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I’ve got thirteen channels of sh*t  on the TV to choose from.

-‘Nobody Home’ by Pink Floyd

The above quote is so archaic at this point in time that you want to tousle its hair and tell it how adorable it is. Have you looked at how many channels you have access to recently? The descriptor is still fairly accurate, though it’s through the eyes of the beholder.

There are just way too many channels that I will never watch, and I’d love to not have to pay for them. Sports would be the first set of channels that go away. There have been two occasions where sports have been on in my house – once for HD testing, and once because a couple of friends came over to watch a World Series game last year because their cable hadn’t been hooked up yet. I’d be glad to be rid of them, on general principle. Don’t even get me started on Spanish channels. I don’t speak Spanish, so I’m paying for channels that I cannot even understand.

So, it’s not wonder that I’ve long been a fan of the idea of paying a la carte  for cable TV.  I would love to see a smaller bill from Charter.

This morning though, I found something that actually moved my irritation from passive to active. I found a chart from last year showing the costs to a cable provider per channel. Click here to see the memo. Seriously, go look at it. I’ll wait.

I know that everyone derives entertainment from different things, but I’m going to say, for me, the idea of paying about $6.45 for the top two sporting channels is outrageous. I didn’t even bother adding up the Spanish Channels, because I’d probably pop a blood vessel. And this is on top of the “Well, you can get HBO by itself, but it’s actually cheaper to bundle every channel we offer" scam. I bet that if I could go out to Charter’s web site and put a checkbox by the channels watched in my house, it would end up with under 10 selected, plus one or two premiums (assuming you give me reasonable prices for them – $5 a channel seems about right.)

There’s also a larger issue here – we’re subsidizing channels that otherwise would have no chance of ever making it. What’s the revenue plan here? Just leech off the subscriber fees forever? Seriously, there’s a Wedding Channel on my lineup. If you can show me how that channel would make it in  a world where cable subscribers aren’t forced to pay for it, I’ll eat their CEO’s business card.

I was logging into Audible this morning to download a book that someone recommended to me and discovered, in a note on the front page, that David Eddings had passed away on Tuesday.

I was introduced to Mr. Eddings almost 20 years ago by a member of the staff at Oxford Books here in Atlanta, who almost negligently pulled the first few books of the Belgariad off the shelf and handed them to my ex-wife. We devoured those books, and went on the read the Mallorean as well. Later on I read the Elenium and the Tamuli, as well as his standalone novels set in the world of the Belgariad.

His most popular writings always touched on the time-worn themes of a “man of destiny”, engaged in a quest, struggling against the forces of evil to determine the fate of the world. The theme may have been common, but his rich characters and his ability to convey humor, tragedy, triumph and detail brought the books to life for me. I frequently re-read the Garion books, as well as the Sparhawk adventures, and I always feel like I’m revisiting stories told around the fire with old friends, and I’m often surprised when I read a passage and discover something that I had missed before. The books were amazing, and I’ve always found them much more accessible than Tolkien and other “masters” of the genre.

Eddings, always self-effacing, is reputed to have said in an interview once a reader was no longer challenged by his writings, they were free to then move onto "somebody important like Homer or Milton." I think he underestimated himself. I may visit other worlds, but I always come back to that busy kitchen on Faldor’s farm in central Sendaria.

I’ve never talked to anyone who has read any of his stories that didn’t feel the same. Such is the power and legacy of Mr. Edding’s work.

I find it particularly poignant that the book I’ve been listening to this week is “Domes of Fire” (Book 1 of the Tamuli). I’ve been waiting for it to come to audio book, and I was almost giddy when I found it finally. I’ll finish the series for the hundredth or so time soon, only this time, it will be with a tear in my eye and a profound gratitude to the man who shared this wonderful world with me.

Rest in peace, sir. You will be missed, and we are richer by far for your wonderful works.

NEW YORK (AP) — James T. Newman, a Vietnam War helicopter pilot whose rescues of downed airmen earned him the Distinguished Service Cross and other honors, has died. He was 73.

Newman’s son, Jay, said he died Sunday at the University of North Carolina medical center in Chapel Hill of complications associated with lung cancer.

Newman was twice nominated for the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for valor. While he did not receive that medal, he did get a Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest award for combat valor, the Silver Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and 23 Air Medals, among others.

In an interview years later, the Georgia native said he could "get the shakes" in recalling such incidents although at the time he had felt "no fear."

He first served in Vietnam in 1966, suffering a leg wound that nearly led to an amputation. Regaining flight status, he returned in 1970 as commander of C Troop, 2/17 Air Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division.

His first nomination for the Medal of Honor came in February 1971, when he rescued four U.S. crewmen from a crashed medevac helicopter on a mountaintop base in Laos where South Vietnamese Rangers were under heavy attack by North Vietnamese troops.

The same week, he rescued two other downed pilots by chopping down small trees with his main rotor blade, an act that astonished helicopter experts but earned Newman a Silver Star.

Five months later, Newman rescued two more pilots injured in a crash near the Laotian border, spotting a flash from their signal mirror and extracting the men with seconds to spare.

Richard Frazee, another former C Troop member, called Newman "a man of immeasurable courage who made us all feel invincible."

In 2000, Newman was inducted into the 101st Airborne Division’s Hall of Fame at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery, the family said.

…like the moon and the stars and the sun."

28 years ago today, John Lennon was killed. I was nine years old.

My father is a HUGE Beatles fan, and consequently, I was raised listening to them. I remember being devastated and confused when I heard it on the radio. I couldn’t understand why someone would want to kill someone else. I cried a lot the next day, and I remember my teacher asking me why I was crying and being somewhat stunned that a child of nine would be that upset over a musician being killed.

Take a moment and remember the man behind the music.

The tech community has been holding its breath for over a week now, praying for a man that most of us have never met. James Kim, his wife, and his three daughters disappeared without a trace after Thanksgiving while driving in a dangerous and remote part of Oregon. We allowed ourselves hope earlier this week when we found out that rescuers had located the car, and miraculously, the wife and children were alive and in reasonably good shape. Kati Kim kept her children alive against all hope through her bravery and ingenuity.

Today, we learned that James’ body had been found. He set out on foot on Saturday, nine days after becoming lost, to try and find help. It’s a hard blow to take, even though most of us couldn’t have picked James out of a line up. He was one of our own, and we were pulling for him.

The media (indeed, even the media in our own little world of technology) and those who think they know better will argue about the merits of going off into unknown conditions in the middle of winter in Oregon. Sure, on paper, it might look like a much better plan to hunker down and wait for the cavalry, but we’ll likely never know what drove James to leave the car and his family. After nine days, this man must have decided that the cavalry wasn’t coming, and he had to take matters into his own hands.

He must have known that it was a dicey proposition at best, and he still left the car to search for help. He staked his life against the chance of saving those he loved, and ultimately, he died while trying to save his wife and his daughters. His family meant more to him than his own safety.

James faced up to the ultimate measure of a man, and he was not found wanting. I only hope that if I am ever measured in this way, I will have the courage to say the same.

Rest in peace, James. We’re all proud of you.

*follow up thought – Someone pointed out to me today that the reason we all rallied around this story was its "closeness to home". Sure, we all hear about and sympathize with all the bad things happening in the world, but we can completely personalize the idea of making a wrong turn and getting lost.. I think that makes a lot of sense.

Ahhh, high school.

Remember the jocks? The kids that got to do and say whatever they wanted, because they were jocks?

Nothing has changed.

On April 23rd, professional football player Ricky Manning was sitting in a Denny’s with a bunch of his friends, when they noticed a guy sitting alone, eating dinner, working on a laptop. Manning and his gang proceeded to start picking on the guy, who eventually asked the management to have them removed.

So what happened next? Exactly what would have happened in high school. They beat the guy senseless, and fled the scene. He was sitting by himself, working on a laptop. They called him a nerd, and beat the crap out of him. Six thugs beat him senseless, because he was a geek.

Manning is currently charged with assault with a deadly weapon (his fists).

Odds are, He’ll get nothing more than a slap on the wrist, AGAIN. Why? Because this is America, and pro athletes are neither expected nor required to be men. We consider them role models for our children, simply because they can run faster, or throw farther. Because of a higher percentage of muscle tissue and better reflexes, we as a society allow them to be whatever kind of cowardly thugs they want to be, and then we reward them with multi-million dollar contracts. We do not hold them accountable for their actions.

Here’s the punch line:

Manning’s response after making bail, and finding out that he got signed?

"I was pretty down this morning because of the situation," Manning said."But when I found out I was a Chicago Bear, it kind of brought a little light to the day. … I can’t let something like this let me have a bad start to my football career in Chicago."

And the Chicago Bears organization?

A spokesman for the Chicago Bears says that the criminal charge will have no bearing on their $21 million, five year contract with Manning. In fact, the Bears scheduled a conference call Monday night to talk about their new player.

Update: Manning was suspended by the NFL for one game as a result of the incident, and eventually plead guilty to the charges in exchange for his second probation deal. He claimed that he “had words” with the man, but that his former teammates were the ones that committed assault. He also claims that the only reason he plead guilty was because he was “in season” and it might disrupt the team if he went to a jury trial. Disgusting.

Late fees return at some Blockbusters

Yeah, I knew this was going to happen. I hope it bites them on the ass HARD.

I can’t explain to you why I loath Blockbuster. I just do. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that over the years, I’ve averaged about $7 per rental when you tack on the late fees. I’ll grant you that that issue is my fault. It still chaps my ass though.

Another reason I detest BB? I was a charter member of their 3-out unlimited program. Essentially, I paid $24 a month to rent any number of movies I chose to. I could have three out at a time, and never pay a dime in fees. Then they “made a mistake” with my bill, and canceled my service. When I went to straighten it out, they told me that since the service had been canceled, I wouldn’t be able to sign up for it again, as they were only offering the 2-out program now. Only people who had maintained their 3-out would get to continue with it.

Seriously, why does ANYONE go to Blockbuster anymore? You can join Netflix for less, and never have to worry about a late fee.

The Huffington Post | The Blog

Holy crap, are you kididng me?

Hillary Rosen bitching about lack of interoperability in the iPod?

That is a huge turnaround from what I thought she’d be saying. It would seem to me (as she’s spent a lot of years trying to tell me that digital music piracy is going to rob me of hearing the next Chrisbritneytina AguiJessica Simpspears) that she’d be all about something that locks you into using your own CD’s or music you purchase from iTunes.

Here’s where the whole thing falls apart:

DRM. Hillary, the reason you can’t buy stuff from any other site that sells you MP3’s is that companies like Napster are DRM-ing the crap out of the music so that the RIAA can’t sue them for aiding and abetting pirates. Take the DRM out of the picture, and you can throw MP3’s at the iPod all day long. Sure, you can’t play WMA (or whatever format MS is using this week), but who really wants to? They sound like crap anyway.

/sigh. How many times must I say this?

Sell me the right to use my music in anyway I choose. Once I own a copy of the song, I own it, and I can do whatever I want with it. Make an MP3, copy it to cassette, scribe it in clay, burn it to a CD. Don’t “license” the digital file to me. Don’t make me buy it over and over as formats change. Just send me a letter saying I own “Pretty Hate Machine” and that I can do whatever I want with it.

An American icon is gone.

"When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future," Reagan wrote in a final address to the nation, "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."

Last week, the Shelby County Alabama Legislative Delegation hosted a “Stand Up for America Rally”. More than 1,200 people attended including featured speakers Chief Justice Roy Moore, Adjutant General Mark Bowen and Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.

Attached is a copy of Mrs. Chapman’s speech, which resulted in five standing ovations, tremendous applause and an encore. It’s a short read and well worth it. I hope you enjoy it as we continue to “Stand up for America”

I’m here tonight because men and women of the United States military have given their lives for my freedom.

I am not here tonight because Sheryl Crowe, Rosie O’Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane Fonda or Phil Donahue sacrificed their lives for me.

If my memory serves me correctly, it was not movie stars or musicians, but the United States Military who fought on the shores of Iwo Jima, the jungles of Vietnam, and the beaches of Normandy.

Tonight, I say we should support the President of the United States and the U.S. Military and tell the liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and music and whine somewhere else.

After all, if they lived in Iraq, they wouldn’t be allowed the freedom of speech they’re being given here today. Ironically, they would be put to death at the hands of Sadam Husssein or Osama Bin Laden.

I want to know how the very people who are against war because of the loss of life, can possibly be the same people who are for abortion?

They are the same people who are for animal rights but against the rights of the unborn.
The movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and serve as “human shields” for the Iraqis. I say let them buy a one-way ticket and go.

No one likes war. I hate war! But the one thing I hate more is the fact that this country has been forced into war-innocent people have lost their lives – - and there but for the grace of God, it could have been my brother, my husband, or even worse my own son.

On December 7, 1941, there are no records of movie stars treading the blazing waters of Pearl Harbor.

On September 11, 2001; there are no photos of movie stars standing as “human shields” against the debris and falling bodies descending from the World Trade Center. There were only policemen and firemen – underpaid civil servants who gave their all with nothing expected in return.

When the USS Cole was bombed, there were no movie stars guarding the ship – - where were the human shields then?

If America’s movie stars want to be human shields, let them shield the gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or New York City, let them shield the lives of the children of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them down to sleep on the floor each night to shelter them from stray bullets.

If they want to be human shields, I say let them shield the men and women of honesty and integrity that epitomizes courage and embody the spirit of freedom by wearing the proud uniforms of the United States Military. Those are the people who have earned and deserve shielding!

Throughout the course of history, this country has remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal activists, but because of brave men and women who hated war too.

However, they lay down their lives so that we all may live in freedom. After all – “What greater love hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friend”, or in this case a country.

We should give our military honor and acknowledgment and not let their lives be in vain. If you want to see true human shields, walk through Arlington Cemetery. There lie human shields, heroes, and the BRAVE Americans who didn’t get on television and talk about being a human shield – they were human shields.

I thank God tonight for freedom – - those who bought and paid for it with their lives in the past- – those who will protect it in the present and defend it in the future.

America has remained silent too long! God-fearing people have remained silent too long! We must lift our voices united in a humble prayer to God for guidance and the strength and courage to sustain us throughout whatever the future may hold.

After the tragic events of Sept. 11th, my then eleven-year-old son said terrorism is a war against them and us and if you’re not one of us, then you’re one of them.

So in closing tonight, let us be of one accord, let us stand proud, and let us be the human shields of prayer, encouragement and support for the President, our troops and their families and our country.

May God bless America, the land of the free, the home of the brave and the greatest country on the face of this earth!