I really do love Texas. (If only we had the Rocky Mountains. *sigh*)

WILLisms.com has posted a new chart that shows that Texas was the only state to have a significant increase in jobs in 2008. During a dismal economic year, Texas added about 150,000 jobs (1.5%) to it’s job force, while California lost the same percentage, but by numbers, twice as many jobs.

Hmm. Let’s think about this for a minute.

Texas: Business friendly tax policy, no income tax (personal or corporate), carefully controlled spending. Texas: Economic success even in bad economic times.

California: Prohibitive corporate taxes, high income taxes, insane spending, budget deficits year after year. California: Economic failure.

Which plan do you think works? Which plan do you think the Obama administration is plunging into? Yeah. The wrong one.

A wise man learns from his mistakes. A wiser man learns from the mistakes of others.

Today, work-from-home-Friday, I’m posting someone else’s video. And it’s a real humdinger. Everyone who ever intends to vote in an American election should see this.

The Brits, quite famously, lost their right to own handguns about a decade ago. Since then, some estimates say gun crime has increased by as much as 40% (but, of course, this number is heavily disputed). Here on our side of the pond, we have just elected (and by proxy, appointed) the most vehemently anti-gun administration EVAR. (Pres. Obama, Att. Gen. Holder, Chf. of Stf. Emanuel, etc.)

Take it from the Brits. Be very careful what freedoms you allow your government to take away.

You may not understand this week’s white board quip. But if not, I’m willing to wager you’ve never listened to an actual 8-track.

I have an 8-track mind in a DVD world.

This week Microsoft rocked the world with the release of their Mac killing, do-it-yourself music software called “Songsmith.”

Now, if you know anyone who owns a Mac and has any talent at all, you’ve heard of Garage Band. It’s the Mac software that allows you to put together some really nice music mixes. You provide some vocals, and maybe a guitar riff here and there, and you can add very authentic sounding drum tracks, bass guitar, and maybe even a horn section. It’s very intuitive and has made hundreds, if not thousands, of teenagers wailing angst ridden songs actually sound pretty good.

Naturally, anything that’s really successful in the tech world is eventually copied by Microsoft and made into a pitiful mockery. That’s Songsmith.

You sing into your PC mic (no musical talent required), tweak a few settings (Do you want “rock” or “ballad”? “Bouncy” or “easy”?), then let Bill Gates carry you into the world of the rock superstar. Or… not.

In a matter of days, folks have taken the vocal tracks from some of rock’s iconic songs and turned them into the kind of schlock that I used to do with my Casio keyboard in the mid 80’s. (Click the link below.)

Some of my younger readers may never have heard the original version of any of these songs, so please find them and listen to them *before* you listen to these blasphemous mockeries.

Clicky clicky.

My favorite is the “Love Boat Lounge” remix of Roxanne.

When you’re planning a mission trip to Mexico (which I am) on which you will be responsible for several dozen teenagers (which I will be) stories like this have a deep impact.

Read Yon’s note, then follow his link to listen to the radio news piece. In a world as complex and interconnnected as ours, don’t take anything for granted.