Sunday speculations...

I stepped outside this morning and thought I had slept four months. It's 70 degrees in St. Louis on January sixth.

Which means a bunch of friends will be hanging on the patio today, BBQ-ing ribs and burgers and drinking margaritas. We might as well take advantage of the nice weather while it's here... in a few days, it will be back into the 20's.

By the way, we'll set new records today and tomorrow, when it will reach almost 75.

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Last week while out of town, my HP laptop farted, then died.

Normally, people don't die when we fart, but computers are apparently quite different regarding passing gas. Obviously a file became corrupted and it wouldn't boot... so I had to do a destructive reload and lost all my onboard data.

Thankfully, I was able to transfer the hard-drives to an outboard chassis temporarily, offload the data I needed (which included years of collected music, over $1,500 investment) and then reloaded. It pays to know your way around a computer.

Advice to you - if you own an HP, get an extended warranty. After the crash, I purchased a two-year "accident policy" for it. For a nominal fee, if I spill water on the keyboard, run over it with my Hummer or put it in the oven ("accidentally," of course) they will send me a new one. No matter what happens, it's covered. I like those kinds of policies...

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I've had it with taxes.

That's why Mike Huckabee is an appealing candidate to me. I don't agree with all of his social policies, but he proposes abolishing the IRS and imposing a flat, consumption-based "Fair Tax." Basically a federal sales tax, you are charged a 23 percent tax at the cash register, but you keep 100 percent of your paycheck.

Then every month, based on your income level, you are issued a "refund" check. If you are considered at the poverty level, you will receive a 100 percent refund.

The great thing about this system is, everyone pays. Prostitutes, drug dealers, illegal immigrants... when you buy something, you pay taxes. Imagine how that would be...

This especially appeals to me, because I am a corporation. I have to file quarterly returns, pay DOUBLE the social security, and make monthly tax payments to the IRS. It is an incredible expense, even just to pay my accountant. A "regular guy" has no chance of understanding the intricate, convoluted beaurocracy that is the IRS.

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Why can't there be a breakfast delivery service?

Pizza and Chinese food... that's pretty much all you can get delivered. I wonder why.

Whoops, I forgot "Meals on Wheels," but I believe there is an age requirement...

This morning we were faced with a lack of milk and a desire for breakfast food that required milk. A quick phone call to the Bob Evans for the Ranch Hand Platter delivered to our house would have been the perfect solution.

But HELL no. We ended up with fried eggs, bacon and toast.

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Usually the latest movie or play you see, based on being the freshest in your mind, seems like the best you've ever seen.

Last night we went to the Fox Theater and saw Wicked... and I believe it will stand the test of time for me.

The performances were phenomenal, especially those of Glinda and Elphaba. (the Wicked Witch of the West) I got a little verklempt a few times... so did Dr. Mike, that big pansy.

Preceded by a huge ribeye and some wine at Morton's, it was a fun evening. It's always nice to dress up a little and go out on the town.

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It's possible that the HD DVD vs. Blu Ray standoff is over.

Warner Brothers has announced they will endorse Bluray, and make their library available exclusively in that format. That leaves Paramount and Universal the lone standouts among major studios that support HD DVD.

I've been waiting for someone to blink. Unlike the Beta vs. VHS battle of the 80's, the more expensive version appears to have taken the lead now. We'll see if it holds... but this development is huge. I would advise refraining from purchasing an HD DVD player for the time being.