Elmer's Place

What a difference 18 years can make....

2012-02-12T10:59:00.001-06:00

My dearest daughter decided we should remake her favorite photo of us together. We didn't quite nail it, but it's pretty dang cute anyway.

Birdcam at mom's Jan '12

2012-01-26T17:38:00.002-06:00

Noises Off at Theatre Arlington now!

2012-01-10T13:20:00.000-06:00

The Ladies at Christmas time

2011-12-25T18:05:00.003-06:00

Fort Worth Christmas

2011-12-24T18:03:00.001-06:00

even a broken clock.........

2011-12-14T07:38:00.000-06:00

San Antonio stocks continued to lose steam on Tuesdayat bizjournals.com(Wed 8:00AM EST)

San Antonio stocks gain value on Mondayat bizjournals.com(Tue, Dec 13)

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

2011-11-27T11:48:00.001-06:00

I don't think this guy is going to be spending much time at the car wash in the future.

http://www.landaumurphyjr.com/home

If you want to buy American....

2011-11-22T08:02:00.001-06:00

Buy American products by knowing the bar code system for each country, as follows:

00-09 USA/Canada
30-37 French
40-44 Germany
49 Japan
50 UK
471 Taiwan
690, 691, 692 China.

Smart Meters? Check your wallet.

2011-11-02T10:21:00.002-05:00

Electric utility customers in the Fort Worth area will soon be getting smart meters. The electric providers are talking up the benefits of smart meters...in the future all of your appliances will have built-in interfaces to your meter and presumably you will be able to thereby program your appliances to run when the cost of electricity is lower in off hours. This presumes of course that the service provider is going to start charging you more during peak hours and less during off hours, which is quite likely the way of the future. It also presumes you want to go buy all new high dollar appliances that have these built in features. The electric company has a peak load problem, in that they have to build capacity to meet their peak load...like 5 PM on midsummer weekdays when everyone gets home and turns things on. A utility with a peak load problem must either increase their generating capacity (and we're still paying for Commanche Peak Nuke Plant which was going to solve our energy problems for our lifetime, but that's a whole different issue), or they have to find ways to reduce their peak loads. They know they can reduce their peak load by getting people to use electricity at times when they have plenty of generating capacity....so they will charge more at peak times and less at non-peak times. That's why at some point in your future you may find yourself setting your alarm clock for 3 AM so you can get up and run a load of laundry. In the name of preserving non-renewable resources, I think this is an ok plan as long as they don't do the usual trick of incorporating a hidden across the board rate hike into the numbers. But if we change our habits to save them the cost of building another generating plant, they need to do right by us.

Now....about smart meters...their traveling road show (really slick semi trailers that turn into a fancy walk thru display where they sell you on the benefits of smart meters) does not tell you up front that these smart meters are going to cost you 4-5 bucks a month on every bill. They already got that approved by the public untilities comission, but you won't know that unless you read the fine print.

So here's my beef. They are going to put meter readers out of work, thereby saving themselves a lot of money. They are going to add to the unemployed. The wages they save should more than pay for their smart meters but NO...they want US to pay for their smart meters so they can put their meter readers out of work and then start charging us more for electricity at the times we have demonstrated that we would prefer to use it. In short they are solving several problems for themselves, making themselves more money, and handing us the bill for it all. Of course to get ANY benefit from a smart meter, the customer has to go buy all new appliances that interface with smart meters, and I don't see the electric company helping us buy those..I haven't even seen such an appliance for sale so far...and I guarantee you all new appliances are going to cost us a LOT more than a smart meter is going to cost them.

Somebody needs to bring this up because you just don't hear anything about it and it's almost here. maybe the March on Wall Street - Fort Worth crowd can take this up

I'm all for being more efficient in the use of electricity but when THEY benefit why do WE have to shoulder all the cost?

feel free to pass this around.

this is NOT Pike's Peak

2011-10-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

2011-10-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

2011-10-19T03:45:00.001-05:00

First it was for health care...this time it's for shelter....

2011-10-19T03:38:00.003-05:00

Homeless Wisconsin man accused of robbing bank to get shelter

Vaughn Reeves Guitar Instruction E-Books

2011-10-06T20:18:00.001-05:00

If you play guitar (or would like to), a couple of useful E-Books you might want to check out:

http://www.vaughnreeves.com/E-Books.html

2 days' News...sometimes you just have to say "well, duh!"

2011-10-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

Most San Antonio stocks increased in value as Dow rises 153 pointsat bizjournals.com(Wed, Oct 5)

San Antonio stocks lose value as Dow falls 258 pointsat bizjournals.com(Tue, Oct 4)

In Dallas

2011-09-30T10:14:00.002-05:00

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2011/sep/30/art-in-october-dallas-arts-district-museums-family/

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2011/sep/19/what-do-see-and-hear-2011-state-fair-texas/?refscroll=664

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2011/sep/20/get-2011-state-fair-texas-deals-discounts-admissio/

For the next little bit I will detour you to the following blog....I shall return.

2011-09-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

http://gw11.blogspot.com/

striking

2011-09-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Let me guess...a math major?

2011-09-07T15:37:00.000-05:00

I really want to see a video of someone using this driveway.

2011-09-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

Translations can be both interesting and entertaining at times.

2011-09-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

I once saw a "Made in China" scooter that had a warning sticker on it that said "Do not operate when under the influence of wine." I assume it was ok to scoot while under the influence of good Bourbon whiskey.

who needs rollercoasters?

2011-09-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

are we clear on that?

2011-09-03T20:08:00.001-05:00

And don't say we didn't warn you.........

2011-09-03T02:34:00.002-05:00

You have been warned....

2011-09-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

Fatboy Slim crowdsourced the making of a video for his song “This Ol’ Pair of Jeans”. Some girl submitted this video. I personally think it's worth 5 minutes out of your life.

2011-09-01T16:44:00.003-05:00

Little Rascals (my mom with a ribbon in her hair, lower left)

2011-08-31T11:23:00.000-05:00

2011-08-30T18:48:00.001-05:00

at least the anchor is still holding.....

2011-08-30T00:25:00.000-05:00

No Comment

2011-08-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

Life

2011-08-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

Grace

2011-08-28T18:35:00.002-05:00

One way to resurrect the shuttle program....

2011-08-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

So...I was standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona....

2011-08-27T00:27:00.000-05:00

Kaleidoscope! These are so cool!

2011-08-20T16:01:00.006-05:00

I thought this was really cool...put the mouse cursor over the middle and change it up! Find it at http://inoyan.narod.ru/kaleidoskop.swf (you'll have to cut and paste this link)

...and if you want a real Kaleidoscope, we found this amazing kaleidoscope store in the neat little off the beaten path town of Jerome, Arizona...somewhere between Prescott and Sedona. they do mail order, and I think they have the worlds' largest selection of kaleidoscopes! Check them out!
http://nellieblyscopes.com/home.html

Hawk outside our dining room window.

2011-08-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

See 2 Comets at once!

2011-08-19T23:53:00.001-05:00

(TheWeatherSpace.com)

Comet Honda and Elenin will be visible together before sunrise this Fall.

Comet Honda is only visible to Southern sky observers at the current moment. However, on October 7th of this year the comet will join Comet Elenin on the eastern horizon making for a rare treat.

Both comets should be around five or six magnitude, making it easy for binoculars and cameras to see them, including the unaided eye in a dark sky location.

http://www.theweatherspace.com/

FYI

2011-08-18T14:06:00.002-05:00

Weatherford, Texas.

2011-08-17T11:02:00.003-05:00

High Rise Living

2011-08-16T11:14:00.002-05:00

Texas speaks up on Rick Perry

2011-08-16T02:09:00.001-05:00

Clinton on govt & economics

2011-08-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

from the "things that require no caption" collection......

2011-08-15T11:36:00.001-05:00

things to ponder...

2011-08-14T09:43:00.002-05:00

Welcome!

2011-08-12T13:53:00.000-05:00

Space Invader!

2011-08-12T13:38:00.005-05:00

US Census Map...view by multiple census factors

2011-08-01T15:21:00.003-05:00

US CENSUS DATA

Tom & Doris Cruising

2011-07-27T12:31:00.000-05:00

Now THAT'S a fish! Lonnie in Alaska.

2011-07-27T12:25:00.000-05:00

the new and shorter "Disappearing People"...

2011-07-25T16:58:00.002-05:00

Rob, from Startelegram. Rob's the one on the left.

2011-07-19T17:26:00.002-05:00

The entire Story in 2 min 15 sec.

2011-06-24T07:00:00.006-05:00

Somebody stole my health care idea. I hope he picked a federal bank...

2011-06-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

Man robs bank to get medical care in jail

Some people who need medical care but can't afford it go to the emergency room. Others just hope they'll get better. James Richard Verone robbed a bank.

Earlier this month, Verone (pictured), a 59-year-old convenience store clerk, walked into a Gaston, N.C., bank and handed the cashier a note demanding $1 and medical attention. Then he waited calmly for police to show up.

He's now in jail and has an appointment with a doctor this week.

Verone's problems started when he lost the job he'd held for 17 years as a Coca Cola deliveryman, amid the economic downturn. He found new work driving a truck, but it didn't last. Eventually, he took a part-time position at the convenience store.

But Verone's body wasn't up to it. The bending and lifting made his back ache. He had problems with his left foot, making him limp. He also suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis.

Then he noticed a protrusion on his chest. "The pain was beyond the tolerance that I could accept," Verone told the Gaston Gazette. "I kind of hit a brick wall with everything."

Verone knew he needed help--and he didn't want to be a burden on his sister and brothers. He applied for food stamps, but they weren't enough either.

So he hatched a plan. On June 9, he woke up, showered, ironed his shirt. He mailed a letter to the Gazette, listing the return address as the Gaston County Jail.

"When you receive this a bank robbery will have been committed by me," Verone wrote in the letter. "This robbery is being committed by me for one dollar. I am of sound mind but not so much sound body."

Then Verone hailed a cab to take him to the RBC Bank. Inside, he handed the teller his $1 robbery demand.

"I didn't have any fears," said Verone. "I told the teller that I would sit over here and wait for police."

The teller was so frightened that she had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out. Verone, meanwhile, was taken to jail, just as he'd planned it.

Because he only asked for $1, Verone was charged with larceny, not bank robbery. But he said that if his punishment isn't severe enough, he plans to tell the judge that he'll do it again. His $100,000 bond has been reduced to $2,000, but he says he doesn't plan to pay it.

In jail, Verone said he skips dinner to avoid too much contact with the other inmates. He's already seen some nurses and is scheduled to see a doctor on Friday. He said he's hoping to receive back and foot surgery, and get the protrusion on his chest treated. Then he plans to spend a few years in jail, before getting out in time to collect Social Security and move to the beach.

Verone also presented the view that if the United States had a health-care system which offered people more government support, he wouldn't have had to make the choice he did.

"If you don't have your health you don't have anything," Verone said.

The Affordable Care Act, President Obama's health-care overhaul passed by Congress last year, was designed to make it easier for Americans in situations like Verone's to get health insurance. But most of its provisions don't go into effect until 2014.

As it is, Verone said he thinks he chose the best of a bunch of bad options. "I picked jail."

(Photo: Ben Goff/The Gaston Gazette)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110621/ts_yblog_thelookout/man-robs-bank-to-get-medical-care-in-jail

Clark Gardens Train - Mineral Wells, TX

2011-06-13T20:41:00.002-05:00

Lemon's Bar-B-Q Brownwood, Texas

2011-06-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

"places I'd rather be"

2011-05-24T07:46:00.000-05:00

Who's Really The Boss In The USA?

2011-05-14T04:48:00.006-05:00

Newt Gingrich crawled out from under his rock yesterday to make a political speech to explain why corporations shouldn't pay taxes and why we should thank them for not paying taxes because if we don't humble ourselves before the corporate gods we won't have jobs.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm tired of Corporations and the politicians in their pockets telling me I better go along with their program or I won't have a job. Here's a tip: We're still by far the biggest economic powerhouse in the world, although we're giving that position away daily. So let's not forget they won't have a corporation or their cushy CEO jobs if WE quit buying.

Next time you see the squeeze being applied by a corporation or some political minion on behalf of a corporation; next time you hear "do it our way or it will cost you jobs"; realize at that moment that you are being blackmailed and held up, and that should be your sign to boycott that corporation. They seem to have forgotten that we're still in charge. We seem to have forgotten that we CAN be in charge.

refundable/recyclable/reusable bottles vs Plastic?

2011-05-10T08:37:00.002-05:00

Find out more:

http://texasbottlebill.com/

You gotta see this catch!

2011-05-04T07:49:00.002-05:00

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=210445612318133

the air around here could be better....lots better....

2011-04-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

Texas

Tarrant County Dallas-Fort Worth, TX High Ozone Days

Ozone Grade: F

read up on the subject at:
http://www.stateoftheair.org/2011/states/texas/tarrant-48439.html

Does anyone else see a problem with this?

2011-04-20T19:47:00.002-05:00

Unread American Airlines Last Chance to Win ONE MILLION AAdvantage Miles 7:40 PM 22KB
Last Chance to Win ONE MILLION AAdvantage Miles Wednesday, April 20, 2011 7:40 PM

Unread American Airlines Last Chance to Win ONE MILLION AAdvantage Miles Wed, 4/20/11 22KB
Last Chance to Win ONE MILLION AAdvantage Miles Wednesday, April 20, 2011 6:20 PM

-----------------------------------------------------------

The above were two emails in my in box today - I guess the first one was the last chance until they gave me another last chance. I wonder how many more last chances I'll get?

Here's a new company slogan for ya, American...

"American Airlines - We're better at flying than advertising. Really."

Congress is in trouble, especially the GOP.

2011-04-15T20:21:00.000-05:00

14875 users liked this comment

315 users disliked this comment

S Fri Mar 04, 2011 09:16 pm PST

Let's start by rolling back salaries of House & Senate members, forcing them to pay a higher out of pocket co-pay on all medical services and needs, plus sharply cutting their retirement benefits.

If government has become too big then let's start cutting right there in Washington DC. I'd bet two bits that the suggested cuts would NEVER happen.

They want to cut spending for education, seniors, etc., etc. but they themselves would refuse to throw any of their "benefits" into the pot to save even $1.

the flag people - a couple of posts below.....

2011-04-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

they have a new flag. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with my post, but hey - ya never know who reads this junk...

Stopped at Enchanted Rock on the way South

2011-04-04T20:28:00.002-05:00

I just want to mention that my aging but trustworthy red Honda is, as you can see in this picture, able to stand up by itself on two wheels without a kickstand - a quite nifty trick if you ask me, while Marty's brand-spanking-new Kawasaki requires a kickstand to maintain it's uprightedness.

From a business directly across from the Hulen/Tanglewood Post Office.

2011-04-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

In my book it should be illegal to fly a US flag in this condition. It's like advertising "I want people to think I'm a patriot, but the real story is that I just don't really care all that much."

How to Build a Wheelchair Ramp in 60 Seconds or Less

2011-03-27T20:56:00.001-05:00

How to Paint a Wheelchair Ramp in 60 Seconds or Less

2011-03-27T20:51:00.002-05:00

Botanic Gardens

2011-03-19T17:35:00.003-05:00

Wysteria is in bloom - March 19, 2011

I dunno about anyone else....

2011-03-16T08:21:00.003-05:00

...but wind and solar energy are looking better and better to me lately.

Maybe ol' T Boone Pickens is on to something, eh?

If you like handcrafted stuff, check this out...

2011-03-14T18:41:00.002-05:00

Cowtown Indie Bazaar at Will Rogers March 19th .

back from Big Bend

2011-03-08T09:01:00.002-06:00

Windy-Dusty-Dry-Brown-Hot

wasn't all this bad though. More at Joe's Big Bend Stuff in a day or two.

Moved - Again

2011-02-26T01:41:00.000-06:00

it gets old, but on the bright side, we're getting good at it.

Playing around with guitars

2011-02-04T10:16:00.000-06:00

Me and Noah at the piano.

2011-02-04T10:10:00.002-06:00

the anti-tourist

2011-02-04T10:06:00.001-06:00

http://theantitourist.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/terlinguatexas/

How about his weather?

2011-02-04T09:30:00.000-06:00

Three days of ice, which is now being overlaid with what looks like a foot of snow.

We're camped out, operating under the theory that driving in this weather should only happen for tasks that will bring in $500, since that's our auto insurance deductable if we have a wreck. Plenty of food and we did all the preparing we could, so now we're spending the time doing paperwork and organizing tasks that usually get shoved to the back burner. It's kind of nice. I think I still get a little thrill on snow days because I don't have to go to school.

State of the Union

2011-01-24T13:08:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow night, President Obama will give the State of the Union address.

this just in from the Borowitz Report
Immediately following the President’s speech, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis) will give the official Republican response, followed by Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), who will give the official moron response.

this just in from Briefing.com

2011-01-10T06:47:00.000-06:00

Market Update

06:32 am : S&P futures vs fair value: +1261.50. Nasdaq futures vs fair value: +2275.00.

06:30 am : S&P futures vs fair value: +1261.50. Nasdaq futures vs fair value: +2264.00.

Am I the only person who thinks maybe it would be a good idea to have a human peek at the numbers before they put them out here for all the world to see their colossal boo-boo?

Snowflakes - January 9, 2011

2011-01-09T14:22:00.000-06:00

It's a lousy photo...

2010-12-26T20:19:00.002-06:00

...but it documents what I thought I saw 11 years ago in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona noth of Sedona. A fake wall. Like at Disney, only it's not at Disney.

However you come down on thinking about climate change....

2010-12-11T09:50:00.002-06:00

...you need to watch this video to understand the issue from a purely rational and logical point of view.
It's not about who is right or wrong. It's about the consequences of being right or wrong. If you have kids and you care at all about them you should at least be willing to listen to what this man is saying.

Unique Christmas gifts for guitar players

2010-12-08T16:20:00.000-06:00

Guitar Pick Man Custom Picks

Turn out the lights, the party's over.....

2010-12-07T08:53:00.000-06:00

Don Meredith, 1938-2010

Dandy Don died this past Sunday in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

they just don't make 'em like that anymore.

Don't Miss the Wavy Gravy Movie!

2010-12-05T11:12:00.000-06:00

Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie - Theatrical Trailer from Ripple Effect Films on Vimeo.

Brains and Brew Monthly Presentations

2010-12-04T18:00:00.000-06:00

Interesting concept worth checking out, so do so!

http://fortworthmuseum.org/public-knowledge

John Boehner and Mitch McConnell want to do away with your health care?

2010-11-28T14:20:00.002-06:00

I think maybe they should start with doing away with their own. I'm already paying a small fortune each year for mine and then my taxes are paying for most of their health plans. I figure if they pay for their own retail plan like I do than maybe I can take the tax money I save and apply that money to my ever-rising premiums.

so I think we need to see Congress do away with their own health care plans before they do away with ours, and I'm not alone.

Take a look.

Simple Man

2010-11-27T09:55:00.001-06:00

A favorite - Allman Brothers

2010-11-19T17:55:00.001-06:00

Terlingua

2010-11-09T05:43:00.001-06:00

2010-10-09T04:37:00.000-05:00

Rocky Ridge Test Ride - Oct 2, 2010

2010-10-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

Only In McAlester, Oklahoma...

2010-09-29T00:38:00.000-05:00

It's Monarch time at Clark Gardens

2010-09-29T00:08:00.000-05:00

The Blue Ridge Parkway - Virginia

2010-09-27T19:25:00.004-05:00

Shiprock, NM in my rear view mirror

2010-09-18T13:39:00.001-05:00

Link of the day

2010-09-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

http://www.eldergadget.com/

bookmark it because if you need it you know you'll forget the name....

I got this in my e-mail today from the Lifeline screening people..

2010-09-15T18:33:00.000-05:00

"New Know Your 5 Package - Plus A FREE Colon Cancer Test Kit"

Now there's a freebie that makes me want to jump all over that offer.....yeah, yeah, I know it's important once a person has attained a certain age, and yeah I have indeed attained that age, but geez....exactly what point was it that my spam changed from spam that promised to improve my love life to spam that wants me to get excited about a free rectal exam kit?

False Advertising???

2010-09-06T19:36:00.006-05:00

While perusing an old copy of National Geographic from 1981, I came across this ad that extolled the virtues of the Island Paradise of Hawaii. The only problem is, the island shown in the ad is not in Hawaii at all, but is actually the island of Moorea, which is right next door to Tahiti in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. It's several thousand miles from Hawaii. Now I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that if I were placing an ad in a magazine called National Geographic, I'd try to get the geography right. And then there is the issue of why did National Geographic agree to run the ad? Shouldn't they know the difference and point it out?

What got me going on this was watching an episode of Biography in which the subject was Conrad Hilton and they were talking about and showing photos of all of the hotels he bought in texas in his early days as a hotelier. In that segment, they showed a building in Terlingua that was never a hotel and was never owned by Conrad Hilton, but I guess they used it anyway because it was interesting looking and they figured nobody would notice. It was actually a mansion built by mine owner Howard E. Perry. Makes me wonder if it's now acceptable to make documentaries by just making stuff up.

The abandoned Perry Mansion

CORRECTION: I am informed by someone who knows that the Perry Mansion Ruins were made habitable...1 room only, and it was rented out to tourists, thereby making it a hotel...sort of. But Conrad Hilton had nothing to do with the place.

I made sourdough bread

2010-09-02T21:21:00.000-05:00

I make our whole wheat bread on a pretty regular basis these days...figure if I'm gonna pay for good bread I'm gonna eat good bread, plus it makes the place smell wonderful. Lately I've had a go at making some sourdough starter and found out that sending off for a good starter is probably the smart way to go. Mine eventually smelled properly sour but the bread didn't want to rise. I finally got a decent loaf but it took forever to rise and I might have cheated with just a wee touch of yeast in the dough along the way.
I'll get it figured out one of these days.

Crater Lake

2010-08-26T12:40:00.002-05:00

We rented a Mustang convertable because it sounded like fun. It was. We put about 1000 miles on it in a week, mostly in Oregon, but a little bit of it was in California and Washington. One thing I noticed pretty quick was that driving in Oregon was just so calm and stress-free. Everyone drove in a sane manner, and even in heavy traffic it was just different. Then I realized that NOBODY WAS ON THE PHONE because it's illegal to talk on the phone and drive in Oregon. And apparently, that does make as much of a difference in how people drive as I suspected that it would. We need to adopt the same law here, if ya ask me.

Oh yeah....according to the onboard computer thingie, the Mustang got 25.8 MPG while we had it. Impressive considering it was also pretty quick when ya hit the gas.