…Pearls Before Swine style!

I’m still not really clear about the legal, moral, and ethical standards for posting actual comics on your blog, so I’ll just point you to today’s Pearls!

Mash that link above, and get ready to spit your caffeine all over your monitor! (Well, at least that’s how it affected me this morning!)

Seems the venerable department store Harrods in London is already putting out the Christmas hype! Which reminds me…

There’s only 27 days left until the Christmas music kicks in at the “Just Charlie” hacienda! (See, I have to force myself to wait until Labor Day, just to avoid driving the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie” bananas. If it were up to me, there would probably be Christmas music playing right now!)

Ok, here’s the deal…

Our cell phone contract is up. And it’s a good thing, too. Because, the cute girl in front of the library in the rain notwithstanding, lately, we have not had great service with Cingular. Talk about your dropped calls! Talk about your rotten coverage! Talk about your less bars! So, we’re looking to switch.

We’ve been with Cingular from way back in the big ol’ phone on the dash of the car, BellSouth Mobility days – a long time! I’m just getting a bit tired of the rotten service and all that jazz.

So, here’s what I need the help with…

We need good reliable wireless coverage at least from Atlanta to Rome and all points in between. Actually, we need to have great coverage over the whole state of Georgia. We don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. “The Boy” doesn’t think he can live without text messaging, but the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie” has used maybe 17 minutes of her total over the last month. She doesn’t care one whit about cameras, and mobile web, and texting and all that stuff. I don’t really need all that, but I’m open to using it if necessary. We need a “family plan” deal, with good prices on basic, but reliable equipment.

We’re looking really hard at Verizon Wireless. Any Verizon users from the ATL around and about? Got any tips? Helpful hints? Suggestions? I’ll take ’em all! Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the input, y’all! Very helpful all the way around.

As it turns out, the Eastern Star folks – and I thought they were all going to be sweet little old ladies, not male chaplain-types who gave tie-tying advice! – did their little deal at the funeral home before we went to the cemetery. They were over and done with. I did get a little education as to the nature and character of the Eastern Star bunch. Interesting, for sure…

And speaking of education…

When we got to the cemetery, the deceased was to be interred in a mausoleum or crypt thingy (technical term there!). Now you would think that living in New Orleans for a couple of years would have been all the education I needed about above-ground burials, but I guess I just never paid attention to the grave closing guy. With the caulk gun!

Oh, well, another interesting day that will most likely find its way into the chapter on weddings and funerals!

Thanks again, guys, for the help!

Helllllooooooo, faithful readers! How are the both of you doing? Got a quick question for some of you guys who are smarter than I am…

I’ve got one of those “Rent-a-Pastor” funerals tomorrow, and the service will include an Eastern Star ritual/ceremony/whatever.

Any quick info on what I need to know about this?

Thanks!

One of the daily quotes I found today. This one from Alfred Hitchcock, relates to the previous post about books and publishing and reading…

This paperback is very interesting, but I find it will never replace a hardcover book – it makes a very poor doorstop.

…about the book publishing industry.

Scroll down to the category of “Who is Reading Books (and who is not)” for some sad statistics…

• One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. Many do not even graduate from high school.
• 58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school.
• 42% of college graduates never read another book. 80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.
• 70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.

Link via Seth Godin

It’s been a weird day around here for some reason. I think it’s because I missed my coffee this morning (don’t ask!).

Anayway, I’m unwinding with Sigur Ros’s Takk. I don’t even remember where or when I first heard about this Icelandic group, and some of you who know me would probably think I wouldn’t really be into them. But go figure…they really float my boat, and are just about perfect for an “Unwind” after a strange sort of day.

As I was finishing up my “at-home” workout today, I got a phone call from the one, the only Gary Lamb.

What did he want? Nothing…just to invite me to lunch!

Thanks, Gary, for the sandwich and the encouragement…and the confirmation that I really am not dead!

I’m getting ready to head out for the gym, and three – count ’em – THREE! Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department cars – with lights flashing! – are rollingspeeding down my street!

Uh-oh…make that FOUR Sheriff’s Department cars…

UPDATE: FIVE Sheriff’s Department cars…