Denton, Md. —Tanglewood Conservatories Inc., already well known for its tantalizingly rich creations of nineteenth-century glass architecture, announces the introduction of its new line of Upscale Botanical and Palm Houses. Alan Stein, president and co-founder of Tanglewood remarks that “These structures are clearly intended to be a direct throwback to the exotic steel and glass botanical buildings that became so popular during the late nineteenth-century”.

Targeted at the top end of the market, these custom-designed wood, glass and steel structures can serve as fully functional greenhouses, botanical display houses or exotic sunroom additions for Tanglewood’s discerning clientele.

“I don’t know that these sort of structures have been built anywhere in the world for over a hundred years”, Stein remarked. Originally made possible by technological advances in steel and glass production that came out of the Industrial Revolution, conservatories began to fall out of favor in the twentieth-century due in large part to the tremendous expense of maintaining them.

In recent years however, conservatories, sunrooms and greenhouses have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, particularly as upscale home additions, since such materials as insulated glass have made them much more practical.

However, a typical modern conservatory is mainly a stylized architectural “interpretation” of its antecedents, the degree of direct relation depending upon the skill of the designer and the level of commitment to its authenticity by the manufacturer. In contrast, the new series of Tanglewood’s creations are far closer to the originals than has been possible to find until now.

“We have literally revived building techniques that haven’t been used since the original great glass conservatories were constructed”, says Stein. “For example, a recent project was designed using hundreds of small panes of overlapping glass on its roof to form the curvature of a large dome.” “The shingle-like pieces of glass were each hand cut to fit the intricate framework”.

Other features that are often incorporated into these conservatories include exposed cast iron, decorative steel structural frames and intricately patterned stained glass.

The cost of this innovation is not insignificant. With a typical palm house conservatory ranging from several hundred thousand dollars to well over several million, these monumental glass artifacts are clearly not for everyone.

I used to hate "King of the Hill." I thought it was boring. But recently I find myself watching and enjoying the antics of conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble, as well as the morally upright views and actions of Hank Hill. Am I getting old?

In the past, I'd seen a lesser version of Hank in an episode of "Beavis and Butt-head." I didn't really watch that show, but from what I could tell the Hank Hill character was too stodgy, too strict, and too old-fashioned. I don't know if the creator lessened those qualities in the Hank depicted in "King of the Hill," or if he simply rounded out the character with other aspects to humanize him. Whatever the reason, I now think a lot of what Hank says makes sense.

At first, I thought he was ironically referencing many facets of American life, especially when he'd say stuff like, "Now that's a quality product." But now I find myself agreeing with him fairly often, even while taking his statements at their literal value. Like recently when he said, "Like I always say, if you plan ahead, then when things happen you're prepared." I first thought it was a bit wordy for a motto, but it is a highly useful idea. Too often we tend to overlook many small values and tricks that make life so much easier. It seems like Hank is more of a hero because he takes many of those ideas to heart, and lives by them.

Before the last Rate Cut, I didn’t think it would happen. I thought the Fed had cut rates as low as they were going to go. But then the day arrived. A new cut. They say with rates that low, the timing for getting any kind of loan is pretty good. And since the environment is in trouble and all, what better reason to take out a loan than to help you acquire a new hybrid vehicle?

I really want a hydrogen fuel cell car. But until they’re tested and proven (and affordable), I guess a hybrid is the next best thing. But most hybrids are relatively new. And new cars can be expensive. Car loan? Ok.

Recently I visited BestLeadingLenders.com, a site specializing in loans, credit cards, and debt consolidation. Car Loans are one of their top priorities. They take their service so seriously that they’ve extended the breadth of their domain nationwide. So you can get a car loan no matter where you live. With “instant online loan processing” and a finance system for those with poor credit, BestLeadingLenders has all the car loan bases covered.

I just realized, DVR changes everything! I took a class once where a legal case was mentioned about how some kids pulled some stunt they saw on some TV show. So the court decided to force networks to broadcast the darker material later at night, after kids go to bed.

I've also noticed uncut versions of adult cartoon shows like "Family Guy" and "Drawn Together" (I hate "Drawn Together") aired after midnight. So, kids will never know, right? Wrong!

One of the shows I like is "Seven Days." Time travel show from the late '90's. Airs on Spike TV at 3:00am. But I don't want to stay up that late just to watch it. So, DVR to the rescue!

Some parents might give their kids Tivo (after all, the guy in the commercial did). And the kid says, "Mom and Dad don't know, but I'm going to record this Secret Stash episode at 1:00am and watch it tomorrow. Hee hee!"

So now the court's decision will have little impact in homes where the kids have access to DVR. I love technology, but it's like this is a whole new can of worms!

Ok, so parents could probably block access to those specific episodes. But what a chore! Go through, down the line, episode by episode… And if you just block the series, the kids could complain. "But Mom, I wanted to watch the edited version!" Most parents probably haven't even thought about this stuff, because they don't watch those shows and aren't aware that the uncut versions are available after the Witching Hour.

But probably, most parents didn't get their kids DVR. So what's the problem? No problem, man…Be cool…here, just…just take the cash and go…

I heard home prices are dropping rapidly, and will likely continue for some time to come. I also heard that many Europeans are taking advantage of that fact, combined with the stronger Euro and the weakening dollar. They’re taking over!

New York is a nice place to live. In “Jericho,” it was the only city to prevent a nuclear attack, its security was so good. So who should you call about buying some property there?

New York’s largest Real Estate company is called Prudential Douglas Elliman. With 60 offices, PDE serves 350 communities ranging from Montauk to Manhattan. So whether you’re looking to buy in NYC, Long Island, or the Hamptons, Prudential Douglas Elliman can help you find experienced North Fork real estate agents.

I watched "Jericho" off and on before. Then it went away. Writers Strike. Then the strike ended, and that seemed to coincide with "Jericho's" return.

From what I've heard, the series was totally canceled. Then a bunch of people sent nuts in as a reference to a line from the show. They sent them to the producer, or the studio head? Anyway, their point was made, and the abrupt ending of the show was undone. The show continued until a conclusive wrap-up could occur. And boy did it! Fantastic.

For those who didn't know, "Jericho" was a show about what happens to one town in the aftermath of a nuclear strike perpetrated on U.S. soil. A bunch of cities were destroyed, the government turned upside down, towns were at war over limited resources… The show kept evolving until Ravenwood (i.e., Blackwater) and the government took over the town of Jericho.

Man, I wasn't super impressed by all of the episodes, but the finale seems to justify the whole series. I think I want it on DVD!

I recently visited Ethocyn.com, and read that the reason skin sags as we get older is because we start losing something at age 25. This something is fibers of elastin. Basically, all our skin has rubber band things in it that keep it snappy. So like if your grandma pinches your cheek, it will snap back into place. When you make a funny face, it won’t stay that way because of the elastin fibers. Take that, old wives’ tale!

But again, we all start losing those elastin fibers at 25. Major drag. But wait! There’s a new product called Ethocyn that says if you use it 2x daily, your elastin levels will match those of a 20-year-old. Killer.

Dr. Chantal Burnison owns a pharmaceutical company, Chantal Pharmaceuticals, and it specializes in ethocyn products. In the early 1980’s she discovered “a chemical substance that could be manufactured into a very powerful ingredient that would penetrate the skin and restore high levels of elasticity.” Nineteen years of research, and $20 million later, she is now offering her discovery in product form. Apparently it used to be just for rich people. Not anymore!

I don't remember a lot about this commercial. I think the reason is whenever I saw it, I either muted it or changed the channel.

Some kid and his father are sitting somewhere eating burgers. The kids says, "So Dad, did you know that [So and So Burger Company] [blah blah] with the meat in these burgers? And, did you know…"

I'm not sure what the specifics were. But I do remember the gist. The kid was a corporate shill, hired to convince his Dad that going on a diet was wrong, and he should eat more burgers.

That ad has a hidden Part II that nobody knows about, set outside, a few years after Part I. In it, the father clutches at his chest, and falls to his knees. Burger wrappers waft by in the breeze. The son watches the life drain from his father. It starts to rain. The son pulls an umbrella out and opens it. A man in a black trench coat approaches, and hands the kid a big yellow envelope. The kid opens it. There's money inside.

That's the vibe I got from the initial ad. It seems incredibly blasphemous, in a family sense. I mean, we've all heard about "Super Size Me." We all know that fast food is bad. And here some kid comes spouting off corporate brainwashing info to his Dad. "So Dad, let me enlighten you. Eating fast food isn't bad at all. Your doctor was wrong about your cholesterol, too. Live large!"

It sickens me. And not because I'm against burgers. I like burgers. It's just one of those ads where they try and pass off something completely wrong and unrealistic as casual and good. Maybe someone will comment in defense of it. That just makes it worse, because they've already gotten to you!

I like being able to postpone the sunrise so I can sleep just a little longer. The way I do it is with window shades designed to be impenetrable by ordinary light. But in the past, I’d simply relied on Venetian blinds. I think those are pretty cool. Especially since cats like them.

I had no idea there was such a selection of blinds! At SelectBlinds.com you can find the perfect match for your window and room. Mini Blinds seem pretty popular. My preference, though is for the 2 1/2" Signature Wood Blinds. I like the way they look, the color, the texture, the thickness, and the sound I imagine they would make. It’s neat to see the sunlight broken up into pieces as it cascades inward. The power is ours!

I missed it! I missed the deadline… missed it… missed it bad… just 48 hours… so close yet so far! Darn it all to Heck!

From: "Bonanza Lottery International" <prize@bonanzalotteryinternational.com>
Subject: RE: FINAL AWARD NOTIFICATION.
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:11:46 +0100

FROM: THE DESK OF THE MANAGER,
BONANAZA LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
REF NO: 15/0018/IPD
BATCH NO: EGS/ 22504002/06.

ATTN: WINNER,

RE: FINAL AWARD NOTIFICATION.

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[End Email]

Hilarious:

"This
promotional program takes place every year,and is promoted and
sponsored by eminent personalities like the Sultan of Brunei,Bill Gates of
microsoft inc and other corporate organizations.This is to encourage !
the use of the internet and comput"

It just cuts off. It reminds me of that clip where Bill Gates is on stage with a product developer and the guy's showing the latest computer and operating system to Bill and everyone. Then the Blue Screen of Death pops up and the guy quickly closes the laptop. All Bill can do is smile…

"For security purpose
and clarity,we advise that you keep your winning information
confidential until…"

Sure, sure. Tell no one. "You got that, punk?! You tell someone about this email message and so help me, I'll rip your– winning lottery ticket up… And you won't…get… the money. Ok?"

No! Tell the authorities! Run home! Run as fast as you can!!

{Six Million Dollar Man Sound Effects}