First off, they had some this morning.  Apparently there were multiple rumors flying around about apple telling stores not to sell anymore because of the itunes server issues.  This morning though, the apple store had some in stock.  The Lakeline mall did not nor did the store near there in Texadelphia.  But, a few scattered AT&T stores near Parmer/35 and also near the domain/arboretum did have some.

One of our readers “superman” went this morning to be number 16 in line at a store and talked to a guy who was 2 away yesturday from getting one and had he arrived 5 minutes sooner he would have got one today.  That has so got to suck to wait for 6 hours and still have nothing to show for it.

As far as my own iphone goes - last night I was able to activate as soon as I got home from work.  iTunes backs up your iphone, syncs of contacts if you have that setup on your apple computer - syncs with mobile me, and then syncs any applications you’ve already downloaded.

One of the cool features (and slightly scary): Sitting on my couch in the corner of my house and then clicking on the maps - finding my location and having the blue dot right on the corner of my house where I am - with the satalite hybrid picture of my roof.  I also like the twitter plug in - it allows you to show pictures really quickly to others.

Let’s just say they are more than helpful useless.  With today’s technologies and methods of being efficient.  AT&T is succeeding in throwing up more red tape and paper pushing in an otherwise normal business transaction. (Names changed or blotted out to protect the wicked)

Thank you for your patience! An AT&T sales representative will be with you shortly.
You are now chatting with SXXXX, an AT&T sales representative.
SXXXX: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support.  How may I assist you with placing your order today?
Pylorns: I would like to know if I could do the credit check for the iphone online instead of going into a store.
SXXXX: No I am sorry Pylorns that is not available online. You would have to order a phone and plan to see if you are eligible.
Pylorns: SO, going into a store would be doing the same thing then right?
SXXXX: Yes, that is correct.
Pylorns: Ok, if that is the case then would I actually be buying the iphone and not receiving it until Friday?
SXXXX: No, you would have to order another phone to see if you are eligible.
Pylorns: Why would I want to order another phone when I want to buy an iphone. Your website says to do a pre-qualifying credit check
Pylorns: Reduce your wait time on launch day, July 11. Visit the AT&T store where you will purchase iPhone 3G today for a pre-qualifying credit check.
SXXXX: Yes, you would have to do the credit check at an AT&T store.
Pylorns: And by doing that am I buying a phone prior?
SXXXX: No, you would just be checking to see if you are approved.
Pylorns: So you can’t do that online though?
SXXXX: No, I am sorry the only way to do it online is through an order process.
Pylorns: ok thank you for your time.

A friend of the family related a story to us about what happened to him yesturday. Here is the account of what happened as my mom tells it:

He was in the Albertson’s parking lot when a young woman with a young child approached him asking for $10 to get her son’s medication. She said she was just $10 short of being able to fill the prescription. Our friend told her to come with him and he would pay for the entire cost. She, of course, hemmed and hawwed. He insisted that it was no problem, that he would be glad to cover the entire amount. She hurriedly moved on and he watched her hit on (and score!) $10 each from two other shoppers. So he went in the store and found the manager and they watched her prowl the parking lot a few more minutes before calling the police. When our friend came out from shopping, she was being handcuffed and the child was in a Social Services car. Sad for the child!!! But the mother deserved to be held accountable for using a minor in a scam operation.

So what would you have done? It actually bothers me quite a bit that she would involve a child in this.

You remember those “Choose your own Adventure Books“? I used to read them periodically as a kid, but I haven’t thought about them in years until a movie or a TV show referenced them recently and jogged my memory. Those books were great, if you screwed up, sometimes you were a lot of page turns into the damn story and you were screwed, so either you had to back track or you just started back over again.

Anyway, nostalgia over, lets choose our own adventure between two choices.

You’re in a Turkish prison. You have the option of staying in a cell with several seedy looking fellows who are considerably larger than you, very smelly, and unfortunately have a significant amount of pent up sexual frustration. To you, your ass looks like a nice New York Strip…with maple syrup.

So you’ve made the choice to leave the cell for solitary confinement, but you didn’t know the catch when you agreed to it. Now you can’t go back just like those choose your own adventure books. You have to choose between:

Cutting off your hand.
Cutting off your foot.

What’s it going to be tough guy?

In an historic decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, they have upheld our INDIVIDUAL rights to keep and bear arms, stating that the Washington D.C. ban on firearms is unconstitutional.

This is one of the most important decisions of our lifetime. If not because it protects only our rights to bear arms, but it says that the Bill Of Rights shall not be infringed. The problem is that if one right, guaranteed by the constitution can be taken away from us, then other rights can be taken away also.

More to the point, the second amendment is the one that ensured all the rest. You see, in history, there has never been a population armed with rifles, intent to resist, that has been able to be suppresses by an oppressive government. This means that as long as we have the right to bear arms, we also have the right to resist injustice and stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves; in other words ensure our liberty.

Freedom is not freedom if it is controlled by someone else. Freedom is only freedom if you grasp it with both hands, and refuse to let it go up to and including at the cost of your life.

If you still have your doubts, think of the worst despots, fascistic, dictators, and tyrants of the 20^th century. Let me give you some examples: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro, Slobodan Milosevic, Augusto Pinochet, Ibi Amin, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Qaddafi, Pol Pot, Fransisco Franco, Enver Hoxa, Nicolae Ceausescu, Che Guevara. What do all of these men have in common? Upon assuming power, they all took dramatic steps to limit the ownership of firearms by the body politic. Many of them armed revolutionaries, but never have they armed civilians.

It only makes sense though. If you are planning to strip a group of people of their rights, property and liberty, who wants them in any kind of condition to resist?

In the coming months, we will see hundreds of smaller cases contesting our right to own different types of firearms, attempts to limit particular firearms in certain areas, and expansion of rights in the forms of fully automatic weapons and silencers. Don’t let these suits scare you. Whether or not they are enacted or turned down should be a state’s issue. However the greater right is ensured.

Please watch these events carefully. They will have far reaching repercussions. I truly believe that great amounts of good will come from this ruling.

I’m sure that many of you still have questions. Many of you may disagree with my opinions on this matter. I want to state openly that I respect the opinions of those that do not agree. So I am making this offer: If any of you have questions that you would like answers to, if you agree or disagree with the supreme courts ruling, or if you would like more information about my personal standpoint on firearms, write in. Please let us know what you think of this issue. However, if you write in on this matter, please expect that I will comment on your opinion, but I promise I will do it with intellectual thought and an attempt at kindness.

God Bless America.

I know we owe you a podcast. It’s recorded, and we’re mixing it. I was hoping to have it for you last night.

But look at the timestamp on this post. 4:45 AM.

…

I just got off of work. From a shift that started at noon.

Yesterday.
Podcast will be up today, sometime- hopefully.

Out.

Well because of my vacation, I’ve had a short work week which has been nice.  I also just got paid… what’s that song?” “Friday night.. just got paid.. money in my pocket..and I’m going to master pancake…”  Yeah, I made it rhyme.. I know. 

So tonight we’re heading out to the Alamo Ritz to see one of my favorite movies (although not my most favorite out of the Sean Connery Bonds) Gold Finger. Presented by Master Pancake.

There are also lots of new movies out that I haven’t had a chance to see and two I believe that came out today The Hulk and The Happening.  Also flics I’m very interested to see.  The Hulk is being released a 2nd time as an origins type movie because the first one blew donkey chunks.  Hopefully this one will fare better.  I’m very interested to see The Happening because aside from the Village I’ve enjoyed everything that M. Night Shamalamadingdong has done so far. Seriously, Unbreakable was awesome - better than the 6th sense.  Signs was not bad, and Lady in the Water was really good!  All of his latest flics have done so-so in the theaters but they have done well enough to allow him to continue making big budgeted flics.  I’m crossing my fingers that this one does really well. 

Anywho, hopefully Finley and I will have a chance to discuss the summer movies on our next podcast. 

I’m in Atlanta, GA. for a quick mini-vacation for the weekend.  We hit up the Georgia Aquarium and a Braves game last night, today we’re heading out for Stoney Mountain.  

Tomorrow, I make my way to Austin.

Truth be told, I’m not looking forward to the drive. That being said, it’s at least better than the drive to The OKC that could have been made on Sunday directly from here. Today was mostly spent visiting with friends and family. I saw Beerslinger again, and we went and had lunch with a friend of his from his church. Afterwards, I visited my grandmother and ate- again.

It’s a tradition, you see. Any time I go over there, she insists on feeding me. Mind you, I’m not complaining. The food’s damned good, and I’ve spoken on Wetwired before about how good the food is that my grandfather creates. Still, I was full.

After this, I went and saw the dress rehearsal for my neice’s dance recital.

For almost 4 hours.

With many portions repeated.

…

My sister, who has patience for this type of stuff, was begging for the end of the performance portion of her daughter’s recital so we could leave. When that magic moment came, you could have only known which way we went by the dust trail we left behind in our rush.

This is my last day in Baton Rouge until Christmastime. I’ve enjoyed the trip, and though I love Austin and will enjoy being there this weekend I will miss this town after this trip. Baton Rouge has not always been a great place for me, but this time around I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation.

So, I’ve got that going for me I suppose.

Out.

Many people tend to go out and spend ridiculous amounts of money on their vacations, going to parks and doing things that they end up paying doe the rest of the year.

Me, I’m sitting on a couch.

See, my trips tend to be low-cost if possible. I try to stay with people and avoid hotel or motel rooms if possible. I help buy groceries, which tends to be a lot cheaper than eating out. I try to be a good guest. And why do I do this, you may ask?

Well, mostly because one time I was a dick unintentionally and I’ve never forgotten it.

I’ll explain. 7 years ago, I stayed with my sister and her husband while recuperating from surgery. I ended up leaving a bit of a mess, and they were pissed.

Naturally, I was a bit perturbed- at myself.

I mean, who could blame them?

So, from then on I’ve tried to be as good of a guest as I can be. I clean up as  ucha s possible, I help clean, I help take care of the kids, etc. I buy groceries, pick up food if needed… and it works.

Since then, they’re happy to have me over any time. It’s all good, in fact.

We’re going out tonight as a family, for sushi (one of our favorites, it turns out). Tomorrow, I’ll visit my father for a day or two. From there on, I am making the trip to Austin for the weekend.

Good times.

Out.

We salute you. Thank you for what you have done in the past, what you are currently doing, and what you will do in the future. 

Friggin’ Christ, it’s hot out there.

So, apparently I chose to come down on one of the hottest, muggiest weekends of the year to date. I know what you’re saying- “No kidding, dumbass. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the Summer season. Of COURSE it’s hot!”

Well… yeah, I’m an idiot on that front.

Still, it’s nice to have nothing to do for a few days. I’m relaxing, everything is nice… and I’m starting to consider a vasectomy after dealing with little children the last few days.

On the upside, if my 3 year old nephew punches me in the balls one more time I won’t have to worry about the vasectomy. So, I’ve got that going for me.

Out.

I’m in Wetwired East once more.

Yesterday, I made the 700 mile drive down from The OKC to BTR, getting into town about 6 PM. I first went to see the family, then caught up with Beerslinger. He’s doing well, having long since retired his barkeeping skills but retaining the wit and banter that have kept us friends for 15 years. We had planned to see the new Indiana Jones movie, but me being tired and wiped out from the drive kinda killed that plan.

No big deal. I’ll see it soon.

With the trip, I see the nieces and nephews that I don’t get to see growing up, and I’m amazed as they develop into their own little people. Of particular note is my younger brother’s son, who is beginning to develop personality traits and recognition. They grow up so fast, and I am missing out on these times with them.

I’m in town here for a week, then I head up to Austin around Thursday or Friday. From there, it’s back to The OKC next Sunday. I’m definitely enjoying the time away, and it’ll give me that recharge I need every so often.

I’ll keep you informed if anything major happens here. Otherwise…

Out.

It’s actually interesting, I went to my first non-denominational church on easter of this year.  Now another Church in the Austin area is doing this:

Members of the HighPoint Fellowship, non-denominational church in Cedar Park, will buy down the price of regular unleaded gas to $2.49 at the Exxon station, 1900 Bagdad Road in Cedar Park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Customers will get to pay that low, low price for their gas as the church pays for the rest.

Austin-area gas prices hit an average of $3.44 this past week, according to AAA Texas.

The last time Austin-area gas prices were at the $2.50 range was in March of last year.

Wow, now that’s cool stuff. I just hope if I manage to get out there, people are respectful when they go to fill up and don’t fight over the lines.

 Every bartender, no matter how stupid, quickly picks up on “danger spots”. That’s what we call the signs that a person or persons may cause trouble. The cardinal rule of danger spots is that dogs and drunks are very much the same- they are always braver in packs. Three mildly intoxicated “nice guys”, trying to show off for one another are always more trouble than one severely drunk prick sitting all by himself. I’ve seen this rule proven so many times it is my belief that it should be made a scientific law and placed right between gravity and relativity.

These three fairly well dressed women sit down at the bar and order some food to go. They show no visible signs of intoxication and I have no problem serving them two bud lights and a gin and tonic. Girl’s night out. Lots of giggling and flirting. Lots of drinking. At this time I red light them. This means I intend to cut them off but won’t tell them until they order the next round. Now every bartender hates to cut people off. Especially when they are not power drinkers, rather just people having fun. I was very relived when the food came before the booze ran out, another dirty job i could take a rain check on. As they are leaving i begin clearing away their drinks and find one missing. This has happened before, women trying to smuggle out drinks in their purse and such. I run to catch up with the lady, and realize that she has neither a purse, nor a drink in her hand. The only explanation is that she took it, and my interest is peaked to see where she hid it. When I very politely confront her, she giggles like a schoolgirl and says “caught me, didn’t ya?” In a crowded restaurant she then unfastened her belt and jeans and squatted down.

After a bit of digging around she produced the drink from the front of her pants.

While washing my hands thoroughly and disposing of the glass, I came to two conclusions. One, alcohol can make you do things you don’t want to live to remember the next day. Two, next time I don’t see a glass in hand, or a purse, I’m going to sit down, shut up and leave it the hell alone.

Sneaky Peach:
1 1/4oz peach schnapps
2oz cream of coconut
2oz orange juice
1oz grenadine
1oz sweet and sour mix
6oz crushed ice

Blend thoroughly. Pour into hurricane glass, garnish with an orange slice.

[Ratings]