Great Smoky

...and that's what I like about the South!

2009-11-05T21:57:00.000-06:00

What? His sheep was "indisposed"?

SC man gets 3 years in prison for sex with horse - Yahoo! News: "A South Carolina man caught on video having sex with a horse was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after pleading guilty for the second time in two years to abusing the creature."

For the second time. The second time! Don't you know he'll have a story to tell his prison roommate. heh.

Concert-Hop in Knoxville

2009-10-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

New York Magazine Spotlights my home town by praising with faint damnation.

From weekly jazz performances to lo-fi indie shows, this once-decaying football town has become a new hot spot for music. Here’s what to tune in to this fall.

But they do know the best place to be on an October Saturday...

The Weekend Escape Plan -- Knoxville, Tennessee -- New York Magazine

But nothing about gerbils or fudge

2009-10-08T15:25:00.002-05:00

Baker Hughes Develops Packer System for Openhole Annular Isolation

Another totally out of context headline that sounds squeamishly suggestive to those of us who wouldn't know a tool pusher if he bit us on the... well, you figure it out.

Why the stereotypes? you decide

2009-10-06T12:09:00.001-05:00

I always bristle when I hear quips like "If your family tree doesn't branch you may be from Tennessee". Then I saw these "most viewed" items on the Knoxville news site and just thought "Oh, hell... it's true."

Thomas Wolfe got it close. You may be able to go home again, but would you really want to?

Links for 2009-10-05 [del.icio.us]

2009-10-06T00:00:00-07:00

Hi-Teech | How to add Facebook connect to Blogger

Mom was right - Candy rots your brain

2009-10-05T09:06:00.000-05:00

According to this article, I should be a serial killer. When I was a kid, candy was a vegetable.

[...]regardless of other environmental and lifestyle factors, like family-income level, parenting style or children's level of education, the data suggested it was only the frequency of confectionery consumption in childhood that strongly predicted adult violence.

Eating Candy in Childhood Linked to Adult Crime - Yahoo! News

Links for 2009-10-02 [del.icio.us]

2009-10-03T00:00:00-07:00

More's the pity; "Walmart is America"

2009-09-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

I can only conclude that somewhere our founding fathers are weeping bitter tears.

Wal-Mart best symbolizes America, a new poll finds - Yahoo! News

Great Tits Eat Bats In Times Of Need

2009-09-26T23:12:00.001-05:00

The article is something boring about birds and bats and starving, but the headline is classic!

Great Tits Eat Bats In Times Of Need

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2009-09-23T00:00:00-07:00

Installing A Hard Drive – Step by Step | PCMech

Links for 2009-09-16 [del.icio.us]

2009-09-17T00:00:00-07:00

Commentary: Drinking age of 21 doesn't work - CNN.com

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2009-09-15T00:00:00-07:00

Links for 2009-09-08 [del.icio.us]

2009-09-09T00:00:00-07:00

Mountainview Mindmap - ITIL V3, PMBoK, Six Sigma, ISO 20000, ISO 27000

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2009-09-05T00:00:00-07:00

Top 100 Leadership Blogs | Best Universities

Smokies anniversary gala

2009-09-02T14:12:00.006-05:00

I just had to post this information, seeing as how the blog name is "GreatSmoky" and all. Newfound Gap is one of those "must go" places for me when I am in the area. If the weather is not too crazy I'll try to get up to Clingmans Dome as well. It would have been fun to be there today, but lord - the traffic must be a mess!
Mountains majesty: Smokies anniversary gala in full swing » Knoxville News Sentinel

Invasion of the Smarts

2009-08-18T11:00:00.003-05:00

"I feel smart-y, I feel smart-y, I feel smart-y and witt-y alllll daaaaay..."

Gallery pics

Great moments in marketing?

2009-08-09T23:25:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of the top of an empty box. I walk by it several times a day and each time I wonder who thought this picture is a good representation of a product.

OK, extra credit if anyone can look at at this picture and:

a. Tell me what it is exactly that is being sold.
b. Not think about the last time you went to the Doctor and he asked you about having a colonoscopy.
c. Not go "eeeewwww" on reading the previous item.

bigger on the inside

2009-08-09T15:33:00.002-05:00

bigger on the inside
Originally uploaded by wordjunky.

New "TARDIS" plates for my surprisingly roomy smart car.

Dedicated to all the Dr. Who fans - of which I am definitely one.

RIP - "Yo quiero Taco Bell"

2009-07-22T16:10:00.003-05:00

She charmed millions without ever saying a word — and managed to make fast-food tacos adorable. Gidget, the Chihuahua best known for her Taco Bell ad campaign (and her famous overdubbed tagline, "Yo quiero Taco Bell"), died from a stroke on Tuesday night at age 15.

Rumors that she was planning a 50-show "comeback tour" are unsubstantiated at this time. However, a mysterious white powder was found by the bedside. Authorities have raided the offices of the veterenarian who was treating her at the time of her death to obtain records and other information.

A memorial service is planned for the Mall of America food court on Thursday with Ronald McDonald, the Shoney's BigBoy, Col. Sanders, and Jack! as honorary pallbearers. The Geico Gecko and the Budweiser frogs are sending representatives, and Morris the cat was too finicky to be bothered.

Controlling Kudzu With Naturally Occurring Fungus

2009-07-20T10:43:00.001-05:00

ScienceDaily (2009-07-20) -- Kudzu, "The Vine that Ate the South," could meet its match in a naturally occurring fungus that scientists have formulated as a biologically based herbicide. ... > read full article

Why there is "Just for Men" hair color

2009-07-11T09:45:00.005-05:00

Not that I use it, of course, but you hear stories around the coffee pot. (Yeah - the coffee pot. That's where I heard it...)

Fun Bookmark

2009-07-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

Bookmark
Originally uploaded by Cross-stitch ninja.

For all you punsters, readers and grammar nazis out there. This example from "Cross-stitch ninja" on Flickr made me chuckle. I want one just like it.

Dog is my Copilot

2009-06-15T10:47:00.001-05:00

Dog is my Copilot
Originally uploaded by wordjunky.

The Bellaire Club in Houston has recently begun having a "dog friendly" AA meeting. Here you see the chair and leader with their respective "ala-dogs".

In keeping with the traditions of AA we have kept anonymity by blurring faces.

Screen Names vs. Real Names

2009-06-13T11:31:00.004-05:00

Many applications, especially the social networking ones, allow users to pick a "screen name" rather than using a real name. This can be important if your name happens to be John Smith and you want to stand out. Even Facebook has opened up to it as of last night.

I actually came up with my screen name ("Wordjunky") when I started blogging in 2004. At the time I was not certain what I was going to say or how my voice would evolve. I used it as my "online persona" and to set up accounts in various services like Flickr, del.ico.us, digg, etc. When Twitter showed up and I decided to try it out it was natural to use that for my identity as well since I had already established it as a 'brand' (for lack of a better term).

However, when it came to a profile name, I read an article saying that having a real name lent a bit more credibility to your "tweets" so I chose to add my real name. In addition, when networking with others I found that introducing myself as "Wordjunky" only works well with a geeky subset of all my acquaintances. Granted it is a large subset, but you get funny looks from HR types and suits. I have been modifying my online self so that the stage/screen name and real name are easily identifiable for anyone who cares to look.

My disclaimer. I am not trying to be controversial or outrageous online. There are no pictures of me having "wardrobe malfunctions" or doing keg stands nor do I use my blogs or Twitter to rage and flame. Potential followers, prospective employers, friends, enemies, or others who check up on me will find an opinionated person who has many interests and takes stands on issues, but who also writes for an intelligent and broad-minded audience. As long as I do that I don't think it matters what I call myself.

I suppose if I were writing some radical call to arms or were trying to embarrass my workplace I might have a reason to keep anonymous, but that is not the case. And if it were I wouldn't admit it here.

What did you learn in school today?

2009-06-06T20:34:00.008-05:00

When I was a kid, back in the days when "duck and cover" was the way to avoid being vaporized by an A-bomb, I remember learning how America works. We were the good guys. Like John Wayne, we didn't fight the bad guys until they attacked us. And we never beat up on smaller helpless people no matter what, because that is the kind of country we were. We had even renamed the "Department of War" to the "Department of Defense" so people would know that was our stance.

As a teenager I went to a summer church camp where I met some folks who ruined the world for me. They taught me songs like "Where have all the flowers gone", "If I had a hammer", "Blowing in the wind", and this one, my favorite:

WTF happened? Cuba (Bay of Pigs) never attacked us. Vietnam never attacked us (Tonkin Gulf? Hah!). Neither did Panama, Grenada, or Haiti. Iraq? Well, last time I checked Kuwait (1991) was not close to our border. And did Sadaam had anything to do with 9-11? At all? Not from what I have seen. Maybe we should acknowledge the truth and go back to having a "Department of War". Or we could just call it the "Ministry of Peace".

I don't consider myself a liberal. Far from it I think we should hark back to the wisdom of the founding fathers and "beware of foreign entanglements". The Monroe Doctrine served us well for many years. When it was replaced by "The Bush Doctrine" we somehow magically went from a world leader to a belligerent jingoistic meddlesome imperialist nation in a few short years. Lets hope things are beginning to turn around.

Facebook is for Geezers too.

2009-06-03T17:24:00.003-05:00

As I approach a very significant birthday (hint, it ends in a zero) I am better appreciating the value of social networking for people like me who are closer to the end of a career than the beginning. I recently posted some grade school class pictures and almost immediately got back in contact with people I had not seen in {mumble} years. One of my sisters created a private Facebook group just for the family so we can chatter on about stuff from several states apart as if we were next door to each other. It's cheaper than a plane ticket and more comfortable than the spare bedroom or fold-out couch. Not to mention if when someone gets annoyed there is no dramatic door-slamming.

The web seems to be awash lately in opportunities to connect with everyone else on the planet. While I am sure that many, if not most, of the apps are wonderful it is not possible to follow all of them so I use the ones that work for me. The applications I find most useful are Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The common attribute these 3 products have is they have all reached a "critical mass" of users, so there is a good chance I will find at least some folks who either know me or share interests. My inner tightwad also appreciates they are no-cost, at the level I use them.

What a deal. I can put my resume online, catch up with friends I have not seen in years, chat online with my daughter who is away at school, send email to damn near anyone, and all without leaving the house. Pretty neat.

Extra credit - Can you find Me?

Feeling smart

2009-05-28T23:06:00.003-05:00

My local smart car dealer had a gathering and photo-op a few weeks ago. Here is a look at the attendees. There were over 35 cars there.

Memorial Day thoughts

2009-05-25T23:29:00.003-05:00

Memorial Day is one of those days that are sprinkled throughout the year when everybody waves a flag, the old farts put on their medals and have a parade, and we are all shamed into feeling a bit sorry that we don't give more honor to the people who serve in the armed forces. Memorial Day is set aside to honor those who have died in the service of their country. Oh, and the stores have an excuse to add flags to their "BIG SALE" ads.

That, as far as it goes is all well and good. As a veteran myself I resonate with that feeling. Some of my high school friends, and children of my parents' friends were killed in Viet Nam. I am an active alumni volunteer for my college fraternity, and I have met or learned of good men who have been killed, wounded, and some who are still serving in Iraq and Afganistan. My father was a WWII veteran. I get it. People who serve do a hard and dangerous job. They deserve all the support we can possibly provide them.

Memorial Day is to honor those who have died "defending the country". I put that in quotes because we all know that no "war" in the last 60 years has actually been about "defending our country", despite what the Ministry of Truth would have us believe. Korea?, Viet Nam?, Panama?, Kuwait?, Iraq?, Afghanistan? There ma have been good political or economic reasons for those actions, but not military reasons. In fact even Congress, which has the power to declare war, has declined to make such declarations for those embarrassments.

I just hate it that so many have died because of such small minded decisions. It is easy for a President, Vice President, and Secretary of "Defense" who have never been in harms way serving the country to send young men to die. No matter how many speeches you make, no matter how many wreaths you lay, no matter how many flags you fold, there is simply no excuse for asking brave and patriotic men and women to give their lives for a country that is not under attack... and fighting in a country that did not attack us.

Guilty Pleasures - TV on the bubble

2009-05-18T00:01:00.003-05:00

I just saw that "Chuck" and "The Dollhouse" have been renewed. So has "Heroes", "Numb3rs", and "The Big Bang Theory", but sadly "Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles" has been, er, terminated. I guess they could not compete with any continuity issues from the movie this summer.

All in all, not so awful for a guy looking for Geek-TV. A bit of brightness in a universe gone dim after the end of "Battlestar Galactica"

Of course there are some "What were they thinking?" renewals - as always:

The Batchelor
Supernanny (?)
Celebrity Apprentice
90210

As William Randolph Hearst once said: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American consumer."

For those still keeping score, I know I didn't mention "Lost." No slight intended to the rabid fans, but I just never got into it. I was going to school at night when it started and have not seen the sense in trying to catch up. You all enjoy it though. I hear it is engrossing.

Fall TV cheat sheet: What's in? What's out? | | Ausiello Files | EW.com

Too Big to Fail? Too big. Fail.

2009-05-14T23:14:00.005-05:00

We have all heard more than we want to about whether this bank or that car manufacturer is "too big to fail." The "Progressive Libertarian" in me thinks that is a specious argument. It is not whether something is too big to fail. Rather whether a corporation that is so large as to have a measurable effect on the economy is moving away from the function of a capitalistic marketplace and towards a corporate oligarchy.

I can't help but think that if Lehman Bros., AIG, BoA, GM, Chrysler, etc. had been facing more competition they would not have been able to get as badly overwhelmed as they did. And Lord help us if Wal-Mart has a few bad quarters. With more and smaller companies competing with each other you have incentive to innovate and serve customers well, plus if one or two companies fail it does not decimate a whole segment of the economy.

There are laws in place to discourage companies from becoming so big they devour their competition. unfortunately the "small government" Republican party neglected to exercise those measures. For that matter the Democrats have not been very quick to split up "MonsterCorp" either. Lets hope that the Obamacrats figure out that less is more, at least in the case of supposed "free markets."

Farewell to Kristopher

2009-05-07T22:46:00.003-05:00

I know I said I was not going to write about Knoxville so much, but then, dammit, something like this happens.

I did not know Kristopher at all, but my mother was a regular at his salons. She ran in some of the same circles and was always telling me about his kids' latest 'adventures' or the property he had bought 'this week' so I feel like I know him. Knoxville is missing a good guy tonight.

David Dewhirst is a fraternity brother, though we are from different eras so our paths have only crossed occasionally. I enjoyed reading this paragraph about the two of them.

The Blue Streak:

"Downtown developer David Dewhirst met Kendrick 20 years ago on Dewhirst’s first day in Knoxville. Within 15 minutes of meeting him, Dewhirst had written him a check for an apartment in the Old City based largely on what Kendrick told him were the possibilities of the place. “He said there was a little bit of magic in every room of an old building,” said Dewhirst, who said Kendrick became his mentor. “He said every historic building has a soul and it should be respected,” Dewhirst said. Several years ago, Dewhirst bought The Emporium on Gay Street from Kendrick based on an agreement Kendrick scribbled on a paper napkin. “Is this legal?” Dewhirst asked him. “Hell, this is formal,” Kendrick chuckled. “Kristopher changed my life and every day that I live, I’ll thank him,” Dewhirst said."

E-textbooks may be headed to Texas classrooms

2009-05-02T19:19:00.001-05:00

Now this is really neat. As a Kindle user, my little heart goes pitty-pat when I see that the Texas legislature, of all places(!)is considering making school books available for e-book readers. I watched my own kids trudge off to school loaded down with so many texts they looked like miniature sherpas off to climb Mt. Everest. That could not be good for the back. Imagine how much easier it would be to have an e-reader that weighs less than ONE oversized text able to carry not only all the textbooks, but a sizable portion of extra reference material - not to mention the latest "Twilight" book.

The Texas House gave preliminary approval Saturday to a measure that would allow schools to use their textbook allotment from the state to buy approved electronic materials.

That means qualified information could be downloaded to laptops or Kindle electronic readers if schools choose to use the technology.

“Traditional textbooks are a vehicle to deliver content,” said Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, who sponsored the measure. “But for many students that vehicle is quickly becoming a horse and buggy.”

E-textbooks may be headed to Texas classrooms | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle