Recently, I got my first look at DirecTV’s new HD broadcast of my local ABC affiliate, WAPT. I watched “V”. Great show, by the way.

But the broadcast had a problem that drove me nuts. You computer gamers might follow me here – the broadcast’s frame rate was poor. Scenes with little movement looked OK. But scenes with more movement looked more choppy. It was just like a PC video game where the video card doesn’t have enough horsepower to support the game.

Previous experience with WAPT tells me they take viewer feedback very seriously. So I visited their website and clicked on the contact link to complain.

Minutes later, I received this response.

Yes we know. Direct is working on fixing the problem. It is driving us all nuts.

Tom Bondurant
Director of Engineering
WAPT-TV
(601) 922-1607

Well its good to know 1) its a real problem, and 2) somebody is working on it. I’d been afraid this was someone’s new bandwidth-saving technique that we’d be told to live with.

Any self-respecting Mississippi State fan has gotta have MORE COWBELL!

And if you’re like me, you’ve got a shelf full of clapper-less cowbells because you’ve rung them loud and proud a bit too much for longer than the bell could handle. So much so that the clapper eyelet was mauled until it broke loose, essentially neutering the poor bell.

I’ve searched near and far for a replacement clapper. Many things have been suggested – a nut & bolt, fishing weight, a small padlock. But none of these things work out as well as the original clappers do.

Imagine my surprise as I located a cowbell manufacturer last week! Well, thank Google. The Bell Outlet in Hillsville, VA sells a wide variety of cowbells. They also sell replacement clappers, which aren’t listed on their website. I called them (800-251-8824) and was able to purchase 5 clappers made for the 7 3/4 inch bell (roughly the same size as the large bells sold in the MSU bookstore) for 75 cents each. Sweet! That beats the heck out of replacing a $35 bell about once/year.

There’s a new entry into my world of sugarfree energy drinks – Sugarfree NOS.

This drink tastes like something between Mountain Dew and Sprite. Probably more Mountain Dew than Sprite. It drinks smooth with only moderate carbonation much like a Mountain Dew. But it is a bit more citrus-like as a Sprite.

The kick is just about right. It left me feeling focused and energetic, but not nervous or anxious to run laps around the office building.

I’d rank Sugarfree NOS at #2 behind the can’t-miss flavor of Xyience Xenergy Cran-Razz or Big Apple. So here’s my current rankings of sugarfree energy drinks.

1. Xyience Energy – Superb flavor, just the right punch. Unfortunately  drinks have become hard to find in stores
2. Sugarfree NOS – Better flavor than most, smooth, just the right kick.
3. Spike Shooter – Best flavor and most punch of any energy drink. But this beast packs far too much punch, probably enough punch to rival controlled substances.
4. Enviga – a bit mild in the kick department, but pretty good flavor. Very good price value earns this one a high ranking.
5. Full Throttle Zero – best in flavor next to Xyience and Spike Shooter. Lacking in…energy.
6. Rip-It Energy – Decent flavor, strong enough kick. Decent price. A bit heavy on carbonation.

The Clarion Ledger reports several Flowood, MS restaurants have been approved by the city and state to serve alcohol by the glass and may be offering it as early as this weekend. More are on the way.

Raise a glass. I know I will. El Sombrero, here I come.

And now comes the aftermath. No, Rick Henson, rapes and murder hasn’t gone up yet. But here’s what we know is coming to Flowood:

• Outback Steakhouse, possibly in the old Buffalo’s building
• Olive Garden
• Dave & Busters
• Dillards, in a new retail development across from Walmart next to Walgreen’s

All this is in the works while the first glass hasn’t been poured yet.  Stay tuned for more progress.

And I still think Flowood is the tip of the iceberg for draconian alcohol laws in Mississippi.

From the good folks at National Review Online.

10. Dead people can’t vote at IOC meetings

9. Obama distracted by 25 min meeting with Gen. McChrystal

8. Who cares if Obama couldn’t talk the IOC into Chicago? He’ll be able to talk Iran out of nukes.

7. The impediment is Israel still building settlements.

6. Obviously no president would have been able to acomplish it.

5. We’ve been quite clear and said all along that we didn’t want the Olympics.

4. This isn’t about the number of Olympics “lost”, it’s about the number of Olympics “saved” or “created”.

3. Clearly not enough wise Latina judges on the committee

2. Because the IOC is racist.

1. It’s George Bush’s fault.

The NCAA says MSU has the toughest football schedule in the nation.

This close. Ugh.

Dan Mullen’s MSU team scored half as many points on LSU Saturday as Croom’s teams accumulated against LSU the 5 years that Croom was there.

2004 L 51-0
2005 L 37-7
2006 L 48-17
2007 L 45-0
2008 L 34-24

You took away ESPN Classic. Your idiot service rep lied, telling me ESPN forced you to package it with your $13/month out-of-network regional Fox Sports Network channels. What a load of crap.

I paid for ESPN Classic. I also paid for Vs which you also took away recently.

I want my ESPN Classic back.

India claims its spacecraft orbiting the moon has discovered water.

In other news, India has a spacecraft orbiting the moon.

Sources say DirecTV will broadcast Jackson, MS channels in HD “on or before October 7th”.