I've been an Astros fan since the first time my dad took me to the Astrodome in June 1977. I have been with them through the good times, and the very bad times (including last year). As painful as it was, I came to grips with them being shipped to the American League in 2013, by the forceful hand of Bud Selig, even though I prefer the National League game much more. Now Jim Crane, the new owner, is contemplating having a name change to coincide with the 2013 move.

Crane says the name might be outdated now... More...

This is a prediction thread for the WWE Royal Rumble On 1-29-11. Figured I would see if there are enough wrestling entertainment fans interested in doing a contest with points. I'll make it a 10 point entry fee. I'll list all of the matches for Royal Rumble. A certain amount of points will be given for each prediction correct. The poster with the most points wins the pot. Only pros can play because of the 10 point entry fee. If you don't want your picks shown, in fear of them being copied by... More...

I've been on a diet, and have lost 10 lbs. in the last month and a half. A lot of the workers have noticed it because I'm always walking in the parking lot during breaks and lunch. Anyway, I made friends with a female employee the last month. Nothing serious, pretty much your normal "Hi", "Bye", "How's Your Family?" thing. We were talking today, and she was telling me how she was a fitness trainer for 15 years, often and on, before coming to work for us. She exercises at the same YMCA like I... More...

I know I'm a Texans homer, and I have said things about Kubiak needs to be fired in past seasons, but he has turned it around this year. Part of the turnaround definitely has to do with what Wade Phillips did with the defense. Without the defense, the Titans would be leading the division with a 7-6 record.

But to the victor goes the spoils. If I have lambasted Kubiak in the past with what is wrong with this team, then I have to give him praise when things are going great. They are the #1... More...

At about the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in the year 1787, Alexander Tyler (a Scottish history professor at The University of Edinborough) had this to say about "The Fall of The Athenian Republic" some 2,000 years prior.

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from... More...

I told you that trimming some in defense is not a problem. The problem is that its not going to make a major dent. Again, I'm going to say, I'm not an economist, and I sure as hell don't have time to look up all the facts and figures right now. I will say this, though. When I'm overspending in my household, I don't go to my employer, and demand a 2% raise to keep up with my spending. I cut back on some of the conveniences of life, or I risk losing the essentials.... More...

75% on defense is too extreme. We have to provide security for the country to exist. Saying "Please stop!" to interests that want to destroy us wll not work. Defense is at 5% GDP now. Traditionally it is at 4%. I'm sure there is some pork in there somewhere that can be slashed to get it to that average level.

I know you're going to hate this, but the problem is in the sacred cows, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid. That's $2.2-$2.4 trillion of our budget, and it will only get bigger if not reined in. ... More...

I've looked over my budget, and finally came to the conclusion that I don't make enough to run my household. Of course, I can't cut things like mortgage, water, electricity, car insurance, etc. I would cut a couple of the 4 phones I have, but what if there is a dire emergency one day 6 months from now, and my teenager needs to call me from his own phone instead of borrowing someone elses? I've looked into the [B]entitlements[/B] my family has. It makes sense to cut out video games, cable, internet, etc. There are big... More...

My 8 year old daughter has been bugging me to take her to a basketball game all year because she loves the sport a lot. Well, I asked her if she wanted to see an SEC Women's Tournament game. She was so excited about it. I'd never been to one before, so I thought, "Why not?". She bugged me everyday wanting to know how many days until we could go, and she was smiling ear to ear on the way over.

So I take her to the South Carolina-Georgia game tonight. The stadium is... More...