"Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself." - Jane Wagner

Cup soccer?

"Senator Byrd lies in the Senate chamber."
I thought he died!

You should watch this video!
Breaking into a garage in six seconds
I think it would only work with a garage door with windows at the top, but if that's the type of door you have, beware! If you're watching this, so are they. At least when you're going on vacation it seems worthwhile to throw the slide locks on the rails.

I was out the door between 6:30 and 6:45 this morning and it was already in the high 80's. The wind was blowing out of the NE at about 10 mph, which means every leg that was uphill was also into the wind. By the time I got back from my 18-mile ride it was 91 and I was exhausted.
On the last leg, a 4-mile stretch coming back down the hill with a tailwind, I passed Mr. Wheelsucker again. This time I made sure I blasted by him and kept up the brisk pace so he had no chance of staying with me. I gave him a cheery "Good morning" as I went by.
I know that was juvenile and an illustration of male shallowness, but it sure felt good.

Poor Al is just so listless.

We gave away money so people could buy cars. It was supposed to kick start the auto industry.
We gave away money so people could buy houses. It was supposed to kick start the housing industry.
We gave away money so people could buy appliances. It was supposed to kick start the manufacturing industry.
Over the last few days we've learned that the the auto industry, the housing industry and the manufacturing industry are all hitting new lows.
TARP was supposed to keep unemployment below 8%. Bank bailouts? I still don't understand that one, but the FDIC is still closing down banks and Wells Fargo is still ripping me off.
But hey, we've managed to drive up the national debt to unimaginable levels. That counts for something, doesn't it?

President Obama gave a major speech today calling for immigration reform, a year after he promised to introduce legislation to that end. This allows the Democrats to woo the Hispanic vote four months before elections without actually having to do anything about the issue.

Tomorrow, July 2, is national "I Forgot Day." Two options for observing this day. You could forget something, including to celebrate this day. Or you could use it as an opportunity to make amends for forgetting something in the past, like your wife's birthday.

I like Roger Ebert's assessment of the new movie, "Airbender." He writes that the movie, "is an agonizing experience in every category I can think of, and others still waiting to be invented."

Al is due for his evening dose of the antifungal. It's a capsule. I pry open his mouth, put it as far back as I can get it, and then hold his mouth shut while I rub his throat. Then I give him a dog biscuit.
He's a sucker for dog biscuits, which we keep in a box under the sink. When he hears me open that door and get the box out he comes on over, only to get a pill crammed down his throat. So far his instinct for the biscuit overrides his instinct to avoid the pill routine. And the salivation that starts as soon as he hears the box helps with the process, too.
I still don't like doing it.