You gotta love Macon, GA. 

Cruising to Other Worlds

(Over the top movie promotion or just a quack?)

We're not alone in universe, says Tom Cruise

BERLIN (Reuters) - Hollywood actor Tom Cruise not only battles creatures from outer space in his latest film "War of the Worlds," he also believes aliens exist, he told a German newspaper on Wednesday.

Asked in an interview with the tabloid daily Bild if he believed in aliens, Cruise said: "Yes, of course. Are you really so arrogant as to believe we are alone in this universe?

"Millions of stars, and we're supposed to be the only living creatures? No, there are many things out there, we just don't know," Cruise, 42, said in the interview published in German.

Cruise is a follower of the Scientology church founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, and his recent willingness to discuss the faith has raised eyebrows in the media.

Most controversially, Cruise criticized actress Brooke Shields for revealing she had taken antidepressants. An official Scientology Web site argues that people should live drug-free.

Cruise also dismissed psychiatry as a "pseudo science," invoking the ire of the American Psychiatric Association that called the remarks "irresponsible."

But many scientologists feel they are unfairly criticized, arguing that although many believe in the concept of aliens, it is not such an unreasonable proposition, and that the side effects of some medication are not fully understood.

Cruise's new film "War of the Worlds" is based on British writer H.G. Wells' 1898 story of the invasion of Earth by Martians.

On the road again. Up two in the points. 

Monday morning sunrise--a mixed blessing. 

Oh yeah, uhuh!

We passed English, and got out of summer school a week early. On to the 10th grade. Any 10th grade English teachers out there--batten down the hatches.

I love Photoshop. 

I'm finally starting to fool with the close-up setting on my camera--hydrangea. 

Bee balm. 

Blackberries next to the house. 

I've hired someone to take care of the yard in Mississippi for the summer. Went this past weekend, and it looks like it used to. 

This small pear tree at the house in Mississippi is always loaded, sometimes so much the limbs break. 

Ran across these pix. Damn, it's been a long time since Fogleberg. Then . . . 

and now. 

Nice picture. Gregg Allman with the Blues Brothers. 

Duane Allman in what looks like a very serene musical moment. 

The ABB playing at Duane's funeral. Can't see Gregg, but Delaney Bramlett can be seen behind Dickey Betts in the middle. 

What a picture. Duane Allman (right) with Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, July 1971. He was one of the "friends" on the Delaney and Bonnie and Friends album, along with George Harrison, Eric Clapton and all of the Dominoes. 

Schduled for Surgery

I'm having surgery next week. The XM Radio/CD player will be taken out of my truck, sent off for repair and, they promised, will be back Friday. There is a CD (Deja Voodoo by Government Mule) stuck in the player. A week without XM. There is a 100 percent chance of withdrawal seizures.

Jeff Gordon fan honors his No. 1 NASCAR driver. 

Holey Moley. 

ExEmmed

Heard Thursday morning, 9:30 a.m., on XM's 40 (Deep Tracks). My favorite Stevie Ray Vaughn song, "Change It," from Soul to Soul, 1985.

Googled it, written by Doyle Bramhall (didn't know that). Another great Texas bluesman.

I heard him sing his version on XM's Bluesville the day of the Armadillo Festival. Excellent stuff.

This is what happens when the bearings on a coal-carrying train overheat and the engineer stops on a creasote bridge. 

More Pictures

. 

Thank you Vincent. 

Hell Updated

Andrew got back home Tuesday night; they didn't have to keep him overnight.

During the first bronchioscope, the doctor was unable to get the object out of his lung, because he did a flexible bronch, and the object was imbedded with lung tissue growing around. They brought him back, were going to send him home, and have him come back later.

There was an ENT there, looked at the x-ray, and said he could get it. He went back in a second time, under anesthesia a second, and the ENT, using a rigid scope, went in, used a laser, cut it out and retrieved.

Andrew's mother called me after everything was over, and said he had breathing problems during the first procedure. She told me this morning, not wanting to tell me on the phone Tuesday, that the "breathing problem" was that Andrew quit breathing during the first procedure. They had to bag him. So close to losing my son, and I wasn't there.

After everything was over and done, we learned that the bottom two lobes of his right lung had collapsed. The ENT said he should be back on his way to being able to breathe much better, and hopefully have fewer problems with pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.

Today, he's at summer school (thrilling), and maybe all is better (not yet right) with the world.

There are times when you seem completely inept at parenting, and so unfit and ill-equipped to do so. This could easily be one of those times. Right now, I'm so thankful to have my son around, I'm not even going there. Hard lesson learned and duely noted.

Bronchioscope Hell

Andrew had a bronchioscope procedure at Arkansas Children's Hospital today on his right lung. He's had problems breathing, diagnosed with asthma, hospitalized once for pneumonia and had it twice again, but not enough for hospitalization. He's also susceptible to upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, etc.

They "bronked" him twice, the second time after he had problems breathing after coming out of the first one. There was an ear, nose and throat specialist there who said, "I can get it out," and he did.

"It" was a damn plastic doo-hickey he accidentally inhaled 3 ½ years ago from a toy blow gun. I took him to an ER for choking symptoms. After a while, they said he was okay. Stupid, stupid, stupid on my part for not following up, or suspecting that caused the problems.

It's 4:20 p.m., now. They think they'll be able to release him in a couple of hours. His mother, an RN, will take him home to Bastrop with her and watch him tonight, then bring him to Hamburg Wednesday morning (if they release him tonight)–hopefully in time to start summer school Wednesday morning. Bad timing all around; too close for comfort.

And I was at work while all this went down–worried shitless.

As it was in 2003, so shall it be Sunday. 

Apparently a lot more to come this year. 

Hmiel: That's Why They Call It Dope

NASCAR.com

Firefox, anyone?

Does anybody Firefox? We're considering a mass exodus from IE. Your thoughts?

Ted Turner: Pot, Meet Kettle

My Way News

Gardenia. Can't you just smell it? 

I love the way the sun hits a tree in the distance and lights it up against a dark, cloudy sky. This was Wednesday evening, with the clouds moving north of the house and to the east. Since it didn't show up in the photo like it really looked, you can probably tell I cheated and Photoshopped it to make the clouds look darker.