BagOfNothing.com

Sarah Palin to sign books on Dec. 4 at Legacy Books in Plano

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:30:10 +0000

Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin will do a book signing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at in Plano, according to Kyle Hall, the store’s director of marketing and events.

It’ll be strictly a signing (Palin won’t be speaking), with no personalization. No memorabilia will be signed; books only. Books must be bought at Legacy, either in advance (bring your receipt) or that day. As with all Legacy events, if a patron can’t come but wants a signed book, Legacy can arrange that over the phone.

Link

Texas Teacher Claims Fingerprinting Is ‘Mark of the Beast’

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:48:06 +0000

A 22-year veteran kindergarten teacher in the Texas Bible Belt could lose her job for refusing, on religious grounds, to give fingerprints under a state law requiring them.

The evangelical Christian, Pam McLaurin, is fighting a looming suspension, claiming that fingerprinting amounts to the “Mark of the Beast,” and hence is a violation of her First Amendment right to practice her religion. Her case is similar to a lawsuit by a group of Michigan farmers, some of them Amish, challenging rules requiring the tagging of livestock with RFID chips, saying the devices are also the devil’s mark.

Full Article

Ian Fisher : American Soldier

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:06:28 +0000

This is how an American soldier is made.

For 27 months, Ian Fisher, his parents and friends, and the U.S. Army allowed Denver Post reporters and a photographer to watch and chronicle his recruitment, induction, training, deployment, and, finally, his return from combat. A selection of photos from Ian’s journey are posted below.

The story was written by Kevin Simpson with Michael Riley, Bruce Finley and Craig F. Walker. It was reported by Riley in Colorado and at Fort Benning, Ga., Finley at Fort Carson and in Iraq, and photographer Craig F. Walker throughout.

Link

For the Star Wars dog lover

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:32 +0000

And for those unfamiliar with the At At

And for all you boys of the 80’s that couldn’t get enough of Princess Leia in that slave bikini, here’s a picture of Carrie Fisher and her stunt double tanning. But I’ll take it one step further than the stuff you will find on other blogs. Her stunt double is named Tracey Eddon [IMDB].

Also, I’ve seen this scene from Return of the Jedi a million times, but never noticed this inappropriate grab by Harrison Ford.

SUV hits elephant that escaped from Okla. circus

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:01 +0000

ENID, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma couple driving home from church hit an animal — a really big one.

An elephant that escaped from a nearby circus collided with the couple’s SUV Wednesday night when it ran across a rural highway in Enid, about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City.

Full Article

There’s a joking hiding in there somewhere, but the good news is, it appears the elephant will be OK.

Poor Malia

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:04:49 +0000

I’m sure having your father be the President of the United States can be a pretty cool thing, but as a kid just trying to fit in, I’m sure it can also be a little embarrassing. But what can be even more embarrassing is when your father is giving a speech and mentions you made a 73 on a science test (45 second mark).

I bet Malia and her mother gave him an earful about that, but at least he admits she redeemed herself.

And I wonder who will be the first to comment that he or she is embarrassed to have him as a president.

A New Mickey Mouse

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:04:19 +0000

LOS ANGELES — For decades, the Walt Disney Company has largely kept Mickey Mouse frozen under glass, fearful that even the tiniest tinkering might tarnish the brand and upend his $5 billion or so in annual merchandise sales. One false move and Disney could have New Coke on its hands.

Now, however, concerned that Mickey has become more of a corporate symbol than a beloved character for recent generations of young people, Disney is taking the risky step of re-imagining him for the future.

The first glimmer of this will be the introduction next year of a new video game, Epic Mickey, in which the formerly squeaky clean character can be cantankerous and cunning, as well as heroic, as he traverses a forbidding wasteland.

And at the same time, in a parallel but separate effort, Disney has quietly embarked on an even larger project to rethink the character’s personality, from the way Mickey walks and talks to the way he appears on the Disney Channel and how children interact with him on the Web — even what his house looks like at Disney World.

Full NY Times Article

Best Buy Prepares for the Post-DVD Era

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:03:23 +0000

Best Buy sells a lot of DVDs, but it is taking another step to get ready for the day when that business shifts online.

The giant electronics retailer on Tuesday is announcing a partnership with Sonic Solutions‘ Roxio CinemaNow service to deliver first-run DVDs streamed online directly to consumers.

The idea, said Chris Homeister, senior vice president for entertainment at Best Buy, is to let consumers pay once for a DVD and then eventually be able to play it on any device: television, Blu-ray disc player, personal computer, handheld media player or smartphone.

The new service will be a Best Buy-branded offering, available starting early next year.

Full Article

Bag of Randomness

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:57 +0000

Wowzers, yesterday was one crazy news day if you really think about it.
The biggest news event of course was the tragedy at Fort Hood. Man, what a shame, and there’s so many peculiar things about it. The killer was a mental health professional with the very respectable rank of major and was of Jordanian descent. But another thing that really stands out for me is that he graduated from Virginia Tech – where another mass killing happened not too long ago.
Every news source I was checking on for news regarding that tragedy was giving MSNBC the credit for all the latest news. They must have some good connections in that area.
It also seemed that Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchinson were both making themselves quite visible yesterday after the tragedy. It’s gonna be an interesting and ugly governor’s race.
There was also some important news out of Washington yesterday regarding health care reform that I’m sure people on both sides of the issue wanted noted.
The House bill put together by the Democrats got the approval of the AARP and the American Medical Association – two major endorsements if you consider that the AARP represents the elderly that seemed to be the most concerned about health care and the AMA that represents professionals in the health care industry.
There was also a very, very vocal mass of Republicans at the capital that were making their presence well known and how angry they were regarding the latest health care bill.
I hear many Republicans and tea-baggers often state that they “want their country back.” To be honest, that baffles me a little bit. When I hear that phrase, it makes me think that something was taken away from them, as if something was stolen. And I think they feel like there has been massive changes since the last election such as higher taxes and rights that have been taken away – and that simply isn’t true. I can understand their frustration at bailouts and such, but that whole “I want my country back” stuff is a bit over dramatic.
And yes, I know the bailouts started with the previous administration.
During the Bush administration when I disagreed strongly about many issues such as the Iraq War and the handling of aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and many other things, I never felt that I “lost my country.” That phrase never entered my mind because I had faith in democracy. But that’s just me.
I think Republicans/Conservatives are more vocal than Democrats/Liberals, but I think many of you will disagree with me on that one.
And the last bit of interesting news item, if you want to call it news, is Miss Christian Values, the one that posed topless and had breast implants that were paid for by pageant officials, has a sex tape. TMZ But I still don’t think she should have been vilified for her answer during the pageant. The nut in that scenario was Perez Hilton and his over-reaction.
CBS 11 is going to do the whole restaurant cleanliness inspection investigation for sweeps. Seriously, hasn’t this been done a million times over?
Yes, I know Megan Fox likes bacon, but I refuse to post the picture because it’s too racy for this blog.
As I was driving into work yesterday I just happened to be behind a bunch of vans from KISS FM that were bringing kids for Kidd Kraddick’s Kidd’s Kids trip to Disney World.
I always find it interesting how English speaking musicians perform in non-English speaking countries because you never see non-English speaking musicians perform here in the U.S. If music isn’t in English, we really wouldn’t give it the time of day.
NBC does something that’s real annoying to me. After the last commercial break they will say there is more to come of a show, when it’s only just about another minute of the show as the credits role. At first I kept thinking another episode of the show was about to air.
Fictional town appears on GoogleMaps.
Wear orange and get a free Whataburger
One heck of a door handle
My manager thought I was still in my twenties. I’m not sure what to think of that.
Watch a 3D movie as you shower?
A collection of loafers
The break of a curveball
A cellphone for grandma

U2 feat Jay Z – Sunday Bloody Sunday Live at MTV Europe Music Awards 2009 Berlin Wall

Geeding — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:10:32 +0000

Bald Bear

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:46:08 +0000

Full Article

After World Series Winner Yankees Manager Joe Girardi Helps A Victim

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:38:55 +0000

ASTCHESTER – On his way home from winning the World Series, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi stopped to help a woman who had lost control of her car on the Cross County Parkway and crashed into a wall.

“The guy wins the World Series, what does he do? He stops to help,” said Westchester County police officer Kathleen Cristiano, who was among the first to arrive at the accident scene. “It was totally surreal.”

Full Article

Just another day at work

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:30:41 +0000

Christian Prison

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:07:19 +0000

WAKITA — This tiny town near the Oklahoma-Kansas state line north of Enid may soon own the country’s only all-Christian prison, with Christian administrators, employees, counselors and programs.

The idea is backed by Wakita’s leaders, has some support from state officials, and, its founders believe, is able to pass constitutional muster.

“If Chicken Little doesn’t come to town, we’ll be open in 16 months,” said Bill Robinson, the founder of Corrections Concepts Inc., a Dallas nonprofit prison ministry that is spearheading the projec t.

Full TulsaWorld.com Article

$2 Haircuts

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:06:26 +0000

Secret Knock Detecting Door Lock

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:05:54 +0000

More info here.

Bricklayer shows up at his own funeral in Brazil

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:05:40 +0000

A Brazilian bricklayer reportedly killed in a car crash shocked his mourning family by showing up alive at his funeral.

Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, 59, had identified him as the victim of a Sunday night car crash in Parana state in southern Brazil, police said.

As is customary in Brazil, the funeral was held the following day, which happened to be the holiday of Finados, when Brazilians visit cemeteries to honor the dead.

Full Article

Woman, daughter hold signs admitting theft

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:05:09 +0000

BEDFORD, Pa. – In exchange for jail time, a woman and her adult daughter have agreed to stand outside a Pennsylvania courthouse holding signs saying they stole a gift card from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday.

Fifty-six-year-old Evelyn Border and 35-year-old Tina Griekspoor stood outside the court for 4½ hours Tuesday. They held signs that read: “I stole from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday! Don’t steal or this could happen to you!”

Because the women agreed to hold the signs, Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins says he’ll ask for probation instead of jail when they plead guilty to the theft.

Link

Lloyd Dobler Mob Invades New York For ‘Say Anything’ Anniversary

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:03:50 +0000

The 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and DVD of Say Anything came out yesterday, and to mark the occasion, numerous men with lots of free time dressed up in trench coats and hoisted boomboxes above their heads and marched throughout New York City serenading people with the strains of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” and a cover version of the same song by The Lloyd Dobler Effect. Check them out in the gallery below.

Full Article and more pics

I know the scene, but have never seen the movie.

Bag of Randomness

Geeding — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:14 +0000

The readers of SmarterTravel.com really like Southwest Airlines.
I finally connected my Ooma device and imported my old phone number to it from Vonage. I really liked the Vonage product, and it was relatively cheap at about $25 a month, but with Ooma I don’t have to pay anything unless I want certain advanced features or make international calls. What I didn’t know was that Vonage was going to charge me a disconnect fee of about $40, but I’ll make that back in two months.
But now since I have a Google Voice account, there really isn’t a need for Ooma. I would have to deal with the “inconvenience” of not having my old number, but otherwise I don’t need the Ooma device. See, I bought the Ooma device, opened it to read the instructions, but let it sit around long enough I could not longer return it and then I got a Google Voice invite out of the blue. It was bad timing and lack of initiative on my part.
Everytime I hear about capping medical malpractice I often think of this man. Granted that story is a bit old, but that’s just one story I can’t forget and would think that man would value his manhood for more than $250,000 – which I think is the cap in Texas.
I like the tax advantage of using the flexible spending account, but I don’t like the use it or lose it provision. Medical expenses can be hard to budget an entire year for, and a lot of times things are just unexpected. For instance, lets say I set up my FSA at the end of a year but then my wife becomes unexpectedly pregnant early the next year, like February. That’s a lot of out of pocket medical expenses that I never had the chance to budget for. Or lets say we planned on getting pregnant, budgeted the FSA for it, and the pregnancy never happened – that’s a lot of money that I would just lose. I think I would prefer it more so if a certain amount of any remaining funds can be rolled over from year to year. But I guess none of this matters as I just found out that the FSA is no longer an option for my benefit plan.
The Dodge Viper symbol turned upside down looks like Daffy Duck.
What not to say to the car dealer
Hillary from The Fresh Prince hasn’t worked in Hollywood since 2002. Her best work was in Major Payne.
I don’t really follow baseball, but I do have an appreciation for it and its part in our past and culture. I guess you can call me fair weather, but I do like to root for the Rangers, Yankees, Reds, and Padres.
It sure is interesting how the Yankees are able to win a championship when they opened the last two stadiums. It would be nice if the Cowboys could do the same like they did when they opened Texas Stadium.
Twenty-seven world championships – that is just amazing for an organization.
I never thought I would see the day when former Texas Rangers Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira would be part of a championship team.
I liked watching the Yankees play in the old stadium better – it just felt more intimate and nostalgic, especially when Sinatra starts to sing.
Game 6 of the 1987 World Series between the Twins and the Cardinals was the last World Series game played in daylight.
I think Arizona was the last team to wrap win the October Classic in November.

Christian Versions of Twitter

Geeding — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:07:14 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 2 /Christian Newswire/ — After posting an article in support of Rush Limbaugh, James L. Paris was suspended from Twitter two weeks ago. Although his account was reinstated after eight days, Paris decided to start his own Christian version of Twitter called Christian Chirp www.christianchirp.com. The site was launched this past Thursday.

Full Article

And then there’s Gospelr.

So, what is Gospelr all about you say? Is it just another Twitter service? The answer is no. It’s not just another one in the mix, but rather it’s microblogging-as-ministry: Ministry Microblogging perhaps! Sure, you can tweet from Gospelr but you can also look at Gospelr as an online social bible study as well. Share your dreams, wishes, and prayers with other like-minded Christians.

The purpose is to provide an effective communication medium for sharing thoughts, ideas, words of encouragement, prayer requests, daily scripture readings/devotionals, and more to friends, staff, ministries, family, and others. But our hope is that it becomes so much more than just a Christian-Twitter: Our desire is that it is actually effectual in regards to sharing the Gospel with those who have already heard the Good News (because we all could use a good reminder… daily!) and those that have not. That’s why it’s integrated with Twitter.

askCH – Use Twitter to Save Money on your Healthcare.

Geeding — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:04:52 +0000

AskCH is a one-of-a-kind healthcare tool. Send a healthcare cost or definition question in the proper format, and receive the answer with a link to find detailed information!

Link

Living Christmas Tree Rental

Geeding — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:04:46 +0000

Rent a living tree this Christmas and have a live, potted tree delivered to your doorstep. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s great for your home and the environment. Simply choose one of our varieties of locally-grown trees and we’ll deliver it to your home or business. After Christmas we will pick up your tree and return it to our nursery until next year. You can even watch your tree grow as your family grows by adopting the same tree year-after-year.

www.livingchristmas.com

I think it’s only for California residents.

Bag of Randomness

Geeding — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:32 +0000

A few years ago the NBA failed at trying to bring in a new basketball. But this year they are actually using new rims. The result – league-wide scoring has risen by nearly five points through the first seven days of the regular season compared to last season.
Back in 1967 Sweden decided drivers should switch from driving on the left side of the road to the right side. Interestingly enough, there were no fatalities and accidents actually decreased the following year. Link
I watched V last night on ABC. In one of the opening screens a statue of Jesus on the cross falls in a church and breaks to pieces. I wonder if the network got any calls about that.
I watched a little Leno last night and the stars of Paranormal Activity were on. That guy was just basking in the starlight and trying to soak in every moment of it. He was a bit annoying, but I can’t blame the guy for being excited. The female was wearing a very short skirt but didn’t have the legs to show for it. I was reminded somewhat of the Curb Your Enthusiasm midriff episode.
They mentioned that Spielberg saw the movie and afterward contacted them to help reshoot the ending.
Leno also had a Biggest Loser contestant on the show. I think it was someone that was just eliminated. Leno asked her current weight but she decline saying that a lady doesn’t reveal her weight. I thought that was odd because she was the one that would step on a scale half naked for every episode.
For my U2 readers – Does U2 Still Matter?
I looks like ATT doesn’t like those new Verizon 3G ads as there is now a lawsuit.
Laundry Room Collections, aka “things in little pockets that almost went in washers.”
Man Accidentally Ejects Himself from Plane
This would be a dream come true for me. Imagine eating in a casual restaurant and Bono comes walking in and he takes time to greet your baby and pose for pictures. I guess it pays to always wear a U2 concert shirt. And to think the closest I ever came was a blurry and dark picture of me on the floor and him on the stage.

Baby Teresa

Geeding — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:06:51 +0000

Baby Teresa gives you an opportunity to Buy Once, Share Twice. When you purchase a Baby Teresa onesie, the baby you purchase it for gets a gorgeous outfit and so does another baby, one you don’t know but one in need. That other baby could be anywhere in the world from an orphanage in Vietnam, a small village in Africa or a family in need in Australia. Baby Teresa allows you to feel twice as good about the one gift.