Many Things

I am reposting this from an email from Georgia Interfaith Power and Light : There is an Energy Star Tax Holiday coming up October 2-5. No sales tax on many Energy Star items up to $1500. So you can double up on savings with the purchase of select products labeled with the ENERGY STAR logo, no sales tax and then save again with lower monthly home energy bills. If you've been thinking about replacing your dishwasher, clothes washer, room air conditioner, ceiling fans, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifier, programmable thermostats, refrigerator, doors and windows, October 2-5 is the time to do it! In addition to foregoing the sales tax on certain ENERGY STAR products, consumers in Georgia can also save the sales tax on specific water-efficient products labeled with the WATER SENSE logo. ENERGY STAR and WATER SENSE labels designate products that meet strict federal energy-efficiency and water-efficiency criteria, respectively. Both labels are programs of the U.S. Environmenta

I know it must have crossed your mind. What if: The Electoral College is a tie 269-269? In some states the election is so close, there are recounts and lawsuits à la 2000? What if the House and Senate have to decide who wins? You know in the House, each state only gets one vote for President, thanks to the 12th Amendment. Oh and this is a vote that would be made by the new Congress, not the current one. What if the Supreme Court does something similar to 2000? BTW, I voted absentee in Georgia today. The ballot goes in the mail tomorrow.

I took this photo on my first visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this month. I am returning to a childhood hobby of mine, photography. Click the photo to see a larger version. Hope you like it.

Okay, so here is my take on today's stock market plunge and the economic mess we are in as a nation. Paulson and Bush knew the economy was bad. They were among the people who actually created this crisis. They and their friends can then profit. Were they just hoping their house of cards would not collapse before the election? Perhaps. No matter. Paulson does not exude confidence, and I don't have to comment on Bush. You already know how most feel. Just don't let them scare you into paying for this collapse without strong oversight and our government getting the money back with profit. Their rich friends have made lots of money (remember Cheney and his buddies at Halliburton ) and are making even more money on this opportunity of low market prices. All the mergers and bailouts are complicated for most, but they are part of a plan for the rich to get richer. This is not a conspiracy theory. These folks believe in the so-called " Ownership Society " that Obama has ta

Let me just say a few words about PFLAG . If you don't know what it is, check out the link. In February 2007, a few of us at my church decided we needed to form a chapter because LGBTQ folks in the area did not have a support group nearby, unless going all the way into Atlanta is nearby. Not! In fact, my suburban area is very conservative, so finding any support for non-traditional causes can prove difficult. My church, while fairly inactive on many social justice causes, is very supportive of the LGBTQ community, so we have a safe place to meet. Our group averages from 8 to 24 in attendance each month, and you can tell that for many who attend, it is one of their few outlets for speaking what is on their hearts and minds. Some are parents learning to cope with a recently "out" child or adult child. Some are LGBTQ and are dealing with coming out issues, new relationships, old relationships ending, or parenting. Today one member finally took on the Hospitality Coordinato

The lines snake around intersections. Accidents and fights have happened. Cars run out of gas before they reach the pumps. Stations run out before people make it to the pumps. Prices vary wildly from one station to another, but they are all well over $4 a gallon. People sleep in their cars at stations overnight waiting on another shipment to arrive. After doing nothing for almost a week, our dumb ass governor, Sonny Purdue , steps in to allow for dirtier gas to be pumped until the crisis is averted. (With a name like Sonny, how bright could he be. Right?) Stations are partly to blame in that they don't require, say five gallons or more minimum fill up . As it is, many folks are topping off their tanks, adding to the problem. It all reminds me of the oil embargo of 1973 , when most stations closed at night and on Sundays. One thing I will predict: Events such as this will become more common over the next few years. Individually, we need to adjust to this new reality. I adjusted in a

One of the things I love about DISH Network is my access to HDNET . This channel has some good programming, but my favorite is the sneak preview each month of an art house film before it hits the theaters. This month's film was Humboldt County . Directed by Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs, the film revolves around a medical student, Peter (played by Jeremy Strong ) who is on the verge of medical residency when his father and medical professor, Dr. Hadley (played by Peter Bogdanovich) announces Peter's failure of the class. Peter wanders to a bar and is picked up Bogart (played by Fairuza Balk ) a free spirit who deflowers the young man and takes him on a road trip to her roots in Humboldt County, CA. Her roots are of the hemp variety, for this is marijuana growing country. The various extended family includes Rosie (wonderfully played by Frances Conroy ), Jack (well played by Brad Dourif ), Max (played by Chris Messina ), and a host of others. Of special note is the role of

Chris Rock is usually funny. He's both funny and right here. The big thing is the economy and people are going broke.... The guy with one house really cares about losing a house cause he's homeless.... John McCain could lose half his houses and sleep well.

I admire most good actors for their craft, but Paul Newman was even more special. By all accounts, he was a wonderful husband to Joanne Woodward, in a long-term marriage of more than 50 years rarely seen in Hollywood or any other place in America these days. His daughters put out this statement: Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special. Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity. Paul Newman donated more than $220 million through the sales of his food products . In 1988 he started the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp , a residential summer camp for seriously ill children. Now there are 11 camps around the world, that have helped over 135,000 children for free. He was also a delegate to the 1978 UN conference on disarmament. Rest in peace. You were loved and will be missed.

I drove on my vacation this summer. It was cheaper, all I could afford, and allowed me to visit with three dear friends in the Northeast (New Jersey, Delaware, and Massachusetts). I've enjoyed XM radio since I had it installed about three years ago, but I appreciated it even more on this trip. I really didn't have to find new stations every 40 or 50 miles. Yes, no Rush or Bible thumpers. I could listen to Air America and get even angrier about Bush, or I could listen to any of the presets that I made before I left, including all Sixties and all Seventies (to hear Steely Dan mostly) music stations. Here is a tip if you have XM run through your FM radio: Remove the FM antenna. It reduces the chances of an FM station interfering with XM. I discovered this fact by accident when once at the car wash, no one reattached my antenna. I left if off for a few days and noticed a clearer XM signal. Now it stays off my car.

Hello friends and welcome to my new blog. I plan to use this blog to write about a myriad of subjects. The title of the blog, which comes from a Tom Robbins (one of favorite writers).