Bert's Blog

New Pets

2006-11-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

Over the past month I have lost some pets and gained some other's... To start, both of my rats are gone. The hairless one was killed by the hair-full one, and the hairfull one had started developing a tumor, so I had her put to sleep. I did buy 2 more rats, one which is solid black and one which is solid white. I gave them temporary stereotype names (AKA the white one is named "Cracka"... Just guess what the black one is named.)

Another addition is 2 new beagle puppies, Zoey (on the left) and Snoop Dogg (on the right).
.
I had a few more pictures but some error kept popping up (something about parameters or something) so I will have to find out the problem later.

Taco Bell Sauce Packets

2006-08-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

This segment of Bert's Blog is brought to you by Taco Bell!

Everyone has seen the above sauce packets at Taco Bell, and for quite a while now too (unless you don't eat Taco Bell, food for us cheap folks). But finally, Taco Bell has some new phrases on their sauce packets. Of course, I'm not going to post them here, because that would spoil all the fun for ya. So run down to Taco Bell and grab yourself a handful of those sauce packets!

BTW, Taco Bell owes me compensation now for this advertisement.

And I wonder how to get a job writing hot-sauce packet phrases?

UPDATE: Here's a place where you can dress your own sauce packet, and it generates hundreds of different phrases... So if you get bored, there ya go!

Google Maps updated

2006-07-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

But they did it on the wrong day... The North side of Midland seems to have been re-photographed, but they seem to have done it on a cloudy day. Guess they'll have to redo it again.

Watch for falling ads

2006-07-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Internet surfers... BEWARE! A new tricky sleazy plot has captured me as it's latest victim. What was it? Falling advertisements. I was casually surfing myspace, when I went to click the "Home" link at the top of the page. But when I clicked on the link, I wasn't clicking home... I was redirected to the VW webpage... When I came back to myspace, I noticed that the advertisement had fallen:

Before

After

Please everyone, be careful where you click!

Eurasian's Accident Report

2006-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well the Eurasian has been posting accient reports in comments on random posts...

%%%EXPERIMENTAL%%%

Why not post them all in the comments of this one post

Hmm the Eurasian is the first to be on the scene of a few accidents... Maybe he should get a police scanner and a digital camera and bring up news of all accidents in town? Then the insurance companies can visit to see the accident scenes?

Theory on dog urine communication

2006-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Patterson over at The Brew wrote an interesting article about dog habits. it left me wondering - maybe dogs can communicate through their urine like ants communicate through chemicals. Maybe a dog siffing a spot is reading the message and then leaving his own "reply". So I guess areas like the dog park can be considered Doggy Forums?

My newest pet

2006-07-07T01:41:00.000-07:00

My friend bought a hairless rat the other day. I thought they were just the coolest things, so I went out to buy one. We both have one rat with hair (I've had mine for about a year) and one hairless rat a piece. Well, I asked him about the hairless rat sneezing all the time... and he said yes his hairless rat has been sneezing constantly, but the other rat hasn't. Same way with my hairless rat... Do hairless rats just have really sensative allergies? Is there anyone that knows if there is any medicine to give her?

Hot dog eating contest

2006-07-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in taking place today... Just tell me one thing...

How does this skinny girl, Sonya Thomas, eat 42 hotdogs?!?!?!?!?!?!

Click picture for article

Dr. Victor Lindlahr's catabolic diet

2006-06-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

Apples (best when eaten raw) ... apricots (best when eaten raw)... artichokes, ... asparagus (best when eaten cooked) ... beets ... beet greens (best when eaten cooked) ... blackberries (best when eaten raw) ... blueberries (best when eaten raw) ... broccoli (best when eaten cooked) ... brussels sprouts ... cabbage - white (best when eaten raw) ... cabbage - red (best when eaten cooked) ... cantaloupe (best when eaten raw) ... carrots (best when eaten raw) ... carrot tops (best when eaten cooked) ... cauliflower (best when eaten cooked) ... celeriac (a vegetable best when eaten cooked) ... celery (best when eaten raw) ... chard (best when eaten cooked) ... cherries (best when eaten raw) ... chervil (a vegetable best when eaten cooked) ... chicory (best when eaten cooked) ... Chinese cabbage ... chives (best when eaten raw) ... clams (cooked) ... cod steaks ... collards (best when eaten cooked) ... corn ... crabs ... cranberries (best when eaten raw) ... cucumbers (best when eaten raw) ... currants ... damson plums ... dandelion greens (best when eaten raw) ... dill pickle ... eggplant (best when eaten cooked) ... endive (best when eaten raw) ... flounder (sea food) ... frog legs ... fruit salads ... garlic ... grapefruit (best when eaten raw) ... grapes (best when eaten raw) ... green beans ... honeydew ... huckleberries ... kale (best when eaten cooked) ... kohlrabi (best when eaten cooked) ... kumquats (fruit) ... leeks (best when eaten raw) ... lemons (best when eaten raw) ... letuce(best when eaten raw) ... limes (best when eaten raw) ... lobster ... loganberries ... mangoes ... mushrooms (best when eaten cooked) ... muskmelons (best when eaten raw) ... mussels (sea food) ... mustard greens ... nectarines ... okra (vegetable) ... onions (best when eaten raw) ... oranges (best when eaten raw) ... oyster plant (best when eaten cooked) ... papaya ... parsley leaves (best when eaten raw) ... parsnips (best when eaten cooked) ... peaches (best when eaten raw) ... pears (best when eaten raw) ... pineapple (best when eaten raw) ... peas ... peppers (red & green - best when eaten raw) ... pickles ... pineapple (best when eaten raw) ... plums (best when eaten raw) ... pomegranates ... prunes (best when eaten raw) ... pumpkin (best when eaten cooked) ... quince (a fruit) ... radishes (best when eaten raw) ... raspberries (best when eaten raw) ... red cabbage ... rhubarb (best when eaten cooked) ... salsify (vegetable) ... sauerkraut (best when eaten raw) ... scallions, sea bass ( fish) ... shrimp ... sorrel (a vegetable best when eaten cooked) ... spinach (best when eaten cooked) ... squash (best when eaten cooked) ... strawberries (best when eaten raw) ... string beans (best when eaten cooked) ... tangerines (best when eaten raw) ... terrapin (sea food) ... tomato (best when eaten raw) ... turnips (best when eaten cooked) ... watercress (best when eaten raw) ... watermelon (best when eaten raw) ... wax beans (best when eaten cooked).

All these foods above are a part of the catabolic diet. When eaten, you burn more calories digesting the food than it actually gives you back. Therefore, you lose weight by eating these foods.

Here's the website for more info.

I'm definetly going to start snacking on more fruits and vegetables. OOO and shrimp!!

Coming soon to a KKK Rally near you...

2006-06-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

KKK Rally - Midland, Tx

2006-06-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Video footage from the KKK rally in downtown Midland Texas, June 17, 2006.

Drinking daily may be good for you

2006-06-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Daily Drink Good for You! Just One Catch

A new study shows that drinking alcohol everyday can actually be GOOD for you, and decrease your risk of heart disease by 41%! This is great news...so let's celebrate!

Know a bad senior driver?

2006-05-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well, there is a new program available, Independent Transportation Network, "which provides on-call rides to seniors who trade in their cars and give up their keys in return. Maine resident Katherine Freund created the ITN after her 3-year-old son Ryan was run over by an 84-year-old man who kept going after he struck the child. He later said he thought he'd hit a dog."

Now there are some good elderly drivers out there, but there are also some who make the roads dangerous and need this program. Now if someone would start a program for teenagers, our roads would be a LOT safer.

Summertime... time to fix your home

2006-05-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

Plannin on selling your home soon? Here are ten ways to increase the value of your home, cheaply!

1. Make your kitchen really cook.
2. Give appliances a facelift.
3. Buff up the bath.
4. Step up your storage.
5. Add a room in a week or less.
6. Mind the mechanics.
7. Look underfoot.
8. Let there be light.
9. Reframe your entry.
10. Consider curb appeal.

Click the above link for more details

Eat out, in your home

2006-05-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a wesite that has recipes for your favorite restaurant foods. Enjoy!

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/recipes.asp

Hurray for higher speed limits!

2006-05-05T04:30:00.000-07:00

Midkiff between Kimberlea all the way south is now 40 MPH, instead of 35. Everyone still goes 50 down that road anyway though...

Wadley, between Midkiff and Midland Drive, is now 45 MPH, instead of 40. Now if they can only make the school zone 30 - I never see anyone from that school walking home...

And they need to fix the timing on the lights on Midland Drive. They are timed at night time to where you have to stop for each one, and wait through the turning light even if no one is around. I know most of them don't have those big sensors on the lightposts, but I thought they had ground sensors. I mean come on... they used to work jut fine... Why mess with 'em?

I'm sure 90% of you have already read this...

2006-05-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

(From another circulating e-mail, author unknown)

1. Only in America......can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.

2. Only in America......are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.

3. Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while
healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

4. Only in America......do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.

5. Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

6. Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

7. Only in America......do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.

8. Only in America......do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.

9. Only in America......do we use the word 'politics' to describe the process so well: 'Poli' in Latin meaning 'many' and 'tics' meaning 'bloodsucking creatures'.

10. Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER????

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Why is it that to stop Windows, you have to click on "Start"?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid is made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of
progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

~~~~

On a bar of Dial soap: "Directions: Use like regular soap."
(and that would be how??...)

On some Swanson frozen dinners: "Serving suggestion: Defrost."
(but, it's "just" a suggestion.)

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom): "Do not turn upside down."
(well...duh, a bit late, huh!)

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding: "Product will be hot after
heating."
(...and you thought????...)

On packaging for a Rowenta iron: "Do not iron clothes on
body."
(but wouldn't this save me more time?)

On Boot's Children Cough Medicine:"Do not drive a car or
operate machinery after taking this medication."
(We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5-year-olds with head-colds off those forklifts.)

On Nytol Sleep Aid: "Warning: May cause drowsiness."
(and... I'm taking this because???....)

On most brands of Christmas lights: "For indoor or outdoor use
only."
(as opposed to...what?)

On Sunsbury's peanuts: "Warning: contains nuts."
(talk about a news flash)

On an American Airlines packet of nuts: "Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts."
(Step 3: maybe, uh...fly Delta?)

On a Swedish chainsaw:"Do not attempt to stop chain with your
hands or genitals."
(..was there a lot of this happening somewhere?)

Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to repost this message for others to read

Unwritten Midland Laws...

2006-04-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

(Copied from an e-mail circulating, unknown author)

Midland has its own set of traffic rules and tailgating is mandatory.

A person entering a main street from a side road must wait until
oncoming traffic is within 50 yards before pulling out in front of
you. If your brakes are in poor condition, that is YOUR fault.

All directions begin with, "Get on the Loop....."

The loop has no beginning and no end, and the 60 mph speed limit
signs are merely amusing suggestions.
The 8:00 a.m. rush hour is from 7:55 to 8:05, and the 5:00 p.m. rush
hour lasts 15 minutes.
A traffic jam is when you have to wait for the light a second time.

Lamesa road can only be pronounced by a native. Do not attempt to
pronounce it the way your high school Spanish teacher taught you. It
is "luh-mee-suh" and everybody knows it.

The falling of one snowflake causes all traffic to immediately
cease, and those drivers failing to cease will crash into each other.
Fortunately, all schools, businesses and city government will close
when the word snow is mentioned.

If you actually slow down at a yellow light, you are in danger from
those people behind you who are obeying the unwritten law that in
Midland, red lights aren't red until you are in the middle of the
intersection.

Exit and entry ramps on the Loop are just the recommended way to
enter and exit. Feel free to exit at any grassy point you wish.

The weather has it own set of rules: An hour of thunder and
lightning produces no rain. A small gray cloud can close down Wadley
in 5 minutes.
Local TV weather forecasters are manic-depressive. They show endless
radar screens with no sign of moisture all week long, but a severe
thunderstorm on the weekend will not be reported until Monday morning
when they all return to work.

It's not a dust storm until visibility is reduced to your front
bumper. Everything else is just "a windy day."

Midland, Texas: That's where "The Sky's the Limit", and every tree
has its own Walmart bag waving in the breeze.

Appetite Suppressing Food

2006-03-15T00:47:00.000-08:00

Maybe the best way for some to diet it to suppress your appetite, or make your stomach feel full. Well, here are the five best foods to eat that will fill your stomach up faster with less calories (according to NewsTarget.com, article found at Netscape.com:

~Water or broth
~Green leafy vegetables, including lettuce, cabbage, and bokchoy
~Homemade instant banana pudding
~Pickles
~Apples

More details found at the article, which gave credit to NewsTarget.com, but I couldn't find it on their website.

Gas up again?!?!?!?!?

2006-03-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

Yea I just filled up at T&C on Andrews and Midland and it was $2.39 a gallon - took me over $40. Across the street at the 7-11 it was already $2.49 a gallon. So I figured I'd fill up before I wake up tomorrow and gas is $3 a gallon. Yesterday, it was $2.29 a gallon. Why a $.20 jump in 24 hours? WHAT'S GOIN ON!!!!!!!

Tu Pac and Elvis are hiding...

2006-03-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

...in the Laotian Forest, with this guy:
He (or she) has been presumed extinct for, get this, eleven MILLION years. He was found deep in the forests of Laos, which hasn't been explored by many humans because of the remoteness and political turmoil. Who know's who else we may find in that forest...

To see the full story click on the picture

Little Midland, Tx

2006-01-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

Did you know there was a Little Midland, Tx???

I didn't either, until today.

Now yahoo maps does not recognize it, neither does google or mapquest. But based on info from the handbook of Texas online, it's located somewhere on here:

"LITTLE MIDLAND, TEXAS. Little Midland is located west of Farm Road 2341 about nine miles northwest of Burnet in western Burnet County. The rural community on the eastern shore of Lake Buchanan was shown on tourist maps by the mid-1960s. The first population figures were given in 2000, when Little Midland reported thirty-two residents."

Link to Handbook of Texas Online here.

Hey you, long time no see...

2006-01-08T03:02:00.000-08:00

My apologies. I've been so overloaded with finals (hey, I got my straight A's though!) and working. Anyone in retail knows how busy the Christmas season is. BTW, I know it's a little late but I hope your family had a wonderful Christmas (or holiday of your preference) and a great New Year. I spent New Years with some friends I haven't seen in a long time. We were reflecting back on years past, and also "dreaming" of the future. 2005 was a good year for me, for the most part. But I vow to make the most out of 2006. Had a great first week though! Hopefully the rest of the year plays out well.

And I promise to post more in '06, if you promise to visit more!

This is why I don't live in Florida...

2005-10-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

They have huge 13 foot Burmese python's running around, big enough to swallow a human whole, or even an alligator...

... as in this photo of a python, with an alligator sticking out of it's side. Apparantly the gator was too much for the python and it burst out it's midside. Must have been one pretty bad meal for it to be his last.

WooHoo! A vehicle!!!

2005-10-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

I finally have a new vehicle to replace my ~~broken~~ dead truck. I bought a '93 Blazer. I love it! It has very roomy interior, and everything works great (including the AC, a MUST in West Texas.) I'll post some pictures tomorrow but right now I have a history paper to write!

P.S. If you are interested in buying my former truck please let me know! I'll have a detailed post about that soon also!

This is the sign they will put at all the borders if Prop. 2 passes

2005-10-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Please don't waste you're time here...

2005-10-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

...if you're planning on posting comment SPAM. It will be deleted and the link will not be clicked, so just go somewhere else with that stuff.

Update (10/18/05 10:53 PM): To combat comment SPAM, you are now required to type a "word verification" in posting. Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause to my few real readers, but it's to distinguish real posts from SPAM ones.

Old Midland

2005-09-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Wallace over at Streams has added another photograph to his collection of Midland history. This one is from 1926 and is a picture of downtown. This is the oldest picture in his collection so far, and I like it because it's not an aerial view, but more of a 2nd story panoramic view of Midland.

Wallace you keep those pictures coming. I think I speak for myself when I say that I stare at them for hours and I speak for many when I say that I wish there were many more!!

BIOLOGY!

2005-09-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

The word that has been on my mind for the whole past week is now GONE! I had not one, but TWO biology exams this week, and now that I've taken them and recieved my grade back (HA tied for highest in class on one) I can sit back and ~~relax~~ study history. SIGH.

Great, more expensive gas.

2005-09-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Oh great! We get to pay more at the pumps after Rita hits the coast. According to CNN, gas may hit $5 a gallon. Now that is insane. Better fuel up now while you can.

Hurricane's affect us all. But I should keep my complaining to a minimum because there are many people who are directly affected by Rita. Rising gas prices is just an indirect affect. May God be with all the people on the Gulf Coast.

Let's hope storm surges don't break the levees again.

I find it quite funny...

2005-09-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

...that the spell check on blogger.com does not recognize the word "blog".

Katrina Response

2005-09-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today at work we had a bake sale and were selling Sunday newspapers for $1 raising money for Hurricane Katrina. Our company is matching all the donations. So far our store has pulled in around $650 dollars, which doubled is $1300. I'm trying to find out what the other stores have pulled in, because we love competing with all the other stores in the district. And the competition in this case is good, because all the money is going to the Red Cross to help them in their relief efforts.

I haven't posted anything on this blog about Katrina yet, and it's because I didn't really listen to all the updates of Katrina. I knew the levees broke and 80% of the city was under up to 20 ft. of water and that just threw my mind. Everywhere I went I would think about what 20 feet of water would cover. Think and all the bridges on the Loop (if you live in Midland), completely submerged. Think of Wal-mart underwater. I'm sure you've thought of you're house covered at the rooftop.

But for the first week and a half all I was doing was looking at pictures. Looking at satellite images of close-ups on parts of the town, and it just shocked me. It's crazy. And we here think it's bad here when Wadley floods.

I wonder how many people will actually go back to New Orleans, and how many are going to stay in the city they were relocated to. In one of the MRT articles they talked to a family staying in Big Spring that said they weren't going back. I wonder how many of these families carry that same attitude.

Now that's a diet!

2005-09-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

Wanna lose weight? Can't find a diet that works? Well what about trying the cookie diet? Dave Pickel, from Montgomery County, Penn, lost 120 pounds buy eating cookies everyday. Check it out here.

It's never too late to go start elementary school.

2005-09-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

Meet 85 year old Kimani Ng'ang'a.

Gas prices remain relatively constant...

2005-09-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

I am so glad gas prices did not top $3 this labor day. Everywhere I saw stayed at $2.999, and some even went a little cheaper (Murphy's USA did go down to $2.82 for a day but is now at $2.89). The prices do need to go down though, A LOT. I would be satisfied with $2 a gallon (remember when we all griped about that?). But if you want the cheapest gas locally, HEB is $2.82. Everyone else appears to be at $2.99. I really do wonder how locations that have only one gas station in town seem to have the cheapest gas. 7-11's have numerous gas stations, and buy more gas than HEB and Murphy's USA does. Why can't they sell it cheaper?

If you want the cheapest gas in Texas, go to Murphy's in Longview. $2.64 a gallon. But stay away from Clint's in Olney, where the most expensive gas in Texas is found - $3.29.

Prices courtesy of Texas Gas Prices and are as of Sept 5, 11 PM

Crazy gas prices!

2005-08-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

The last time I saw it this bad was September 11th, when people were lined up at the pumps for worries that gas prices were going to jump to $5 a gallon. But today, there were some extremely long lines today at Murphy's USA (gas station in the Wal-mart parking lot) and the Town and Country across the street. Gas prices were $2.52 at both locals, while prices everywhere else are $2.67 and higher. It seemed like everyone and their dog went to Murphy's today. By the length of the lines, I estimated a wait time of about an hour (each car averaging 5 minutes), just to get some gas. I decided not to wait (because I had class in 15 minutes) and went and filled up at 7-11 on Garfield. I here predictions of over $3 by labor day. Better fill them up while you can, and maybe even fill up a large 100 gallon tank to store gas in, because gas may not be $2.52 again for a loooong time.

Update (8/30/05 1:23 AM): MyWestTexas.com has an article about the scene at HEB, where gas was $2.47 a gallon. It even has a picture of how long the lines were. Says the whole mess is due to Hurricane Katrina. I'll keep everyone posted tomorrow about gas prices around town.

Update (8/30/05 1:30 AM): Midland gas prices in the last 8 hours

Mudvayne Concert

2005-08-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

If you didn't go to this concert you missed a good time! Even though In Flames didn't show up (no biggie) that concert was awesome. By the time Mudvayne came out the crowd was wild! I spent most of the time pushing people away from me and two other friends, one who was female and another male friend who had a broken wrist. So I tried keeping the crazy folks away from these two the whole night. I had a great time though! It was well worth the $30.

The great thing about this concert was that everyone had a great time without alcohol. No alcohol was served at that concert. Everyone still had a great time. With today's MRT article about Midland leading the state in underage drinking, it's good that we have some local events that appeal to a lot of minors and can be alcohol free.

My new toy...

2005-08-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Y'all know me. I can't get a new toy without getting on here and bragging about it (as seen here and here). But hey, I get great deals on great products. It's one of the perks from working at an electronics retailer.

This time I got me a PDA, or a Personal Digital Assistant. I've been meaning to get me one for a while but kept putting it off because more important purchases were deemed necessary. But once I saw this deal, I could NOT pass it up (I guess I'm a sucker for good deals). It's the Sony Clie PEGTH55. Some of the important features I was looking for was the built in wireless internet capabilities, an integrated mp3 player, and of course the camera. And I also wanted to go with Sony because everything I have is Sony, and they all use the same Pro or Pro-duo memory cards, which I already have.

If you want one of these bad boys you can pay around $650. But as for me, I didn't pay more than $130. Gotta love it.

V A C A T I O N ! ! ! !

2005-08-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

I just feel great! I started my week vacation yesterday. I decided to take a week off before I return to college this semester. I am so NOT ready for college. I have so much I still need to get done before Monday. Buy a car is on the top of my list. I have a pretty good down payment now saved up and I also have a trade in (with a thrown engine rod). I might just post a few ads online to try and sell it. I know I can in a section of myopenforum.com. And I'll probably post something on this site as soon as I get around to it. But if you know anyone interested in a 91 GMC Sonoma ext. cab e-mail me. It's a great truck, I just don't have the time and money to invest in a new engine. But I know there are people out there who would be better off making an investment like this. I'm just not the person to fix up cars. I'll have more information about it up tomorrow, and some pictures.

As for the fun part of vacation, tomorrow night it's all happening. Ector County Colliseum, Barn G, 6:00. MUDVAYNE CONCERT. I've had my tickets for a while now, and was hoping one of my friends could go with me, but she didn't have the money. I told her I would buy her a ticket, but she actually won tickets off the radio last night. It's gonna be a blast. Especially because the last concert I was able to go to was Breaking Benjamin back in October. My work schedule hasn't permitted my attending of that many concerts.

But I HAVE to go to this concert next. October 4. Albuquerque, NM. GREEN DAY!

I'm gonna try to have some fun the next few days. I deserve it. I hope you have fun too.

Midland Public Library Updates

2005-06-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Finally the public is filled in as to what is going on with the downtown library, which has been closed since mid-February. An article in the MRT today tells us that "Although renovations for the Midland County Library are on track, library officials said they could not provide an estimate for when the facility will re-open." Wait a minute. When did renovations come in the picture. Remember when the library CLOSED BECAUSE OF MOLD? I thought they were just removing mold, but apparently now: ""Mold hasn't been an issue," [County Facilities Manager Tim Harris] said. "Mold has never been what we were after." So no wonder it has been almost 4 months since they shut it down. I was figuring it would take about a week or 2 tops. WE DON'T NEED NO STINKEN LIBRARY ANYWAY.

HAHA we really do. Thank God for the branch. For those of you who have been utilizing the branch library, there may be a second branch soon for the your use. "Supporters of the Midland County library system would like to see a new branch library added to Midland's South Side. The land already has been purchased, but the Friends of the Midland County Library are still discussing the possibility with county officials." The article can be found here. A third library on the south would be a great asset for that side of the city. Does anyone know if there is a way to donate to the Friends of the Midland County Library? If you do please leave a reply. Otherwise I will call the library when I get a chance. But I definetly support a third library in Midland.

Finally some time to enjoy

2005-06-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Wow. I have nothing on my agenda today. I'm caught up on everything. I just get to sit back and relax. I haven't had a day off in God knows how long. But I need a vacation. Even though today feels like a vacation, I need a real vacation. Me and my friend are planning a hiking trip this summer in Santa Fe National Forest. I've been up there twice and I love it up there. For my vacation I just want to get as far away as possible from everything. No TV, cell phone (they don't get service up there), no nothing. I just want to be surrounded by God's untouched creation. I plan for this trip to be spiritually uplifting as well. But more on the vacation as it gets closer to happening. We don't have a set time planned out yet.

Well I'm off to start the grill. IT'S BBQ TIME BABY! Feel free to stop by if you want complimetary burgers and steaks grilled by BBQing Bert!!! But for now, I'm out. I'll see y'all later

Midland Webcam

2005-05-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Attn Midlanders. Want to know what it looks like outside without looking out you're window? Or do you just want to see a view from on top of Bank of America? Than check out this webcam I ran across.

Click here to view the webcam!

And out of towners: You can click on the link to get a picture of what Midland looks like. This camera is located on the tallest building in Midland, I think 24 stories in the air (http://www.downtownmidland.org is down at the time, so I can't get the real number.)

Someone should build an open air restaurant on top of that building. That has to be a great view from up there.

Bomb Scare at Wal-mart

2005-05-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

Haven't heard much about it, but there was a bomb-scare at Wal-mart tonight. They evacuated Wal-mart and the Cluster's Apartments behind Wal-mart. The only thing online right now that I can find is on the MyWestTexas forum at http://www.myopenforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3223

UPDATE: May 31, 2005; 2:05 AM.

I found two articles online about it, one from CBS-7 and one from BIG2.

"There`s no word yet on what was inside" (Big 2)

So who knows. I'm just glad if it does turn out to be a bomb that everyone is safe and that it was handled well by our local police department, fire department, bomb squad, and anyone else who responded to this incident.

I would laugh my butt off though if they determined that inside the box was store merchandise that just came off the truck.

UPDATE: May 31, 2005; 3:33 PM.

I found an article in the MRT about it.

"The package then was taken to the police firing range and examined further and eventually determined to contain a masonry brick."

So someone put a brick in a box and put it on a shelf in the store. Supposedly they have video survelence of who placed the package on the shelf. That person probably thought it would be a funny joke but they pushed it too far here. We'll see what the justice system has in store for them

Finally got me a nice digital camera

2005-05-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Buck-Fush, you were right.

I finally found a good deal on a digital camera. As some of you may already know, I have been in the market for a digital camera, ever since I bought my really really good photo printer for a dirt cheap price. I know, it's kind of wierd that I bought the printer before I bought the camera, but I'm fun like that!

Anyway, I bought the SONY DSCL1, and I LOVE IT! It's the camera I used to take these pictures of Caeser. Here's a few images of the camera (click to enlarge):

It's sleek, it's stylish, it's lightweight (1.25 lbs), and I got a great deal on it too. A $249 camera for $169. $80 savings not bad. I didn't expect to find a good 4.1 megapixel camera for that low of a price. I can trust the Sony name brand. Anyway, for more specks, click here.

So now with my digital camera and photo printer ($400 worth of stuff for less than $200), I have my own photo studio. I should charge a fee and start booking weddings, divorces, bar mitzvahs, math contests, etc... Anyone interesting in buying my photography services e-mail me.

But really, you should leave it to the pro's, like these guys.

Rain is good, most of the time

2005-05-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

The only thing I hate about the rain is the mosquitoes. They always show up after we get a rain spell. And it always seems that they go after me. I got a few bites, but I was able to whack most of them off before they were able to insert their sucker tube in through my skin.

Anyone know about Midland's risk of West Nile this year? I hope another outbreak is not in store.

Dead truck :-(

2005-05-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yup. My truck is once again dead. D-E-D dead (a line from some movie, can't remember). But it's time for a new car anyway. Something reliable. Anyone out there sellin' anything good? Like a truck or a sport's car?

Caeser's adventures out in the fields.

2005-05-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Caeser's adventures out in the fields.

Remember me?

2005-05-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Remember me? I'm Bert. Ya, once again I am back. I finally have free time with classes finally over (Thank God because my brain is in need of a long break). But my brain won't lie dormant, since I am taking a summer course online. That won't be too hard for me.

I have LOVED this recent rain. Our guage was at 7/8 an inch when I got home, but it is starting to rain a little right now. So overnight it will go up. We need all the rain that we can get. And I love the break from the heat. Three days ago it was 103 at the airport (105 at my house) and today the high was 73. A 40 degree drop well needed. Doesn't look like we'll hit 100 again for a while.

I'm taking a look at my hit-o-meter stats. I had some wierd search terms pop up, such as "silver certificate back yard Tennessee", and "Independence Hall 4:10 printers". I wonder how they found my page. But welcome visitors! Come back and visit sometime!

Hope I ain't in trouble

2005-04-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

And yes, I live in West Texas, I will use the word ain't if I want to. I ain't gonna quit y'all! haha anyway...

I have a couple visits from the US Department of Defense. And some wierd search engine keywords including: "does it in his pants" (no clue why that brought them here) and "method in tricking gas pump". I hope the government doesn't think I'm tricking gas pumps.

BTW, with these gas pumps, I am also curious. HOW DO YOU TRICK A GAS PUMP?

Wait, better not answer. The government is watching my page.

Two tires, too tired.

2005-04-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

Had a tire slashed last week, and I ran over a nail yesterday. I've bought two new tires this week. I can't afford anymore new tires. But thank God for warranty plans. They only cost me $20 a piece.

And oh I'm exhausted. Work work work and more work.

Here's the only thing I learned doing all that work
Procrastination + School work + home work + work work first job + work work second job + other obligations to friends and family =3 weeks worth of stress
In fact, I started smoking cigerettes again. Now I need to WORK (there's that word again) on dropping the habit.

DON'T PROCRASTINATE!

But, I am FINALLY caught up and ahead of schedule, so now I'm going to try to rest. Another busy day tomorrow. I work 7am to 9:30am, church from 10am to 11:30ish, have to be in Odessa by 1am, and back at work by 3pm (yup, I work a split at one at my first job). Then I go to my second job at 8pm.

OH yeah, I'll start blogging again. I know I haven't posted in about a month. I might not tomorrow, because after I get off from my second job, I have to pay a visit to my good good friend who's finally back in town. Too many obligations tomorrow. (and it's supposed to be a day of rest).

I'm rambling. I'm tired. GOODNIGHT! See y'all later.

Attn: Midlanders

2005-03-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Where's the cheapest gas in Midland? Anything cheaper than $1.94 at Wal-mart?

Finally got her to work!

2005-03-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

She's working now. And she's working good. And because she's working, I've been riding her everyday! MY TRUCK FINALLY WORKS! I can now stop borrowing my dads car and riding the EZ Rider. I put in a new fuel pump, fuel filter, alternator, battery, and cables, and found out the problem the whole time was likely a loose cable that kept tricking everyone I took it too. The first place I brought it said the fuel pump (because the fuel pump wasn't kicking on because it was getting no juice because of the loose cable). I replaced the fuel pump ($40) and it didn't start up (little did I know that the fuel pump I bought was defective to begin with so I spent another $80 on having someone else put a new one in). So I replaced the fuel filter (because besides a dead battery, the #2 reason a car won't start is the fuel filter). Then, the battery wasn't holding a charge (maybe because of the loose cable, but we brought the battery back and they tested it and said it was a dud). So after a new battery, had another guy look at it and said the alternator. So I replaced the alternator ($125) and was still having problems. This time I started looking around everything myself and looking at what would be wrong. I was tired of all these second and third opinions that weren't matching. THE PROBLEM ALL ALONG WAS A LOOSE CABLE! The fuel pump may have been bad, but may not have been. Who knows. All I know is it works now and it better work for a long time.

I wish cars could talk.

Heck of a deal

2005-03-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

I am in the market for a digital camera and a photo printer. Today I found the best deal at Circuit City for my printer. I bought a brand new in the box HP PS7350, a $149.99 printer, for the great low price of $22.96. When I saw this deal I could not pass it up. Now I am looking for a really good deal on a digital camera. Anyone know of any great deals?

It's green!

2005-03-08T01:06:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it look really good around Midland now because of all the recent rains? The fields are actually green. I love spring in West Texas. There are som many fields of different color flowers (weeds) and it just makes our area look a lot better.

I'm back!

2005-03-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

I am finally up and able to the blog! I do not wish what I had to go through on anyone. I hate throwing up. And doing it all night nearly every 30 minutes while I'm trying to sleep. UGH. But I'm over it now. And I'm back to bloggin'.

I've got a virus :-(

2005-03-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

Yes I got a virus last night. But not a computer virus or anything. My whole family has the stomach virus, started with my brother and I was the last to get it. Last night I had a great night sleep! Woke up about every 1/2 hour to either vomit or dry heave. I couldn't even drink a glass of water without it coming back up 15 minutes later. So I just want to sleep until I get better so no school, work, or blogging until I recover.

SAW...

2005-02-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

I finally saw the movie Saw. Oh I liked that movie a lot. It wasn't as scary as I heard it was from quite a few people, so I was a little dissapointed. Any really good scary movies playing now or in the near future? I wanna be scared. Anyway the thing I liked about Saw was that it was suspensful and more like a puzzle. I did not see the end coming at all. It wasn't predictable (I hate movies that you already know the ending.) I do recommend seeing it, if you don't get squeamish to the sight of blood. I don't get squemish around it on the screen, although if I came across it in real life I probably would. But the only time I see it ever is on ER, and Trauma: Life in the ER.

Bush got high, now I've got to write!

2005-02-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to get to this for about the past week, but I have been so busy with a creative writing contest at MC that I have been light blogging lately. But it's done and I'm back!

Several secert tapes were released the other day which have Dubya confessioning to smoking pot. The 12 tapes were recorded by Doug Wead (no pun intended), a former aide to Bush's father, while he thought he was just having a conversation with a buddy.

''I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions,'' he said, according to the Times. ''You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried.''

I couldn't find anything that admitted how much marijuana he had "tried", whether he was once a regular smoker or if he just tried it once. But one thing I liked was that this confession is way better than Clinton's "I did not inhale."

The only thing this proves to me is that marijuana users are very different and more and more people have smoked pot before. Estimates claim that nearly 80 million Americans have smoked marijuana before. That's around 27.1% of the population (the population right now is 295,568,434) or around 1 out of every 4 of everyone. That's one out of every 4 of you're co workers. That's one out of every 4 you see working at the burger joint (OK, maybe it's a little bit more over there). But marijuana users vary greatly. Heck it could even be you're local gas station owner. It no longer belongs to just the hippies and rock stars!

Why not legalize the stuff for responsible users and make it work to our advantage. We'll no longer have to pay to house marijuana offenders in prision. We could charge a tax on it and make a LOT of money! Fund the schools. We could put thousands of farmers back to work, and improve our economy so much. Just think about how much our GDP would increase in the first couple years if it was legalized (all those black market sales do not count on GDP, but if it was sold by a store it would count). And if we put it in the hands of corporations, then the gov't can control sale and make sure kids don't get ahold of it. Sell it to adults over 21. Make it like alcohol. Control the sale and tax it. Tax it alot. It could be sold a lot cheaper by a corporation who mass produces it than by a drug dealer who risks his freedom to sell it, so there will be no more black market aspect to marijuana. Let's focus on the harder drugs. Teach our kids to stay off that.

I've got an idea!

2005-02-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is great! I have a great idea for an invention! However, unlike one poor local "inventor", I'm not tellin anyway. Don't worry. One of these days I'll get a patent for it (they actually are quite affordable, not as expensive as he makes it sound). I do guarantee you this, though. Anyone can benefit from this! It's useful for everyone! And it will likely be a good convenience to you and most of the people you know.

But I can't tell ya yet! Shhhhh!

Traffic Report for Midland

2005-02-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

They just released the 2004 traffic report for Midland. It shows that the most dangerous intersection now is the Mall exit (Midkiff @ Courtyard). I calculated it (said there are 1.5 accidents for every one million vehicles that enter that intersection) meaning you have a 1:666,667 chance of getting in an accident at that intersection. So you probably don't have to avoid that intersection on you're next time to work.

It gave even more shocking news (well it wasn't shocking because we already knew)
*increase 4 to 15 in fatalities
*increase alcohol/drug accidents 125 to 139

Total accidents did go down though from 15 to 2950 for the year (about 8 a day).

It seems that the good drivers are getting better and the bad drivers are getting worse!

Interesting money facts...

2005-02-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

Did you know...

You most likely have cocaine in you're house right now. A recent study showed that nearly 93% of all bills contain an average of 16 micrograms (16 one-millionths of a gram) and that every $20 bill it tested tested positive for the drug.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces 37 million notes a day with a face value of approximately $696 million.

If you had 10 billion $1 notes and spent one every second of every day, it would require 317 years for you to go broke.

Between the Fort Worth, Texas and the Washington, DC Facilities approximately 18 tons of ink per day are used.

Have you ever wondered how many times you could fold a piece of currency before it would tear? About 4,000 double folds (first forward and then backwards) are required before a note will tear.

The hands of the clock in the steeple of Independence Hall on the reverse of the $100 Federal Reserve Note are set at approximately 4:10.

Martha Washington is the only woman whose portrait has appeared on a U.S. currency note. It appeared on the face of the $1 Silver Certificate of 1886 and 1891, and the back of the $1 Silver Certificate of 1896.

During Fiscal Year 2003, it cost approximately 6 cents per note to produce 8.2 billion U.S. paper currency notes.

Contrary to popular belief, the automobile pictured on the back of the $10 note is not a Model "T" Ford. It is merely a creation of the designer of the bill.

You can track you're bill with it's serial number on the website http://www.wheresgeorge.com. They track more than 58 million bills valued at near 1/3 of a billion dollars. Go online to see where's your bill has been.

Information gathered from:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_n10_v19/ai_21145379/pg_2

http://www.moneyfactory.com/document.cfm/18/106

http://www.wheresgeorge.com

Movin' on up

2005-02-24T17:57:00.000-08:00

I've just been asked to be the moderator for the Left Wing group at MyWestTexas' forum. I accepted, and it's a done deal. This is my first position of responsibility (other than owning a blog) and I feel good about it. Besides, if it wasn't important, then it wouldn't be around or it would be terminated, wouldn't it?

Bored

2005-02-23T00:48:00.000-08:00

Very slow at work today. And I'm surprised. I thought a lot of people had their income tax money back. Wonder what's hoggin' up everyone's tuesday afternoon. Anything going on in Midland? Anything fun going on right now? I'm planning my escape for this weekend. Me and my friend Jade are planning a trip to San Antonio to visit the grave and family of her friend Lance Cpl. Franklin Sweger who died in Iraq Dec. 16, '04. Then it's up to Austin to visit an old friend of mine who is now at UT. So I'm hoping to get away from Midland this weekend and do something different. Please, everyone, improve Midland while I'm gone!!!! :-)

You WIN!

2005-02-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

I've always been curious about this. We all know when you buy a coke you can win something by looking under the cap. It seems that lately most companies have started giving you an online code to take to their website and type it in to see if you win. Well here's what I'm curious about. Is this catching on with people? I know it hasn't with me. I HATE THIS METHOD! I don't feel like registering all my information with coca-cola just to find out that I didn't win. I would much rather purchase an instant win product where under the cap it tells you "you win" or "try again", because I don't feel like messing with "f824nw09efh294795." Maybe I'm lazy. Maybe I'm impatient.

Here's my question for you (yes, YOU!!). How many times have you gone online with a code? Have you ever won anything? Did you have to register before you could type the code in? And what do you think about the method? Do you think instant win caps should be brought back?

World's Dumbest Victim

2005-02-16T20:35:00.000-08:00

This article is from the MRT today. I guess Midland is home to the world's dumbest victim.

The man in the cap then asked to be taken to the McDonald's on Andrews Highway where he claimed to work. Police say he was not employed there. Once at the McDonald's, the man with the accent gave the victim $50,000 and asked the victim to drive around the parking lot to show the victim he trusted him with his money. The victim complied.

So the criminal gives the victim $50,000 and tells him to drive around the parking lot to see if the criminal can trust the victim. If this happened to me, this is where I would leave and purchase a new vehicle, so the criminal would not be able to find me!

The man with the accent then took back his $50,000 dollars from the victim and asked the victim to give him the victim's withdrawn $10,000 to prove his trust.
The victim complied.
Both males then exited the victim's truck with the victim's $10,000 and walked around the opposite side of the parking lot where the two allegedly entered a second vehicle, believed by police to be a silver truck, and drove away with the victim's cash.

Then the criminal asks for the victims $10,000 to prove his trust. The victim hands the criminal $10,000. He runs with the money.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you give a stranger money, you sholdn't even expect it back. It shouldn't even be considered stealing. I bet the police investigating this were laughing on the inside.

I wonder how many people he had to try this one before he found the right victim. I know the first person I picked out wouldn't trust me with their $10,000. I mean come on, would you??

15 min. of fame

2005-02-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well, more like a week of fame, until the next Person-to-Person article. But this week's star is Eric Siegmund, owner and author of The Fire Ant Gazette. Stop on by an congratulate him!

Disappointment

2005-02-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Darn! Didn't get picked for jury duty. I still have to call tonight, but I doubt I'll have to go tomorrow. Time to resume my normal life again. Now where's my money???

Presidential Library in Midland

2005-02-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

John Boswell is a fellow blogger here at blogspot with a vision. Through his blog (Blogging for Midland) and many posts at MyWestTexas' forum, he is trying to inspire Midlanders to push to get the presidential library here in Midland. I replied to a post on his website and he sent me an e-mail back today:

Hiya Bert!

Yes, the President will get to pick the location... as I understand it. I'm not sure what would be most effective: a letter with tons of signatures or tons of letters from individuals.
One suggestion I plan to make, both on the forum and on my blog (you were my inspiration for the blog by the way... liked yours!) is to push for Presidential Library / Museum with a Convention/Symphony Hall dedicated to the First Lady! huh? huh? Good idea?

So many people in Midland have been wanting a big, huge convention hall downtown, right? Something where the symphony could play, but also have room for bigger conventions an artsy presentations... well, I think this could be the answer! We can make it HUGE! Take over some delapidate buildings and really put something down there that would attract attention. Something that businesses would want to have an office nearby, resturants, gallerys, shops, vendors, trees, fountains.. the works!

I'm going to draw up a letter of my own with more details and ideas and send it each: the Pres. and First Lady. Copies of the letter will also be sent to each member of the city council, the Mayor, Downtown Midland Inc.& Chamber of Commerce. Maybe the editor of the paper too?

Let me know what you think of the idea, and of ideas on promoting it. Let's get a "Grassroots" Buzz going on this. I think it could be huge!

Thanks for the support!
John B.

First off, I feel honored that I helped inspire his blog. I've been regularly blogging for less than two weeks now and I'm already inspiring better bloggers (I say better because his blog actually has a reason and can help pull something big off). Secondly, his ideas may be just what it takes to win "housing rights." He is sure to post more on this later to keep us up to date, including what we can do to help. Maybe a petition (one letter with many signatures) is needed, or maybe many many letters all conveying the same message. Either way, we need to try our hardest. This one single thing WILL BE the one thing that puts Midland on the map, brings more visitors here, and preserves the Bush legacy in Midland.

Keep us up-to-date John, and keep on bloggin'!

Another bond?!?!?!?!?!?!

2005-02-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Another bond is being placed in the hands of Midland voters on May 7. This time, Midland College is asking for $41.8 million to expanded the crowded facilities to accomodate the growing enrollment numbers. It will be discussed on Tuesday (Feb. 15) at 4:00 at the Gibson Board Room at the Pevehouse Administration Building, located on the Midland College campus. This is probably the best bond we've had recently, with the exception of MISD schools renovations. The campus was built in the 1970's to educate 3,000 students, and it is double-that-and-some currently, at 6,200. Midland College offers a great service to the city of Midland, and we do them one back by giving them $41.8 million to increase their capacity to near 10,000 and better educate our population.

The five most expensive projects are:

Academic Classroom Building
ESTIMATED COST: $10,770,020
71,195 square foot building with 36 classrooms, three lecture halls, 17 faculty offices

Physical Plant and Ground
ESTIMATED COST: $5,400,400
This project would replace obsolete physical plant equipment and reduce city-water usage.

Fourth Residence Hall
ESTIMATED COST: $4,862,080
A new 28,000 square foot dormitory will provide 94 beds and parking to complete the housing master plan.

Aviation Training Center
ESTIMATED COST: $3,304,976
The college will combine the professional pilot training and aviation maintenance programs into a 38,950 square foot building with hangar space, classroom and office space, a paint booth and parking and lighting.

Health and Physical Education Center
ESTIMATED COST: $3,233,944
39,215 square foot expansion will add a gymnasium, four racquetball courts, a fitness center, an exercise room and two locker rooms.

For a complete list click here.

VOTE MIDLAND! VOTE YES ON MAY 7!!!

Whudyathink?

2005-02-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

I just made quite possibly the smartest or stupidest move ever. I signed up for 3 internet survey websites that promise to pay you to take their surveys. However, out of skepticism, I gave them a newly created e-mail account, and I gave them my P.O. Box address (no junk mail at the home). No loss if I don't make money, only time lost (I've got plenty anyways). And if I do make money which they promise, then BRING IT ON!

These are the sites I joined. I will bring updates in the future as to successes or dissapointments, but feel free to try them out if you want to!

NPD Online Research Team
Survey Club
My Survey

If I ever have a problem with anyone of these, I'll just forget about my newly registered e-mail address and simply move on with life. I didn't have to give out any credit card numbers or anything, so I feel pretty safe testing out these sites.

Smoking ban solution in Midland

2005-02-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

The recent proposal by city council to enact a 100% smoking ban in Midland is creating quite a debate between smokers and non-smokers. The smokers are mainly using the "freedom" arguement, and the non-smokers are using the "harm" aspect. However, I have a proposal that would allow the smokers to smoke, and the non-smokers to enjoy the fresh air that they love to breath. Divide a restaurant into 3 sections. Smoking, "I don't care", and non-smoking. The "I don't care" section would consist of non-smokers who don't mind the second hand smoke, in hopes of getting seated faster. There are quite a few people who when asked "smoking or non-smoking" say it doesn't matter. The "I don't care" section would also act as a barrier between the smokers and the non-smokers.

Also, ventilation should be added to the restaurant. The air conditioner and heater vents that blow air into the restaurant should be located in the non-smoking setions, and the ventilation blowing the restaurant air outside should be in the smoking sections. That way, with the air movement, clean air is filtering into the smoking section, instead of the smoke filtering into the non-smoking section.

Another possibilty should be the use of those Sharper Image Ionic Breeze air filters that you see on TV infomercials at 3 in the morning. Putting 2 or three of these in a restaurant would clear out the smoke and bring a clean smell to the air. Although expensive, they would be worth the investment, as smokers and non-smokers alike would enjoy their dining experience and not find somewhere else to eat that fits their needs.

Buisnesses in Midland should be exempt from the smoking ban if they take one of these measures. Freedom is important, but we are not free to harm other people with our habits. Are we allowed to go out and kill people just because we're free? NO! Freedom does not mean do what you want. But if restaurants undergo a few simple changes, then smokers and non-smokers can dine in harmony. The 3 section idea would not take any changes what-so-ever. Just less seating in each section, and designating another middle area as "I don't care." The ventilation idea may take some minor construction/renovation work. The Sharper Image air purifier idea would just take a minor investment (less than $1,000 for 3), however that's couch change for most restaurants.

SPEAK OUT MIDLAND!

Jury Duty Summons

2005-02-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hurray! Jury duty on Valentine's Day! Oh well. I'll get a little "vacation" from school and work that day. This is my first time being summoned for jury duty, so I don't know how the whole process goes. However, I doubt that I'll be picked, simply because of my age, political views, and inexperience. They'll probably pick more conservative older people. That is just my speculation though.

Although it would be fun to sit in on a high profile case!

Midland in 2025

2005-02-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what Midland would be like in 2025? It would have an estimated population of 115,000. It would have an entertainment district downtown, a "town center" (another entertainment district) west of the Sport's complex, a Presidential district, a heritage district, and many, many more roads with more land in the city limits. The loop would be a complete circle and there will be another road you could take to get to Odessa. All this is if the Midland Master Plan 2025 comes true. Caution: BIG BIG BIG PDF file. The report is 321 pages long. For a summary of the thing, for those of us who have a life, read pages 308-321.

I had taken a look at the 1987 plan on file at the library, and many of the goals are still the same. The town center was mentioned in 1987 (still hasn't happened yet, probably not for a long time), the entertainment district was mentioned, and the "future map" of Midland looks almost the same as predicted in 1987, except for the recent edition of La Entrada Al Pacifico. Over the next 5-10 years, expect great things for Midland. And then when the oil runs out, expect the biggest ghost town in the world (with a skyline and and airport and highways).

A forum at MyWestTexas is discussing the plan. Feel free to throw in you're two cents.

Do not pass Go, do not collect $200

2005-02-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what it looks like to be inside a jail, but don't want to commit a crime in order to see that view? Well, the Anderson County Dentention Facility in Clinton, Tennessee, has a webcam up on their website with a live feed of the booking room. Keep in mind this is a jail with prisioners, and anything can happen. While I was watching it, one guy kept giving "the finger." Enter at you're own risk.

Special thanks to Sleepless in Midland where I discovered the link.

Ceaser

2005-02-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

What kind of a blogger would I be if I didn't include a picture of my puppy on my blog? That would be just horrible! So here it is!

This is Caeser. He's a part pit-bull part German Shorthaired Pointer mix, and he is the coolest dog in the world (not to mention the cutest according to the ladies!). He is currently 5 months old (as of today, 2-7-05), but in the picture he was only 3 months old. He weighs in at a whopping 40 pounds already and he is bound to get bigger and bigger. He's my Halloween dog, because that's the night I got him.

Donate to the dog park for Caeser's sake!

More rain on the way...

2005-02-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Looks like more rain is one the way! Thursday has a 40% chance, Friday 50%, and Saturday 20%. Seems like we're getting a good start to this year (like we have the past few years).

We desperately need to rain. Not many people down here complain about to much rain. In fact, many people like to get outside after to rain and watch the "rivers". When Wadley floods it seems that many people just gather along side the street and gaze at the "Mighty MissiWadley". Last time I was driving down Wadley flooded, I felt like I was in a parade. And boy is it fun splashing the kids who line up near the curb to get splashed!

Let's all pray to get out of this drought.

You really can sue for anything... and win.

2005-02-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

This'll teach them to stop being so nice. Taylor Ostergaard, 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti, 18, learned that being nice doesn't pay off, it actually costs! They discovered this the hard way when THEIR NEIGHBOR SUED THE TWO BECAUSE THEY BAKED HER COOKIES!

Apparently the knocking on the door caused the old lady to have a heart attack, and she's suing the two teens for her medical bills. I wonder if the lady would have died in this case. Would the two teens be charged with murder?

Package of cookie dough: $3.99
Lawsuit of neighbors medical bills: $900
Learning not to be nice to an old b%&#@: priceless

If this ever happens to you, please clean up after yourself.

2005-02-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

(not for sensitive readers who throw up when #2 is mentioned.)

I'm trying to word this as mature and non-disguisting as possible, but it's hard.

Saw the nastiest thing in the world today at work. One of our customers was using the restroom, but didn't make it to the stall in time to do, well, #2. So, he does it in his pants, takes off his briefs with #2 all over it and LEAVES IT ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR, with a trail of #2 leading from the door to the briefs, and takes off his undershirt to use as toilet paper, leaving his undershirt on the sink.

Fortunetly, I did not have to clean up this mess because I went to lunch when it was discovered. Sure did ruin my appetite though.

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, please clean up after yourself.

Told you it was sick...

A good free hit-o-meter

2005-02-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

I finally found a good hit-o-meter to use. They first one I used flat out sucked, all it told me was total hits. Nothing about unique visitors, nothing about search engine keywords, nothing. The second one I used told me only unique visits, nothing about repeat visitors, nothing about referal sites, nothing. But hit-o-meter.com gives me everything. It gives me search engine data, with keywords, it gives me ISP numbers and browser data and in depth visitor data. Heck, it even gives me you're social security number - haha, J/K. It give's you a chance to upgrade for $3.50 a month, but it doesn't offer anything worth paying for. All you get is
? INVISIBLE Counter - remove Hit-O-Meter graphics from your website
? SECURE statistics - protect your statistics from being viewed by unauthorized users.
? PRIORITY support - get answers to your questions faster than other users (usually in 24 hours or less).

I don't need an invisible counter, I don't care if anyone else sees my statistics, and I don't have any questions. So I'll save my money for an extra pack of cigerettes every month. Then I'll go smoke them in Midland restaurants, while I can.

To see a live demo, click here.

How to comment on this blog

2005-02-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

I had an e-mail that asked me how to comment without registering to this blog. If you click on "Post new comment", this screen pops up:

I know it's hidden and smaller than everything, but it does have a link to "Post Anonymously." I missed it my first time being on this blog. They probably make it small just to get more people to register. Anyway, you're name will not show up unless you type it in with the comment. So, post away!

Midland's dog park, coming soon...

2005-02-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

Big 2 mentioned the dog park today. I cannot wait for this dog park to be completed. I know a lot of people have complained about "we're over taxed" and "we don't need to spend anymore money on anything," but this is funded by private contributions and fundraising. Up to $70,000 is needed for this park, and all donations are tax-deductable. Everyone should get a flier in their water bill with more information on the dog park, and it should have an address to send donations to. If you cannot wait and must give a donation this second (which should be all of you, all 2 of you that is), according to Sleepless in Midland, "The Permian Basin Area Foundation is in charge of collecting the donations." Give them a call at 682-4704.

I, for one, will use the dog park on a near-daily basis. I live in an apartment with my part Pit Bull part German Shorthaird Pointer (I think that's what his father was), and current have no access to a place for him to run around. So he runs figure-eights in the living room and under the dining room table. This is a great thing for many Midlanders who are in the same predicament, or those who just like to get their dog's out of the backyard and let them run around.

Drug Bust on I-20

2005-02-03T23:26:00.000-08:00

There was a large drug bust on Wednesday on I-20 between Midland and Odessa where 100 pounds of the green stuff and 1 kilo of the white stuff was confiscated in a gas tank. MyWestTexas has an article about it, but it seems like the whole story is not being told. First off, it says that the officer asked for permission to search the car. But it does not say the driver said yes. He may have said no. This is between him and the cop and if there was any case of wrong doing he better have a good lawyer. Also, Papa Ray believe that the cops were tipped off to this car by a disgruntled acquaintance or someone of the like. At first I argued this point and posted a reply at the Open Forum, but upon reading it for the second time, it may be what happened. The Drug Task Force does not pull people over for following to closely. In fact, are they even allowed to pull over someone for traffic violations anyway? Do they have any jurisdiction? Anyway I'm hoping someone with a little more information on this story or a little more knowledge of what the drug task force can and can't do can give me some information.

I am glad these drugs are off the streets but I do think that we need to revisit our drug laws. If marijuana was legalized FOR ADULTS there would be nothing but benefits. Crime would drop as the black market aspect would be erradicated. We would save BILLIONS of dollars. Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers an estimated $10 billion annually and results in the arrest of more than 734,000 individuals per year. Not only is that extra money to spend for, oh, say SCHOOLS, but those 734,000 people are protected from losing their jobs. "But Bert, people who smoke marijuana are lazy and do horrible at their jobs." Well, let that be up the the boss to decide, because there are actually hard workers who smoke marijuana. If they get lazy, then fire them. We could also put thousands of farmers back to work. We could also tax the live crap out of it and make so much money for our government to *waste*. There is no reason not to legalize a plant that is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco. It is a God given plant that grows from a seed like every other plants. It's not manufactured by mixing 30 toxic chemicals together. It has no man-made processes to go through. A seed is planted and through God's cycle of plant growth it grows. We need to change our views of marijuana. Our government and police officials brainwash us by saying that it's harmful and causes crime. The only crime is through the black-market aspect of it (eliminated if legalized). The actual intake of the plant causes people to be relaxed and lazy, not wanting to go out and cause crime.

This is getting longer than I wanted it to be. But my message is this: It's time to respect people's freedom's more. By responsibly smoking marijuana one is not doing any harm to anyone or anything but his body, similar to cigerettes. Why is alcohol legal when so much crime arises from it, and most people who get high "chill" in one place. People who drink go out from place to place and put innocent people at risk.

Support HB 658, legalizing medical marijuana in Texas. Or click here for a non-Adobe Acrobat version

Dear City Council...

2005-02-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

I did some community service today at the Animal Control shelter for my Abell Hangar hours. I noticed a few violations and bad things going on around there that I would like to eventually bring to City Council's attention:
1) Cheap rubber hoses used to hose down dog kennels: Today was the second time that the water pressure in the hose caused the water hose to explode and shower me with hot water. Luckily I was not burned but those cheap hoses are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
2) The use of NABC (a toilet sanitizer) to clean dog bowls: The chemical I was given to wash the dog bowls was NABC, which is a bathroom sanitizer that specifically states on the back (in my own words) "DO NOT USE product to sanitize any utensil or dish that contains anything to be consumed by humans"
3) The burning of plastic bags in the incinerator: Isn't it bad and harmful to our air to burn plastic? They have several dead dogs tied up in garbage bags and they throw the whole thing in the incinerator. I feel sorry for the people who live downwind.

I'm gonna get PETA involved! They need to get involved with something serious instead of protesting the A&M Elephant Walk that doesn't even involve real elephants!

I'm back!

2005-02-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys (if anyone's even out there reading). I promised to update often, and I failed. We had a problem with our cable modem and could not connect to the internet. but the problem's fixed, and I'm back. Don't know if that's good or bad, but hey! At least you got me! Anyway a couple updates... yada yada yada, we had snow, yada yada yada, friend's getting married next week, yada yada yada, can't wait for my W2 to get my truck fixed, yada yada yada, life is the same as before, nothing's changed. Anyway I promise to write more often so if you actually came back in hopes of an update and were dissapointed in me, be dissapointed no more!

Blockbuster has no more late fees... yeah right.

2005-01-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

Blockbuster suckered me into renting another over-priced rental from them for only 2 days. I spent $4.32 and only get it for 2 days, and it's due by 6 PM (which happens to be in 26 minutes). Anyway after I paid for it I read the notice on the counter saying "this location chooses not to participate in the "no late fee's program". Well why not put that in big letter on the front door so I can bring my buisness to Hasting, where for $.50 cheaper I can keep the movie for 3 extra days. And, if I chose to keep it one night, I get $1 back. AND, it's due at midnight, not no 6PM bull crap. I HATE YOU BLOCKBUSTER - GOOD RIDDANCE!

Superbowl Prediction

2005-01-10T23:04:00.000-08:00

Eagles all the way! It's there time to conquer, being one game short of the superbowl for the past 3 years. Anyway this Sunday they play Minnesota(8-8) at 1:00EST on FOX and they'll prevail, and then they'll either play Atlanta(11-5) or St. Louis(8-8) (23rd 3:00EST FOX) (hopefully Atlanta, I was disappointed with the Philly-St. Louis game 2 wks ago). Then they play the winner of the AFC championship (23rd 6:30EST CBS), probably Pittsburgh (15-1). At the Superbowl (Feb 6th on FOX), they'll have an advantage over the Steelers since they lost 3 key starters. Good Luck Eagles! (leave you're predictions in the comments)

Finally I got one...

2005-01-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

I finally got a blog setup. I found this one for free and I'm gonna see what all I can do with it. If I actually get some sort of readership, I may consider one that I have to pay for. But I'm not going to pay for a blog which no one reads. So this I guess is my experiment blog. Anyway bookmark it and come back often, or don't if you don't want to. But I should be updating this close to everyday. Here I go, and ENJOY!

Bert's Blog

New Pets

Taco Bell Sauce Packets

Google Maps updated

Watch for falling ads

Eurasian's Accident Report

Theory on dog urine communication

My newest pet

Hot dog eating contest

Dr. Victor Lindlahr's catabolic diet

Coming soon to a KKK Rally near you...

Other ways to view the KKK video

KKK Rally - Midland, Tx

Drinking daily may be good for you

Know a bad senior driver?

Summertime... time to fix your home

Eat out, in your home

Hurray for higher speed limits!

I'm sure 90% of you have already read this...

Unwritten Midland Laws...

Appetite Suppressing Food

Gas up again?!?!?!?!?

Tu Pac and Elvis are hiding...

Little Midland, Tx

Hey you, long time no see...

This is why I don't live in Florida...

WooHoo! A vehicle!!!

This is the sign they will put at all the borders if Prop. 2 passes

Please don't waste you're time here...

Old Midland

BIOLOGY!

Great, more expensive gas.

I find it quite funny...

Katrina Response

Now that's a diet!

It's never too late to go start elementary school.

Gas prices remain relatively constant...

Crazy gas prices!

Mudvayne Concert

My new toy...

V A C A T I O N ! ! ! !

Midland Public Library Updates

Finally some time to enjoy

Midland Webcam

Bomb Scare at Wal-mart

Finally got me a nice digital camera

Rain is good, most of the time

Dead truck :-(

Caeser's adventures out in the fields.

Remember me?

Hope I ain't in trouble

Two tires, too tired.

Attn: Midlanders

Finally got her to work!

Heck of a deal

It's green!

I'm back!

I've got a virus :-(

SAW...

Bush got high, now I've got to write!

I've got an idea!

Traffic Report for Midland

Interesting money facts...

Movin' on up

Bored

You WIN!

World's Dumbest Victim

15 min. of fame

Disappointment

Presidential Library in Midland

Another bond?!?!?!?!?!?!

Whudyathink?

Smoking ban solution in Midland

Jury Duty Summons

Midland in 2025

Do not pass Go, do not collect $200

Ceaser

More rain on the way...

You really can sue for anything... and win.

If this ever happens to you, please clean up after yourself.