's a market for conservative talk radio. Air America was a progressive alternative that was welcomed by those who felt the stings from conservative talkers. And Air America proved there was a market for progressive talk radio, just not big enough to support the stars in the life style to which they would like to become accustomed. Air America went silent after a rocky six year stint. See history at wikipedia.

There was much hand wringing on the editorial pages when Air America went mute. And there was talk of a "fairness doctrine" which would hurt the conservative radio talkers and either skew or level the playing field, depending on the viewpoint.

But progressives needn't have worried. Apparently there's still enough demand for progressive talkers to make a market. For example, go to AirAmerica.com, and the site redirects to WCPT, chicagosprogressivetalk.com, which currently touts at the top a video of a recent union rally.

All of this comes to mind as I've just returned from a road trip to Northern New Mexico during which I got an earful of progressive radio, in particular, 1260 KTRC, owned by Hutton Broadcasting LLC of Mount Vernon, IL. Listeners to KTRC can hear Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartman, Randi Rhodes and Ed Schultz, among other liberal talkers. And a conservative listener might conclude that the main objective of progressive talk is to bash well know conservatives. It was Saul Alinsky's rules in play -- attack, attack, attack.

During the time I had the opportunity to listen to KTRC the movie "Atlas Shrugged part 1" was premiering in selected cities. And for some reason progressives felt threatened by Ayn Rand's belief in individualism over collectivism. So she was the target of some vile remarks. Being dead, it might be hard for her to defend herself. But maybe the movie will speak for her.

Fear not for progressive radio. It's available for anyone who wants it. And while Air America is silent, others picked up the banner and are waving it high to rally all of those who feel that conservatives are the enemy and governments can never do too much.

The presidential candidate who climbed Mt. Everest

He climbed Mount Everest, but Gary Johnson is flying under the radar as a presidential candidate.

One doesn't have to look far to find pundits scoring the potential Republican candidates. But Johnson hasn't been noticed.

Gary Johnson was an entrepreneur and business owner before he became Governor of New Mexico. He's in favor of smaller government, lower taxes, personal responsibility, free markets and a balanced budget.

Watch his announcement at C-Spanvideo.org where he points a finger of blame at both parties for the current budget mess. Republicans, he said, would have a lot more credibility in the budget game if they would come out for repeal of the prescription health care benefit they passed.

He thinks we are on the verge of financial collapse because we can't repay $14 trillion in debt when we are racking up even more debt going forward.

Serious talk about balancing the federal budget should start with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Block grants to the states for Medicare and Medicaid could produce 50 laboratories of innovation, solutions would be found.

Social Security needs to take in more than it pays out. And that could be accomplished by raising the retirement age, means testing, and changing the benefit calculation from the wage index to the inflation index. That last one alone, he said, could make Social Security solvent.

We are obligated to have a strong national defense, but that's not the same as the nation building we now do. He wants the U.S. to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and is opposed to the U.S. involvement in Libya. Not only was there no constitutional authority or congressional check off for the action in Libya, we don't know enough about rebels we're helping.

Immigration is a job creator, he contends, and we should make it easier for immigrants to get work visas. Businesses, not government quotas, should determine the need for immigrant workers. If employers don't need them, the immigrants will return home.

He connects the dots between drug cartel violence and prohibition and notes that 75% of drug cartels' business involves marijuana. Legalize marijuana and arguably 75% of the violence goes away.

When asked what he thinks about unions he answered with the example of two hypothetical union employees. One is the best worker the employer has seen, the other is the worst. The employer can't reward the best, and he cant fire the worst. Thanks to the unions he has to treat them both as equals.

He climbed Mt. Everest. And he hopes to climb over the competition for the Republican Presidential nomination. Can he do it? We'll see.

His campaign website.

Road Notes -- Santa Fe, New Mexico

Springtime is a very pleasant time to visit New Mexico, or anywhere, for that matter, but this journey took me to the beautiful town of Santa Fe where the residents have done a good job of keeping the city looking old. There's an adobe house there that claims to be the oldest home in the U.S. Now it's a store. But even the new homes have that old adobe look.

Unofficial color of Santa Fe -- Adobe Roof Red.
Unofficial Santa Fe slogan -- "Visit our show room."

The trip up the High Road to Taos this time of year provides a spectacular view. Could it be one of the top ten scenic drives in the U.S.? Perhaps.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pics.

Good Thursday Pilgrimage

A visitor driving a vehicle on the expressway on the outskirts of Santa Fe, NM, last Thursday may have thought that New Mexicans sure must like to walk as there were hundreds of people walking on the shoulder of the highway. Drivers had to pay close attention, because the walkers seemed oblivious to the potential for hazard. Signs cautioned drivers to watch out for walkers, and the sheriff's office gave the walkers safety tips and glow sticks.

Luckily I was with a knowledgeable native who politely explained that those pedestrians were making an Easter weekend pilgrimage.

Their destination was Chimayo where a miracle was supposed to have occurred a couple of centuries ago in that Spanish settlement nestled on the edge of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. And that tiny community attracts thousands of pedestrians every year.

Some people make the trek to heal themselves or others, although some probably do it to honor the ritual. It appears on the map to be about the distance of a marathon and then some from Santa Fe, and most of the hikers appeared to have readied themselves for a long trek. But the ones pushing a baby stroller? They may have been expecting a miracle.

Happy Easter, everyone.

Flick that cig

Wildfires have devastated acres and acres of dry West Texas land, and sometimes the flame source was a tossed butt. Fortunately, cigarettes these days are the fire safe variety that go out if they aren't puffed. But the spark does last long enough to start a fire under the right circumstances.

So I was on the road yesterday afternoon parked at a picnic area. The wind was strong, and directly ahead of me in a parked pickup an arm reached out. And it happened. "The flick," as Jonathan Gurwitz once called it, and a cigarette butt landed on the pavement.

Maybe the smoker extinguished the flame before he flicked it so that it was merely litter and not a potentially dangerous item set loose in the environment. Anyway, the wind carried it away, and no fire was started.

But still, such a scene really does wear on the patience of those of us who have tried to be tolerant of smokers.

Tabasco free facility

A medical center in the little town of Bonham, Texas, Northeast of Dallas, advertised for a scrub nurse. The best part about the job is that the facility is Tabasco free. What a relief!

Can't you just see staff members hanging around the back door sprinkling Tabasco sauce on chips?

Darn those auto-spell corrections. Via Criggo.com via MissCellania.com.

Montage of movie phone hangups

Ever notice how the actors on the phone in movies always hang up on whomever they were talking with?

Being in a movie means never having to say "good bye." Here's a montage to prove it.

Via urlesque.com.

Click.  [Dial tone].

Sleep or lack thereof

Sleepy factoids:

• Sleep walking (somnambulism ), sleep driving, and sleep sex (sexsomnia ) can get you into trouble. Or maybe out of trouble.

• In 1965 a 17 year old set a record by staying awake 11 days.

• However, police say a methamphetamine "tweaker" can stay away up to 15 days.

• Speaking of methamphetamine, German soldiers were wired on meth in the Blitzkrieg of WWII.

• Within 5 minutes of waking half of your dream is forgotten. Within 10 minutes, 90% is gone.

• You can kill a rat by keeping it awake for two weeks.

• Too much sleep can carry a 20% greater mortality risk over two decades. Same thing with too little sleep.

Finally, the best ways to get to sleep:

• consume foods containing tryptophan;

• count sheep; and

• work as a flight controller on the grave yard shift.

Robert Higgs on the war on drugs

Robert Higgs is an author, historian, and in my book, a hero for coining the phrase "regime uncertainty" to apply to governments that cause so much uncertainty among the populace that no one wants to invest money in any productive activity. He used the phrase to describe the atmosphere created by Franklin D. Roosevelt which prolonged the Great Depression. And of course, "regime uncertainty" certainly has present day application.

Mr. Higgs also has some strong feelings about the war on drugs.

In an article titled Mexicans Are Fed Up with the War on Drugs he noted that on April 7 thousands of Mexicans demonstrated in the streets of several cities around Mexico against President Calderon and the government's war against the drug cartels.

More about the demonstrations here, here and here.

Mr. Higgs doesn't try to defend the criminal acts, murders and misery caused by the drug sellers, however, his target is the war on drugs. Quote:

All of this would be sufficiently dreadful if it had accompanied legitimate efforts to suppress real criminals. But although the drug dealers have committed murders, robberies, and other genuine crimes, to be sure, the foundation of this entire “war” is the U.S. government’s attempts to suppress actions — possessing, buying, and selling certain substances — that violate no one’s natural rights. Not to mince words, the War on Drugs is completely evil, from alpha to omega. No one who believes in human liberty can coherently support it. That its prosecution should have resulted in death and human suffering on such a vast scale constitutes an indictment of every person who has conducted or supported this wicked undertaking from its outset. ...

The Mexican people are showing in many ways, and with unprecedented determination, that they are completely fed up with this gringo-prompted war in which, in recent years, they have become the most devastated victims. Governments that treat their people in this way have no legitimacy whatsoever. They deserve to be brought down. And if the people of Mexico bring down Calderon’s government, then peaceful, rights-respecting people everywhere will have reason to cheer and hope.

Maybe, maybe not. Mr. Higgs is good at fingering the problem but too radical on solutions. A replacement government which could very well put a narco-state just South of our border might not give everyone a reason to cheer and hope.

Unfortunately, he had to add this part:

However, not until the source of this manifest wickedness, the government of the United States, is also brought down will be world be able to believe that justice might be reestablished and human rights elevated to a higher plane.

True, the U.S. has not always won the hearts and minds of the citizens of other countries, and it seldom gets credit for good deeds. But it gets things right more times than it gets things wrong. The war on drugs has gotten out of hand, but surrendering to the cartels would not be in the best interest of anyone.

Too bad the state of California didn't legalize marijuana last year when voters had the chance. What a nice experiment that would have been for us all to observe and evaluate. Maybe next time.

Gambling in Texas -- don't bet on it

Every two years the gambling lobby tries to persuade Texas lawmakers that the state should legalize casino gambling. And with the state budget shortfall this year, there is heavy emphasis on the jobs casino gambling would generate and the tax revenue it would generate. Example:

In the current climate Texas is losing. Texans are already spending many billions of dollars on gaming each year. Much of it is going out-of-state and paying for other states’ public schools and highways. Texans are gambling over the Internet and at tens of thousands of illegal (and untaxed) eight-liner machines all across the state. We want to capture all this activity, regulate it, and make sure that Texas benefits from it.

Furthermore:

[Gambling would] Provide at least a billion dollars in state revenue for the upcoming biennium to help the state balance its budget. This would be mostly in the form of up-front fees from the companies winning the licenses to operate facilities.

There are a lot of big numbers thrown around, including this remark from Star-Telegram.com:

Texas Gaming Association officials said legalizing gambling in Texas could generate more than $6.6 billion in revenue and more than $1.2 billion in taxes a year.

They could have a point about gambling dollars going to other states as gambling is available in every state bordering Texas, including Mexico, although simply going to Mexico is a gamble these days.

A search at the Texas Legislature site for the words casino or gaming turns up no fewer than 26 bills pending before the Texas House or Senate. And Ross Ramsey at Texastribune.org speculates that with the desperate need to refill the state coffers combined with a strong anti-tax sentiment, gambling just might be in the cards this time around.

It's possible that the arguments about revenue for the state might persuade a lot of people this time as long as they don't remember that the lottery was sold to voters as a way to fund schools.

But look at this. Gambling Problems Are More Common than Drinking Problems, according to First-of-its-Kind Study:

BUFFALO, N.Y. – After age 21, problem gambling is considerably more common among U.S. adults than alcohol dependence, even though alcohol dependence has received much more attention, according to researchers at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions. ...

They found that gambling, frequent gambling and problem gambling increases in frequency during the teen years, reach its highest level in the 20s and 30s and then fall off among those over 70.

That puts the at-risk group between the ages of 30 and 70 with lower income people being more susceptible. If there is anyone with a potential gambling problem who doesn't yet know they have it, casino promoters want to give them that opportunity.

The libertarian position would be to let people do what they want with their money. But it takes a hard heart to watch dispassionately as someone gambles away all their worldly possessions.  The house ultimately wins, you know.

Will Texas voters finally succumb to the call of the casinos? We'll find out.

Oh, by the way, if you are in favor of gambling, it's called "gaming." Otherwise it's still "gambling."

Making it rain

There's a golden oldie from the '50s cinema that occasionally gets rerun on the small screen titled The Rainmaker staring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn played an unmarried woman named Lizzy Curry who lived with her father and brother on a farm somewhere out there in drought stricken America. Then along came Bill Starbuck (you read that right), a smooth talking, handsome con man played by Burt Lancaster, who promised to make it rain. All that was required was for brother to bang a drum and daddy to pay a fee.

It was great old Hollywood fun. Lizzy and Starbuck fell in love, the Heavens opened, and rain fell from the sky.

Not so easy in real life, but there are still those who claim they can make it rain.

Cloud seeding was all the rage a few decades ago -- silver iodide was sprinkled from a plane into certain clouds to form nuclei on which ice crystals could form. Did it work? Maybe. It would seem to be difficult to prove whether the seeding actually made a difference. But some of the reports say it works, see Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for example. And the Edwards Aquifer Authority, which has been dabbling in it for year, is doing it again in 2011.

Unfortunately, seeding doesn't work too well in drought conditions because the clouds just aren't there. Source.

Turn on the Ion Emitters!

A good spot for rainmakers to practice their skills would be the Middle Eastern desert where money is plentiful and water is scarce. In Abu Dhabi a company called Meteo Systems of Switzerland has erected 33 foot towers to emit cloud producing ions into the atmosphere. The ions are supposed to attach themselves to condensation nuclei to extend their survival time and increase the chance that they will form water droplets and fall as rain. The jury is still out, and the desert is still dry.

Closer to home, on March 16, 2011, CBS7 told us this:

Special Forces Veteran David Kutchinski says his company SciBlue can do what most people say is impossible: make it rain. ...

In 10 days, Kutchinski says the Red Bluff Reservior will be filled with 35.2 billion gallons of water.

“We're increasing the structure of the clouds enough over the pacific using frequencies that pick up more moisture by vibrating the ice crystals,” Kutchinsi said, “so they have enough structure to make it across the dry area of Mexico, pick up this moisture from the north and the gulf of Mexico to give you some rain.”

Maybe they just need more time as the water level in Red Bluff Reservoir seems to be going in the wrong direction. See Graph.

Or maybe someone just needs to bang on a drum.

Terry Williamson's ode to the common man

It was a touching column by Terry Williamson.

There are two Midlands. There's the affluence of the oil revenue and high salaries as evidenced by the large new houses in the Northwest part of Midland, Texas. But Mr. Williamson points out another side in A drive around town causes a different kind of sticker shock in which he identifies with the people who aren't riding the crest of the wave. Excerpt:

We're the type of people who will drive all over town, using up $25 in fuel to find a station that will save us five cents a gallon. Buying gas is a lot like buying a new car. The first thing you notice when you drive by a gas station is the price. It's the sticker shock that gets you. Your heart races and the mind suddenly goes into panic mode. The only thing you can think of is what you will have to do without this coming week if you fill up today.

The first thought to came to mind after reading the column was the Midland Reporter-Telegram editorial in August of 2010 telling readers to mind their betters and accept the higher taxes and fees the city council wanted to foist on them.

Anyone who watched the local tax hearings last summer had a cold heart if he/she remained untouched by some of the speakers as they described their economic plight and pleaded with the city council not to make it worse for them.

The mayor and council members, who own or work for successful businesses, probably felt disconnected from the sea of commoners in the audience, many of whom appeared as if their main worry was the fear of losing the struggle between income and expenses. Both sides were complaining. The council members were complaining because they weren't getting enough gratitude, and the commoners were complaining about the taxes.  And the council raised their taxes.

Yes, there are two Midlands.

However, to Mr. Williamson's credit, even though the Midland Reporter-Telegram boasted in their heading that Mr. Williamson was the editorial writer at the time that infamous editorial was published, another name actually appears as the author in the online version. So maybe the voice of the common man on that editorial board lost out to the bosses.

Mike Conaway as fiscal conservative

It was just a few short years ago that Texas District 11 Congressman Mike Conaway was blasting away at President Bush's efforts to reform farm subsidies, especially Mr. Bush's insane idea that a person can be so rich that maybe he/she shouldn't be collecting government welfare in the form of farm subsidies. And Mr. Conaway was cheering lawmakers on as they overrode President Bush's veto of the farm bill.

Ah, those were the good old days when reformers were few and money was free. And No one cared how much money the government spent or where it went.

Now far more people are watching Washington and worrying about what the mountain of government debt will mean for our futures. And some are actually trying to do something about it.

Today Mr. Conaway is campaigning on the editorial pages of the Midland Reporter-Telegram:

This past Tuesday, House Republicans released their own blue print for America, a budget we’ve titled “The Path to Prosperity.” The future the 2012 Republican budget calls for is radically different than the president’s. Our budget strengthens our nation’s finances, shrinks our national debt and preserves the promises of Medicare and Medicaid for generations to come. While I do not agree with every line of the budget, I believe it addresses the difficult financial position of our nation in a comprehensive and rational way. This budget puts our government on a path to long-term sustainability. [emphasis added]

We've heard Mr. Conaway talk the talk before, and maybe this time he means it. But he did hedge a little -- see the part in bold. Perhaps it's because other Republicans are eye balling the farm bill pork. See Online.WSJ.com:

Republican House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's blueprint for the fiscal 2012 budget puts agriculture subsidies in the cross hairs, seeking to cut $30 billion over a decade—starting when the next farm bill is passed in 2012—out of a total of some $150 billion in total expected spending on farm subsidies.

Twenty percent is a good start. One hundred percent is better.

Before ObamaCare got signed into law Republican lawmakers were out in the field talking it down. Representative Conaway met with some healthcare workers in Midland, and he told them a story about an experience of his when he addressed an audience in a small community in his district. Someone in that community audience told about another resident of that community who was having health problems and asked why wasn't there something the government could do. According to Mr. Conaway, he answered that the people in that community should step forward to help that individual instead of looking to the government.

Whether or not the members of that community were on the farm bill dole isn't known, but if he could give his farm bill clients that same answer, we would all be better for it.

Be strong, Representative Conaway, we complain, but we are rooting for you.

Updated 4/12/11: Here's another approach. Help reduce the budget deficit by cutting subsidies to billionaires. Thomas Sowell:

My plan would start by cutting off all government transfer payments to billionaires. Many, if not most, people are probably unaware that the government is handing out the taxpayers' money to billionaires. But agricultural subsidies go to a number of billionaires. Very little goes to the ordinary farmer. ...

The usual political counter-attacks against spending cuts will not work against this new kind of spending cut approach. How many heart-rending stories can the media run about billionaires who have lost their handouts from the taxpayers?

Let's do it.

Number 1 reason to dislike the budget deal

Sheila Jackson Lee can now end her hunger strike!

Just test the damn DNA

The Hank Skinner case brought the situation to light -- under what circumstances should a defendant who had already been convicted of a crime be able to ask for DNA testing?

Skinner had asked for some of the evidence to be tested after he was convicted in trial. And in the appeal the prosecution successfully prevented the test because Skinner had declined to ask for the test before the trial. The theory is that the defendant shouldn't be able use DNA testing as a tactic by rolling the dice at the trial level, then if convicted, asking for the test when he doesn't have anything to lose.

Makes sense when you think of a trial as a match of tactical skills. But the death penalty is a serious matter. It's bad enough to send an innocent person to prison. But once the punishment is administered in a death penalty case, there's a finality that can't be undone, short of divine intervention.

On April 6 the Texas Senate passed SB 122 which would amend Article 64.01(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, to remove certain restrictions on requests for post conviction DNA testing. Currently, a person who has already been convicted can make a motion for DNA testing only if he/she can show that material in the prosecutor's possession was not tested because, (A) DNA testing was not available, or if available, the technology was inadequate to provide probative results, or (B) it wasn't the defendant's fault that the material wasn't tested. SB 122 would remove those requirements. Read the text here.

Furthermore, SB 122 would require that the convicting court order that any unidentified DNA profiles be compared with the profiles in the FBI and DPS databases.

It will become law as of September 1, 2011, if the House concurs and the Governor signs it. And if Skinner is still alive, he can get the test he wants.

Previously:
Henry Watkins Skinner Waits on Death Row; and
Henry Skinner's Date With The Executioner Extended

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish political correctness from parody

The other day we noted that someone killed an elephant that had been trampling the crops of the subsistence farmers in a village in Zimbabwe. See Elephant Kill.  People came from miles around to harvest the elephant meat for food. Everybody wins, right? No. PETA, putting animals over humans, had to complain.

Most people haven't taken PETA seriously in a long time.  Take a casual glance at the PETA news releases, and one astonishing headline pops out. PETA purchases Rights to Groundhog Day. Excerpt:

Norfolk, Va. — Iiiiiiiiit's Groundhog Day for PETA! The animal rights group is pleased to announce today that, after two years of negotiation, a special grant from a longtime celebrity supporter has allowed PETA to purchase the rights to the 1993 comedy. The group plans to reshoot the film with a new ending: Phil Connors (Bill Murray) will discover that one way to keep from hopelessly repeating February 2—and to win over Rita (Andie MacDowell)—is to rescue Punxsutawney Phil and whisk him away to an animal sanctuary in the rolling Pennsylvania hills.

Unbelievable. Political correctness has run amok.

Actually, it is unbelievable. It's an April Fools Day joke. But how many people saw it and thought it was true? I did and had to research it to determine that it wasn't true.

What's remarkable is that they would even attempt to make a joke like this. They've come out with so much outlandish stuff in the past. And a joke like this simple weakens what little credibility they had before and drives home the point that they are a joke.

Dear _____ What a pleasure it was to receive a letter from you

If you've ever received a form letter and admired the way they made it so personal, take a look at a personal letter from Steve Martin.

... TOO OFTEN PERFORMERS LOSE CONTACT WITH THEIR AUDIENCE AND BEGIN TO TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN TO ME, WILL IT _______? ...

The guy sure knows how to make a fan feel appreciated. And that's why we respect show business people so much. Via.

A well equipped fire station needs a washer and dryer

If Chief Robert Isbell's plan works out, he should be in the running for an award for a money saving idea.

The budget for the city of Midland, Texas, this fiscal year has provisions for employee awards in some of the departments. And the fire department budgeted $4,500 dollars for awards. That's probably intended to reward bravery and life saving actions. And a more appropriate source to reward this money saving idea might be the $23,050 allotted to the Human Resources Department for awards. But let's not put the cart before the horse.

Here's the potential award winning idea. Currently, the Midland Fire Department contracts out the laundry service for the clothes the firefighters wear while on duty to the tune of $45,000 per year.

Chief Isbell came from a jurisdiction in which fire fighters did their own laundry, and he believes that would work here if the nine fire stations could be equipped with quality washers and dryers. He estimates the initial expense to be around $25,000, and that certainly isn't in the present budget. But if there are enough generous citizens willing to donate a few tax deductible bucks to a 501(c)(3) corporation set up to help the MFD then it could be done. And if it all works as planned the MFD would not have to pay that $45,000 every year just to have clean clothes to wear. This MRT article provides details on how to donate.

It's an award winning idea if there ever was one. And here's the best part. Anyone willing to help fund this project does so through his/her own free will. The government is not taking it from them.

Elephant Kill

It's a good video, except that half the action occurs in total darkness. GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons:

Each year I go to Zimbabwe and hunt problem elephant. It's one of the most beneficial and rewarding things I do. This video shows a typical day of this year's trip. I just returned home today March 14, 2011.

Apparently, a "problem elephant" is one that tramples the crops of the subsistence farmers of Lobola, Zimbabwe, thereby amplifying the food scarcity brought on by disastrous government policies.

Parsons and his team wait in the dark until they hear the elephants. The team moves toward the elephants, and when the elephants hear them two of the elephants "turn to move in on them," according to the text. The hunters shoot twice, and an elephant goes down. That all happens in the dark, so we have to take their word for it.

Then at about 2/3 through the 3 minute video it's the next day, and we see the hungry villagers mob around the dead elephant and slice up the carcass for food. "As more and more villagers arrive hoping to get something to eat. Some walk as far as 20 miles." And many went away hungry.

All in all, it looks like Mr. Parsons performed a good deed. But as you might expect, he gets criticism from the usual suspects who, it seems, value animals over humans.

The rest of us might complain about the poor visibility in the night time portion of the video. Maybe next year Mr. Parsons will take along a night vision lens for the camera.

Link to video.

The great snake escape (part 2)

Snakes seem to be escaping everywhere. It was only last week that people were hissing over the cobra that escaped from the Bronx Zoo. But the cobra was recaptured, and everyone is having a good laugh over it. Even the snake got in on the fun.

Now we learn of a possible snake escape in Malmö, Sweden. The snake in question is described as follows:

"The Inland Taipan, also known as the Small Scaled Snake, is native to Australia and is known as one of the world's most poisonous snakes."

How it got to Sweden is a mystery. And the whole thing could be an April fool's joke, because the only evidence was a note left in the entryway of a building warning that the snake had escaped. Maybe the "snake scare" is the new "bomb scare" -- scaled down (groan) to avoid terrorist type penalties.

If it is a joke, the building tenants are not laughing, at least not yet. But just wait. They'll be whooping it up once the snake starts twittering.

Lights vs Reynolds

Patrick "Lights" Leary vs Richard "Death Row" Reynolds is the big match up for the heavy weight title fight on Tuesday night.

Here's the way they match up:

Reynolds was a brawling juvenile delinquent. Leary was a good kid trying to make his daddy proud.

Reynolds beat Leary in the last match. Leary was cheated.

Reynolds is the champ. Leary is the challenger.

Reynolds is young. Leary will be 41on the day of the fight.

Reynolds has stayed in shape since their last bout. Leary cooked for the family and ferried his children to school.

Reynolds lifts weights. Leary has vision problems and a side injury.

Reynolds continued fighting during Lights' retirement. Leary has pugilistic dementia.

Reynolds has bling, crib, and riches. Leary is hounded by the IRS, investigated by the FBI, and threatened by the mob.

Reynolds is mean. Leary is a loveable victim of circumstances.

Reynolds wants to finish him off. Leary has a big heart and a loving family.

Whoa, how to pick a winner?  Smart money says Leary takes a brutal beating throughout the fight, but in the last minute of the final round he gets inspired by a look from his loving wife and lands a blow that puts Reynolds unconscious on the mat. It will be a decisive win for Leary and a satisfying conclusion to a entertaining first season of "Lights Out." Tuesday night on FX.

Links: Lights Leary
Death Row Reynolds
Lights Out.

The Great American Cleanup

The Keep Midland Beautiful Great American Cleanup / Don't Mess With Texas spring cleanup took place this morning, and the fine city of Midland, Texas, is surely cleaner for it.

Most people learned early on to pick up after themselves. And most find it a little distasteful to have to pick up after other people. If this sounds familiar, it's been said on these pages previously and by others long before. The tragedy of the commons has been with us a long time.

Furthermore, one person's trash usually isn't another person's treasure, especially if the trash consists of cigarette butts and empty beer containers.

Those cigarette filters may eventually degenerate to the point that they become inconspicuous, but first the paper wrapping has to deteriorate, then the individual fibers have to separate from filter at which time they are so thin as to be practically invisible. Until that time, it's just a tossed butt. And there is never just one butt -- they seem to attract others. It's almost as if smokers have been so beleaguered by society that they are acting out in the one distasteful way they can still usually get away with, flicking the butt.

Then there are the beer bottles, or in many cases, shards of broken beer bottle glass. Beer buyers probably don't think about what they are going to with the empties before they buy the beer, and expecting beer drinkers to plan ahead when buying bottles or cans might be too much to ask. The concept of crashing an empty bottle onto a sidewalk or against the street curb is probably something that comes spontaneously. But if they did actually plan ahead, the people who clean up after them might think of them as a little more human and a little less porcine.

Anyway, enough ranting. The KMB project always ends with free hot dogs, chips, soft drinks and cookies at Hogan Park. And today was no exception. However, in the past, the chef's special was always blackened hot dogs -- dogs with a burned crust. Some might have thought it was a result of sloppy grillmanship, but those of us from the "glass is half full" school saw it as a feature of the chef's delicate touch.

So today it might have been a challenge for the food servers to hand out dogs that were grilled a toasty brown but not charred black. However, the dogs were quite good. In fact, some might even prefer those over the burned ones. As Adam Richman of Man v. Food says, "Once you go blackened, you'll never go backened." But maybe you can. Maybe you can.

Obama's first 2012 campaign ad

It's an April fools day joke, and it's a funny one. Cue music, "Today we celebrate a president who brought us together ..."

Lots of grand pronouncements from the President from past campaigns along with lots of images of him playing golf, filling out his basketball bracket, and otherwise juxtaposing Mr. Obama's love for recreation with the burdens facing America.

It's on the National Republican Senatorial Committee's Youtube channel, or click here to watch it.

Via Redstate.com.