Bag of Randomness

  • I think something important is going to happen today, but I just can’t remember what that something is.
  • Mouse on frog.  Link
  • While reading Monday Morning Quarterback yesterday I learned that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick use to dress up as his idol Roger Staubach as a kid.
  • Speaking of MMQB, I was touched reading the Good Guy of the Week section about former Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly inititive for universal newborn screening.  As a hopeful oneday parent, this news interests me.  I may have to write my congressman to help support the inititive.  You can learn more about the cause he is fighting for here.
  • I been thinking a lot about the Atlanta Falcons as of late.  In a weird sort of way, they were cruxified (Vick and the dogfighting), buried (last season overall and their head coach quitting during the season), and have been born again.  I know they only played Oakland last week, but I like what I’m seeing.  If anything, this team feels like it has momentum.
  • James Dobson had a change of heart and decided to vote for McCain after all.  Link
  • Life can be frustrating.  I have a friend that thinks he’s funny and he keeps hounding me about little things that make me, me.  I can take some ribbing, but when it goes on and on it just gets frustrating.  Recently he said something and I came back and teased him harder than normal and he took offense to it, so I apologized and stated my frustration, but the apology evidently didn’t matter as his anger carried over to the weekend and he’s not being friendly.  I feel like I should address the issue or apologize again even though I don’t think what I said was really that bad, but then again that could be seen as pushing the envelope and I think I’ve already done my due diligence by apologizing.  I guess it’s one of those things where time heals all wounds.  But sometimes I wished I was calloused enough to not even care.
  • Yankee Doodle Dandy now makes total sense.  Link
  • Frustration-Free Packaging from Amazon.com.  Link
  • I studied this Comparison Chart of Beliefs of Christian Denominations for about two hours yesterday.  I plan on digging into these charts later in the week.  I think I’ve discovered a denomination where I would feel pretty darn comfortable being associated with, yet I have never worshiped in that kind of church.  With all that said, I’m still attached to my current church and not comfortable sharing any more than that as of right now.
  • If you are interested in watching the end of the winning Southwest Airlines Halloween skit just click here.  It was based off Mama Mia.
  • The cheapest care in the U.S. will be the Nissan Versa at $10,685.  Link
  • “How I Met Your Mother” is a fun show.  I could sing that intro song all day.
  • I have never eaten candy corn nor do I have a desire to ever try it.
  • I saw that Anthony Edwards is going to make a guest appearance on ER.  I thought he said when they killed off the character he had no interest in returning, even in a dream sequence.
  • Has anyone seen that Treximet commercial?  You can watch it here, I’m sure it will keep the kids up at night.
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments

Astronauts to Vote From Space Station

While most Americans will flock to the polls Tuesday to cast their vote for the next U.S. president, two U.S. citizens will beam their ballots down from the International Space Station as they fly 220 miles (354 km) above Earth.

Like all U.S. spaceflyers since 1997, NASA astronauts Michael Fincke and Gregory Chamitoff can vote in their local and national elections thanks to a handy Texas state law that ensures their ballots can be counted, even from space.

“So I’m going to exercise my privilege as a citizen and actually vote from space on Election Day,” Fincke, the space station’s Expedition 18 commander, told SPACE.com before he left Earth. “I think the candidates this year are exciting in and of themselves. But hopefully we get people to realize what a privilege it is, and they exercise and get a chance to vote.”

Only four Americans in NASA’s 50-year history have voted from space, largely because the Texas law allowing was passed just 11 years ago, said Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters, a spokesperson with NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. And just one of those four, now-retired spaceflyer Leroy Chiao, voted during a presidential election in 2004 while commanding the space station’s Expedition 10 crew.

How does it work?

The process of voting from space actually begins on the ground. According to the 1997 bill, astronauts in space can cast an absentee ballot from their spacecraft with the help of the County Clerk of Harris and Brazoria counties, which contain Houston and its surrounding area.

The County Clerk’s office prepares a secure electronic ballot that is then relayed to the International Space Station via NASA’s Mission Control room at the Johnson Space Center. Meanwhile, the Clerk’s Office sends a separate e-mail to the astronaut with login information to access the ballot and vote.

“So there’s this plan in place and I’ll have an electronic ballot and be able to vote from up here,” Chamitoff told SPACE.com from the space station recently.

The completed ballot is then beamed back to Mission Control and sent back to the County Clerk’s office to be tallied.

Full Article

Posted in Interesting, Political, Texas | 1 Comment

Redskins Rule

When the Redskins win their last home game prior to election day, the party that won the popular vote in the previous presidential election wins the race to the White House. When the ‘Skins lose the last home game before the election, the party that lost the popular vote in the most recent presidential election turns out the winner.

That means a Redskins win would favor McCain, while a Steelers victory would presage an Obama victory. The Redskins Rule deals with the popular vote, so let us know if you’ve got a sports-related barometer for the electoral college.

Oh, but there’s another silly rule that invovles the Bengals . . .

STATS LLC points out that in nine of the past 10 elections, the Bengals have tied their fate to the Democratic candidate. Since 1968, if Cincinnati won its last contest prior to Election Day, the Democratic contender for the White House also won. If Cincinnati lost its last game before Election Day, the Democrat also lost.

The lone exception came in 1988 when the Bengals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 6, yet two days later, Michael Dukakis lost the election to George H.W. Bush.

Link

Posted in Goofy | Comments Off on Redskins Rule

Company says mouse in bun just dough

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A local man finds what looks like mouse in his hotdog bun, but the company that made the bread has another explanation.

Arnold’s Bread claims it is dough or “pan accumulation.”

But North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture has launched an investigation and asked Florida to inspect the factory where the buns were baked.

“Everyone thinks this is a mouse except you.” That’s what Bruce Van Dyne told the Arnold’s Master Baker who inspected the hotdog buns he believes have a mouse baked into the side of them.

The article goes on, but here’s an update on it:

Arnold Bakers released the following statement after a local man claims he found a mouse in his hotdog bun:

Arnold Bakers is committed to providing high quality fresh rolls to consumers.  We sincerely apologize to the consumer in Charlotte, North Carolina who received rolls containing excess dough.  We regret the resulting  concern stemming from this instance of pan accumulation, a deposit of hardened dough, on a hot dog roll.

Arnold acted immediately to identify the substance in question through an independent outside laboratory.   Physical and microbiological examination of the product by the independent laboratory today confirmed that the substance is hardened dough.  Arnold wants to reassure the public of our continued commitment to high quality manufacturing standards.

Article

Posted in Goofy | 2 Comments