Here’s a nifty little tidbit to know while driving in Texas. You might want keep your insurance card on you at all times and keep it current.
Back in late 2003, the legislature passed a little known law called the Driver Responsibility Program (see Chapter 708 of the Transportation Code). The idea, as presented to the voters, was that it would set up a points program. Get enough points on your license, and pay additional fees. It was also supposed to fine people who committed certain violations, such as DWI or uninsured motorists. Sounds great, right?
http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/tn.toc.htm
Well, except on that one day you get pulled over and for whatever reason you left your wallet at home. You have no driver’s license and no proof of insurance. You’ve always had both, and you had never gone a day without insurance. You moved recently too, and you haven’t updated your driver’s license.
The cop, for whatever reason, decides he’s not feeling very generous today and writes you tickets for both no license and no insurance. Okay, you think, you get your stuff, take it down to the courthouse and pay a small fine once you show that you do indeed have a license and proof of insurance. No big deal.
Oh, but wait, here’s the fun part that they probably don’t tell you. Because you were given tickets for no license and no insurance, you qualify under the new law. For the next three years, the state is going to charge you additional fees for each violation: $100 for no license, and $250 for no insurance.
Oh, but I’m not an uninsured driver, you say? You’ll appeal it, right? Nope. There is nothing in the law that allows honest drivers the means to avoid paying the fines if they can provide adequate evidence that they have a valid license and/or insurance during the course of those three years.
But, wait! There’s more! Remember that you moved recently right? Well the state is required by law to provide you with written notice about these fines. You didn’t change your address yet, so you never receive the notice. Excellent! The state, seeing that you haven’t made any effort to pay the fines in 30 days, which is the law, automatically suspends your license. The suspension isn’t removed until you begin to make the payment(s) to the state. I say payments because the state has been kind enough to provide in the law a monthly payment plan.
If you’re lucky, you’ll find out about the suspension by trying to renew the license, and not by getting pulled over again. Why? Well, driving with a suspended license opens up a whole new line of opportunities for the state to nail you.
No, I didn’t get burned by this, but I know someone who has. I can understand the intent of the law, but the fact that it allows no provisions to prevent honest citizens from being nailed by the surcharges is completely asinine. The way the law appears on the book assumes everyone is a criminal.
This ties well in with the new laws being pushed for red-light cameras and speeding cameras. It provides the government more ways to treat all citizens as criminals without any type of “due process.”
Oh, no big deal, you may be thinking. It usually just consists of fines, anyway.
Really? You don’t think a local government won’t “tweak” their traffic signals to shorten the signal length in order to frustrate you to the point that you’ll want to run the red light, cameras or not? And if they get away with speeding cameras, the entire state will be like New Mexico where the speed limit is 35 everywhere.
Still not enough? Okay, how about this? At the end of this legislative session, the Texas government added tougher penalties to these laws. One strike and you’re out. Automatic three-day jail sentence. And, to top it off, the cities create task forces with the sole purpose to haul your criminal lead-footed-red-light-running-left-your-insurance-at-home ass to jail!
How do ya like them apples?
Hmm… time to relocate? lol
I just stumbled across this nifty little infographic that shows where the concentrations of single populations are…
Sadly, there appears to be a larger number of single MEN in the DFW area. That might be good news for you single ladies (or those of you playing for the other team – not that there’s anything wrong with that), but not so much for me.
Paladins… The Timex of World of Warcraft
(WARNING: This blog uses language common to the game of World of Warcraft. If you are unfamiliar with these terms, do not fear dear reader. Simply send along your email address in the comments, and we’ll be sure to get you a 10-day trial key to the game. Remember, the first month is free)
I have to admit. As much as I enjoy blasting away with a mage in World of Warcraft – being able to drop a mob before it gets close enough to lay a hand on me – there’s something equally fascinating about playing a paladin. They certainly don’t do the damage that a mage can, but then again, try killing a paladin…
Case in point. Here’s how an unusual pull with my level 60 paladin went a few days ago in one of the new 60+ zones in the Burning Crusade expansion.
I go to attack a level 59 orc. We’ll call him mob 1.
While fighting him, two of his buddies drop in. They’re on mounts, which attack as well, and all are level 60. Let’s call them mobs 2-5.
(Meh, says I)
Mob 1 dies. Mob 2 dies. I have three more to go.
Another mounted rider decides to join the party. That’s mobs 6 and 7.
(Really low on mana at this point)
Mob 3 and 4 die.
A wandering 61 guard drops in. That’s mob 8.
(Time to BOP and bandage)
Mobs 5 and 6 drop.
Two to go.
Another wandering guard wants to be part of the action. He’s mob 9.
Still going.
(Time to lay on hands)
Mobs 7 and 8 finally die.
One left.
Oh, lookee there. I’ve been here in this fight so long that Mob 1 has respawned and has come back for more. Now he’s mob 10.
A few minutes later….
Done!
10 mobs dead. 1 paladin still standing.
The only sad thing about this is that the corpse timer ran out on the very first mob, so I never got to loot the corpse.
So, let’s see how that compares with a druid…
Pull mob 1. No problemo.
Mobs 2-5 show up… Aw crap.
(heal. shift to bear form)
I could probably outlast 2-3 of the mobs.
Mobs 6-7 show up.
(gotta heal, gotta heal, gotta… DOH!!!)
Ok, how about the mage?
Pull mob 1, not a problem. Drop him before he gets to me.
Mobs 2-5 run up as mob 1 dies. Aw crap!
(Frost Nova, back up, and AOE)
Mobs 6-7 stop by before I have killed 2-5, and now I’m almost out of mana.
AW CRAP!!!
(Frost nova again)
RUN AWAY!!
Oh sure, I know what you’re thinking. A mage could, in theory, AOE all of the mobs. But, the catch to AOE is that you have to round everyone up beforehand, then unleash hell. In the paly fight, mobs were joining mid-fight, which a mage can’t handle as well.
So there you have it. Paladins. They take a licking and keep on ticking… : )
Lana Lang Must Die!!!
One of the things that I’ve been doing lately is trying to study plots of my favorite TV shows. Once you spend an hour watching a show with a very good story, like Heroes or Lost, it’s hard to go back and watch something that’s not so well thought out, like Smallville.
It occurred to me that Smallville really needs to end this season, but it also needs to end in a way that allows the mythology of Superman to continue. To do this, I think Lana Lang has to die.
Smallville, for those of you who don’t know, is a show about Clark Kent, a not-so-typical teenage boy, and about his awkward teenage years. Kent also happens to grow up to become one of the most famous characters in modern-day literature: Superman. Yeah yeah, someone will complain that “comic books” aren’t “literature,” but you can’t argue Superman’s existence in the public consciousness of our society.
Anyway, the show is currently limping its way through its sixth (and hopefully) final season. I’m not sure at what point the show “jumped the shark,” but this season, in spite of adding new and less than exciting super-heroes, has been less than thrilling to watch.
Continue reading “Lana Lang Must Die!!!”
OMG!!! Why aren’t there more women that think like this?
I stumbled across this on Digg tonight. And although she takes a few points to the extreme (for me it’s Diet Coke cans, not Mountain Dew lol), she does have some valid points.
Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It
It doesn’t necessarily mean that all geeks/nerds are rejected outright by women. But, they may have a harder time (never got comfortable around women) or have spent a lot of time more focused on a career and relationships weren’t nearly as important. There’s a huge difference between a geek with a career, someone closer to the 40-year-old virgin, and that guy who is living in his parents basement.
And, for the record – Geeks are the ones who are naturally technically inclined, etc. Nerds are average guys who aspire to be geeks.
It’s really a shame that more women don’t think like the above writer, especially here in North Texas. It seems like there are far too many women here who are more interested in how much a guy makes, what kind of car he drives, and when was the last time he appeared in GQ.
So, here’s my million dollar idea of the week (I don’t want credit – just send me the check)
Geeklove.com – or something along those lines – a place where women can find any number of single geeks, and where geeks can post their profiles without having to feel ashamed about their accomplishments (go ahead and brag about the number of level 70 characters you have in WoW — maybe you can find a girlfriend here and get her hooked on the game too!)
Maybe we should have a “Have you hugged a geek?” day?
Because, really, where can a geeky person find someone? The online dating world would seem like an ideal place. But, it’s become such a big business now that more non-geeky people are dwelling there. So, you could try that arena, but you might have to omit certain details about your life (which is ok, because recent articles show that a LOT of people tend to fudge their online profiles – that’s another post).
Clubs? Bars? Ugh. Does anyone really know someone that has found true love at a club? What about the speed dating thing? Or, even the social dinner? Speed dating seems silly to me. The social dinner concept appears interesting. An organization hosts a dinner for a small group (6-12 people) who they have done some profiling on in order to establish a group with some common ground. But, if a true geek doesn’t have the social skills, he’s probably going to end up quietly sitting in a corner.
If you looking for ideas on what to do, I’m as stumped as the rest of you. I’m probably more geeky than I’d like to admit. But, there’s nothing WRONG with me. I have job, and a home (mine, not my parents), and friends. Although I can’t quote Shakespeare to you in the original Klingon, I do have a lot of geeky traits. At the same time, I’m also an artist and writer. And an uncle. I do have a life, more or less. : )
I really haven’t the foggiest idea where to start when it comes to dating these days. My luck has been beyond horrible, which just makes me push the whole relationship thing further and further down on ‘the list’ of stuff I’d like to get done. I tried the “it’ll happen when you aren’t looking” approach as well, but strangely, UPS never delivered that dream girl to my door.
Yet, at the same time, every year there are stories that come out about how marriages are down and that there are more and more single people out there in the world. If there are so many single people out there, why is it so hard now to find them?
I recently picked up a CD called Love. It’s a collection of Beatles songs that have been ‘tweaked’ by George Martin – a legendary producer who once worked with them. One of the songs on the CD is “Elanor Rigby,” and it’s funny how a song from nearly 40 years ago still rings true today…
Windows Vista – The Next Generation OS For Your… Mac?
This is classic! Engadget has a story with pictures of a Microsoft rep demoing Vista on a computer. Wait, isn’t that an iMac?
Vista on an iMac
World of Warcraft – the burning question…
A couple of weeks ago, the first expansion for World of Warcraft was released. The good news is that there’s lots of new things to do. The level cap has been bumped up to 70. There are two new races and two “new” classes (one for each faction). Of course, the “new” classes already existed, but they were unique to each faction (paladins for Alliance, shaman for Horde). Now, both sides have them, meaning there are no faction-unique classes. The new races have new starter areas, and there’s a new continent with new lands to explore, but only for those above level 58.
But, now comes the REAL question? What to do first? Do you roll one of the new classes and start over? Or, do you explore the new areas and start the grind to 70?
I had no idea what to do. I have some friends who are more casual players. For them, rolling a new character is an easy call because they haven’t really invested a lot of time in their existing characters. I have other guildmates who only play one or two characters, both are level 60, so for them the grind to 70 is the way to go.
No one was looking forward to grinding to 70, especially after Blizzard had told everyone long ago that leveling to 60-70 would take as long as it would to level a character from 1-60. But, fortunately, the reality is not nearly as bad. Within two days, someone had already reached 70, and now, a few weeks later, there are numerous players who are either or close to that level. Granted, the experience point totals look huge: 494,000 points to go from 60 to 61. 574,000 points to go from 61 to 62. But, Blizzard has put a lot of effort into making sure there are plenty of quests for players to do and that the experience rewards are scaled up.
So, back to the original question: What to do? For players like me, who have managed to acquire multiple 60s, and have more on the way, it’s a really tough call…
Some of us decided to roll new characters and test out the new races. That lasted about a week. By then, the reports started coming in from the new high level zones. “HOLY CRAP!!! Look at the stuff I just got!!!” Then, it was on. To contrast, in the first week when the expansion came out, my guild consisted of new alts all level 10 or under. By the weekend, 98% of the guild had their level 60s on and were in the new zones.
Ultimately, for me, it looks like I will do the same thing I’ve always done. Level multiple characters. After a year of simply running instances, I have had a chance to re-discover the power of my mage in killing non-elite monsters. I’ve also got a druid that I really want to finish out, but he’s not quite high enough to hit the new zones. Plus, I have had some old friends – the casual players – who have gotten re-hooked on the game. So, now I’m leveling a new character that will be set aside explicitly for grouping with them.
Oh, I’ve got other 60s I could level, and I may eventually when these are done. The hunter did pretty well in Outland, but the paladin was painfully slow compared to the dps of the mage.
Speaking of, it’s time to log on now… : )
What is the internet good for?
Heh, this is a bit old, but if you haven’t seen it, you really have to. : )
Internet is for porn (no it’s not actually porn – trust me, it’s funny)
Mac vs. PC – religious parody
Nope nope, not what you think. There’s no mac zealot vs windows fanboy ad here. But these are kinda funny anyway.
Christian vs. Christ Follower
Normally, I wouldn’t post anything religious on my blog, but these are fun today because I think it portrays a lot of the things that are wrong with “Christians” today. I know a few people who are like this: they’re more interested in convincing you that they’re “Christian” by making a great effort in showing off how they go through the motions and with their holier-than-thou attitude, when the reality is they’re not any better than anyone else (usually, they’re worse).
Ironically, the “christians” will probably be offended by these videos. Why aren’t we the cool “mac” guy? Why are we the geeky “PC” guy? It should be the other way around, they’ll say. They should be the “cool” ones because they’re Christians, while the rest of us heathens should be the “geeky” losers.
But, where are the truly fun “Mac” vs. “PC” religious ads? Like “bible-thumper” vs “athiest”, “palestinian” vs “jew”, or “american” vs “muslim terrorist”? Or, for you really hard-core folks, what about the mother of all religious battles: “coke” vs. “pepsi”?
Ahhhh! A snowflake!!!! EVERYBODY PANIC!!!
Yes, that’s right. North Texas is experiencing the first winter storm of the season.
How crazy is it? Well, it was 79 degrees yesterday. Today, the high was 35. And that was at 4 am. It’s been dropping since.
Plus, we’ve got sleet and a bit of snow. But, that was after the rain overnight.
Ice transforms all of the overpasses and ramps here into new arenas of fun for Texas drivers. And we have a LOT of overpasses and ramps.
Unlike most parts of the country, we usually stay warm enough most of the year that we miss out on snow entirely. Instead, we get sleet/ice storms. At least on pure snow, you can get some traction. On ice, it doesn’t matter what kind of drive you have, it’s spin city for everyone.
It’s interesting to watch the local news around this time too. A couple of fox 4 reporters probably needed a change of pants after recording a truck losing control on a highway at around 5 a.m. this morning. In the video, we see the truck hit the brakes and swerve to miss two other trucks previously wrecked, only to skid directly towards the cameraman. Fortunately for them, there was a guard rail and it held, so we see the truck catch the rail and slide down just to the left of the cameraman.
On the way home this afternoon the high five exchange was already shut down on one side from a multiple vehicle pile up. There will probably be some footage on tonight or in the morning of people trying to use the ramps on the high five or 190 exchanges only to discover they’re coated in ice. For those of you that have never seen our interchanges, the ones I am referring two link between two major highways, with two or more layers of bridges and ramps towering up to 100 ft above the lowest level.
The scariest part of driving in it isn’t the ice itself. It’s the other drivers. Sadly, most Texas drivers don’t encounter ice often enough to remember how to drive on it. A lot of them simply ignore it and drive as fast as they would on a normal day. Others believe their 4-wheel drive vehicles are impervious to any forms of harm and drive the same. But equally dangerous are the few who go the complete opposite way and crusie down a left lane of a major freeway going 15 mph when its clearly not warranted to drive quite that slow.
Fortunately, we only have to endure the ice tomorrow morning (it’ll be a good day to go in late to work). Tomorrow’s forecast? Sunny and 49 degrees, which should be good enough to melt all the crap from today. : )