Sponge Homer

Homer H. Hillis, Jr. sponges all kinds of information, business, political and trends. I've been seen on the Sally Jesse Rafeal show with noted trend spotter Faith Popcorn. My Blog will give you an over view of what I'm seeing and reflections on the same.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Google Answers has over 500 experts ready to answer any question you might have, wow for a FEE. I just learned about this last night reading a book and the guy said he had received a lot of his data from Google answers---you put out a question and what your willing to pay for the answer, if someone is willing to accept the deal they answer the question. What a neat concept!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I do not believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they cannot find them, make them."

George Bernard Shaw
1856-1950, Playwright

Monday, September 26, 2005

"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure."

George E. Woodberry
1855-1930, Writer and Critic

Sunday, September 25, 2005

When William Faulkner accepted the Nobel Prize in 1950, he said, in part: "I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion, sacrifice and endurance."

Friday, September 23, 2005

www.clarkhoward.com had this on his website:

Skin cancer rate triples among young
New statistics out from the Mayo Clinic show that the number of people under 40 who are getting skin cancer has tripled. Overwhelmingly, it’s females not males getting skin cancer. And the No. 1 cause is tanning beds. Women in their 20s and 30s who spent a lot of time in the tanning bed when they were younger are prime candidates and need to see a dermatologist at least once a year. Skin cancer used to affect older people who spent years in the sun and were affected years later. But young people are especially susceptible because tanning beds accelerate the process so much. Dermatologists have been accused of being aggressive with moles or freckles in recent years. But it’s better to overreact than not to react at all. The other side of the coin is that people who get skin cancer become ineligible for health coverage once they get cancer. So, be smart and use sunscreen when you’re outside. And stay out of tanning booths all together.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I shall have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning."

Mahatma Gandhi
1869-1948, Indian Nationalist Leader

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines."

Frank Lloyd Wright

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

Vince Lombardi
1913-1970, Football Coach

Sunday, September 18, 2005

2 Billion people have Cell Phones!

I met with my team that will serve with me on an upcoming Walk to Emmaus in Oct 13-16. As in all walks the team gets as much out of it as the pilgrims. In the Walk, I have never seen a purer form of Christianity illustrated anywhere. It's a joy to serve with these guys, they are selfless servants for God.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Toyota planning to go 100 percent hybrid
Gas prices shot up to $10 a gallon today in England. If you had a 40 gallon tank it would cost you $400. Well, some companies are combating rising gas prices. Toyota has decided to convert 100 percent of its vehicles to hybrids. The company did not announce a year for its goal, but Clark is sure it will happen. Porsche, Volkswagen and Audi are all working on hybrids as well. In the developed world, we’ve got to face facts that it’s a new era in terms of energy. American automakers are going to have to wake up or we are going to fall way behind. Two people on Clark’s staff now own scooters to combat rising gas prices. What are you doing?

From www.clarkhoward.com if you don't check Clark's show notes your missing out!

In 1776, the average life expectancy at birth for a U.S. citizen was 35 years. By 1900, life expectancy grew to 47.3 years. By 2002, it climbed to 77.4 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

"Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

Og Mandino
1923-1996, Author and Speaker

Monday, September 12, 2005

I weep over all the Pets lost in the storm, imagine that, yes I love animals---and I love the people who love animals.

A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel. Pro 12:10

"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity."

Douglas Adams
Writer

Friday, September 09, 2005

"I have always believed that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value."

– Hermann Hesse

I recently stayed at a hotel that had a huge banner, "High Speed Internet" on the side of the building, and the word FREE on it. I hooked my laptop up and it didn't work, in fact it never worked. The problem with much of our service society today is, expectations are so high, comforts are so great if ONE flaw happens the whole service is no good and flawed. The bar has been raised so high it has to work flawlessly.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island...and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life."

Walt Disney
1901-1966, Artist and Film Producer

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

This morning I heard that the number one selling item that was invented in the 20's is: The Locking Gas Cap. And I added the 2nd fastest selling item is a siphon hose! Maybe Wal-mart can package them together: Locking gas cap with a siphon hose!

"The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess courage and act accordingly."

Corra May Harris
1869-1935, Author

Monday, September 05, 2005

All over America today people had guest in there homes from New Orleans--I just saw a church that hosted a tea party for some ladies who had evacuated New Orleans, one of the ladies commented, "this gave us some dignity, we felt special". Just a small cup of tea. How Jesus can transform a small cup in a full blessing. The Kingdom of God will expand from this dispora of people into the home of stangers.

Keys, keyrings in short supply
11:25 a.m., Monday

Housekeys and keyrings are in short supply in Baton Rouge, where hundreds of Hurricane Katrina evacuees have converged on friends and family.

A sign in the automotive section of the Wal-Mart on College Drive in Baton Rouge warned customers that "We are out of housekeys."

And at Perkins Road Hardware, small keyrings were out of stock. A clerk at the store said the store has been busy making copies of keys for customers who have friends and family from the New Orleans area staying with them.

"One of the secrets of getting more done is to make a TO DO List every day, keep it visible, and use it as a guide to action as you go through the day."

Alan Lakein
Time Management Expert and Author

When I think if New Orleans I think of Mama's Cafe down town, and my first time there--best Po-Boys in the world with Red Beans and Rice. After a long day at the show Jesse and I would make our way to Mama's, about 4 blocks from the Convention Center. The unique thing about Mama's is the way they call your food order: "Homer your Food is ready" real loud and with a New Orleans accent. I will miss Mama's this year!

Saturday, September 03, 2005

"If enough water from Lake Pontchartrain topped the levee system along its south shore, the result would be apocalyptic. Vast areas would be submerged for days or weeks until engineers dynamited the levees to let the water escape. Some places on the east bank of Orleans and Jefferson parishes are as low as 10 feet below sea level. Adding a 20-foot storm surge from a Category 4 or 5 storm would mean 30 feet of standing water."

The above was written in 2002 in a newspaper artcile: NOLA

Friday, September 02, 2005

Here's some stats:

For the State of Mississippi:

Casino revenues statewide totaled $235.4 million for the month compared to $228.8 million in June 2004, an increase of 2.9 percent, according to Mississippi State Tax Commission records. Revenues on the coast are up 4.1 percent so far this year, but down 8.5 percent for the Mississippi River counties.

For the calendar year 2005 thus far, Tax Commission records show revenues totaled $1.47 billion. For the first six months of 2004, revenues totaled $1.45 billion.

A few months ago I heard an interesting fact: Gambling revenues in the State of Miss surpassed retail sales, and the biggest growth business is: Pawn Shops!

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Tonight I watched a body covered on an entrance to the New Orleans Convention center. I had been asking myself, "what about the huge convention center?" you see for the past 4 yrs Jesse and I have traveled there to one of the largest shows in the south. The convention center is huge and it backs right up to the Miss River. One year we attened the Aug Show and I have never been so exhausted with heat and humidity. It was my last time to do an Aug show, we changed to the November.
The show mangement sent out an e-mail today that the show would go on, I disagree!

The person I would turn to in moving mass amounts of people is Moses, just as soon as Moses delivered the Israelites from bondage they started murmuring. In fact they wanted to go back to Egypt. Egypt! They liked bondage better than freedom. As you watch people being displaced remember Moses.

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 31 - The sick and the disabled were the first to be led out. But late Wednesday afternoon, as the slow evacuation of the Superdome began, it was not always easy to distinguish them from the rest of the 20,000 or more storm refugees who had steeped for days in the arena's sickening heat and stench, unbathed, exhausted and hungry......