Monday thoughts.

--I'd like to thank the good people at Sharpie Permanent Marker company for putting such a good cap on their excellent markers. I pulled out some laundry out of my previously-mentioned Duet washing machine the the other day, and a Sharpie pen marker fell out on the floor. I checked everything. Not a single drop of ink had leaked. Amazing.

--I doubt that less than 90% of the evidence that I've packaged up in my career in law enforcement had markings on the packaging from Sharpies. NONE of the software discs that I've sent in were devoid of Sharpie ink.

--Cops often clean up nicks and scuffs in their black duty leather with Sharpies, too, as a field expedient.

--My elder daughter got all A's on her last report card. This continues her year-long streak of all-A's, despite taking all the honors classes that she can, being first chair in band, being well-ranked in tennis, and taking a purple ribbon in FFA. Come to think of it, if she gets all A's this coming six-weeks, it will be all A's for two years straight.  She doesn't know for sure what she wants, but said that she's not interested in going to A-Con again, this year. Aww. :(

--When she showed me her report card, my daughter told me that she really, really wanted a coffee milkshake. I chilled some fresh coffee, and ran her to pick up some Bluebell's Homemade Vanilla ice cream. Strangely, while I made the concoction in the kitchen, my daughter was not impressed with her father's rendition of Missy Elliot's "Milkshake Song." I get no appreciation around here.

--An Aussie is having the Titanic II built in China, and plans to have it launched from England to New York in 2016, under Chinese naval escort. He is starting up his own line of cruise ships called the "Blue Star" line. Are we sure that shouldn't have been "Red Star"? He says that it will be like the original Titanic in every detail... Except that it will have modern engines, navigational and comm equipment, and presumably a bigger rudder, and fewer people locked down in steerage.

--Speaking of James Cameron enterprises that involve some risk and leaving everything you've ever known, Planetory Resources, Inc is a new start-up private company that has some big names (Cameron, Google) backing it, to mine asteroids for their metals. Initially, it would be robots doing the work. But this is a helluva a way to beat the gravity well issue, I'm thinking. Build from raw materials in space. At least, get water for support and fuel. Enough with just NASA doing the space exploration. That profitize this mutha. I'm every bit as excited as Stingray is about this, but I'm too polite to say so.

--My neighbor built one helluva fence repair for a case of Bud longnecks. I have another half case to give him. He's a good guy.

--I've not yet posted about the NRA Con. I will. I have to say one thing that surprised me: I had a great time at a convention. Who knew?

--I've got this paper due Weds at 5PM. I can't seem to get motivated. All I need is an 83, by my reckoning, to get the A. After a semester of graduate studies about Homeland Security, I can tell you with some credentials that the vast majority of the funds that we as a nation are spending on Homeland Security are horribly misspent. First thing: Fire the TSA. Second: Disable the USA PATRIOT Act. Third: get the feds out of our communications companies. It should go without saying that our troops in Afghanistan should be home NOW, right? I promise you, I will vote for ANY presidential candidate that promises to do these things. And if Obama did them before November, I'll vote for him. Watch me.

--Early voting starts today for the Texas primaries, so that I can cast my vote for Ron Paul. If only I could find a wookie suit in my size. (Ironic, isn't it?)  Ah, well. It's too hot for such. Maybe I can find a brown coat. 

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