May 2008: A Reflection

On May 1st I got another picture of Chicken George in action:

On May 6th we got married, of course:

On May 7th we went to Baby Girl's mom's house on our honeymoon for a few days:

On May 9th we went to the Airforce Museum in Dayton:

Also on May 9th I completed the official 2007-2008 home video (CM237).

On May 10th we went to Carriage Hill Farm also in Dayton:

On May 11th we started our long journey home... First we saw this nifty alien sign.

Then, we crossed the Carl Perkins bridge back into Kentucky:

On May 19th I caught this cool picture of the moon coming up from behind the clouds and mountain:

And later, I completed the 71st WDN recording, "Larry King Live: Are UFOs Real?" (CM238). Awesome, two recordings in one month!

On May 24th locusts started their reign on Earth... Just mocking us until they return, and start eating our flesh in 2012:

















On May 29th I learned that I might be getting a bit of a "promotion" at work...

Dude, May 2008 was great! How was yours?

Photos From The Road

Tasting an A&W Oreo Swirl for the first time.

5-7-08.

Tasting fries from Big Boy for the first time.

5-9-08.

Tasting a Big Boy hamburger for the first time.

5-9-08.

Tasting a hot fudge cake from Big Boy for the first time. 5-9-08.

(Man, it was good!)

Greetings From Dayton!

Ummm... Hi, then.

Fill up for $5? You can in Utah

Cars that run on compressed natural gas are taking advantage of the lowest prices in the nation, and that's driving up demand for both the fuel and the vehicles that run on it.

By The Associated Press
Troy Anderson was at a gas pump in Salt Lake City and couldn't have been happier, filling up at a rate of $5 per tank.

Anderson was paying the equivalent of 63.8 cents a gallon for compressed natural gas, making Utah a hot market for vehicles that run on the fuel.

It's the country's cheapest rate for compressed gas, according to the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, and far less than the $3.60 or so national average price for a gallon of gasoline.

'This is practically free' "I'm totally celebrating," crowed Anderson, a social worker, who picked up a used Honda Civic GX earlier this year. "This is the greatest thing. I can't believe more people aren't talking about it. This is practically free."

Personal ownership of natural-gas-fueled vehicles in Utah has soared from practically nothing a few years ago to an estimated 5,000 autos today, overwhelming a growing refueling network, where compressors sometimes can't maintain enough pressure to fill tanks for every customer.

"Nobody expected this kind of growth. We got caught by the demand," said Gordon Larsen, a supervisor at Utah utility Questar Gas.
Utah has 91 stations, including 20 open to the public, mostly in the Salt Lake City area. The others are reserved for commercial users, such as school districts, bus fleets and big businesses, including a Coca-Cola distributor.

It's possible to drive the interstates from Rock Springs, Wyo., to St. George, Utah -- a distance of 477 miles -- and find 22 places to pull off and fill up.

California has more stations, but prices are much higher there, the equivalent of $2.50 a gallon for gasoline.

"Utah has the cheapest prices by a big margin," said Richard Kolodziej, the president of the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, whose members include utilities, Honda Motor, environmental groups and transit agencies.

Among major utilities outside Alaska, Questar is the country's cheapest provider of natural gas for home use. It can offer compressed natural gas for cars even cheaper because of a federal tax credit.

The incentives don't stop there. Buyers of new and some used and converted vehicles can claim their own federal and state tax credits totaling up to $7,000 -- nearly the extra cost of a vehicle fueled by compressed natural gas, also known as CNG.
Video on MSN Money

Republican Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman paid $12,000 of his own money to modify a state-owned Chevrolet Suburban last June.

"Converting to CNG gives us an opportunity to promote energy security and support a clean-burning alternative," Huntsman said in an e-mail. "Plus, who can beat running a Suburban on 63 cents a gallon?"

Mike Gaffa, a Continental Airlines reservation clerk, bought a used Ford F-150 pickup for $10,500. The vehicle came with a bonus: A previous owner had added three extra tanks that fill the bed of his pickup.

"I don't even keep track of gasoline prices anymore," Gaffa boasted. "You'd be hard-pressed to find another vehicle that can go 600 miles on a fill-up."

And when he runs out of natural gas, Gaffa can switch over to a regular gasoline tank for a total range of more than 850 miles.

Automaker can't keep up with demand Utah has caught the attention of Honda, which can't make CNG-equipped Civic GXs fast enough at its Ohio plant. For now, Honda makes the compacts available for sale to individuals only in California and New York, but the company says Utah could be next on their list.

Aside from fleet sales, no other automaker offers a CNG-powered car in the United States.

Most Utah buyers must turn to the used-car market. They are tracking down vehicles on the Internet, some made earlier by the Detroit automakers. Some dealers are hauling used CNG vehicles to Utah by the truckload.

"The demand in Utah is huge," Kolodziej said. "It's sucking all the used vehicles from around the country."

This article was reported and written by Paul Foy for The Associated Press.
Published May 8, 2008

Vacation / Marriage Time!

I'm officially on vacation now, until next Monday. Woo Hoo!
Getting married to Baby Girl tomorrow.
Going to Dayton for our honeymoon / vacation / escape.
Got a lot of packing to do.
Happy Cinco De Mayo!

WDN Chatters 913

1) How do you like your grilled cheese?
Like grilled cheese, maybe?

2) Where did you go on your last vacation?
Walmart.

3) Who are your godparents?
I'm not from New York.

4) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Sitting here answering more silly surveys.

5) Where are you at 8pm everyday?
Work. My second home...

6) How many speeding tickets have you gotten?
Purple.

7) What is your favorite movie?
Orange.

8) What is the last thing you said out loud?
"It must've been a lucky guess."

9) What do you think of the IPHONE?
Just another money scheme.

10) What do you think of winter?
I think it's the coldest season of the year, here on Earth. The leaves all fall off trees, it snows, bears hibernate, and it stays cold for about 4 months.

11) What do you do for relaxation?
Pick earwax out of my ears.

12) Where did you get your couch from?
My boss. It surprised me, because I stopped being his friend, like, a year before he gave it to me.

13) Do you use a plan book?
No, but I plan to buy one soon.

14) At what age do you plan on having kids?
Whenever it happens. I'll have to check my plan book...

15) When was the last time you swam?
It's been too long. I miss it... 2005, Myrtle Beach, I reckon it was...

16) What do you order at Subway?
Nothing. Bad people work there.

17) Do you keep your closets organized?
Of course, you idiot!

18) How do you make headaches go away?
Just wait it out, until they go away. I never get headaches, by the way... Maybe, like, once every 3 years, or something.

19) Have you owned a beta before? What was his name?
You mean, like, one of those old VCRs? I think his name was Magnavox.

20) If you moved out of state where would you go?
Any state that has an ocean close by. Preferably Maine.

22) Did you attend pre school?
Heh, I was just telling Baby Girl about this yesterday! I attended for about 3 days. I was afraid of a bald kid.

23) What do your shower curtains look like?
Plastic.

24) Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
Kinda. I used to talk to my finger, and call it "Baby Junebug."

25) How do you make eggs?
I don't. Birds do that.

26) Where do you wash your clothes?
Umm... In the washing machine... Duh!!!

27) Which parent do you look most like?
My mom, of course. My dad is a butt.

28) Who are the neighbors who live to the right of you?
I think they're serial killers, or something. I've never seen them out, and we've lived here for a year and four months!

29) What are your thoughts on Tom Cruise?
Over-rated.

30) What is the next vehicle you wish to buy?
A horse and carriage.

31) Do you pay bills online or by mail?
'Bout half and half.

32) What would be the best gift someone could get you right now?
I don't know, man. I have everything I could ever possibly want. Seriously.

33) What is something stressful you will deal with next week?
Trying to wake up, and go to work... That's kinda an every day thing, though.

34) What is something in your home that you collect?
Pepsi cans.

35) what are you doing tonight?
Probably watch a movie, and rock.

36) Who did you last see?
Ozzy. He's sitting in the window.

37) How do you take your coffee?
I don't.

38) What are you gonna be for a Halloween this year?
Work, like I always do.

39) On your keyboard what key is wearing out from pressing it so much?
Is that even possible?!

40) Where do you put your keys when you come home?
What, so you can break in, and steal my keys?! You freak!

41) Where do you go for Thanksgiving?
Work.

42) What color is your shirt ?
Camouflage.

43) What actor/actress would play you in a movie?
That would be a boring movie, whoever decides to play me...

44) How much cash is in your wallet?
Like, 15 bucks. Seriously. My job sucks!

45) Would you have a one night stand with your favorite movie star?
My favorite movie star is Nicolas Cage. I'm not gay... Besides, I have my soul mate now. Who needs one night stands?

46) What color is your house?
Purple with orange polka-dots.

47) If you were starving to death would you eat a pet?
You're weird, Survey Guy!

48) Ever been to Alabama?
I've been to 14 states. Alabama wasn't one of those. Sorry.

49) What kind of accent do you have?
Whatever kind you want me to have, I guess.

50) What kind of alcoholic drinks are in your fridge?
Water, juice, and pop. No alcohol, thank you.

WDN Chatters 912

1. Do you like chinese food?
It's great when I don't over-do it... And, most of the time I over-do it, because I want to get my money's-worth on the buffet.

2. How big is your home?
Big enough.

3. Is your room clean?
Yes, it is. Is yours?!

4. Laptop or Desktop computer?
Desktop.

5. Favorite comedian?
Jeff Dunham and Ron White.

6. Do you smoke?
No, I like breathing just fine.

7. Does anyone like you?
Most people do, I guess... Or, do you mean in, like, a third-grade-type of way? No, I've got koodies.

8. Whats the sexiest thing about Condoleeza Rice?
Umm... I don't know! Her toenails?

10. Sleep with or without clothes on?
Whatever.

11. Who sleeps with you every night?
Baby Girl.

12. Do long distance relationships work?
Worked for us. I'm not saying it'll work for you. Try it, and see, I guess...

13. How many times have you been pulled over by the police?
Uno. I was framed!

14. Pancakes or French Toast?
Pancakes all the way!

15. Do you like coffee?
Not, like, 15 times a day, or anything like that, but I'll drink it if I have to.

16. How do you like your eggs?
Pretty much any way, but rawl.

17. Do you believe in astrology
No. Planets are where God put them. Astrology is kinda like looking at grains of sand on a beach, and saying that they mean something, when all they really are is just grains of sand. There's nothing magical and mystical about them.

18. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Mum.

19. Last person on your missed call list?
My what?!

20. What was the last text message you received?
What is this "Text?"

21. McDonalds or Burger King?
Burger King, of course. McDonalds is icky!

22. Number of pillows?
4, I think?

23. Last thing you ate?
Oreo ice cream sandwich. Yes, it was awesome.

24. Last thing you bought?
I don't know, toilet paper?! Whatever the last thing the cashier rung up was, Silly.

25. What are you hearing right now?
Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," 4-9-93.

26. Pick a lyric?
"But the fool on the hill sees the sun going down, and the eyes in his head see the world going 'round."

27. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
It'd better be grape, man. Seriously, if it's not grape I'm throwing it in your face!

28. Can you play pool?
Yes, but not good.

29. Do you know how to swim?
Yes.

30. Favorite ice cream?
See number 23.

31. Do you like maps?
Yeah, what have they ever done to me? I have no reason to not like them!

32. Tell me a random fact:
I have listened to Nirvana, pretty much, every single day since 4-9-94. There have been a few days when I forgot to do so, and I was all mad, and stuff... Maybe, like, 7 times in 15 years, tops. I'm pretty consistent, though.

33. Ever had a hard on at work?
That could be disastrous. I'm a butcher!

34. Ever attend a theme party?
A huh?!

35. Ever do a beer bong?
I've never even tasted beer, so why would I do a bong full of it?!

36. Craziest place you've slept after a night of drinking?
Look, I just said I don't drink, dummy!

37. What is your favorite season?
Non-winter.

38. What is the first music video you ever saw?
Madonna's "Express Yourself." It was a lot of fun, because it's when I first started puberty. Heh.

39. Pick a movie quote:
"Why, Ike, I forgot you were there. You may go now." Best movie ever! "Tombstone."

40. Favorite quote:
Anything from "Tombstone," actually.

41. What is your favorite hangout?
Anywhere, really.

42. Best friend's name?
Denise. (Honorable mention, J.R.)

43. How long have you known them?
Denise = 2 and a half years.
J.R. = 6 years.

44. Last time you laughed at something stupid?
Couldn't say... Seeing Chicken George in Gary's driveway yesterday was pretty funny. He was just standing there, like a statue... Or, like he had to poop really bad, and he was holding it back, or something.

45. What time did you wake up this morning?
10:30-11ish.

46. Wake up next to anyone?
Every day, thank God.

47. Best thing about winter?
Christmas.

48. Name a couple of favorite colors:
Black and red.

49. What are you doing this weekend?
Working, as usual.

50. Who will take this survey?
I guess anyone who reads it will have to take it, because I'm not changing any of it!

Guitar-athon

Here's my guitar collection, in order of purchase:

Photo By Baby Girl

Recent Happenings

I finally turned our garage into a place to store the car, instead of just a place to store junk.


















On the way out to clean up the garage, I saw that our bird (the one we adopted last summer) has another bed, besides my shoe... Under the porch light!

And, my new cover CD is finally done, as of March 29th. I worked on this thing for almost 3 years, man! I'm kinda happy with it, though. It was fun. A lot of Nirvana and Beatles songs on it, but also a few others... Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, and the golden oldie, Rockapella song, "For The Longest Time." Don't ask... And, the next Cruel Music recording will be an audio book for "Gump And Company." And, again, don't ask...

Still can't find a job. Still looking.

Vacation number 1 looks as if it'll be coming on the first week of May. That's also looking like it'll be when me and Angel Baby will be getting married, May 6th, on the two-year anniversary of our two years together, or something... That's the plan. It's kinda hard to have plans when you work in a grocery store, but that's what we're hoping for.

Birdy.

Check it out, Dude! Our bird built its nest in one of my shoes! He slept up on the top of the porch roof rail thingies last summer.

WDN Chatters 911

1. Start Time
7:02 in the P.M.

2. Name
Me

3. Astrology sign
Sagittarius

4. Gender
Hemale.

5. Eye color
Blue

6. Favorite color
BLACK/RED

7. Glasses
No

8. Tattoos
Never

9. Hometown
Right here

10. Single or Taken
Taken

11. Sibling’s name(s)
Debra

*HAVE YOU EVER*

12. Cut your own hair?
Ever since 1996.

13. Do something in the past month that you regret?
Nah

14. Skipped school?
Nah

15. Bungee-jumped?
Nah

16. Punched someone?
Probably Debra

17. Hit on someone?
Nah

18. Been arrested?
Nah

19. Broken into someone’s house?
Nah

20. Cryed yourself to sleep?:
From 2000 until 2006, every other night.

21. Been to a funeral?
A couple

22. Used a lighter?
For what, like, blowing stuff up, or what? You should be more specific, Dude!

23. Been on stage?
Like, performing? Nah. I've been on several stages for several other occasions, but not like playing live, or anything.

*FAVORITE*
24. Season
Anything but winter. Winter is for the birds.

25. Food
MEXICAN -- yeah, that sounds good to me, too.

26. Ice cream flavor?
Oh Lord, Oreo!!!

27. Candy
Oh goodness, anything!

28. Breakfast
Pancakers, sausage & eggers.

29. Person
Baby Girl.

30. Book
I tend to say that every book I've ever read has been my favorite, at one time or another. "The Quickening" by Art Bell comes to mind right now.

31. Song
Today? "Under The Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

32. River
The Ohio river is neat. Any river in Georgia, too.

33. Place
In my baby's arms.

34. Sport to watch on TV
The one that doesn't involve over-paid jocks... Umm... Which one was that? Oh yeah, Nothing!

35. Disney movie
"The Kid," I think...

36. Disney princess
SNOW WHITE -- Yeah, I guess that goes for me, too.

37. Name for a son
Still don't know.

38. Name for a daughter
Isabella and Elizabeth.

*DO YOU PREFER*
39. Chocolate or vanilla?
Don't make me choose something this serious!

40. Coffee or Capp.?
Those coffee milkshakes are great!

41. Long relationships or one night stands
long relationships

42. Dogs or cats?
Meow.

43. Scary movies or comedies?
Either or...

44. Short or long hair on the attracted sex?
Long, please.

45. Croutons or bacon bits?
Either or...

*FIRST THINGS THAT COME TO MIND*
46. Chainsaw
Messy.

47. School
Dust board erasers.

48. Cows
Roosters.

49. Canada
Eh?

50. Mouse
Donald Duck.

51. Hand
Knee.

*THE PAST 3 DAYS, HAVE YOU?
52. Talked on the phone?
Yeah, a lot of telemarketers have called today!

53. Watched a movie?
I watch at least 17 movies a day.

54. Cried?
Haven't done that for a while now, actually.

55. Kissed someone?
15,000 times.

57. Used drugs?
Alka Seltzer.

58. Read a book or magazine.?
In its entirety? No way, Dude!

59. Watched TV?
No, when I watch those 17 movies every day, I just use the wall... Duh!!!

60. Looked in the mirror?
We don't have any mirrors. We're vampires.

61.Taken a shower?
No. I don't do that sort of thing.

62. Taken a picture?
Not with me in it.

63. Listened to music?
Constantly.

64. Told someone you love them?
15,001 times.

Time: 7:25 in the P.M.

Put how long it took you to take this in the survey in the subject.
Make me, Punk!

The ” Minute Survey.
You just don't give up, do you?!

WDN Chatters 910

THINK BACK TO 8tH GRADE...
Mm’kay.

Lets see how much you remember!
I remember everything, actually.

- Who were your best friend's?
Roger, Nathan, and Jeff.

- What sport did you play?
Me, playing sports?! LOL!

- Did you buy your lunch?
Yes

- Skip School?
no

- Did you get suspended/expelled?
no

- What was your favorite class?
8th grade was a fairly depressing year. That's when my depression started really heating up. I hated everything, and school was excruciating. I didn't have a favorite class, thank you.

-Did you go to the dances?
No

-Would you go back if you could?
Wouldn't really want to. It made me who I am now. It would be kinda funny to go back, and beat up the bullies who used to torment me, if I could get away with it, and not affect future outcomes, and stuff.

-Where did you sit at lunch?
We'd walk down town at lunch, and try to avoid all the bad people.

- Who was your science teacher?
Paula Abul.

- Who was your English teacher?
Bill Clinton.

-Who was your social studies teacher?
David Lee Roth.

-Who was your math teacher?
Madonna.

- Describe your outfits in the 8th grade?
Jeans and t-shirts. What else?! I mean, GAWD!

- Did you use to prank calls?
Yeah, WDN was in its prime back then. We did a lot of crazy stuff in 1990.

Funniest thing that happened that year?
It obviously didn't happen at school! Probably some prank call with WDN, actually.

Saddest memory?
School.

-Who did you like?
No one. I had enough pressure to deal with as it was!

- Was it your favorite year of middle school?
It was my most depressing year of middle school, so I guess that's kinda like being my favorite, eh?

-Do you still hangout with the same people that you did when you were in 8th
I don't really "hang out" with anyone, except for the guys at work. It's sad... I don't have time to do crap. It's amazing that I'm actually doing this survey!

Into The Wild

Have you saw this movie, "Into The Wild," or read the book, or heard the story about Chris McCandless? Good stuff! Check it out, in one form or another, if you haven't already. I'd never even heard of it until Eddie Vedder did the soundtrack for the movie, so kudos to Eddie Vedder for bringing this story to a lot of people's attention!

As I was watching the movie I couldn't help but notice how much Chris McCandless was like me 7 years ago. That was me! I was anti-society, I hated the powers-that-be, I didn't see the point of money, and possessions in general. The only difference was that I didn't know how to fight society's rules, so I eventually gave up and joined society. Kudos to Chris McCandless for actually having the guts to pull it off!

I took the long way around, but the path I chose turned out perfect. It led me to my soulmate!

WDN Chatters 909

1. Who was the first person you talked to in 08?
Baby Girl

2. The first person you hugged?
Baby Girl

3. The first person you called?
No idea, man... Santa?

4. The first person you texted?
I'm happy to say that I have never "texted" in my life.

5. The first thing you drank?
Mud.

6. The first person that called you?
Some telemarketer.

7. The first person that texted you?
Ozzy.

8. Have you talked to all of your top 8 yet?
You never know. That's the horrible truth of it all. They could be among us, and we don't even know it!

9. Any of them?
I'm sure at least 6 of them are aliens, but I just don't have any way of knowing for sure.

10. Who was the 1st person to hang up on you?
My grandma.

11. What was the first song you heard?
"Mellow Yellow" By Donnavan.

12. Who was the first person you thought of?
My 6th cousin, Bobby Gene.

13. What was the first thing you ate?
Socks.

14. What where you wearing at midnight?
Socks.

15. First kiss?
Baby Girl.

16. First fight?
Ozzy.

17. First laugh?
Socks.

18. First person you said 'i love you' to?
Baby Girl.

19. First stupid thing you did?
Tripped over my socks.

20. First thing you bought?
A rock.

Fun Day!

Today was awesome! I finished recording the February Cruel Music CD, first. The CD is still untitled, by the way... I'm thinking, maybe, I'll have a contest, and just let the fans name the CD. The best title wins, or something... Anyway, me and my baby built a lot of the village after that. "The village?" you ask? Yeah... I'm kinda re-visiting my childhood obsession with trains. I got a train set for Christmas, and I've been waiting for the right moment to put it together. So, today, me and Baby Girl put it all together, complete with houses that we've been collecting along the the way. I had to build a table, and then I finally started it out like this:

The next piece of the puzzle was building the train track:

Then, came the houses:

And, here's the "finished" product:

We'll probably keep adding stuff to it for the rest of our lives, but that's how it looks right now, at this very minute.

The Happening

Hey, how's it going? Been a while... So, what have you been up to? I've been keeping myself busy with some forms of "music." Goofy, Cruel-Music-type "Music," that is... I'm kinda on a mission, I guess you could say. I'm going to record at least one new Cruel Music CD or video for every month of 2008. I've been too lazy for too long! It's not exactly a "New Year's Resolution" that I have, or anything, because I don't do "New Year's Resolutions." It's just that... Well... Cruel Music has been around for 20 years now, and we've only done 233 recordings, to date. That sounds good, in a way, but, just look at the Catalog page, man! These last few years have not been very productive. 2001 was our last good year. That was 34 releases in one year! That was awesome! It was our best year ever, actually. Now, I know as well as you know that 2008 is not going to see 34 releases by a long shot, but I don't think 12 releases (for the 12 months of 2008) is asking for too much, do you? Didn't think so! So, yeah, that's the goal... The Cruel Music Mission Statement... There will be at least 12 new recordings done this year! Maybe even more. Who knows?! Anyway, the one I'm working on right now has a working title of "Turning Back Time." I'm, like, 75% done with it. It's going to be about the stupidest piece of crap ever released by Cruel Music, I guess, but it's creative... CREATIVE. That's the magic word, kids. I'm trying to get creative again! It's been a while... And, I figure, the end of the world is less than 5 years away anyway, so I might as well make the most of it! Right? ...December 21, 2012... It's all going down!!!

Umm... And, here's a crime-scene photo that Denise took a couple nights ago:

Exhausted from all the recording I've been doing, no? Could be... Ozzy will be playing drums on a couple of the new tracks:

Ozzy Is A Freak!

Every time I go to the bathroom Ozzy follows me in there. About a week ago he started jumping in the bath tub every time I go in there, and he does this:
















...And, here's the inside view:





















I don't get it...

69

After nearly three years of inactivity in Cruel Music, I started recording a new WDN album tonight. This will be the 69th WDN album, and it's kinda exciting, I think. I'm taking WDN into a slightly new direction. That type of thing is necessary; Change, I mean. Change... It's all about change... (Excuse me, if I seem a little off right now, but it's, like, 2:30 in the morning, and I'm a bit sleepy). 2008 marks the 20th year of WDN, so it has to change, and sorta evolve, from time to time. The first incarnation of WDN was done with Terry (the creator of WDN) and myself, in 1988. Then, in 1989, we evolved a little more when we added Roger to the big show. Terry left WDN in 1993, so we evolved again. Roger left WDN in 1995, and, you guessed it, more changes... Ryan climbed on board WDN in 1998, which brought about more changes, of course. Then, Ryan left WDN in 2001 (Did someone say "CHANGE?"). I kept WDN going in the same vein as the "Ryan Era" until 2005, and then it just got boring. So, now, I'm bringing back a new, improved, better, more powerful even, WDN!!! WDN69 is going to be a Larry King interview done with Oprah Winfrey.... It's hard to explain, but it'll feature a whole cast of characters, and it'll be the greatest comedy album you've ever heard in your whole entire life!

Side Effects Of Being Bullied

I've been studying what makes people "tick" over the last few years... You know, what makes them who they are, why they are who they are, etc... I saw this guy, who I went to school with, but who I was never really friends with, a couple months ago. He talked my ear off! He, pretty much, just opened up, and let it all out. He mostly talked about how he is not getting along with his wife, and how he thinks they're going to get divorced. But, he also touched on how his "dreams of becoming a professional wrestler were shattered" when he broke his back, and how he was tormented throughout high school. That's kinda what got my attention. He had his little group of friends, just like I did. His group were outsiders, just like my group. Neither of our groups were popular. Both of our groups were teased, bullied, and made fun of. The same people that made fun of him all his life were the same people who made fun of me. We should have been friends. Our two groups should have formed an alliance, and destroyed the bullies. But, we didn't. Why? He turned out to be a paranoid, drug addict, psychopath. Why didn't I turn out like that? The side effects of being bullied had two totally different outcomes on us. I kept all of my pain inside, and became this shy, sad, little, pathetic manic depressive, man-child. It all released this huge amount of creative energy in me. It released hate, violence, and drug dependency in him. It's weird, man... Why did his depression make him crazy? Why wasn't he with me, creating music, or art, or something? All of this stuff was going through my head while he talked (for, like, 45 minutes) on that December day. And, that little creative burst of energy in me was forgotten, until I saw him in the grocery store yesterday, and I hoped that he wouldn't "open up" to me like that again, as I was on my way home for lunch. He just spoke for a minute, yesterday, so that was cool... When he finally got done talking, in December, he apologized for talking so long, and said, "I guess I just needed someone to talk to." I felt bad for him. I didn't want to walk away, and tell him that I had to go, or anything... I just stood there, and absorbed his energy. My depression never made me crazy, like him, but I could relate. I used to walk in his shoes. I don't hurt anymore.

This is *TOO* funny!

Massey Energy fine sets record

Richmond-based firm to pay $20 million to settle pollution claims

Friday, Jan 18, 2008 - 12:09 AM Updated: 01:24 AM

By GREG EDWARDS AND REX SPRINGSTON
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS

Richmond's Massey Energy Co. set a record yesterday for a corporate water-polluter.
Massey Energy settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agreeing to pay a $20 million civil penalty, the largest ever for a water-pollution case.

The violations occurred in West Virginia and Kentucky.

The nation's fourth-largest coal producer also agreed to invest about $10 million at mining operations in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia to ensure that the pollution never happens again, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

"This is a landmark case," said Robert Klepp, the EPA's lead attorney in the case.

"Because of the penalty, there is a strong signal to Massey and everyone else . . . that it doesn't pay to pollute," Klepp said in a phone interview.

The Massey Energy case gives Virginia the dubious distinction of having a connection to the EPA's two top civil penalties involving wastewater permits.

The second-largest penalty is the $12.4 million ($15.9 million in today's dollars) that a federal judge imposed on Smithfield Foods in 1997 for polluting a tributary of the James River in Isle of Wight County.

Even as technology improves to allow the cleaner burning of coal, the Massey Energy case shows that lots of pollution can occur before that coal is burned, said Cale Jaffe, an attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, an environmental group.

"We need to be looking at the extraction side as well," Jaffe said.

Massey Energy's stock closed at $28.86 yesterday, down $3.46 or 10.7 percent, on news of the EPA settlement.

However, by removing the uncertainty that had surrounded the lawsuit, the settlement is positive for the company, said Steven F. Marascia, a securities analyst with Anderson & Strudwick in Richmond. The cost of the settlement should be something that Massey Energy can absorb, he said.

The fine is much higher than the $5 million the company had initially estimated and had set aside, but lower than some analysts had predicted. The additional $15 million will be charged against Massey Energy's earnings in the fourth quarter of 2007 and will not be deductible for income-tax purposes, the company said.

Massey Energy will not report fourth-quarter earnings until the end of January. For the first nine months of last year, ending Sept. 30, the company reported profits of $89 million on sales of $1.56 billion.

The settlement "will benefit the environment as well as our shareholders," Baxter Phillips Jr., a member of Massey Energy's board of directors, said in a statement.

"When we factored in the costs and uncertainties of litigation and the absorption of management time on the matter, we concluded that our shareholders would best be served by a timely settlement," Phillips said.

In a complaint filed last year, the government alleged that Massey violated the Clean Water Act's permit rules more than 4,500 times between January 2000 and December 2006. The violations resulted in the discharge of excess amounts of metals, sediment and acid mine drainage into hundreds of rivers and streams, the Justice Department said.

Some pollutants were discharged at levels more than 10 times over permit limits, the government said.

The EPA also charged the company with spilling large amounts of slurry -- waste containing metals and sediment -- numerous times into local waterways. Sediment can clog streams and kill fish.

The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval of a federal judge in West Virginia.

(Now, if only someone would sue them for the second highest fine for scalping all those innocent mountains...)