my own drum

Atlanta inventor Lonnie Johnson has developed a method to produce electricity which requires no fuel, produces no harmful by-products, and needs no moving parts.

The Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, or JTEC, uses natural heat to force ions out of a hydrogen cell. It is made up of two closed hydrogen cells which are attached to pairs of electrodes. The cells are stacked - one being a low temperature stack and the other is a high temperature stack. Current flow compresses the hydrogen in the low temperature stack, ionizing the hydrogen and forcing the electrons through a membrane to the high temperature stack, where the hydrogen expands. Current is generated as electrons are freed. The high temperature stack generates more power than than the low temperature stack which creates an excess. This excess can then be used to power electrical devices. Hydrogen is not consumed or added in the process, and no emissions are produced.

Here's a link that probably explains it all better than I could ever hope to explain: JTEC System

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A group of burglars made their rounds in the East Atlanta neighborhoods on October 27, 2008. In two cases, the homeowners had installed video cameras and managed to obtain footage of the burglaries. Fortunately no one was home - one of the burglars can be seen carrying a pistol as he stands on the back porch of a home.

If you notice the date and timestamp on the first video, you'll see that the entire heist takes less than two minutes. The second video is also less than two minutes in length, but has been compiled from different cameras. I have to assume the robbers were just as quick at the second home. Also, both of these robberies took place within a half hour time span. There is no telling how many other homes were robbed in that same day, but it might be interesting to try to find out. One thing I did notice when watching these videos is that both homes had a deck. Perhaps the burglars targeted these homes because people with decks are known to have wide screen TV's? I don't know.

The video footage from both of these homes has now attracted national news attention. The local paper in Atlanta has also carried information about these burglaries. And, at least according to the comments on one of the videos, the perps are now in custody. Let's all pray that they get plenty of time to reconsider their chosen career path, especially in light of the fact that one of them was armed.

From looking at the first of these videos it appears that the burglars knew about the video camera on the back porch. Three out of the four made attempts to conceal their identity. The fourth appears to be an idiot, but a clearly recognizable idiot. In the second video it appears that none of these guys had a clue that they were being videotaped for all the rest of us to see.

In both cases, the homeowners have vowed to improve the surveillance on their property with the addition of more cameras. I would hope they pony up for something with better resolution as well. One of the burglars looks like he could be one of the dope dealers in my neighborhood, but a closer look at the first video indicates that's probably not the same guy. And, when I think about it, dope dealing is probably far more lucrative than stealing and neither one will warrant much more than a wrist slap from a judge in this town.

Kudo's to the homeowners for posting these video clips on YouTube. It's good to see that site has more potential than watching some moron fire bottlerockets out of his ass.

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Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was recently in Denver and she sat for an interview with a local station (KUSA-TV). That interview included a feature called "Question from the Third Grade." The interviewer asked our Veep-Want-To Be, "Brandon Garcia wants to know, What does the vice president do?"

"That's a great question, Brandon, and a vice president has a really great job, because not only are they there to support the president's agenda, they're like the team member, the team mate to that president," Palin said.

"But also, they're in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom. And it's a great job and I look forward to having that job," she said.

According to the constitution, the vice president's main duty is to replace the president if the president dies, resigns, is removed from office or can no longer carry out his or her duties for other reasons. The Constitution names the vice president as the president of the Senate but allows the vice president to cast a vote only to break a tie.

From Article 1, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution:
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

From Article 2, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution:
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

From Amendment 20, item 3 of the U.S. Constitution:
3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

From Amendment 25, item 1 of the U.S. Constitution:
1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Nowhere in any of that do I read where the Vice-President "runs" the Senate. If John McCain has not yet had any doubts about his choice of running mate, surely now is the time. I'm reminded of that fateful day when Alexander Haig was running around the White House declaring himself to be "in charge" To wit:

In 1981, when President Ronald Reagan was shot, Vice President George H.W. Bush was traveling in Texas. Secretary of State Alexander Haig responded to a reporter's question regarding who was running the government by stating, "Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should the President decide he wants to transfer the helm to the Vice President, he will do so. He has not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course."

Clearly Alexander Haig did not know the presidential line of succession any more than Sarah Palin understands the duties of the Vice-President. Thank you Sarah Palin for educating our third graders.

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The Toltec people were mostly prominent in Mexico, Yucatan peninsula, the Gulf coast and possibly ranging as far as the Pacific coast. Their appearance was after the fall of Teotihuacan and before the rise of the Aztecs, or roughly 900 to 1200 AD. The word Tolteca is synonymous with artist, artisan or wise man. And so it generally considered that the Toltects were a force of intelligence. However, the Toltecs also had a warrior class. It seems that they were perhaps smart enough to want to protect themselves.

In the modern world there are several reputable Toltec scholars and teachers. Recently my travels have allowed me to cross the path of one such teacher, don Miguel Ruiz. Actually, a friend let me read one of his books, The Four Agreements.

To be honest, my first reading of this book was difficult. Not because the material within was hard to understand, but because of the simplicity and straightforward way the material was presented. I read at a fairly high grade level, devouring technical manuals with ease. So when I encounter a book written to reach the rudimentary reader I cringe.

In my first reading of this book I was able to grasp that something important lay within the pages. So I set it down, and two weeks later began reading again. This time I got it, I understood the message. And the message is clearly meant to help each of us attain a higher level of personal and spiritual interaction.

I'm going to give you each of the four agreements here, but I will not expand upon their meanings. I have no desire to infringe upon the original authors discourse. I do recommend that you search out this book and read it for yourself, then pass it along to a friend. (There is a link to Amazon.Com at the bottom of this article - it is for your easy reference, I have no affiliation or interest in Amazon.com.) And so, here are the four promises:

1) Be impeccable with your word.
2) Don't take it personal.
3) Don't make assumptions.
4) Always do your best.

Pretty simple stuff, right? Don't be so fast. I have found that in my everyday life it is very difficult to practice these four agreements consistently -- and I consider myself a fairly decent person. I actually have more than two decades of practicing 12 step principles on my side, and these four agreements have opened a brand new dimension.

Starting from the day that you accept and understand these four agreements your life can be transformed. You can be free of daily drama, conflict, and stress. You can immediately improve your personal relationships. You can free yourself from the bondage of self. You can dream of a life that you always wanted, and see that dream become realized. You can be happy again. You can bring happiness to others.

Now is the time for you to embrace change. It's time to become the person that you should be.

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Amazon.com - The Four Agreements

The Dead Mans Party is THE Halloween bash to attend. The party will feature 4 bands, special guests, a Halloween costume contest, vegan sweets, organic tea, a photo booth, and corroborative doodling (Collabadoodle). Admission is only five dollars.

The entertainment will include The Natives, The Back Pockets, Dark Nites of Camalot, El Jefe, and others. You are encouraged to bring your musical instruments for some community jamming.

Gather your ghoul friends and come celebrate the season with us at Dead Mans Party. The location is 368 Ponce de Leon Ave. It's a little hard to see from the road, but there is a gate on Ponce that leads back to the main building. If you get lost, it's immediately next door to the Yaarab Shrine, located at 400 Ponce de Leon Ave. (You can't miss the Shrine.)

This fellow is going to get his 15 minutes of fame, and more attention than he ever bargained for. So without further ado let's meet Joe, the plumber.

Born Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, he currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and works as a plumber. Joe was born in the Toledo area, grew up in the Florida Panhandle area, went to Springfield High School, and then entered the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at an Air Force base in Alaska from 1992 until 1995, when he was was honorably discharged. He lived in Arizona from 1997 until 2000.

Joe railed against Senator Obama about having to pay more taxes, and thus began his road to fame and shame.

Joe is not a plumber, at least not a legal plumber. Oh sure, he's a big fellow and I'm certain that when he gets under your sink to fix a leaky faucet the crack of his ass will be visible throughout the room, so he sounds and looks like a plumber. But Joe isn't licensed as a plumber. At least no one has yet produced a license, including Joe. He claims to be working under the license of Newell Plumbing & Heating Co., but according to Ohio building regulations Joe must maintain his own license to do plumbing work.

Joe said he objects to the idea of raising income taxes on incomes above $250,000. But... Joe claims that he makes no where near that much money -- he would not say how much he makes. Court records from a divorce show that Joe made $40,000 in 2006. So why is he even complaining? Perhaps it's because he's delinquent to the to the state of Ohio for nearly $1200.00 in back taxes from 2007. The Ohio Department of Taxation placed a lien against him because his personal property taxes have not been paid. However, there has been no action in the case since it was filed. Hey Joe, expect a visit from the taxman, very soon.

Joe may not be registered to vote. His name appears on Ohio voter registration rolls with a slight misspelling -— as Worzelbacher, not Wurzelbacher. That sort of data entry error might be enough to have him disqualified from voting in Ohio this year.

Finally, Joe may be remotely involved with Charles H. Keating Jr., who in September 1990, was criminally charged with having duped Lincoln Savings and Loan Association customers into buying worthless junk bonds of American Continental Corporation. Some of you may recall the ensuing free fall debacle of savings and loan failures that followed. Keating was convicted in state court in 1992 of fraud, racketeering, and conspiracy and received a 10-year prison sentence. In January 1993 a federal conviction followed, with a 12-and-a-half year sentence. The convictions were eventually overturned while Keating spent 4 and one-half years in prison. On the eve of the retrial on the federal charges Keating pleaded guilty to several felony charges in return for a sentence of time served. So what is Joe's connection. His brother, Robert M. Wurzelbacher Jr., served as senior vice president of American Continental Corporation and plead guilty to three federal fraud counts in connection with the collapse of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association and agreed to testify against his father-in-law Charles H. Keating Jr. That might account for Joe the Plumbers time in Arizona. It also might account for why Joe felt the need to harass senator Obama, since Joe appears to currently be a devout Republican who is smitten with Sarah Palin.

Don't be too surprised to discover that Mr. McCain, or someone in his campaign, set all of this up with Joe long before that fateful day that he questioned Obama's tax position.

Nixon - Dirty Tricks - Plumbers
We've seen it all before.

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Are you tired of politics yet? There have been more than 20 debates in the last 18 months. Have you heard enough yet? Political advertisements are set to barrage television Prime Time. Have you seen enough already? Any poll worthy of mention has been mentioned. Enough already! Are you tired of politics yet?

Let's talk about polls for a minute. The first obvious question is who does the counting? It's not a question with a quick answer. There's CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Bloomberg, Ipsos-McClatchy, Pew Research Center, Gallup, NewsWeek, USA Today... the list goes on and on and on. With all of these pollsters you think you might know just one person who has participated in a poll. That brings up the second question, whose opinion are we really looking at? In my 55 years I've never once been asked to participate in a poll. And I don't know anyone who has participated in a poll. There is no verification; all these numbers could be nothing more that the desire of the current pollster.

However, for all of the numbers it's nice to know that none of them really matter. At least not to the average guy or gal on the street. The below-average person may well be influenced by these irrational yet irrefutable numbers, but the average person already knows what he/she thinks.

There is only one poll that counts. No, it's not the exit poll on election day. That poll simply gives reporters something to talk about. I did participate in an exit poll one time, and I lied about everything I did in that booth. So much for reporting the facts. You might think the final tally of popular votes would be a poll that counts. Don't count on it. You may recall that in the year 2000, Al Gore actually won the popular vote, 50,999,897 votes to Bush's 50,456,002 votes. Bush and Cheney took office.

The reason has to do with the one poll that counts, the vote of the Electoral College. This system is described in Article II, section 1 of the Constitution.

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Electors can be appointed by a state's legislature, or the legislature could empower the governor to choose electors. In some cases, state law allows for such appointments if the popular vote cannot be used to determine a winner, such as if election results are contested up to federally-mandated deadlines. These Electors are not bound to vote along party lines or to the desire of the popular vote of the citizenry. In other words, they are free to vote their conscience, or lack thereof.

Currently, the Electoral College includes 538 electors, 535 for the total number of congressional members, and three who represent Washington, D.C. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December, the electors of each state meet in their respective state capitals to officially cast their votes for president and vice president. These votes are then sealed and sent to the president of the Senate, who on January 6th opens and reads the votes in the presence of both houses of Congress. The winner is sworn into office at noon on January 20th.

So forget the polls, forget the hype, in fact forget everything, except to exercise your right to vote on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November. This year that day is November 11th. Then hope and pray that on December 15th the Electors for your state vote in a manner that reflects the popular vote in your state.

The only poll that counts in this election is the one that is counted on January 6, 2009.

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Not in Ohio, fatman.

Richard Cooey is scheduled to die by lethal injection in the state of Ohio for his part in the sexual assault and death of University of Akron students Dawn McCreery, 20, and Wendy Offredo, 21, in September 1986. Mr. Cooey has filed an appeal in which he claims to be too fat to be executed humanely, since the executioner cannot find viable veins in his chubby arms. With good sense the Supreme Court has rejected this appeal. Furthermore, a pre-execution medical examination has revealed that Cooey's fat veins are just fine.

I'm too fat to be humanely executed,
claims convicted murderer Richard Cooey.

Here's the other appeal, one that's always bothered me, and it's actually heard quite often: Cooey was still waiting for a ruling on his appeal of the Ohio Supreme Court's dismissal Monday of his complaint that the state's protocol for lethal injection could cause an agonizing and painful death.

An agonizing and painful death. And what about those two young women, Mr. Cooey? Were they adequately consoled while you and your partner sexually assaulted and then killed them? Were they? I'm going to speculate and say they were not! Those two women were probably terrified. And you and you buddy, Mr. Cooey, probably enjoyed every single moment of their terror. So for you to appeal on this ground, that of an agonizing and painful death, is little more than malarkey. Most of us, at least secretly, hope you suffer greatly under the death inducing cocktail that the state of Ohio will soon pump into your fat little veins.

Enjoy your final meal of T-bone steak with A-1 sauce, onion rings, french fries, four eggs over easy, toast with butter, hash browns, a pint of rocky road ice cream, a Mountain Dew soft drink and bear claw pastries. It's more than you deserve, and a hell of a lot more than you gave your victims.

UPDATE: The state of Ohio has carried out the execution of this morbidly obese man, at 10:00am on Tuesday, October 14, 2008.

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I thought I heard it all by now, but it has recently become clear that I still have a lot to learn. A conversation the other day among friends came around to, believe it or not, anal bleaching. Yes, you read that correctly: Anal Bleaching.

Apparently the need for anal bleaching arose first in the porn industry. OK, now that does make sense. If you are baring it all for the camera then you want everything to look good. And who wants to look at an aged and worn looking anus? Thank goodness the answer to that question is, "hardly anyone", and so mine is safe from prying eyes. But for the anally conscious there is hope.

Before we get too much deeper into the subject let me dispel a thought I'm sure you are having. Anal bleaching does NOT involve bending over with a bottle of Clorox in hand. There are creams specifically made for this, and presumably they are anal safe. One would hope so, if one were contemplating such a procedure in the first place. So please, don't douse your ass with common household bleach. If you do, you deserve the burn that you'll certainly get.

You may have already asked yourself this question too (although it had not occurred to me); what about vaginal bleaching? Yes, the same cream will work there too. Isn't modern science amazing?

Now you may be asking, who does this stuff? Well, it's very popular in Los Angeles and Miami. But I doubt that you find too many places in between those two cities where you can safely even mention something like anal bleaching. Just imagine asking about this is in, say, Arkansas. Frankly, I don't want to think about what the locals there might want to suggest, or do. Don't get me wrong, I like folks in Arkansas, I even know a few, but I would never in a thousand years make a hint about anal bleaching. I shudder to think what could happen.

However, if you're a high-fashioned jet setter porn star living on either coast, and your very livelihood depends on pink, well there is finally a way to maintain that fresh look. If you are a regular habitué of Brazilian waxing then anal/vaginal bleaching may also appeal to you. If you're the sort of person who enjoys having something that no one could possibly guess, this is for you too.

For my part, I'll stick with the Charmin, although I must profess a secret desire to use a bidet.

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Apparently it still pays to be a pirate. If you haven't yet heard the coastal waters off of Somalia are ripe for the pickings as vessels ply their way across the Indian ocean through the Gulf of Aden. And those pirates are not at all discriminate in their targets. They will seize pleasure craft and cargo ships at will.

In September 2008 those pesky pirates intercepted a yacht and demanded one million dollars to release the French couple that was on board. Maritime officials said that an armed gang was sailing the Carré d’As towards a remote fishing village used as a buccaneer den. The semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland held as many as ten other captured vessels, all of them awaiting their ransom for release. So far, this year alone has seen more than 30 vessels pirated.

The most recent pirated ship was carrying 33 Soviet designed T-72 tanks and a large supply of ammunition and grenade launchers. This load was headed for the Kenyan military. But a closer look at that cargo has revealed that the arms were actually part of a secret arms deal for Sudan. Of course, had the ship never been pirated, that deal would have remained a secret. Ukrainia, the source of those arms, is denying that it has done anything wrong.

And the payoff for this particular vessel is pretty hefty. Negotiations started at 35 or 40 million dollars. Apparently the pirates are willing to now settle for a paltry 8 million dollars, in U.S. one hundred dollar bills. Oh, and they want assurances that the U.S. Navy won't blow them out of the water after they get paid.

Frankly, I think either the U.S. Navy or the Russian Navy, both are on the scene, show fire a missile or two and sink that ship. Yes, I know, there are some innocent crew members on board.. or are there. Sure, these guys were just doing their jobs, but it appears they were making an arms delivery to the Sudanese, who are using the weapons against their own people. The captain, at the very least, must have known the intent of his cargo. For all of that, by sending this vessel to the bottom of the gulf a clear message will be delivered to the pirates, with another message delivered to the arms dealers.

It's still a bit difficult to fathom that in this day and age we are still under siege by a horde of bandits on the ocean waterways. Not only that, but we know where their pirate lair is located, and where they are docking these vessels as they await their booty. Someone, methinks, is asleep at the wheel.

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Still the newest band in Atlanta, Georgia, The Back Pockets are preparing to embark on a series of shows around the area.

The first of these will be an acoustic set on October 6, 2008, at Java Monkey in Decatur. Java Monkey offers an intimate experience for it's patrons, and a smaller stage for any performers. It's been said that there is only enough room for three performers on the stage. The Back Pockets are preparing for this show with a minimum of equipment and talented members. Actually, they may rotate several members of the band through the set.

Then, on October 17th, The Back Pockets will be performing at the Red Light Cafe in Atlanta. This show will see the return of Aviva to the lineup, and it promises to see several new songs by the talented Pocket songwriting team of Emily and Lindsey. This is a show to get excited about!!

On October 24, 2008, The Back Pockets will present their Psychedelic Hallows Eve Ball. Costumed patrons will receive a reduced entrance fee. There will be plenty of spooky costumes, as well as the usual audience participatory goodies like drawing and a photo booth. Never let it be said that a show with The Back Pockets will leave you wanting.

Two more shows are scheduled to round out the year. The first is the No Pilgrims Allowed Thanksgiving show, set for November 22, 2008, at Wonder Root. The second is set for December 6, 2008, at Eyedrum in Atlanta. Both of these shows are expected to be fun filled events.

To learn more about these events, or any others that may be scheduled, be sure to visit The Back Pockets MySpace page or their newest web site, located near this blog.

MySpace

The Back Pockets

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On a second attempt, the U.S. Congress approved a 700 billion dollar bailout package that will mostly benefit the high fliers of Wall Street, although there are a few minor concessions to the man in the street, Joe America.

Presidential candidate John McCain was speaking in Flagstaff, Ariz. and stated that the bill was not perfect and there was more to be done. What really strikes me as the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. McCain made the following statement, "But we must stop the damage to our economy done by corrupt and incompetent practices on Wall Street and in Washington." There seems to be no mention of the corruption and incompetence of the current Administration, which has decided that a policy of deficit spending is far better than having a prudent reserve. Politics as usual, Mr. McCain.

So now the U.S Treasury Department will undertake the most expensive government intervention of private enterprise in history. Their stated goal is to help prevent the imminent financial collapse of Wall Street. And this is being done at the expense of the taxpayers of this country. Meanwhile, some 159,000 of those taxpayers were out of a job last month. That's the highest unemployment figure in five years. So I ask, who is going to carry the burden of this bailout bill? I'm going to speculate that the richest American's will still manage to avoid paying an equitable share, and the poorest will shoulder most of this bill.

Some added inducements to this version of the bailout bill includes tax credit for the production of solar, wind and other renewable energy. It also includes an adjustment to spare middle-class families from paying the alternative minimum tax. The alternative minimum tax was originally intended as a means to ensure that the richest Americans pay their fair share, but over the years the numbers have changed so that now many people earning $30,000 to $50,000 a year are caught up in this net. Just another gift to middle American's from President Bush's tax cuts.

And yes, Wall Street still managed to close the week lower than it started, nearly 818 points for the week. So while we may be out of the trees, it appears that we are still very much in the forest.

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