The Land of Steaks and Insurance

This certainly would be descriptive of Nebraska, but I am not sure this is really the message they would want to portray on their license plates!

Dream

Last night, I had a dream that I rented a post office box in Ballard, California. My mother used to live in Santa Ynez and nearby Solving, California, while I was in college and in graduate school, and I would often visit. Ballard was nearby. However, I remember suddenly realizing that Ballard was an inconvenient location--the post offices in Santa Ynez and Solvang would have been much closer. Now that I am awake, I also realize that, as I recall, Ballard does not actually have a post office--the one in nearby Los Olivos is used.

Anybody got any possible interpretations?

A positive spin in the age of knock-offs

A former ball player--either football or baseball--reportedly turned over what looked liked a Rolex watch to a party that had a sizable judgment against him. If genuine, the watch was supposed to have a value of some $12,000-$22,000. A jeweler, however, determined that the watch was actually "value disabled," worth only some $125 since it, apparently, was not genuine. An attorney for the plaintiffs remarked: "It was made by the finest craftsmen in China. It's a people's Rolex."

The most beautiful country songs

Several years ago, someone posted an inquiry on an online forum calling for nominations for the "most beautiful country songs." I was reminded of this because I just acquired an album containing one of my nominations.

I have always been struck by the beauty of George Strait's song "Amarillo By Morning."

Both Don Williams and Kathy Mathea sing extremely beautiful versions of the song "Come from the Heart."

The status as the most beautiful country song I can think of, however, goes to Steve Wariner's song "Holes in the Floor of Heaven." Even the country music style grammar--perhaps necessary to maintain the integrity of the genre--does not obliterate the beauty of the words spoken to an eight year old boy whose grandmother just passed away: "There's holes in the floor of Heaven/And her tears are pouring down/That's how you know she's watching/Wishing she could be here now." As the boy grows up, he marries a woman who, unfortunately, passes away prematurely after they have had a daughter. At the daughter's wedding, she reminds her father why he should not be sad.

Clarification

Tearing up the tablecloth is not good dining etiquette!