Frost Patterns On Me Car!

This morning, Monday 31 December, 2007: I saw something wonderful on my car as I got out to go to work. The frost that had collected on the hood (or bonnet), windshield and well all over the car was in neat orderly "leaf" patterns.

The pattern was close to these images I found on the web, more so the neat orderly pattern of the second photo. Thin almost pine, palm or maybe even fern looking patterns swirled all over the car. It was so neat and organized that it was as if someone had used a tree as a template for the frost. Yet the closest tree to my car would either be across the street or on the other side of the next door neighbor's house, at least 100 feet away or more.

I had never before seen frost patterns that were so beautiful. Patterns that leave (I could have punned and said "leaf") no question about the existance of a greater natural presence or being such as God. Man I wish I had a working camera, but allas my digital camera died around last march or so, and an old polaroid I have somewhere around doesn't have film. Bummer. Need to get a new camera for 008.

Man with natural occuances like that, how can people question "Intellegent Design" for the creation of Life, The Universe and Everything?

H. Berry in my Car!

For Christmas my Cousins (or actually I think it was my aunt) got Halle Berry to ride in my car.

Doesn't she look great?

Oh wait I'm sorry it was H-O-L-L-Y-B-E-R-R-Y scented air freshner for the car.

Primary Politico Party Pooper.

I absolutely HATE the way our Primary system works. The primary elections which are the elections held to eliminate all the not-as-popular or not as fit candidates for the job before the general election. My big problem with it, however, is that the Iowa Caucous (spelled wrong yeah I know) and the New Hampshire Primary are usually the first two states to vote, and they usually eliminate everyone so by the time "Super Tuesday" comes there is nobody to vote for. SUPER TUESDAY is a good attempt at having most of the country vote at the same time, but comes up short because it is to late after the first few primaries have already decided who is going to race in November.

I think ALL the States should have their Primary Elections all on the same day, or at least in the same week and the media should hold off on making any announcements about whose ahead until the end of the week. That would make it more fair for the entire country to vote for who they really want to vote for. Back in the 1980s when John Glenn ran, he was eliminated and dropped out months before Super Tuesday so by the time the Maryland Primary came around, it was really pointless to vote for him but I did anyway just to protest the point. As with many other things concerning politics and the individual that kind of thing doesn't effect the over-all picture much.

The Jury is Out!

Today, Wednesday 19 December, 2007 I did my civic duty of "jury duty". Yippie Yahooie.
Now I am no stranger to jury duty as way back about 20 years ago I served on a jury on some sort of civil dispute that had something to do with someone wanting to get some money on some injury claims from an auto accident. With that case I forget all the details but I think the jury found in favor of the defendants I think (the people who were not claiming the injuries).
Anyway back to today.

I had to report to jury duty today at 08:30 AM I got to the court house just a little before and waited in the line at the front door to pass through the metal detector, something I don't recall having to do 20 years ago. Then after getting scanned by the "wand" since the clasp part of my key chain (I had unclasped the keys and most of the chain, but not the part around my belt) set off the red light in the metal detector. So then I go to the jury lounge to sign in and await the instructions. Ok that gets done, then there is a little waiting until about 1/4 to 9:00 when they give us the official welcome and some instruction on the procedures. Then they showed a video that was about 20 minutes that gave a brief history of juries and how they relate to the court system. The let us know that at around 9:30 they would start sending us to courtrooms and assigning trials. Well at 9:30 they said they hadn't heard from the courtrooms yet, but not to worry, it sometimes happens, they run a little slow and behind, the crimal trials negotiate and set up plea bargins etc...

They informed us that there were three trials on the docket today. A little after 9:30 there still wasn't much word so they gave us an official 15 minute break (meaning that if people wanted to they could leave the lounge area, which you are confined to, to go to the cafeteria or get stuff from their cars or whatever.) Oh they also have some computers in the back of the lounge so you can internet or I guess play solitare. I didn't diddle with the computers although I probably should have to see what could be accessed (probably not much). Anyway they leave us be for a while, and the time goes on and the time goes on. No updates on when we will be called to the courtrooms...

A long time we don't hear anything, then at around 10:45 they give us more info. One thing they didn't tell us until then was that all three trials were criminal trials. Mmmmm could be bad, could mean many days instead of just the one day. Mont. County (where I live) has a 1 trial/1 day system meaning you only have to report to jury duty on one day or for the length of one trial which could be a couple of days or maybe longer. If you don't get picked to serve on a trial during the day, you have still fulfilled your duty by showing up. OK so we are ready for the bad news. Then they also inform us that in all three trials the defendants took the bargain, thus avoiding the need for a jury. So that meant that they gave us our checks sent us home and we don't need to report back for 3-5 years.

yeah.

Torchwood Entry 2.0

TORCHWOOD 2.0

It has been a while since I mentioned Torchwood the BBC series made by the producers of the New version of Doctor Who. Anyway the BBC America cable station has been showing it here in the States on Saturday Nights. I got hooked on it. They have taken a break from it since they went through Season 1, Season 2 starts in the UK in early January and about a week or two later on BBC America. Pretty Cool stuff. It is hard to describe the show to the uninitiated, without also mentioning that the leader of the team was introduced in season 1 of Doctor Who 2.0. The show is sort of an X-files type show but with the feel of a CSI/NCIS type show. I'm not too keen on some of the blatant homosexual tendancies of the lead character Capt. Jack Harkness, which are more obvious in this show than they ever were on Doctor Who. But what can you do?

The DVD of season 1 is supposed to come out in late January around the time BBC America Starts showing Season 2. That is about how they have been doing things lately here in the states with Doctor Who. The season gets shown on Sci-Fi Channel or BBC America and then almost as soon as they have finished showing it, or most of the time a month or two later, the DVD gets released of that season. The downside is the new DVDs cost between $70-$100 USD with Doctor Who being closer to the higher price until it's been out for a few months then some places drop the price down closer to the lower price. Needless to say right now I only have season one of Doctor Who on DVD, but I have seasons 2-3 recorded on VHS and Torchwood season 1 recorded on VHS both off air and with comercials blah.

Money Whaaaooohs #1?

Money, money, money, money makes the world go round. At least that is what is sung in the movie of and the revival of the musical Cabaret Is it really true? MMMMMM could be. I certainly know that I've got more than my share of problems with it. Long story short I have signed up with a debt relief program to condense all my bills (well most of them at least the major PITA Credit Card ones) into one "easy-to-pay" monthly installment. We shall see how that goes. Anyway while I'm doing that I will not be able to use credit cards, so I wonder what sort of luxuries I now enjoy will dissappear because of any automatic credit card payments. I think I got rid of all those when one of my cards went BOOM! and my Netflix account screamed and died in a bloody mess. OK Whatever. NEXT!