Today's Lunchtime Movie

We are watching "No Country for Old Men". So far, I am spellbound. It has my attention.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Saga

It is alot of fun rehearsing in the theater. The view from the stage into the audience is great. I can't wait to look out and see it full of people. Friday, we start rehearsing the play completely each night. Dress rehearsals start next week.

Keep in mind that I have two roles in this play. In Act I, I am one of the thugs in the lynch mob. In Act II, I am Link Deas, Tom Robinson's boss.

Opening night is getting close.

RE: April 26 entry on new letter to the editor

I have not received a call from the paper verifying the authorship of the last letter to the editor. I do not believe they will publish this one. They seem to only like letters that attack and trash Ann Coulter. They never print any from her fans, and I know she has some out there. She said it would be the TRUTH, not that it would be PRETTY!

Coffee is Good for You!

From the pages of MensHealth Magazine: the definitive, comprehensive article about coffee. Do you really need any other guidance on this?

Coffee is good for you!

"Coffee is the world's most popular fix. And yet it's hard to know what to make of the mixed messages about its effects on our health. We want to set the record straight: Coffee, down to its deep, dark, caffeine-filled soul, is good for you. And that's good, because four out of five American adults drink the heady brew.

"Coffee is one of the most heavily researched products in the world today," says Roger Cook, director of the Coffee Science Information Center. "And the vast majority of this research clearly shows that drinking coffee can be quite beneficial to your health." Of course he'd say that. But the research backs it up. That morning cup can help decrease your risk of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and type-2 diabetes. But there's a difference between a healthy love and a dubious addiction. Pour yourself a second cup and read on.

THE BEAN

Out of the nearly 100 different varieties of coffee beans, only two make their way to the cup. Arabica, known for its deep, complex flavor, accounts for about 75 percent of the beans sold throughout the world. Robusta, a cheaper bean usually considered a filler, is often found lurking in the canisters you buy in the supermarket.

THE ROAST

"The darker the roast, the fewer characteristics of the bean you taste," says Kenneth Davids, a cofounder of CoffeeReview.com and the author of Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying . Most single-origin coffees, such as Colombian, Sumatra, and other coffees named after countries, are lightly roasted to preserve the beans' natural flavor. Blends are typically roasted for a desired flavor. The three main categories:

Medium
These coffees are roasted for 9 to 11 minutes, like most grocery-store varieties. Also called Breakfast Roast.

Dark
In this common European method, batches are roasted for 12 to 13 minutes until the oils reach the surface of the beans. Also called French Roast.

Extra Dark
Roasted for at least 14 minutes, these oily beans taste so smoky that it's nearly impossible to identify where they were grown. You drink it for the deep roast, not the nuance of the bean. Also called Italian or Espresso Roast.

THE REGION

All good coffee is grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, where the climate is ideal for producing rich, full-flavored beans. Each of the three major coffee-growing regions produces a distinct flavor. Known for their lighter coffees, the Americas produce more joe than any other region. "Latin American coffee's crisp, bright acidity comes as a direct result of its climate and the volcanic soils the beans grow in," says Andy Fouché, a certified coffee specialist with Starbucks Coffee. Africa/Arabia, the region where coffee was born 1,200 years ago, produces a smoother, less acidic cup than the Americas. The Asia/Pacific region produces the boldest of coffees, often with a heavy, earthy taste.

BEWARE OF FLAVORED BEANS--these are usually cheap Robusta beans roasted to oblivion and flavored artificially. If you need a hazelnut or vanilla fix, buy a bottle of flavored oil and mix a teaspoon into a cup of the good stuff.

THE BREW

Even the most carefully roasted beans can be ruined by sloppy brewing. Start by buying your coffee fresh in small batches every 2 weeks. Skip the preground stuff and the oversize supermarket grinder and buy your beans whole instead; grinding them just before you brew will make the best cup. For a standard automatic-drip machine, use filtered water and 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground beans for every 6 ounces of brewed coffee. When it comes to storing your beans, keep them out of the freezer--it destroys the essential oils that make coffee delicious. Keep coffee in your cupboard in a dark, airtight container.

THE BENEFITS

Pure, black coffee is one of the world's most potent elixirs. "Generally, drinking 1 to 3 cups a day will increase your overall health," says Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, who recently discovered that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. These antioxidants have been shown to possibly prevent certain types of cancer, including colorectal, and reduce the risk of developing alcoholic cirrhosis by 22 percent. Moreover, the neurological impact of caffeine has been shown to retard the aging process and enhance short-term-memory performance. But keep your coffee intake to four 8-ounce cups a day; after that, the benefits are outweighed by an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

THE BUZZ

"Seventy percent of people's daily caffeine consumption comes from coffee," says Vinson. Caffeine content is determined by the type of bean and the way the beans are roasted and prepared. Arabica beans have about 1 percent caffeine, while Robusta beans have twice that (meaning that crappy cup from the gas station may have double the dosage). Roasting reduces the caffeine content--so stronger-tasting coffee doesn't necessarily mean more caffeine. Here's an eye-opener: According to Illy Coffee, a shot of its espresso has 35 percent less caffeine than the company's brewed coffee.

CATCH THE BUZZ 15 minutes after that first sip, your brain releases dopamine. Wakefulness peaks after half an hour.

THE LIFE OF A BEAN
From tree to cup to brain

PLANTING
After planting, coffee trees take about 2 years to develop fragrant, white flowers. As the flowers mature, a fruit, usually called a coffee cherry, is formed. The cherry matures in anywhere from 6 to 11 months and is then harvested and processed.

PROCESSING
There are three main ways coffee cherries are processed: wet, dry, and semidry. In wet processing, the fruit of the cherry is washed away, leaving the pit, a.k.a. the coffee bean. Dry-processed cherries are placed in the sun until the fruit is dried off the bean, which produces a sweeter flavor. Semidry is a combination of the two, and it's gaining popularity, because it combines the sweet flavor of dry processing with some of the ease of wet processing.

ROASTING
Roasting can be done anywhere from a factory to your home oven. Bringing out the richness in a raw bean without destroying its inherent flavor is a delicate art. "A medium roast of a good coffee is like a nice table wine, really bright with that pleasant acidity," says Kenneth Davids, a cofounder of CoffeeReview.com.

PREPARING
Good coffee is about proper flavor extraction from the bean, and each brewing method demands a different grind. French presses and percolators use the coarsest grind (about 5 to 10 seconds in your grinder), automatic-drip machines need a medium grind (10 to 15 seconds), and espresso machines require the finest grind (25 seconds).

METABOLIZING
Within about 15 minutes of your first sip, the caffeine starts the release of dopamine in your brain's prefrontal cortex. This effect, which increases wakefulness and mental focus, among other things, peaks in about 30 minutes.

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

"Espresso is all about the crema," says Matt Riddle, a designer for Intelligentsia Coffee and the 2006 winner of the United States Barista Championship. "Think of a Guinness when it's poured; that's how the shot should look--a nice dark body, but with a reddish brown top." Achieve crema perfection and espresso ecstasy in five steps:

1. THE BEAN
Find the "Roasted On" or "Best Before" date and make sure the coffee's less than 2 weeks out of the roaster. "Coffee is a food; it can spoil like anything else in your cupboard," says Riddle.

2. THE GRIND
Use a burr grinder (we like the DeLonghi DCG59 Retro model, $45, delonghi.com) to make sure the beans are ground evenly. Setting the grinder on the finest setting should make the grinds about the size of table salt.

3. THE TAMP
Fill your basket until there's a quarter inch of room at the top. Now press down with your tamper, using about 30 pounds of pressure. "Use a normal bathroom scale to see how much force you need," says Riddle. Then tightly place the basket in the machine.

4. THE WATER
Make sure the temperature is between 198° and 204°F and the pressure is around 8 or 9 bars. The 2-ounce shot should take between 20 and 30 seconds to pour.

5. THE EQUIPMENT
Keeping it clean is the most important part. "Whether it's a $50 machine or a $5,000 machine, simply wiping down the parts with a dry paper towel once a week will keep oily buildup from forming," says Riddle.

(From MensHealth Magazine, 2007, "Know Your Joe" by Brian McClintock)

Coffee is Good for You!

Coffee: The New Health Food?
Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.
By Sid Kirchheimer WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?
If it sounds too good to be true, think again.
Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.
Reducing Disease Risk
After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.
Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.
In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.
"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."
Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.
Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.
There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.
Reducing Disease Risk continued...
Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?
Actually, yes.
Some of coffee's reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg -- about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.
"The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson's disease and for that, it's directly related to caffeine," DePaulis tells WebMD. "In fact, Parkinson's drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine based on this evidence."
Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams -- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe.
Boost to Athleticism
It's also caffeine -- and not coffee, per se -- that makes java a powerful aid in enhancing athletic endurance and performance, says physiologist and longtime coffee researcher Terry Graham, PhD, of the University of Guelph in Canada. So powerful, in fact, that until recently, caffeine in coffee or other forms was deemed a "controlled" substance by the Olympic Games Committee, meaning that it could be consumed only in small, designated amounts by competing athletes.
"What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system to do things differently," he tells WebMD. "That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what's amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance, studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things."
How does this brew affect growing minds and bodies? Very nicely, it seems, says DePaulis. Coffee, as you probably know, makes you more alert, which can boost concentration. But claims that it improves a child's academic performance can be exaggerated. Coffee-drinking kids may do better on school tests because they're more awake, but most task-to-task lab studies suggest that coffee doesn't really improve mental performance, says DePaulis.
But it helps kids' minds in another way. "There recently was a study from Brazil finding that children who drink coffee with milk each day are less likely to have depression than other children," he tells WebMD. "In fact, no studies show that coffee in reasonable amounts is in any way harmful to children."
On the flip side, it's clear that coffee isn't for everyone. Its legendary jolt in excess doses -- that is, more than whatever your individual body can tolerate -- can increase nervousness, hand trembling, and cause rapid heartbeat. Coffee may also raise cholesterol levels in some people and may contribute to artery clogging. But most recent large studies show no significant adverse effects on most healthy people, although pregnant women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be advised to limit or avoid coffee.
Boost to Athleticism continued...
The bottom line: "People who already drink a lot of coffee don't have to feel 'guilty' as long as coffee does not affect their daily life," says Hu. "They may actually benefit from coffee habits in the long run."
In other words, consume enough caffeine -- whether it's from coffee or another source -- and you will likely run faster, last longer and be stronger. What's enough? As little as one cup can offer some benefit, but the real impact comes from at least two mugs, says Graham. By comparison, it'd take at least eight glasses of cola to get the same effect, which isn't exactly conducive for running a marathon.
But the harder you exercise, the more benefit you may get from coffee. "Unfortunately, where you see the enhancing effects from caffeine is in hard-working athletes, who are able to work longer and somewhat harder," says Graham, who has studied the effects of caffeine and coffee for nearly two decades. "If you a recreational athlete who is working out to reduce weight or just feel better, you're not pushing yourself hard enough to get an athletic benefit from coffee or other caffeinated products."
But you can get other benefits from coffee that have nothing to do with caffeine. "Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds called quinines that when administered to lab rats, increases their insulin sensitivity" he tells WebMD. This increased sensitivity improves the body's response to insulin.
That may explain why in that new Harvard study, those drinking decaf coffee but not tea beverages also showed a reduced diabetes risk, though it was half as much as those drinking caffeinated coffee.
"We don't know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes," lead researcher Frank Hu, MD, tells WebMD. "It is possible that both caffeine and other compounds play important roles. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals such as magnesium. All these components have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism."
Meanwhile, Italian researchers credit another compound called trigonelline, which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste, for having both antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties to help prevent dental cavities from forming. There are other theories for other conditions.
View Article Sources
SOURCES: Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist, Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies; research assistant professor of psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville. Terry Graham, PhD, University of Guelph, Canada. Frank Hu, MD, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. Hu, F. Annals of Internal Medicine, January 2004; vol 140; pp 1-8. Benedetti MD, Neurology, July 12, 2000; vol 55; pp 1350-1358. Ross, G. TheJournal of the American Medical Association, May 24, 2000; vol 283; pp 2674-2679. Gazzani, G. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Feb. 27, 2000. Leitzmann, M. TheJournal of the American Medical Association, June 9, 1999, vol 281; pp 2106-2122. Giovannucci, E. American Journal of Epidemiology, June 1, 1998; vol 147; pp 1043-1052. Pagano, R. Chest, August 1988; vol 94; pp 387-389.
Reviewed on January 26, 2004
© 2004 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.

IPOD or ZUNE?

apple ipod
microsoft zune

I had a tough time today, and I'm not really sure why. I went to Best Buy with a budget in mind fully intending to buy 4 gig ipod for my personal mp3 player. When I got there, the sales lady starts telling me about her zune that has more memory than what I can get on the ipod for the same money. Now, I am confused. I don't know anyone that has a zune. All of my kids have ipods. My friends that have mp3 players have ipods.

So, I call my boys for their advice (they have more technological entertainment expertise than I have). The say go with the ipod. But then, my oldest boy says to get away from the nano and go to the classic where you can get 80 gigs (basically carrying around a computer hard drive in your pocket) for just a little more money. However, the service and repair plan for a classic is $60.00 as opposed to only $20 for the 4 gig nano.

I finally grabbed my head and ran from the store (ala "Home Alone) to the serenity of what's left of my mind.

I can buy the 4 gig now, or save up a little more and go with the 80 gig classic.

What would I do with 80 gigs of computer memory in my pocket?

Is 4 gigs (about 1000 songs) enough?

Do I want the memory to carry a multitude of shows, movies, and various podcasts in my pocket?

I know I have so many readers out there.

Advice? Opinions? Previous experiences?

More Information from Women's Websites

link: http://www.girlposse.com/talk_talk_talk/health_benefits_of_sex.html

link: http://www.momscape.com/articles/sexforhealth.htm

Thank You Newsweek Magazine

Six Reasons to Have Sex Every Week

Studies show that regular sex (with all due precautions taken) provides a host of surprising health benefits.

Temma Ehrenfeld
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 8:09 AM ET Dec 10, 2007

Sex is good for adults. Indulging on a regular basis—at least once a week—is even better. Research links sex (with all safer-sex precautions taken) to an astonishing array of physiological benefits, from longevity to pain relief. Many studies don't address whether the health bonus comes from the act itself or from the corresponding emotional intimacy, but the bottom line is that getting physical has some great side effects—especially for women. Here are six ways that sex boosts your health:
1. It Fights Colds and Flu. Sexual intercourse once or twice a week raises the body's level of the immune-boosting antibody immunoglobin A by a third, according to research at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.
2. It's a Beauty Treatment. In a study at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, a panel of judges viewed participants through a one-way mirror and guessed their ages. Those who looked seven to 12 years younger than their age (labeled "superyoung") were also enjoying lots of sex—four times a week, on average. OK, maybe they were having so much fun because they looked young. But it's likely the sex was helping, researchers say. One reason is that it raises a woman's estrogen level, which helps make hair shiny and skin supple.
3. It Burns Calories. A little over four calories a minute, or the equivalent of four Hershey's kisses in a half hour of love. Think of it as part of your weekly exercise regime, and burn, baby, burn.
4. Yes, Honey, I Have a Headache. For a woman a migraine might actually be a reason for making love rather than avoiding intercourse: the increase in endorphins and corticosteroids during arousal and orgasm is analgesic.
5. It Promotes Regular Menstrual Cycles. A series of studies by behavioral endocrinologist Winnifred Cutler and colleagues at Columbia and Stanford universities found that women who have intercourse at least weekly (except during their period) cycle more regularly than abstainers or the sporadically active. (Related research found that lesbian lovemaking also smoothes out menstrual cycles.) Cutler argues that intimacy is essential, not orgasms: "Regular exposure to a loving partner has extraordinary effects on health and well-being."
6. It Can Prevent Accidents. Women use the muscles of the pelvic floor to stem the flow of urine. As they age, they need to keep these strong to avoid peeing accidentally. The same muscles are exercised during intercourse, and as with all muscle-building programs, the benefits require consistency.
And if you're too tired to have sex, check out our By the Numbers on napping for tips on getting a little extra shut-eye during the day.

URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/74575

From the Health Gurus at MensHealth

Health News that I just couldn't pass up from my health gurus at MensHealth magazine:

A romp in the sack can improve your short term brain function and long term psychological health, thanks to the release of pleasure hormones, say British researchers. But the benefits don't stop there. Having sex twice a week will...
1. Bolster your immune system (you'll experience a spike in immunoglobulin A, an antibody that can fight off respiratory and stomach infections.
2. Cut your prostate cancer risk by at least 11%.
3. Halve your risk of a heart attack.
4. Ignite your fat burners (you will use 143 muscles and burn as many calories as a 15 minute jog or about 180 calories).
5. Lose your stress (your body releases oxytocin, a hormone that acts as a natural anxiety drug).
-MensHealth Vol. 22, No. 10, December 2007, p. 46, and MensHealth Vol. 23, No. 3, April 2008, p. 64.

Now, before my female readers revolt, I could swear that I have seen similar data in my wife's women's magazines that give health benefits of sex for women. I will scour that back issues for the information and give equal time. You just can't get around the fact that sex is good for a marriage and the people in the marriage. Good times.

New Letter to the Editor

I just submitted the following letter to the editor of the Denton Wretched-Chronicle:

WHERE'S ANN?
I noticed that Ann Coulter’s syndicated column did not appear in its usual place in the Saturday morning paper. I know that many of your more liberal writers have campaigned for you to silence her voice in your newspaper.
Ann gives truth and facts to support it. She fills in blanks that the liberal mainstream media keep from America. She dispels liberal lies and myths with facts that can be verified. I can read her columns online, but the fact that your paper printed her column along with Williams, Parker, and Thomas indicated that you all at least “appeared” interested in the truth. You've already dropped O'Reilly.
If you all are intending to phase Ann’s column from the DRC, I will drop my subscription to this left wing rag so fast it will make your head spin. If you drop Ann Coulter, who is next? Will your paper turn completely into a liberal tabloid?
If you can’t cope with the truth, you should get out of the newspaper business.
Kevin L. Henry

What are the odds that they have the guts to print it?

Mockingbird Saga

I am still having fun. Rehearsal is going well, and it has not become a grind yet.
The director wants everyone to be able to do their lines without reading from the script by tomorrow, and no line calls after April 30. (That's when they forget their lines and say "line please" and one of the crew gives them the first few words of the next line.
I only have 4 lines, so I was off of my script a while ago.
The hardest part is remembering the cues rather than the lines.
I can only imagine how hard it is for those with alot of lines and long speeches. The people that have those parts are experienced, so they will be ready.
We are moving our rehearsals directly into the Campus Theater on Monday, and dress rehearsals start the Monday after that.
The first performance is Friday, May 9, at 7:30.
We only have about 2 weeks left to get ready.
It's gonna be great!

"Ironman" in the theater on May 2

I doubt if anyone is as excited about this as I am. Of all of the Marvel creations, Ironman has been my favorite.

"Heroes are not born, they're built."

Biggest Loser Winner

http://www.nbc.com/Video/popup/clipoftheday/?vid=240685&moreInfo=http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser_5/video/#

The link above shows her final weigh in to get the victory. She lost nearly half of her body weight. I have been watching this all season. The transformation is truly amazing.
Good show.

KLH letter to the editor published 04 14 08

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/opinion/letters/stories/DRC_letters_0414.6200eacb.html

Latest letter to the DRC published in Monday's paper.
I guess I'm getting a little fed up with things.

Mockingbird Rehearsal

We ended week 2 of rehearsal. The practice of each scene is getting more intense. We had to go over the scenes I was in several times. I am in one of the only two "action" scenes in this play.
The first is when the lynch mob appears (of which I am one). Anyway, I get to try to drag Jem out of the way, and when I grab him, Scout kicks me. Believe it or not, it takes a little practice to get the timing down on such a scene. It has to move quickly and look as natural as possible. By the time we got through practicing it, the director appeared to be happy with our progress.
This is alot of fun for me. I've never had this experience before.

Why is it important to Vote?

Okay V., the Electoral College is easy to understand. It is an ingenious device planned by our founding fathers to protect the population against the tyranny of the bare majority.
Each state in the union has electoral votes equal to the number of Representatives to Congress they have. That is the number of Representatives and Senators combined. Each state has 2 Senators and a number of Representatives proportionate to the population of the state.
The states with the larger populations have more Congressmen, and therefore more electoral votes.
The popular vote is important because if a candidate wins the popular vote in the state, he or she gets 100% of that state's electoral votes. The first one to reach a majority of the total 535 electoral votes wins the election.
This is important because, without it the more populous states could dictate to the less populous states. Theoretically, California and New York could constantly pick the President and set the policy for the entire nation. Rural America would have no voice at all. The cities would control all of the time.
The Electoral College gives Americans an equal voice to one another, no matter where they live. The more populous states still have the most votes, so they are the most attractive to the candidates to court. However, the less populated states cannot be ignored because together they make up a substantial block of votes.
Your individual vote helps determine which candidate gets your states electoral votes. Every 10 years, there is a census. When the population shifts, so does the number of Congressional representatives are assigned to each state. For example, if most Californians decided they wanted to live in North Dakota, the number of Representatives for California would be decreased and the number for North Dakota increased proportionately, and North Dakota would become a very powerful state.
I vote every single chance I get. Most of the time, that is the only voice I have in my government. I'm not wealthy, so I can't gain influence by giving large sums to my favorite candidates, but I do believe my vote is important.
When people don't vote, it has an even bigger impact on the local level. Individuals running for county or municipal office generally have a specific group backing and supporting them. Therefore, if everyone doesn't vote you have you local leaders selected by a relatively small group of people, such as, 3000 people selecting a District Judge for a mere 14,000 people selecting the District Attorney for a county. Those are very pathetic numbers, indeed. When that happens you wind up with very poor choices for local leadership.
Also, how can you complain in good conscience if you don't exercise the most basic right that every individual has?
If we don't vote, doesn't that kind of mock those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our liberty?
(supplemental edit: By the way, the splitting votes states only applies to which candidate gets delegates in the party convention. That is only a primary thing.
When a candidate in the Presidential election in November wins a state, that candidate gets all of that state's electoral votes. There is no vote splitting in the electoral college.)

KLH letter published 04 09 08

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/opinion/letters/stories/DRC_Letters_0410.4db70f07.html

Letter to the Editor published in 04 09 08 paper.

Denton County Voters should be Ashamed.

I open the paper this morning and I see that Doug Robison beat Steve Burgess by a count of 1922 to 1115. That was the only runoff on the ballot in the whole county. OUT OF ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS IN THIS COUNTY, ONLY 3000 OF YOU VOTED IN A DISTRICT JUDGE RACE, A COUNTY WIDE ELECTION?
Are you kidding me?
This is just the kind of thing that gets you the poor leadership that you have. This is the kind of thing that gets chronic underachievers elected to county offices where they have control over aspects of your lives.
You are letting a small committee make all of the important decisions for the whole. That is not democracy, it is oligarchy (government by committee).
Generations of Americans have fought powerful enemies to perserve our liberties, freedoms, and rights, and you all don't care one bit.
Is the office of the President of the United States the only election you all care about? Do you realize that you could have some complete moron tampering with your property values? Or presiding over your divorce? Or deciding whether there is enough evidence to prosecute a crime against you?
DO YOU REALLY CARE SO LITTLE?

Texas Rangers Home Opener...

...is being spoiled by the Baltimore Orioles. Right now, Baltimore is winning 6-0 in the sixth inning. If I were there, I would be having a good time anyway.

How about that?

...the Record-Chronicle just called to verify authorship of a letter I wrote to the newspaper. The guy said they will print this one. Be watching the paper for it this week.

Disappointing

The writers's forum was very disappointing. I thought there would be lectures and advice. It was merely a glorified book sale and signing. If I had been looking for that, it would have been fun.
Perhaps it is about time to birth this baby.

Mockingbird Saga

Update:
I have rehearsal Monday and Tuesday night. After that, I don't know about the rest of the week. I guess I will find out the rest of my schedule on Monday.

Go Rangers!

I love baseball season. Do the Rangers finally have a solid catcher since they let Rodriguez get away? Gerald Laird hits 2 homers and has 6 RBI's. The Rangers beat the Angels 10-4. I will be happy if they finish over .500 and are not in the cellar of the AL West.

I love baseball because it is fun, and I never really expect that much from the Rangers. Make no mistake, I am a Ranger fan.

I am having a great deal of difficulty taking the Mavericks seriously this season. They seem to be going through the motions. The other good teams have been beating them pretty consistently. This season, they are in a dogfight for the last playoff spot. They may not make the playoffs. I can't believe that Cuban (well, I have trouble believing Cuban anyway) let Devon Harris go for Jason Kidd. You let the point guard of the future for a 35 year old who peaked out several years ago with the Nets were lost two championships in a row? Cuban has been a good owner, but is Donnie Nelson a good President and General Manager? I'm not sure he knows what he's doing. Did you know they actually considered trading Dirk for Kobe this year? Is it the Apocalypse?

When will I ever learn?

I can't believe it, I just sent another letter to the Denton Wretched Chronicle. Will I never learn? Well, they might publish this one since it does not directly attack any of their little darlings, as in Paul Johnson, Cynthia White, Mary Horn, and all the others who are letting Denton County go down the sewer.
This latest letter went to the subject matter of the last post below.
G'night everybody!

This is not Rocket Science, Boys and Girls

I'm reading the paper this fine Saturday morning, and I start to read a front page story about unemployment.
As I read, I recall all of the other news stories about how America is suffering because the minimum wage is too low. I know that the Congress voted to increase the minimum wage an American businessman has to pay his employees. It makes me think of how these do-gooders (both Democrat and Republican alike) are selling out this country's long term prospects of recovery and success in favor of short term, knee jerk economic band aids.
Do they not think that we, as thinking Americans, can do the math on this.
1. When you force employers to pay more for workers, you increase the overhead of the business and the cost of producing the good or service. Therefore, the employer can afford fewer workers or he must increase prices, or both (as they seem to usually do).

Then I recall all of the talk about how America should fund health insurance for all Americans whether or not they or their parents are employed. To accomplish that, you have two choices, create a centralized government medical pool (socialized medicine like Great Britain or Canada) where all medical services are controlled by the government, or you can use tax dollars to pay insurance premiums to greedy insurance companies to cover people who cannot pay for themselves (as in communism).
2. When you increase the amount of taxes businesses have to pay, you increase their overhead, and you get the same result as in 1, above.

3. When the government artificially increases overhead, the businessman must increase the price of his goods or services to compensate or rely on less expensive ways to produce, such as (a) fewer workers doing more work, (b) outsourcing to a foreign country with cheaper labor costs, or (c) mechanisation.

The consumer, albeit rich guy or poor guy, has to pay the higher price or figure out how to manage without that particular good or service. If it is a luxury item, it is generally easy to cut out of a budget. If it is a necessity, the hardship on the lower earners is increased, I think, exponentially, or in other words, the lower income people are harmed by the price increase more than they are helped by the preceding wage or benefit increase. Those with incomes pay more, and more people become unemployed.

Then the press heaps their curses on American businesses that search for cheaper ways to produce, such as, outsourcing to other countries, mechanising the production line, or simply firing some people so those remaining have to work harder or produce more.

Why in the world do we put up with lawmakers that don't have the foggiest idea about economic theory and practice; yet they continually and continuously monkey around with the mechanism?
This is not subjective material. It is very mathematical, scientific, and logical. One thing will always lead to another. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The market has to work.

There is one caveat, consumers need to be willing to forego anything that is too expensive. It appears that consumer America has gotten into the dependence mindset to the point where we will pay any price for some things, such as gasoline. The market needs to find its equitable center. If buyers pay the price the seller asks, the seller has no motivation to reduce the price to a more comfortable level.

By the way, do you know why gas prices are soaring? Other countries are now competing with us for the middle eastern oil. Russia and China are outbidding the U.S. on the price of a barrel of oil, and we have to constantly bid against them. My question is; Why are we in this bidding war? Why are we not relying on our own resources until we figure out better ways to power our nation?

I go to all of these that I can.

Author's forum
April 5
11:02 AM CDT on Sunday, March 23, 2008
An author’s forum featuring local and regional published authors is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at South Branch Library, 3228 Teasley Lane. The event includes autographs, book sales and tips from the authors about writing and getting published. Door prizes and refreshments will be available. For more information, call 940-349-8776.

Author’s Forum Participant List
Crystal Wood - Fantasy
John Calvin Herrod – Sci-Fi
Joanie Latham - Fantasy
Karolina Blaha-Black - children’s books
Beth Fehlbaum – Teen Fiction
Jim Simmons –apocalyptic fantasy
Doreen Friesen Shephard - memoir
Cindy Vallar -Romance
Hollis Davis - Poetry

I know a couple of these people, but I don't know most of them. I am looking forward to it. Although my novel is not yet finished, I enjoy talking to others about how to get published when it is complete.

The Mockingbird Saga continues...

Rehearsals last night and tonight went very well. I am pleased with the work that the director has assigned me. I have speaking parts in two acts, and my part in the first act is very important in the mob scene at the jail.

I am going to enjoy this experience as much as I can.

Ceiling Mural...

...in a smokers' lounge. Thanks for the email from my architect son. This is really messed up!