Bacon Slices

Lee Eshelman Rest in peace!

2007-06-09T18:19:00.000-05:00

We saw a comedy team perform a few years ago at Trinity Mennonite Church, a church in Glendale, AZ. They were called Ted & Lee. They did selections from their repertoire called "The Creation Chronicles" It was a very funny rendition of God and Gabriel talking about how God created the world. Ted Swartzman played God, and Lee Eshelman played Gabriel. One part had God sitting at what looked like a large Etch-o-sketch, twisting dials and explaining to Gabriel what he was doing.

I"m adding some water... a little more water... a little more water... WHOA, Too much water! "
At any rate they were a very funny comedy team, who had a wonderful way to spread the Gospel, through laughter. Sue, Sandy & I were fortunate enough to meets these two gentlemen after the performance. They were very friendly, and approachable.

I had been in touch with their booking people, to try to bring them to our church here in Texas, but alas, we were not able to work out the details.

On May 17, 2007, after a long battle with depression, Lee Eshelman took his own life. He left behind his wife and 3 children, and his partner of more than two decades, Ted Swartz.

We mourn and pray for his loss with his family and his Friends, and fans.
If you would like to know more about Ted & Lee here is their website:
http://www.tedandlee.com/

Friday's Movie Guide (Just a bit late!)

2007-06-09T18:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry, it's late again!
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Ocean's Thirteen
Slick, amusing, but vapid and tired threequel shows a great deal of craft invested in an unworthy project.
Surf's Up
Framed as a documentary, this film of surfing penguins has some winning things to say about winning.
Hostel: Part II
Sequel to the super-violent Hostel is more gruesome and fetish-filled, but tells virtually the same story.
Paris, Je T'Aime
Paris couldn't have asked for a more sweetly jaundiced love letter than this collection of tales by 21 directors.
Day Watch
Part two of this trilogy is a highly-caffeinated assault on our senses that ups the ante on action and effects.
Disappearances
After a freak fire, a farmer returns to bootlegging in this lovingly handmade but frustratingly disjunctive tale.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters

T.B. (Total Butthead!)

2007-06-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

By now I guess most of us have heard about the guy with a hard to treat form of Tuberculosis, who left against medical advice, and flew all over Europe, possibly exposing hundreds of people to a communicable disease.

He now claims that no one told him he shouldn't leave, which I don't believe. Even if that were true, this guy is a practicing attorney, whom one would assume should have the common sense not to go traipsing in and out of the country, traveling in several airplanes exposing people to this disease, so he could get married.

Personally I think this moron should be jailed, and charged with reckless endangerment. According to the media, his new father in law is a an expert with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) who had given him "fatherly advice" not to leave. I guess he is calling his new wife's father a liar too!

If I were one of the people exposed to T.B by this jerks total lack of common sense and possibly criminal negligence, I would sue his ass off. That's my opinion anyway.

Friday's Movie Guide

2007-06-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

Here it is, on time even!
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Knocked Up
When a one-night stand results in pregnancy, the results are sweet, naughty, thoughtful and funny.
Gracie
The best parts aren't inspirational achievements but the dark passage our heroine must navigate to get there.
Killer of Sheep
Stark, nonlinear portrait of a family in LA's Watts community in the '70s gets a well deserved restoration.
Severance
The bloody mayhem that ensues when a work retreat turns gruesome is both genuinely creepy and droll.
Even Money
Interweaving tales of gambling addicts are as grim and lurid as any film about the evils of crystal meth.
Mr. Brooks
Sloppy, sleazy trifle of chaotic storytelling follows a community leader who moonlights as a serial killer.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Here's an idea...

2007-05-30T11:05:00.000-05:00

That's right, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth! We have been busy with a lot of different things. Not much of an excuse, but it is the truth! At any rate, here is the blog for today. Actually sort of a rant.

Sue and I were talking the other day about the continuing issue of the illegal immigrants, and Farmers Branch. It occurred to me that one of the problems that people have with illegal immigration is that the people who come here illegally tend to act as though they were still in the country they illegally immigrated from! They refuse to learn our language, they demand -not ask for but demand services, have babies that automatically become American citizens, and then wonder why Americans are up in arms!

I have a solution, (of sorts -) When they come here, across the border illegally, they need to immediately assimilate into American culture. Learn the language, learn the customs, not demand anything, just act as if they had been here forever ( like the rest of us that wrested the country away from the original inhabitants) and generally not act like an illegal immigrant. In other words, they need to stop drawing attention to themselves!

I think that if they stopped acting like Mexicans, Guatemalan, El Salvadorans, Costa Ricans, Irish, whatever, and acted like Americans, no one would notice them as much as they do when they speak only Spanish, and act as if they are still in the country they claim was so bad they had no choice but to leave and come here illegally! Something to think about!

A Day Late....

2007-05-26T12:53:00.000-05:00

Not only that, but I haven't really done a real blog in a while. We have been a tad busy. Here is the Movie Guide, and I will try to get back here later for a real blog!
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Third installment is confusing but has some dazzling bits, including the climactic battle sequence.
Bug
Psychodrama of surveillance technology and bio-warfare creates excruciating intensity.
Once
A street musician and a Czech lass in Dublin make beautiful music together in this modest, magical musical.
Red Road
Heroine's compulsion to watch leads her to acts that are shocking in their rawness and self-loathing.
Chalk
Scrappy mock documentary centers on the teachers and students at Harrison High.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

The Cheap & Easy one... Friday's Movie Guide

2007-05-18T07:31:00.000-05:00

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Shrek the Third
Latest installment has laughs, but also a been-there, done-that stench as Shrek inherits Far Far Away.
The TV Set
Like the industry it parodies, this film about the world of television has its moments but is mostly compromised.
The Wendell Baker Story
This loose-limbed comedy aims for laid-back and eccentric but more often hits lazy and annoying.
Fay Grim
Talky, snide satire of international intrigue movies turns serious about halfway through.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Anti-Immigration Law passes in North Texas

2007-05-14T07:26:00.000-05:00

By now you have likely heard that an Apartment ban requiring Apartment managers to obtain proof that those renting or renewing leases are in the country legally was overwhelmingly passed by the voters.

This law was the brainchild of city councilman Tim O'Hare who last fall had proposed a law with a bit more teeth. Along with the Apartment Ban was a law making English the official language, and requiring the FB Police Department enroll in an ICE training program.

The ban initially went into effect, and immediately the opposition went into action. They went to court and got an injunction. Ordinance 2903 would require apartment management to obtain proof of citizenship or legal immigration status before entering into or renewing leases or rental agreements.
The only exception to the ban would be that mixed-status families could stay if they were already living in the apartment, the spouse or head of household is a citizen or here legally, and the household includes the head of household and spouse and their minor children or parents.

Several groups got into the act complaining about the ban including the ACLU, LULAC, ( League of United Latin American Citizens) and others calling the law racist. Is it racist to ask people to follow the law? I don't think so.

I fully understand why people want to leave their home countries to come here. I understand that it is not always easy to wade through the red tape to come here legally, but the law is the law. To put it another way and I hate to use his tired cliché but "What part of Illegal don't they understand?"

It gets put to an election, the people of Farmers Branch overwhelmingly approved the measure 68% to 32%, and that is not good enough for them. The name of the organization that opposed the ordinance was "Let the Voters Decide" So the voters decided, and that apparently isn't good enough. I guess it was "Let the Voters Decide" as long as they decide our way!

The opposition now plans to clog the courts with more injunction requests, and appeals. Why? All that is going to happen is to delay the inevitable. A judge is eventually going to say "Hey, it's over. The electorate had it's say and decided that they want the ban. Go the hell away!"

Well, it is time for these people to give it up, and understand that the people of Farmers Branch have had it with illegal immigrants. If you are here illegally, and I don't care what country you are from, be it Mexico, Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, whatever. If you're not here legally then you are breaking the law!

If you are breaking the law, then you are illegal no matter what country you are from. That's not racist.

Friday's Movie Guide

2007-05-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

Here is the Friday Movie Guide - Quite a few movies this week, though I doubt anything will beat Spiderman 3!
New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
28 Weeks Later
28 Days Later sequel offers another helping of English apocalypse with a dose of current events allegory.
The Ex
A workable idea, but except for a few funny moments, this is material more fitting for a so-so TV sitcom.
Georgia Rule
Lower your expectations and your jaw, and you might find this the most watchable fiasco of the summer.
Delta Farce
Three Army reserves are accidentally dropped off in Mexico on the way to Iraq in this comedy. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
Mafioso
An unsavory task awaits a Fiat plant foreman from Milan who takes his family to Sicily in this dark 1962 comedy.
Away From Her
Truly, deeply effective tale follows a woman's slow descent into Alzheimer's and her husband's response.
Jindabyne
Aussie buddies decide to keep on fishing after they find a dead Aborigine woman in this thoughtful drama.
The Hip Hop Project
Uplifting doc follows a guy who overcame his own sad childhood to help other troubled kids make better music.
Waitress
Keri Russell's strong performance saves an otherwise too-cute sitcom about an unhappily married pie-slinger.
Home of the Brave
Americans returning home from Iraq deserve a deeper, more substantive portrait than this drama.
The Salon
This comedy rarely inspires even chuckles, much less the belly laughs generated by the Barbershop movies.
Blind Dating
Comedy mixes cringe-worthy blind jokes, the sexual immaturity of American Pie and overeager actors.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

What an Injustice! I'm too famous to obey the law!

2007-05-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

Paris Hilton, the blond airhead heiress to the Hilton Hotel fortune is apparently too famous to obey the law.

First she gets busted for DUI and Reckless operation of a motor vehicle last September. Her license was suspended. Then in February of this year, she was caught driving on the suspended license. The judge gave her 4 days in jail to being in earl June. Her story: She claimed her publicist told her it was okay to drive on a suspended license if it was "work related" What work does this airhead do? Appearing in public with the rat dog in her purse? Performing oral sex on the Internet?

Now she is appealing to California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger to pardon her. Here are some excerpts from her petition on her Myspace.com page:

"My friend Joshua started this petition, please help and sihn it," the spellcheck-challenged Hilton wrote on her MySpace blog. "i LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!"

Supporters wrote:

"Please allow her to return to her career and life," the petition reads. "Everyone makes mistakes. She didn't hurt or kill anyone, and she has learned her lesson...She is distraught and understandably afraid."

And:

"If the late Former President Gerald Ford could find it in his heart to pardon the late Former President Richard Nixon' after his mistake(s), we undeniably support Paris Hilton being pardoned for her honest mistake as well, and we hope and expect The Governor will understand and grant this unusual but important request in good faith to Ms. Paris Whitney Hilton."

Frankly,
if Arnold grants this broad a pardon, I will lose all respect for him. We may not live in California but Sue and I know several people who do. We may get our friends to start a recall petition against the Governator if he does grant the pardon.

Friday's Movie Guide (Just a bit late!)

2007-05-06T07:18:00.001-05:00

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Spider-Man 3
The darker story line features three baddies in this fun ride with touches of humanity.
Lucky You
Poker player Eric Bana blandly tries to persuade Drew Barrymore he's more than just a compulsive gambler.
Offside
Absurdist story follows a group of Iranian teen girls who get busted sneaking into a males-only soccer stadium.
Civic Duty
A man's obsession with his new Middle Eastern neighbor escalates to an explosive conclusion.
The Page Turner
A girl plots revenge for her failed music school audition in this suspenseful, sinister tale of destruction.
The Valet
Billionaire tries to persuade his wife that his mistress is seeing the parking attendant in this French sex farce.
Grbavica
A mom takes a job for a thuggish local kingpin after the Bosnian war in this pained, clear-eyed drama.
Snoop Dogg's Hood Of Horror
The deserving get their just deserts in this trilogy of played-out neighborhood horror tales.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Writers Group

2007-05-05T22:08:00.000-05:00

Monday night, Sue and I went to a monthly writers group that meets at the Barnes & Noble at a Mall near our house.

We were going to check it out last month, but ended up staying home because of nasty storms. We made it this time, and it was really interesting.

The leader of the group had everyone who had brought something they had written read the story to the group. We then went around and critiqued the piece. Sue and I didn't have anything with us this time, but plan to make certain we bring something with us next time.

The leader of the group Ron, has something he calls "Flash Fiction" This consists of sitting down and writing something relatively short in a short amount of time. Sue and I are thinking of trying this.

At any rate, the group seems like a lot of fun, and we are hoping to get something interesting out of it.

Teacher must really get lousy pay!

2007-05-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

I just read on The Smoking Gun.com, about an Oregon first grade teacher, who stole a jacket from one of her students. She then attempted to sell it on E-bay!

I realize that teachers get really crappy money, but to steal from a kid?

The coat belonging to an eight year old girl went missing. The girl's mother went up on E-bay to see if she could find a similar coat, and found one that looked identical to the one her daughter was missing. She noticed that the seller came from the same town in Oregon, and got suspicious. The coat went up for sale on E-bay the day after it went missing.

After a little detective work, the mother figured out what had happened. The Teacher, Elizabeth Logan, 41 faces felony charges. The real kicker is that she was asking $25.00 for the coat, the final bid was $46.00

Here is a link to the original article on The Smoking Gun.com. Look how smug this woman is. It seems like she doesn't give a crap that she has trashed her career for $25.00.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0502072coat1.html

People just make me wonder these days.

And then there was one, too!

2007-04-30T06:52:00.001-05:00

Last night, the youth of our church, Covenant Presbyterian put on their spring Dinner Theater Play. The title was"And then there was one, too!" This is a sequel to the play they did last spring, called "And then there was one." The premise of both plays is nearly identical to the similarly titled book and play by Agatha Christie. A group of people are lured to a remote location for various reasons, and then bumped off, one by one. Or so it seems.

Our daughter Sandy played Margaret LaRue in both plays. Last year she was the first character "killed" and went through much of the play being covered by a blanket, disguised as a lamp, or being carried ( and dropped accidentally ) by other characters.

This time, she was the first to arrive for the festivities, and didn't become a "corpse" until much later in the play. At that point she was brought into the scene in a shopping cart, covered by a blanket!

Both plays were hysterically funny, with a lot of silly one liners, and double entendres. At the end of both plays it is discovered that no one has actually been killed, they have been brought together to write a mystery play to earn $10,000.00 each.

Sandy and all of the kids had a great time. We had dinner first, and then went down into the Parlor for the play. Ticket sales are to help earn money for youth trips with the church. It was a great cause, and a fun night.

Oops, This is a day late! (But not a dollar short...)

2007-04-28T13:59:00.000-05:00

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Next
A man can see two minutes into the future in this sci-fi thriller that is both fun to watch and think about.
The Condemned
Action flick about a live broadcast of convicts fighting to the death for their freedom lacks heart and smarts.
Black Book
Director Paul Verhoeven delivers a brazenly entertaining war movie of a Jewish singer who joins the resistance.
Something to Cheer About
Tribute to the first all-black school to become state champs captures the coach's wisdom before his death.
Diggers
Four friends cling to their livelihood against corporate forces in the 1970s. Think of it as a chick flick for men.
Old Joy
At the end of this tale of two old friends on a camping trip, you understand them, and maybe yourself, better.
Dog Problem
A lonely man who is bad at relationships get a dog. Turns out he isn't much better with pets than humans.
Wind Chill
Two college students find trouble when their car breaks down on the way home. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
The Invisible
Two teens find that others are not able to see the real them: one is dead, the other has been neglected. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
Kickin' It Old Skool
A breakdancer (Jamie Kennedy) wakes from a coma with the hopes of reviving his career. This film did not screen in advance for critics.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

President of Southern Baptist Thoelogical Seminary: "Virginia Tech Male students should have protected their women!"

2007-04-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday, April 18th, 2007, two days after the worst campus shooting in US history, the President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, addressed male students. He told them that in a situation like the Virginia Tech shootings, he would expect them to charge the assailant, sacrificing their lives if necessary.

What?

Dr. Paige Patterson stated in an address to male students "All you had to do was have six or eight {students} rush him right at that time, and 32 people wouldn't have died." In a statement issued later, Dr. Patterson said he wasn't criticizing the conduct of any of the survivors, and in fact praised Liviu Librescu, the Israeli Professor and Holocaust survivor who gave his life barricading the door to his classroom so that students could escape.

"Since I was not at Virginia Tech when {the shootings} occurred, any judgment on my part would be inappropriate, " Dr Patterson said. "But it is not inappropriate for me to ask my students and faculty to be prepared to act as courageously as the Israeli professor. We cannot bring back the dead, but we can determine in our hearts if there is even the slightest chance we ever find ourselves in such an unfortunate situation, we will be prepared to prevent some of the carnage to the best of our ability"

He went on to elaborate why Christian men should rush an assailant in such a situation:

"My own perspective is that Christians - who believe that Heaven is their real home and that they are prepared for eternity as a result of a life changed by Christ - are even more obligated to act courageously and sacrificially. And I am still just old-fashioned enough to believe that men are responsible to protect women and children."

Sgt Allen Barron of the department of Security and University Police at Texas A&M University would not recommend that someone without training charge an armed assailant.

However Bruce Prescott, a moderate Baptist minister who has often been at odds with Dr. Patterson supported Patterson's ridiculous ideas. Prescott said: "I do think it wise for persons who are willing to voluntarily sacrifice themselves to be prepared to respond aggressively if they find themselves confronted by a gunman like the one at Virgina Tech"

So according to these two morons, unarmed men should rush a nut-job armed to the teeth to protect women and children? While the idea sounds chivalrous on the surface, it is idiocy if you think about it. Suppose you rush a guy who is armed, and you get shot, then he gets pissed and kills even more people. Seung-Hui Cho was already deranged. Do you really think he could have been subdued by unarmed students without training, and protective gear? Why do you think SWAT teams don't go running into a building where hostages are being held? When the opportunity presents itself, they toss in tear gas, or flash-bang grenades, to distract or blind the gunman so the can go in and disarm him.

Consider this possibility also. Suppose male students had rushed Cho as Patterson suggests. Suppose further that he was not acting alone. What if there were two or more assailants at Virginia Tech? Wouldn't that have likely gotten more people killed? What if Cho had wired the campus with explosives like Klebold and Harris did at Columbine? What do you suppose would have happened then?

I don't have an answer for the best way to act in a situation like this, but having unarmed people rush an armed assailant is foolish at best.

Of course the conversation must turn to Flight 93. Several passengers rushed the terrorists and brought down the plane in a field, rather then allowing it to crash into the White House or the Capitol, or another heavily populated building. Lives were saved. However, passengers on that plane had been in touch with loved ones who had told them of the WTC attacks. The knew they were going to die, and they wanted to try to save lives on the ground. Their willing sacrifice was one of courage, knowing full well they would not survive. That is the difference.

To suggest that men should have rushed Cho and to suggest that if they had 32 people would still be alive diminishes those who died, and those who survived, regardless of what Patterson says. I pray that Dr. Patterson will think before he opens his mouth again. His comments are nothing short of pouring salt in a tragically raw wound.

Virginia Tech Tragedy - The Aftermath

2007-04-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

We now know a bit more about Seung-Hui Cho. We know that he was a troubled, mentally ill loner. We know that 2 years ago, VT University Health officials attempted to help him, and he was deemed "mentally unstable, a danger to himself and others." Then he was released. We know that despite this he was allowed to legally purchase firearms. So much for the gun control lobby!

Why was this sick young man not given the help he so desperately needed? How did he slip through the cracks? Obviously, we need to drastically fix the mental health system in this country. I do not have the answers, only more questions.

Even Cho's family says he had problems as a child. His parents were concerned that he might be autistic. Yet he passed through the public school system. Professors at VT all say that much of his work was substandard and frightening. Yet he was about to graduate in less than two months. Why? So he would no longer be the problem of this prestigious University?

Then there is the manifesto that he sent to NBC, during the two hours hiatus between the first shootings, and the final. NBC aired some of the video that he sent, showing the world a twisted, rambling diatribe against his imagined demons. He claimed that:

" I didn't have to do this. I could have left, I could have fled. But no, I will no longer run. If not for me, for my children, for my brothers and sisters, the that you (EXPLETIVE DELETED), I did it for them.You had 100 billion chances and ways to have avoided today but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off. You just loved crucifying me. You loved inducing cancer in my head, terrorizing my heart and ripping my soul all this time. "

NBC has been castigated for airing any of the so-called manifesto. Some of the families of the victims were appalled that the decision to air the clips was made. In hindsight, perhaps they should have run a text crawl with the words and not shown the pictures of the angry Cho brandishing guns. Perhaps they would have been better off posting the pictures and video links up on the network website.

Additionally I have seen family members being accosted by the media, and tearfully saying how much their loved ones meant to them. I hope I am never in the position that these people are in, but if I ever was, and someone came up to me with a camera and microphone,. and started asking me stupid questions at the worst moment of my life, the reporter would walk away very awkwardly and painfully with a camera of microphone ( or both) up their asses!

Cheap & Easy Blog

2007-04-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

Here ya go, the Friday Movie Guide:
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Hot Fuzz
Hollywood spoofs would do well to emulate this affectionate English send-up of American cop movies.
In the Land of Women
Fine acting all around as a young man serves as a sounding board for a woman and her two daughters.
Fracture
Watching pros Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins spar is an entertaining battle of wills and styles.
Year of the Dog
Molly Shannon is funny, sad and heartbreaking as a secretary whose life changes after her dog dies.
Vacancy
Tale of a couple stranded at a dangerous hotel holds some appeal but wears out its welcome.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Virginia Tech Tragedy

2007-04-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

Today is a dark day for one of the country's most well know institutes of higher education, Virginia Tech. In what is now being called the worst incident of mass murder in United States History, 33 People are dead.The dead include at least one of the gunmen who perpetrated this tragic event. Police are looking for a "person of interest" Apparently around 7:15 this morning, a man, who may or may not have been a student entered a dormitory and killed two people.

About two hours later, on a part of the Campus that is a half mile away from the site of the first killings, more shots rang out. When it was over, a total of 33 people were dead including one of the purported gunmen. On the news tonight, I heard that the dead man may have been a Chinese National, official are still uncertain of his status and why he was at the university.

Many students are angered because the only warnings that went out were sent via e-mail. Officials did not make use of the campus Public Address system.

While I realize that they may have been trying to avert panic, and in fact the first shootings were initially thought to be a domestic dispute, I have to wonder if they could have advised students to stay in their dorm rooms, and not move about needlessly.

Many questions go unanswered tonight. One thing is certain though, the victims, their families, and the families of the gunmen need our prayers. I feel for the family or families of the man or men involved in this horrific shooting. They will be asking themselves questions just as police, and families of the victims will be asking. Why did this happen?

In the days and weeks ahead, we will no doubt learn a bit more of how these events unfolded. The question of why may never be known.

Friday Movie Guide

2007-04-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

I know, some Fridays, all I publish is this. I will try to get a real blog written and posted a bit later today!!!!
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film...
Adaptation of the Adult Swim show that explores the origins of the Force could be subtitled "For Fans Only."
Boy Culture
A reclusive, older client causes a gay hustler to look at the lives of those around him in this slick drama.
Perfect Stranger
A journalist investigates the death of a friend in this undeniably stylish but rarely suspenseful thriller.
Pathfinder
Primitive and bloody tale follows a Viking raised by American Indians who must battle his homeland.
After the Wedding
Melodrama conveys its scenario with enough intensity and forceful acting to overpower audiences.
Disturbia
It's no Rear Window, but this thriller is far smarter than most big studio flicks with teen protagonists.
Slow Burn
A District Attorney gets involved in a showdown with a gang leader. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
Redline
If you like exotic cars and not much else, this one's probably for you. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

At Last! Will the BabyDaddy Please stand up!

2007-04-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

The long national nightmare is finally over! Well, not really, but we finally know who DA BabyDaddy is!The DNA results are finally in. Is it (Drum roll) Howard K Schlep? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Is it (Drum roll)Prince Frederick Ahole? ( Zsa Zsa Gabor's Hubby)Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo (A side bit here, he claimed to have been thinking of Zsa Zsa while he was doing Anna Nicole.... Hmmm Let's see 80 something wife with sagging parts, vs. Bleached Blonde Chubbette with huge fake boobs? DO you believe that? I didn't think so! Of course, Zsa Zsa is senile, while Anna Nicole was an airhead, so the pillow talk was probably about the same!) Is it some homeless guy who got Lucky in between Howard, Larry, Freddie, and The Entire NCAA Basketball team roster? Nope! And the winner is: Larry Butthead!!! Larry's the BabyDaddy!!!!

To his credit, Larry was gracious about it. He stood there facing the cameras, saying HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I TOLD YOU SO HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Well, not quite. But close. He is obviously so proud to be the father of the money... I mean Dannilyn.. He'll be thanking his accountants for years that he forgot to put on the condom that night!

I still say this poor kid is gonna put a team of therapists kids through college. When she gets old enough to know about all of the hoopla she will probably go to Tibet, and become a recluse. Who could blame her!

Too stupid to live!

2007-04-07T22:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, from the title, you may assume that I am going to rant about someone that did something really. really, really stupid. I am. Unfortunately, the stupid idiot I am going to rant about is me.

What, pray tell, stupid thing did I do? Well, let me tell you. We got a really cold snap here in North Texas. Sue and I had picked up a bunch of scrap wood and twigs on our walks around the neighborhood over the last few weeks, and decided to have a fire tonight. A couple of the pieces of wood that Sue had brought into the house were a bit too long to put in the fireplace, so I took them out into the garage to cut or break them. One piece was particularly brittle, so I figured that I could just break it by leaning it up against something and using my foot to break it in the middle.

Here is where the stupidity comes in. I have been using an empty Kitty Litter container, as a platform to saw these pieces of wood. Initially, I planned to lean the one piece against the container, and snap it in the middle with my foot.

Then I got the oh so brilliant idea to stand one foot on the wood on top of the container, and use my other foot to break the wood. Remember, I told you this container was empty!

Naturally, as soon as I put my weight on the wood and the top of the empty container, and picked up my other foot to break the wood, the container did two things pretty much simultaneously,. It crumpled from my weight, and went flying out from under me. All I could think of as I was going down was... "Shit, that was really pretty freakin' stupid!"
In fact after I hit, and I was trying to assess whether I had broken anything other than the container, and my pride, I believe I said just that! Sue heard the thud, and my "Oh shit, that was really stupid!" from the garage. She came out, and found me standing, clutching my arm, and looked at me as if to say... You guessed it. "Well, that was really pretty stupid!" And it really was.

Cheap & Easy Blog ( The Friday Movie Guide, that is!)

2007-04-06T11:13:00.000-05:00

Here ya go. The movies that are opening today....

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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Grindhouse
If your head's in the right place, this pair of exploitation films can be a heckuva lot of fun.
The Hoax
Richard Gere gets his best role ever as an author who cooks up a bogus biography of Howard Hughes.
First Snow
Guy Pearce's strong performance anchors this well-crafted thriller of psychic predictions that come true.
The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Cannes top-prize winner concerns a derailed freedom fight in which brother fights brother for the same cause.
Into Great Silence
Documentary about the Grand Chartreuse monastery isn't about zeal, devotion or faith, but simple happiness.
Avenue Montaigne
Fluffy soufflé of a film follows a sprite who takes a job at a cafe and proceeds to affect the lives of the clientele.
Inland Empire
David Lynch's latest is even more plotless than his other work, but it will seriously change your mood for hours.
The Reaping
Religious allusions in this supernatural thriller don't register as strongly as The Omen and Rosemary's Baby.
Are We Done Yet?
No cleverness was exerted as Ice Cube settles down with the mother of the brats from Are We There Yet?
The Night of the White Pants
Pointless, badly acted and rushed tale follows a Dallas millionaire during a wild night on the town.
Firehouse Dog (opened Wednesday)
When a firefighter's son brings a canine movie star to the firehouse, the dog brightens everyone's spirits.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Who da Babydaddy!

2007-04-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

Well, Tuesday we were supposed to find out who Anna Nicole's Babydaddy is. There was another court hearing on Tuesday, purportedly to reveal the DNA results, but all they came up with was that they would reveal the DNA results next... You guessed it. Tuesday!

This story has grown some major legs. I mean first they argue for a month over where to bury the poor dead broad. The Babydaddy debacle has gone way over the top. You have Larry Butthead, the photographer, you have Howard K. Schmuck, then if that isn;t enough theres Zsa Zsa Gabor's hubby Prince Ahole all claiming the money I mean the kid is theirs.

I will laugh my ass off when the father turns out to be some homeless guy she was boffing. I want to to see the look on these morons faces when it turns out not to be any of them!I would probably pay to see that!

Trees - Not down for the count!

2007-04-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

Several days ago I told you all about the little bastards down the street that decided to wreck our newly planted trees. Believe it or not, most of them are recovering.

One that they missed was a Crape-myrtle bush. That one is still growing pretty well. Today I noticed that one of the ones that got broken off the other day is beginning to bud again. Which is cool as it had leaves beginning to grow on it till they broke it off.

Another one in the middle of the yard, the first one they broke, is now also showing signs of leaves forming. Our Crabapple tree in the back yard, ( which they couldn't get to fortunately...) is doing really well. It has doubled in height.

We replanted the one Golden Raintree from the front Median strip. ( we had two there, one was pulled out and broken off, the roots may still be in the ground, the other one was pulled out, roots and all. That's the one we replanted in the back yard today. We have hopes that it will survive... We will keep you informed.

A new Blog to look at

2007-04-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

I just added a blog for you to take a look at. A friend of ours is blogging up on My Space about the dangers of Teen Drinking and Driving. I have gone up and taken a look at it myself, and it looks interesting. So if you are so inclined... Straighten up and go check it out. If you have an opinion, drop by and say what's on your mind.

An Update:

2007-03-31T18:26:00.000-05:00

The other day I told you the story of Shaquanda Cotton, a 14 year old black teenager, who shoved a hall monitor at Paris High School in a dispute over entering the building before the school day had officially begun.

The judge in this case had sentence Shaquanda to 7 years in the Texas Youth Commission for this heinous crime. ( I remind you that the 58 year old White Teacher was not seriously [if at all] injured. ( This young black girl got this ridiculous sentence, while a white 14 year old girl who burned down the family home got off with probation.

Shaquanda after much public outrage over this vastly harsh sentence, was released today nearly a year after her ordeal began.

Frankly, we fully expect Shaquanda's mother to sue. I hope she wins, perhaps it is time that the city of Paris, Texas wakes up and joins the 21st Century. Giving someone a harsher sentence or a lighter one because of their race is not something that should be tolerated in this country, today.

Are they out of their Freakin' Minds?

2007-03-30T08:27:00.000-05:00

Yes, believe it or not I am actually writing the real blog fairly early for a change. Some may even say it's amazing that I am even remembering to write it at all!

Okay this one has been on my mind ( according to Sue I don't have one but what the hell!) We saw an item in the paper the other day, and of course the story is up on the internet as well. Relatives of Harry Houdini (Real name Erich Weiss ) who died on October 31, 1926 believe he may have been poisoned...

Okay, so what if he was? This was over 8o damn years ago! I am reprinting the story that was posted on MSNBC.COM: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17741602/

Read the story and form your own conclusion...

NEW YORK - Get ready for “CSI: Houdini.”
A team of forensic experts will pore over the exhumed remains of renowned escape artist Harry Houdini to determine whether he was murdered more than 80 years ago, the head of the investigative team said Friday.
“Everything will be thoroughly analyzed,” said James Starrs, dean of the disinterment dream team of pathologists, anthropologists, toxicologists and radiologists. “We’ll examine his hairs, his fingernails, any bone fractures.”

"It needs to be looked at," said Houdini's great-nephew, George Hardeen. His grandfather was Houdini's brother, Theodore. "His death shocked the entire nation, if not the world. Now, maybe it's time to take a second look."
Legal paperwork necessary to dig up Houdini’s body from a New York City cemetery will be filed Monday to get the process started, said Joseph Tacopina, an attorney representing Houdini’s family. It could take months before the body is exhumed, although the process should move faster because the family and cemetery officials support the plan, he said.

Houdini died at age 52 on Halloween 1926, days after the athletic magician was repeatedly punched in the stomach by a college student testing the performer’s abdominal muscles.
Spiritualists seen as likely suspects His death certificate listed him as a victim of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix, but no autopsy was performed. When the death certificate was filed on Nov. 20, 1926, Houdini's body — brought by train from Detroit to Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal — was already buried in Queens, along with any evidence of a possible death plot.
Within days, a newspaper headline read, "Was Houdini Murdered?" A new biography, "The Secret Life of Houdini," raised the issue again and convinced Hardeen and others that poisoning was a real possibility.

The likeliest murder suspects were a group known as the Spiritualists, which became Houdini's bete noire in his final years. The magician devoted large portions of his stage show to exposing the group's fraudulent séances; the movement's devotees included Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle.

In the Houdini biography, authors William Kalush and Larry Sloman detail a November 1924 letter from Doyle that smacks of professor Moriarty-style malevolence: Houdini, it said, would "get his just desserts very exactly meted out. ... I think there is a general payday coming soon."
Two years later, Houdini — by all accounts an extraordinary physical specimen — was dead before his 53rd birthday. Kalush and Sloman noted that "the Spiritualist underworld's modus operandi in cases like this was often poisoning" — possibly arsenic.

The biography additionally detailed the injection of "an experimental serum" into Houdini by one of his doctors at Detroit's Grace Hospital.
While Houdini took the Spiritualists' repeated death threats seriously, he traveled without the security trappings now de rigeur for celebrities — no bodyguard, no entourage, often just his wife Bess.

Strange details on death certificate

"If someone were hell-bent on poisoning Houdini," the authors wrote, "it wouldn't have been very difficult."
The team working on the exhumation includes internationally known forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, and Starrs, who has studied the disinterred remains of gunslinger Jesse James and "Boston Strangler" Albert DeSalvo.
Baden, who chaired panels reinvestigating the deaths of President Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., pointed out a pair of oddities in Houdini's death certificate: It noted his appendix was on the left side, rather than the right. And the diagnosis of appendicitis caused by a punch was "very unusual."

AP Legendary escape artist Harry Houdini is shown in chains in this photo circa 1899

Starrs said he was long familiar with the story of Houdini's death, and believed the fatal injury was the result of an accident. Details contained in the Houdini biography convinced him otherwise.
"My eyebrows went up when I read this book," Starrs said. "I thought, 'This is really startling, surprising and unsettling, and at bottom, suspicious in nature.' "

The exhumation plan received support from a surprising source: Anna Thurlow, the great-granddaughter of "medium" Margery, whose husband Dr. Le Roi Crandon was one of the Spiritualist movement's biggest proponents — and one of Houdini's most virulent enemies.
During a 1924 "séance," Margery channeled a "spirit" named Walter who greeted Houdini with a threat: "I put a curse on you now that will follow you every day for the rest of your short life."
While the spirit was imaginary, the prediction of a short life was all too real. Thurlow believes there may be a connection.
"With people that delusional, you have to question what they're capable of,'" she said. "If there's any circumstantial evidence that Houdini was poisoned, we have to explore that."

Okay me here again. Now my biggest question is WHY? What possible good can come out of this? The man died 81 years ago, and even if he was poisoned, what is the plan? Dig up the bodies of these Spiritualists and put the remains on trial? This is about as ridiculous as digging up the remains of President Martin VanBuren a few years ago to determine if he had been poisoned. (He wasn't) All I can say is: What a world, what a world!

Friday Movie Guide

2007-03-30T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here is the cheap & Easy Blog for Friday... The Movie Guide
New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Meet the Robinsons
Disney 3-D film about a time-traveling boy inventor takes a while to find its bearings, but eventually does.
Blades of Glory
Comedy about the first all-male championship skating team never transcends its limited premise.
The Lookout
Bank heist caper is a beautifully drawn character drama that manages to balance subtlety with suspense.
Nomad: The Warrior
Tale of nomadic Kazakhs' hope for a leader to unite their tribes feels like an old-school American Western.
Journey From the Fall
Sprawling tearjerker about a war-splintered family from South Vietnam compiles details seldom seen on screen.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Ready to kill...

2007-03-29T22:32:00.000-05:00

As you may recall we planted some trees in the front yard a few weeks ago. Over the last few days, I have noticed that a couple of them had been broken off halfway down. The first one we shrugged off. Then the next one was done the other day, and I looked and could see that it had been broken intentionally, because you could see that there was a spot torn on the broken piece.

Yesterday we were heading to go pick up Sandy from school at around 6PM. (She stays late several days to get extra help with her homework) and Sue spotted 2 little boys about 7 or 8 years old, looking very intently at the Golden Raintrees in the front median strip. When we came home they had yanked them out of the ground and left them there. One was missing the roots, and is likely not going to make it although I suck it back in the ground... The other one has roots on it, so we are going to try to re-plant it in the back yard.

It just galls us that we cannot plant trees in our own front yard because parents do not supervise their kids. We obviously can't prove it was these two delinquents in training, but it is a pretty good circumstantial case.

It makes Sue and I about ready to put up an electrified fence in the front so we can have plants that we want to have go unmolested. If I see these little brats so much as step one foot in our yard, Sue and I will find out where they live and go have a few words with their parents. Not that that will do any good. I have a feeling that considering these two brats run around all day without any parents in sight, that the parents are likely to be the types that will say "Oh no, my kid wouldn't do that! These kids by the way are not brothers. This much we know for a fact. So we have two sets of parents we would need to confront.

I have half a mind to put in some cacti in the front. Let the little bastards grab hold of that!

Tribute to a Fallen Hero

2007-03-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight I would like to take a moment to honor a hero. I'm not talking about a movie star, or a baseball player or a rock singer. I am referring to a man who performed a job that is thankless, unsung, and dangerous. This fallen hero was a Dallas Police Officer. On Friday, March 23rd, Senior Corporal Mark Nix was attempting to arrest what officers thought was a murder suspect, who had led them on a chase across town. When Officer Nix attempted to break open the window of the suspects car, Wesley Ruiz opened fire, hitting the officer in the neck. Other police officers returned fire, wounding the suspect. Fellow officers took Nix to Parkland Memorial Hospital, but sadly it was too late.

Officer Nix was engaged to be married. He served as a Navy Corpsman in Iraq prior to joining the Dallas Police Department

Ruiz, the suspected killer had a record of drug arrests, and is a known gang member. Ruiz was released from the hospital today and has been charged with Capital Murder, four counts of aggravated assault on police officers and drug possession. More than likely he will face the death penalty.

Dallas Police Senior Corporal Mark Nix
1973 - 2007.
Rest in peace.

Justice or Racism?

2007-03-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

The following is a story that has been getting airplay in the Dallas/Fort Worth area recently. Read the story, and if possible, I would like your comments on this extreme case of injustice.
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14-year-old girl shoves hall monitor and gets 7 years in prison
Published on Monday, March 26, 2007.
Source: Chicago Tribune - By Howard Witt

PARIS, Texas -- The public fairgrounds in this small east Texas town look ordinary enough, like so many other well-worn county fair sites across the nation. Unless you know the history of the place.There are no plaques or markers to denote it, but several of the most notorious public lynchings of black Americans in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries were staged at the Paris Fairgrounds, where thousands of white spectators would gather to watch and cheer as black men were dragged onto a scaffold, scalded with hot irons and finally burned to death or hanged.

Brenda Cherry, a local civil rights activist, can see the fairgrounds from the front yard of her modest home, in the heart of the "black" side of this starkly segregated town of 26,000. And lately, Cherry says, she's begun to wonder whether the racist legacy of those lynchings is rebounding in a place that calls itself "the best small town in Texas."

"Some of the things that happen here would not happen if we were in Dallas or Houston," Cherry said. "They happen because we are in this closed town. I compare it to 1930s.

"There was the 19-year-old white man, convicted last July of criminally negligent homicide for killing a 54-year-old black woman and her 3-year-old grandson with his truck, who was sentenced in Paris to probation and required to send an annual Christmas card to the victims' family.

There are the Paris public schools, which are under investigation by the U.S. Education Department after repeated complaints that administrators discipline black students more frequently, and more harshly, than white students.

And then there is the case that most troubles Cherry and leaders of the Texas NAACP, involving a 14-year-old black freshman, Shaquanda Cotton, who shoved a hall monitor at Paris High School in a dispute over entering the building before the school day had officially begun.

The youth had no prior arrest record, and the hall monitor--a 58-year-old teacher's aide--was not seriously injured. But Shaquanda was tried in March 2006 in the town's juvenile court, convicted of "assault on a public servant" and sentenced by Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville to prison for up to 7 years, until she turns 21.

Just three months earlier, Superville sentenced a 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for burning down her family's house, to probation.

"All Shaquanda did was grab somebody and she will be in jail for 5 or 6 years?" said Gary Bledsoe, an Austin attorney who is president of the state NAACP branch. "It's like they are sending a signal to black folks in Paris that you stay in your place in this community, in the shadows, intimidated.

"The Tribune generally does not identify criminal suspects younger than age 17, but is doing so in this case because the girl and her family have chosen to go public with their story.

None of the officials involved in Shaquanda's case, including the local prosecutor, the judge and Paris school district administrators, would agree to speak about their handling of it, citing a court appeal under way.

But the teen's defenders assert that long before the September 2005 shoving incident, Paris school officials targeted Shaquanda for scrutiny because her mother had frequently accused school officials of racism.

Retaliation alleged
"Shaquanda started getting written up a lot after her mother became involved in a protest march in front of a school," said Sharon Reynerson, an attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid, who has represented Shaquanda during challenges to several of the disciplinary citations she received. "Some of the write-ups weren't fair to her or accurate, so we felt like we had to challenge each one to get the whole story."Among the write-ups Shaquanda received, according to Reynerson, were citations for wearing a skirt that was an inch too short, pouring too much paint into a cup during an art class and defacing a desk that school officials later conceded bore no signs of damage.

Shaquanda's mother, Creola Cotton, does not dispute that her daughter can behave impulsively and was sometimes guilty of tardiness or speaking out of turn at school--behaviors that she said were manifestations of Shaquanda's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for which the teen was taking prescription medication.Nor does Shaquanda herself deny that she pushed the hall monitor after the teacher's aide refused her permission to enter the school before the morning bell--although Shaquanda maintains that she was supposed to have been allowed to visit the school nurse to take her medication, and that the teacher's aide pushed her first.

But Cherry alleges that Shaquanda's frequent disciplinary write-ups, and the insistence of school officials at her trial that she deserved prison rather than probation for the shoving incident, fits in a larger pattern of systemic discrimination against black students in the Paris Independent School District.In the past five years, black parents have filed at least a dozen discrimination complaints against the school district with the federal Education Department, asserting that their children, who constitute 40 percent of the district's nearly 4,000 students, were singled out for excessive discipline.

An attorney for the school district, Dennis Eichelbaum, said the Education Department had determined all of the complaints to be unfounded."The [department] has explained that the school district has not and does not discriminate, that the school district has been a leader and very progressive when it comes to race relations, and that there was no validity to the allegations made by the complainants," Eichelbaum said.

Not so clear
But the federal investigations of the school district are not so clear-cut, and they are not finished. In one 2004 finding, Education Department officials determined that black students at a Paris middle school were being written up for disciplinary infractions more than twice as often as white students--and eight times as often in one category, "class disruption."

The Education Department asked the U.S. Justice Department to try to mediate disputes between black parents and the district, but school officials pulled out of the process last December before it was concluded.And in April 2006, the Education Department notified Paris school officials that it was opening a new, comprehensive review to determine "whether the district discriminated against African-American students on the basis of race" between 2004 and 2006. Federal officials say that investigation is still in progress.

According to one veteran Paris teacher, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, such discrimination is widespread."There is a philosophy of giving white kids a break and coming down on black kids," said the teacher, who is white.Not everyone in Paris agrees, however, that blacks are treated unfairly by the city's institutions."I've lived here all my life, and I don't see that," said Mary Ann Reed Fisher, one of two black members of the Paris City Council. "My kids went to Paris High School, and they never had one minute of a problem with the school system, the courts or the police."

A peculiar inmate
Meanwhile, Shaquanda, a first-time offender, remains something of an anomaly inside the Texas Youth Commission prison system, where officials say 95 percent of the 2,500 juveniles in their custody are chronic, serious offenders who already have exhausted county-level programs such as probation and local treatment or detention."The Texas Youth Commission is reserved for those youth who are most violent or most habitual," said commission spokesman Tim Savoy. "The whole concept of commitment until your 21st birthday should be recognized as a severe penalty, and that's why it's typically the last resort of the juvenile system in Texas."Inside the youth prison in Brownwood where she has been incarcerated for the past 10 months--a prison currently at the center of a state scandal involving a guard who allegedly sexually abused teenage inmates--

Shaquanda, who is now 15, says she has not been doing well.Three times she has tried to injure herself, first by scratching her face, then by cutting her arm. The last time, she said, she copied a method she saw another young inmate try, knotting a sweater around her neck and yanking it tight so she couldn't breathe. The guards noticed her sprawled inside her cell before it was too late.She tried to harm herself, Shaquanda said, out of depression, desperation and fear of the hardened young thieves, robbers, sex offenders and parole violators all around her whom she must try to avoid each day."I get paranoid when I get around some of these girls," Shaquanda said. "Sometimes I feel like I just can't do this no more--that I can't survive this."

Warning Anti-Bush rant contained within!

2007-03-23T22:22:00.000-05:00

I place the warning as there is one occasional reader who is a fan of Shrub. I don't happen to agree with her opinion of him, but as I have said in the past, I will defend to the death her right to have a favorable opinion of him.

That said, I shall proceed with the aforementioned rant.

Today Congress approved the Iraq War spending package, adding to it a deadline to begin troop pullouts. (Hmm, pull out, that doesn't sound very manly!) Ahem! Any way, Bush very angrily stated that if that hit his desk by George ( or Dick, or Karl... ) he would Veto it. Way to go Shrub. You show those idiots in Congress, the majority of the American people, and the rest of the civilized world just how stupid they are and how you are the only one in the entire world ( just about) who understands that we have to "STAY THE COURSE" and "GET THE JOB DONE" no matter how many American soldiers and Iraqi peoples lives are sacrificed.

What is it with this guy? Why is it that he just plain cannot or will not see the forest for the bloody trees? I have to wonder if his daughters were serving in the military he would feel the same way. DO you suppose he would so cavalierly throw lives away? Both ours and the Iraqis?

What really scares me is the scenario I can just about envision. Let's say that he does Veto this bill. ( He will) Let's then say that Congress manages to pull together enough votes to override the Veto ( they won't) I can see Shrub declaring the suspension of congress due to the "emergent situation" I can see him becoming the first American Dictator, and suspending the next election. Paranoid? I hope I am. I truly hope I am. Something to think about folks.

Kaplan University - The story continues...

2007-03-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

If you read what went on yesterday in Sue's blog and the brief mention about the whole debacle in mine, you are up to speed on how this university made some major boo boos.

On of which was sending us information that belonged to another applicant ( including his name, address, email, and worse of all - Social Security Number). I will get to that one in a moment.

This afternoon, we got a phone call from the Director of Admissions. He had seen the flurry of emails that went back and forth yesterday, and last evening, and was calling to find out what had gone wrong. We told him what had happened, how they Assistant Director of admissions was high pressuring us, and how Dwight had sent the information belonging to another applicant to us. He listened to what we had to say, then he apologized profusely for these actions, and indicated that he fully intends to look into this. He assured us that this is NOT acceptable to him or to the school. He is, like we are at a loss to understand why they went into this high pressure deal last night, wanting everything done in one day. He was also not happy that the Assistant Director had sent us a scathing email.

He let us know that if we would like to still come to Kaplan we can go through him. He makes the decisions as to what students are accepted. We let him know that we would still need to have the $95.00 admission fee waived. He said no problem just follow the procedure that we had been asked to do last night, and far as writing a 250 word essay, and then send everything to him. We asked if we could have some time to think it over, he told us that was not a problem. We are thinking and praying about it. We still want to get an education, and up to all of the crap that happened last night, we had thought Kaplan was the place we wanted to go. We still may.

Last night I sent an email to the gentleman who's information had been sent to us by mistake, and informed him about that. I then followed up this morning with a phone call. I left a message on his voice mail about the screw up. This evening we got an email back from him, thanking us for advising him of the fiasco. He is understandably, quite angry. He has decided not to go to Kaplan, and may even take legal action. I can't say that I blame him.

At any rate that is where everything sits at the moment.

Wasted day and Evening

2007-03-21T23:24:00.001-05:00

What a crappy day!

Why was today a crappy day? Well Sue is going to go into detail about this fiasco. Let's suffice it to say that I wanted to spend today getting through the rest of my studying for West, the California Bee Newspaper certification I have told you about.

This morning, I let Sandy use my computer to do some research on Wolves, which is the subject she is going to give her eight minute speech on for ROTC. So the morning was shot. By this afternoon we got the call we had set up from Kaplan University about going back to school. The rest of the day and a good portion of the evening was spent doing all the preliminary stuff for that. As Sue will tell you in detail, that went up in flames. What a disaster.

I guess God is telling us that now is not the time to go back to school. Oh well. We will go back to school at some point. When the time is right. God's time, not ours.

I will get my butt back to work and finish my training so I can get to work in the next couple of days. In the mean time, may God's peace and love be with you.

And a fun time was had by all!

2007-03-20T23:32:00.000-05:00

We managed to get out to see "Eragon" today. Sandy had gone with our friend Mary the other day and seen 3 movies at the cheapie movie theater in Lewisville. One of the ones she saw was "Eragon" based on the book by Christopher Paolini. We had been wanting to see this movie ever since we read the books, and found out the movie was being made. Alas, we were not able to swing it with other things going on, so we figured we would end up buying it on DVD.

Well, Mary told us that on Tuesdays, this particular theater has seat for $.50 all day. We figured that for $1.50 ( actually it worked out to $3.75 because buying the tickets online adds a $.75 surcharge - oh well) it would be worth it to get to see the movie in a theater before watching it on our TV.

We didn't tell Sandy what we were doing, or where we were going until we got to the theater. She guessed we were going to see "Eragon".

The movie was not bad. They made some changes from the book, but that's pretty much the norm. The changes they made for the most part worked, and were necessary to advance the film. They did a scene where Sephira( the dragon in the story) grew from a hatch-ling to full size in a matter of moments. Considering in the book, this growth took over 6 months, it would have been nearly impossible to show this in the film. Overall, they did a pretty good job with it.

Good news for a Good Friend

2007-03-19T22:19:00.000-05:00

We heard via messenger from a good friend of ours in Australia tonight. She has been fighting with the DVA there ( the Australian military version of our social security) for disability. After being denied several times they have finally granted her 3 years back pay for the spinal injury she suffered as a member of the Australian Air Force, and a monthly amount as well.

We are very happy for her, as she has been fighting for this longer than I did for my disability. She really needs this, has been depressed off and on with all of this. She like Sue, is really able to understand what I go through on a daily basis. She lives it.

She is a really sweet lady, lives about 45 minutes south of Australia Zoo ( Steve Irwin's Zoo)in Brisbane. She often sends wildlife cards to Sandy, Tara, and Elisa, and other things like that. She is a fellow writer which is how we met as a matter of fact. She is on a couple of the same writers boards we are on.

She has always prayed for us in things we need, and we have always done the same for her. She is married to an expatriated American from Georgia who visited Down Under, and decided to stay. Way to go Nean, and many more good things come your way now!

Training, Health Fair, and other stuff!

2007-03-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

Did you miss me? I missed blogging for a couple of days here. I did the cheap and easy movie guide blog on Friday, fully intending to come back later and write a real blog later that day. Well, I got sidetracked... So I never got back.

Yesterday I was doing some more training on the California Bee newspapers. I am now half done with that certification training. I got a 90 on the second test. After a bunch of swearing and freaking out. I was in the middle of the test when the computer started to act funky... What else is new! Oh well, I managed to pass it tho.

As Sue mentioned, we had the Health Fair at Covenant yesterday. It went pretty well, there were a lot of people that came. In fact, I think more people were at the Health Fair than made it to church today...

Kurt Booth, one of my fellow bloggers, came up with a very interesting idea this morning. We have a Church Newsletter called "The Challenge". He suggested that we set up a blog for The Challenge, and post it all on line. Everything we put in the monthly newsletter could go online in the Challenge Online. I kind of like it. It would be a matter of setting it up, and getting the information that goes into the printed version up on the net. I think it could work.

Well, that's about it folks. More news when it becomes less available.

Friday Movie Guide (Cheap & Easy Blog)

2007-03-16T09:54:00.000-05:00

Here ya go, the cheap and easy one. I will post a real blog later. Or maybe I won't it's been that kind of a morning already!

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
I Think I Love My Wife
Director Chris Rock takes a paint-by-numbers approach to this tale of a happily married but bored man.
Dead Silence
A widower returns to his hometown to search for answers to his wife's murder in this creepy thriller. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
Premonition
The promise of great twists and turns makes the unsatisfying conclusion and epilogue all the more annoying.
Le Petit Lieutenant
French police drama underlines the reasons why impeccably made crime stories do so well on screen.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Horror spoof has more cleverness than violence, and its breakdown of clichés is vivid and witty.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Don't get cocky!

2007-03-15T23:52:00.000-05:00

Remember in Star Wars after Han, Luke, and Princess Leia escape from the Death Star, and the Empire sends those four TIE Fighters (also known as "Laser Fodder") after the Millennium Falcon? Luke nails one and triumphantly yells, "I got him! I got him!" Han replies "Great shot, kid...Don't get cocky!"

I had one of those moments a little bit ago. I was doing the training for the California Bee Newspapers, and got to the point where I was ready to take the first of four tests. I thought I had all the answers down, first I got started into the test and the computer, or the web server from West screwed up and I lost the screen. Fortunately, I have gotten into the habit of copying these tests, and pasting them into Notepad. Then I can leisurely look for the answers and pass the tests. Yeah I know, cheating a bit, but what the hey...

Well, I let West know there was a screwup and they reset the test. I took it, and thought I had all the answers right. Didn't need to double check. I knew I had all of them right, or at least wouldn't get more than on wrong. I got 3 wrong. It was a 12 question test. Oops. I got cocky!

Fortunately West gives us two chances on each of these test, plus they tell you what you got wrong. So I was able to find the correct answers and passed the test with a 100%.

One down 3 to go. The moral: Again, Don't get cocky!

Some more opportunities heading this way

2007-03-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

As some of you may remember, I am in the process of starting back to work from home, for the company I was with last year.

The first thing I trained for was a bit called: "Direct Response". This is a catch all type of certification. If you're watching late night television and a product comes on with an 800 number, chances are when you call one of those "operators (who) are standing by" you'll get a Direct Response agent. On the surface this seems like an okay gig. Unfortunately in practice, it's a pain in the arse.

Thus far when I have signed on, I have not been able to get any calls to work properly. I did get a couple of calls, but the software interface I am using doesn't want to work properly. I follow what the screen tells me to do, and nothing happens. I am unable to move on to the next screen. Oh well, this is the way things usually go with West.

I had also trained in Pro Flowers, not realizing that the only time I would get any hours was around Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Easter etc... SO much for that one too.

Howsomeever, things may be looking up. I discovered there were several opportunities opened up for me, so I jumped at several. I got notification that I could accept Sears Home Care, and the California Bee Newspapers. I accepted the Newspapers gig. Then I discovered that as I had accepted that one, it locked me out of the Seas gig. Apparently they figure we are too stupid to train at more than one certification at a time...

Oh well, I figure I will work my butt off on the training for the Paper gig, then put in for the Sears one all over again. I will keep you informed.

Greening up the Yard!

2007-03-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

We planted the rest of our trees this evening. It was a bit easier going tonight. We had torrential rains this afternoon, and I mean torrential! We had a pretty nasty thunderstorm system come through, and dumped a bit over three inches of rain on us, in the space of a hour or so.

Like I said the rain helped make the digging a bit easier. Last night after we got done with the three trees we had time to plant, we stopped across the street and talked to some of our neighbors. We told them about the trees, and they jokingly said if we had any we didn't want they'd be happy to take them off our hands. Sue and I knew they were just kidding, but we immediately decided that we wanted to share

Sue and I talked, and decided that trying to plant ten trees on our small lot was going to be a bit much, so we gave four of them away to our friends. As I get older I try to be more of a giving person, both figuratively and literally. We knew that we really had too many tree seedlings, and the idea was to get them planted in the ground soon, so why not share what we had.

We did place a Crabapple Tree in the back yard in such a way that it will provide some shade over our air conditioning unit. We are going to do our best with them, and hope they grow. We are going to keep a positive thought, but even if only one or two make it we will still be ahead of the game.

We got Trees!!!

2007-03-12T17:58:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Sue got an offer in the mail from the National Arbor Day Foundation. For $10.00, they would send us ten trees to plant, as part of our membership. So we duly sent in the ten bucks.

Today, the trees arrived. They are seedlings, about 12 to 14 inches high. We got two each of five different varieties of trees, and one free president. I mean shrub. We soon realized one slight problem. We don't have a shovel. So off we went to Wally World. We found a shovel for $3.99, and a garden rake for the same price. Not a bad deal.

We managed to get two of the trees, and the free president.... I mean shrub planted today. We will get the rest tomorrow. We are likely going to give some of the trees away. Ten trees in our yard, might be just a bit much. Hopefully we can get them to grow. We sort of have what you might call, brown thumbs. We managed to kill a cactus, when we lived in Arizona. We will let you know how these do.

In the ground... for the moment...

2007-03-11T22:42:00.000-05:00

In todays paper it mentions that James Brown, The Godfather of Soul has been temporarily buried. Temporarily you say, why? Why indeed. It seems that they have placed him in a crypt until a brand new one can be built for him. Kind of makes it sound like they tossed him into a used one... Ewwwww!

Seminole, Florida cops have apparently discovered new evidence in the Anna Nicole Smith case, that has caused Medical Examiner Joshua Perper delay his autopsy findings... Hmm. Does this mean they will be digging her up again?

Meanwhile a woman dressed up in hospital scrubs and walked out of a Texas hospital with a 4 day old baby. They activated the Amber Alert system, and fortunately the infant was found in Clovis, New Mexico today apparently safe. The woman and a male accomplice have been arrested. My question is, where in the hell was hospital security? They had an electronic bracelet on the baby, but the woman just cut it off, and put the 5 lb baby in her purse, for crying out loud! So much for the Department Store tag system for new babies... Hmm, maybe they need to re-think that one?

I gotta wonder about people in this world. I suspect that more people were interested in the latest on Anna Nicole, or what happened at Elizabeth Hurley's wedding, or what celebrity is sleeping with what other celebrity, or who is going into rehab, then were interested in the Amber Alert for the missing infant.

Hey Newt, Can you say Hypocrite?

2007-03-09T17:38:00.000-06:00

It is all over the news that Newt Gingrich, who led the witch-hunt, sorry impeachment against Bill Clinton for lying to a Federal Judge about playing slap and tickle with Monica Lewinsky, has now admitted to having an affair of his own during this time.

What a freakin hypocrite! Not that I condone a married man having an affair outside of marriage, frankly if I did it Sue would hang my balls on the wall, and use them for target practice. However, Clinton's affair was no ones business except Hillary's. Word has it that she now keeps Bills balls in a jar by the door, but that is neither here or there.

At the same time it's not really anyones business that Gingrich was doing the horizontal mambo with a woman not his wife either, however he admitted it. What really gripes me is that the son of a bitch made like he was the moral compass of the entire country when he led the call for the impeachment. The impeachment made our country look like a laughing stock. I didn't really like Clinton, but I gotta admit that the country was in a hell of a lot better shape during his eight years in office, than in the 5 years since Shrub has been the pres.

I have pretty much decided to vote for Hillary unless she does something really stupid or disgusting. Like boinking Newt Gingrich.

More news when it becomes less available!

Friday Movie Guide (Cheap & Easy Blog)

2007-03-09T06:45:00.000-06:00

Here is the Friday Movie Guide...

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
300
Bloody action and virtual backgrounds turn Frank Miller's graphic novel into a fast-paced, visually enchanting tale.
Believe in Me
Period tale of a new coach who reluctantly leads the girls' basketball team carries hefty emotional clout.
The Host
A freakishly large, angry, mutant fish wreaks havoc on Seoul in this monster flick with a wicked sense of humor.
The Ultimate Gift
The lessons in this Fox Faith parable make it worth considering regardless of your religious bent.
Lions 3D: Roar of the Kalahari
Savagely beautiful film tells the suspenseful story of an ambitious young lion moving in on an older king.
Starter for 10
Story of a teen heading to college in 1980s Britain is unabashedly nostalgic for the oeuvre of John Hughes.
Puccini for Beginners
If Woody Allen were a young, attractive gay woman, he might make something like this, but funnier.
Maxed Out
Scattershot documentary about America's debt problem raises a few more issues than it knows how to handle.
Gray Matters
Siblings Heather Graham and Tom Cavanagh fall for the same girl in this homage to 1940s screwball comedies.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Stuck in traffic Again!

2007-03-08T21:13:00.000-06:00

Today, I dropped Sue off at church and went to a food bank in Lewisville where we go once a week to get some extra food. Believe me, this helps, especially with a teenager in the house. Going over wasn't a big deal. Coming back... That's another story! I got stuck in traffic again. What the heck is going on here? Two days in a row, I get stuck in traffic. At least today wasn't quite as bad as yesterday.

Of course on the way to the church, several cars turned against traffic right in front of us. Do we have a target on our car? Not that i am aware of.

I was approaching a traffic signal, and the light changes to yellow. I decided to stop. The car to my left decides he is gonna go for it. However, the light turned to red a good ten seconds before he got close to the intersection. SO he basically ran a dead red light.... I mean it's one thing if you are part way through the intersection and it changes to red, but this guy ran a dead red light. Where is a cop when you need one!

Traffic, but with a silver lining. And a Rant.

2007-03-07T17:20:00.000-06:00

I attempted to go to the VA Hospital today to see my doctor, and got caught in a traffic jam. This was even before I was able to get onto the flippin' freeway! I finally gave up and got off at one of the cross roads, after spending about 40 minutes in bumper to bumper. I will have to call tomorrow to make a new appointment.

The silver lining? I don't have to do this every day!

Here is the rant:
I am listening to the news, and they are talking about how there was a mortar attack. The soldiers go into the area where the attack was launched to see if they can find out who might have done it. No one will help. Why? They asked a Sunni man and through a translator, he said, "The Americans are responsible for all of this. I am not safe in my own neighborhood, because of them. They have brought death, destruction, and now a Civil War. Why should I help them?"

He y, Shrub! Get a damn clue! The Iraqi people do not want us there, the majority of the American People do not want us there. You are just about the only one who wants us there. Wake up and smell the coffee. Get our troops out, Adding 20,000 more is not the answer.

I don't expect he will listen to anyone though. He doesn't listen to his generals on the ground, he doesn't listen to the Congress, he doesn't listen to the American People. Shrub is beginning to remind me of the fictitious Senator Palpatine of the Star Wars Saga. He kept declaring more and more powers, "because of the War" till the time came when he declared himself Emperor. Are we going to let George W. Bush do the same thing here? Sometimes I have a chill feeling that he will find a way to suspend the 2008 election so he can hang on to power.

What a waste of *&@#ing Time!

2007-03-06T21:56:00.000-06:00

This morning we had to take Sandy in to see the doctor that prescribes her Adderall. We have to go see the doctor once a month, because some rule she has that she has to actually see Sandy before she can prescribe the meds. I am not sure if this is her rule, or something set down by the State of Texas, or what. At any rate we get there and I needed to use the rest room.

I come walking out to find Sue and Sandy standing at the front desk, Sue with an expression that shows she is ready to eat nails and spit rust, as my Grandma used to say!

The doctor wasn't in today. The idiot at the desk had the gall to say to Sue, "What?You mean someone didn't call you?" Sue had to restrain herself from responding with something like: "No you silly ass bitch, we just love nothing better than to waste our morning, and our gas, and pull our daughter our of school to come down here and look at your stupid face!"

I had to restrain myself from going over the counter, when the silly ass bitch tells me that they didn't call because our phone number was no good. WHAT??? This is the same number we have had since we moved into the house almost a year ago. No it's more like the idiot didn't bother to call any of the Doctor's patients that were affected.

On the plus side, I called and left a message with the Doctor, and she called back and is going to mail a prescription.

On to other news:
Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been convicted in the CIA Blame-Gate scandal. He says he is going to appeal. Yeah he plans to appeal his nick-name, other wise I can see it now:

He gets into prison, and some guy that makes Sly Stallone look like Richard Simmons will look him over and say:
"Scooter? Yeah, get on over here, Boy! I got something to scoot up your ass!"

Things you hear on FM radio Morning Shows

2007-03-05T20:20:00.000-06:00

We listen to KZPS Fm 92.5 quite a bit. This is a Classic Rock format. The morning show is a couple of crazies, Bo & Jim. Bo Roberts, and Jim White. The are on from 5:30am to 10:00AM Monday thru Friday. They have several regular features they run daily, such as one they call, The Freakin' Fool File. They relate stories that show that people in general are Freakin' Fools.

Example:
A guy was arrested wearing latex and handcuffs, after checking into a Motel with a mule. Bo read the story and commented that the guy had apparently been in therapy and had been told he needed to get out and meet people... What that had to do with being in a motel room doing ...you know... at this point Jim interrupts with "Well what the hell, a piece of ass, is a piece of ass!"

Here is the website for the Bo & Jim page on the KZPS site:
http://www.kzps.com/pages/boandjim.html

They also have introduced some strange "musicians on the show. This one you have to see for yourself. This is the site of Unknown Hinson. The guy looks like a cross between Slim Whitman and Dracula. He sings a country style music. You gotta check him out. Here's the site fort Unknown Hinson (He says he was named after his daddy... Supposedly on his birth certificate the space for Father says... you guessed it, Unknown!
Here he is in all his...glory?
http://www.unknownhinson.com/

Stuff I am thinking about

2007-03-04T23:00:00.000-06:00

As I sit here, trying to come up with a blog subject I have come to the simple realization that I haven't got a damn thing to blog about. SO I guess I have to fake it.

Let's see, today we managed to make it back to church. My back is still really hurting quite a bit. As much as I hate to admit it, ( and if I don't Sue gives me a WG {Wife Glare}) When we got to church we were not exactly mobbed, but it was evident that people had missed us. TO be sure we got quite a few calls during the last couple of weeks that we missed going. The first week we got there, and as we sat through Sunday School, Sue could see that my back was really bothering me. SO she convinced me to go home. The following week, she was really wiped out after taking care of me for the week. The next week we didn't go because Sandy had been out of school for a few days with a nasty cold. It was nice to be missed though.

My back, a continuing problem. I had a little scare this afternoon. Sue and I attempting to take a nap, I woke up and went to get out of bed, and had my left leg go out on me. I found myself on the floor. I later told Sue, but she had felt the bed move when I slipped. See what I mean? I can't even remotely think of trying to tell her I am okay when I'm not. Crap!

Anyway, that's about it for now. My back feels like there is a guy with a Roman short sword jabbing the damn thing right at the base of my spine. One of these days I am gonna take an UZI to that bastard!

All over but the DNA

2007-03-02T21:32:00.000-06:00

Well the Blond Bimbo is in the ground... They finally buried Anna Nicole Smith. Pink was the theme from what the media reported. Of course now the father of her son, Daniel, wants to have his body dug up and re-buried in Texas. The story that never ends Good grief. It took 3 weeks to bury the poor woman. Well at least she is finally buried, we are heading into 3 months for James Brown.

It has been a busy day. We got paid, and had to do some running around. I am pretty much wiped out now. So I am going to finish this blog, and relax for a while. And that's about it. Have a great weekend!

Friday Movie Guide

2007-03-02T21:28:00.000-06:00

Here are this weeks Movies:

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Black Snake Moan
An old blues man chains a sex-crazed Southern girl (Christina Ricci) to his radiator to cure her libidinous itch.
Zodiac
Low-key, straightforward film tells the real-life story of a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area.
Days of Glory
Powerful story tells of North African soldiers who got little or no credit for their heroics in World War II.
Full of It
Complications arise when a math whiz lies to fit in at a new school and the lies begin to come true.
Wild Hogs
Incredibly lazy film with a big name cast looks as if it was more fun to make than it is to watch.
The Dead Girl
Disparate figures are connected to a murdered junkie prostitute in five well-acted, intertwined stories.
Two Weeks
Sally Field turns in a convincing performance as dying selfless mom in this earnest, poignant film.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

One down, one to go!

2007-03-01T22:27:00.000-06:00

Anna Nicole Smith is finally getting buried. The former Playboy Playmate will be buried beside her son Friday in a custom-made gown after an extravagant, private and "very pink" memorial service bringing together the three people battling for custody of her baby daughter. All I can say is it's about freakin' time! The woman has been dead for 3 weeks now.

Now all they have to do is bury the Godfather of Soul. (65 days above ground now) I am glad that there won't be any kind of argument over where I am going to be buried. Mainly because I am not going to be buried at all. I want to be cremated, and have my cremains ( that's what they actually call it) used to plant a tree in my name.

How's this for outrageous. A school teacher in Milan, Italy is under criminal investigation for allegedly using scissors to cut the tongue of a second-grader for talking in class, Italian news agencies said Thursday. The 7-year-old boy, who has not been publicly identified, needed six stitches in his tongue from the Feb. 20 incident. Now I have a big mouth, I admit I talk a lot, but damn!

Well, my back is starting to hurt bad, so I am going to have to stop the blog here. Sorry to quit in mid-rant, but what can I say! See you next time.

Anna Nicole, Iraq, and Media Darlings

2007-02-28T22:15:00.000-06:00

Sue will probably blog about Sandy tonight, so I will leave that to her. It's been one of those days.

Days above ground: Anna Nicole: 20, James Brown: 64. This is really getting ridiculous folks. Now they are taking DNA from the mouldering body of the Godfather of Soul. For what? Is he claiming to be Anna Nicole's BabyDaddy from beyond the grave ( Wait, that's right he doesn't have one yet either!)

Sue and I had Court TV on earlier, and all they had on was the Anna Nicole Show. Not the one where the camera followed her around while she looked vacantly into the camera, laughing hysterically, and looking stoned. We got done watching our guilty pleasure show ( Old and the Useless oops, sorry that's Young and the Restless... any way, we had recorded a show called "Dirty Jobs" last night. They were talking about the Anna Nicole case when we started that show, we watched it, and then found they still had the story about Anna Nicole running on the channel when we turned off the DVR.

Did you hear what happened in Iraq today? Neither did we. The only freaking thing the news morons are covering is Anna Nicole. WHO gives a crap!!!

ABC last night preempted regular coverage to profile the story of Bob Woodruff, the ABC reporter who was seriously wounded while covering the war. Now I have nothing against Mr. Woodruff, and I am glad to know he is recovering. However, he chose to be embedded with the soldiers, he placed himself in a dangerous situation, and he knew the risks going in. Why does he rate a special for surviving? What about the men who might have been wounded with him in that attack, or the ones who might have died. I honestly don't know if anyone else was wounded or died in the same attack in which he was wounded. Why don't I? because the media has chosen only to publicize Bob Woodruff''s wounds. The man was doing a job he was being paid for, and he had the option not to be in harms way, unlike those soldiers with whom he was embedded. I have a big problem with members of the media becoming the story.

How to bust yourself, in one easy lesson!

2007-02-26T22:21:00.000-06:00

Sue has mentioned in her blog how Sandy managed to steal back the IPOD she has been restricted from. Saturday while she was gone we searched through her room looking for it. We looked pretty much everywhere and didn't find it. We determined that she probably had it in her locker at school.

Last night she came out of her room with a little AM/FM radio I had given her some time back, wanting to know if I had any AAA batteries for it as the ones that were in it had died. I told her that I didn't.

Fast forward to this morning. I had walked back to her room for something, and she was sitting on her bad, and proudly tells me that she had found a couple of batteries that had some juice in them. I looked, and could see that she had the ear buds from the IPOD wrapped around the radio.

I looked at them and pointed. She said "Those are from the IPOD." I nodded. "I know. Give me the IPOD." Dumbfounded, she looked at me. "Give me the IPOD." I repeated. Shaking her head, she pulled out an empty Kleenex box out, and handed it to me. Then I told her:, " I'll take the ear buds too." She got upset about that because then she wouldn't have anything to listen to her little radio with. My attitude was, "Too bad!" So now I have an IPOD.

Nasty Weather

2007-02-24T18:00:00.000-06:00

Today the weather reminded me of what we used to see in Phoenix. Kind of a brown haze. This also reminds me of living in L.A.! It looked like West Texas was delivered to us, in the form of dust. (Strains of Kansas' "Dust in the Wind")

This is a view of DFW Airport from Ft. Worth. I snagged this image off the internet a few moments ago. This is really interesting to see.

This is kind of a lazy day, with Sandy having been home since Wednesday, today doesn't really seem like a Saturday.

Daily Above Ground Count: Anna Nicole:16 - James Brown: 60 Hard to believe the poor man has been dead for 2 months and still hasn't been buried. Sheesh!!!!

Anna Nicole Debacle Continues

2007-02-23T17:37:00.002-06:00

Above Ground Count:

Anna Nicole: 15, James Brown: 59 (Obviously yesterday the count was off.)

Today Vergie Arthur, Anna Nicole's estranged mom filed an appeal to hold Anna's' decomposing body yet a bit longer. (Pretty soon there's not gonna be much left to bury!) Critics of the Judge in the case Larry "I feel for you Mama" Seidlin, are making suggestions that the Florida Circuit Court should allow clown costumes instead of black judicial robes, after his emotional breakdown on the bench during his ruling. To say nothing of his antics during the too-long hearing.

There was a great cartoon in the paper this morning, that really demonstrates how ridiculous the coverage is getting:

Friday Movie Guide (Cheap & Easy Blog)

2007-02-23T17:37:00.001-06:00

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
The Lives of Others
An east German secret policeman grows a conscience in this smart, suspenseful story.
The Astronaut Farmer
A wannabe astronaut's methodical approach to his outlandish dreams gives this film emotional weight.
The Number 23
One note affair strains to build an engaging story as a man becomes obsessed with the number 23.
Reno 911!: Miami
Film plays like a stretched-out version of one of the less-stellar episodes of the Comedy Central series.
Amazing Grace
Emotionally engaging drama tells the history of the hymn and its place in the abolition of slavery in Britain.
An Unreasonable Man
This engrossing new documentary favors its subject (Ralph Nader) without letting him off the hook.
Abandoned
An adopted film producer returns to her native Russia, where strange things begin to happen on the family farm. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Above Ground Count may come down soon

2007-02-22T18:27:00.000-06:00

Okay. Today's count: Anna Nicole: 13, James Brown: 58. It looks like I won't need to keep this up much longer. The family of the Godfather of Soul has apparently made an agreement where to bury him, and Circus Judge... oops make that Circuit Judge Larry "Watch me get in touch with my feminine side" Seidlin tearfully gave custody of Anna Nicole's rapidly decomposing remains ( hmm with all the drugs I would have thought she would have been better preserved!) to Richard Milstein, who he had appointed last week as Guardian for 5 month old Dannilyn.

Who else besides me is getting tired of this farce! I mean the poor ( figuratively speaking ) woman is dead, and we have two schmucks fighting over her corpse! Not to mention the idiots who are lining up to claim paternity. Do you really think if there wern't several million dollars involved there would be this much hoopla over it? Or that many guys claiming to be the daddy? I really feel sorry for the child in this case though. She is gonna grow up and need years of counseling just to get into kindergarten!

Quick update...

2007-02-20T23:03:00.000-06:00

Days above ground Anna Nicole: 12 - James Brown: 57

The latest Anna Nicole development: The judge hearing the case about where to bury her looks over at everybody and wants to know who is the father of the baby. He incredulously asks "Shouldn't I know who the father is before we decide anything else? Come on, admit it judge, you are as caught up in this crap as most everyone else. You'll have to wait for the Montel or Maury or Jerry show comes out with that one!!!

High price of Beef?

2007-02-19T22:09:00.000-06:00

I just heard an item on the news. Apparently a couple of people were in the process of leaving a store with a load of meat. When store employees tried to stop them the thieves pulled out a gun. Damn! I knew the prices were going up for beef, but this is ridiculous!

I made a boo-boo on the still not buried stat last night and the night before. Anna Nicole checked out on Thursday February 8, 2007. So as of today it's 11 days above ground.. The Godfather of Soul: 56.

In other Anna Nicole news, the Bahamian Official who fast-tracked her residency application ( and subsequently appeared in a picture in a fully clothed clinch with the Marylin Monroe wannabe... ) has apparently resigned. Strangely enough he hasn't claimed to be the baby daddy!

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this, but our kitten Mac has a taste for beer. Out of curiosity one evening, I held a bottle of Shiner toward him, and he tried to lick the bottle. He did lick a little beer off of my finger. The other cats give me a look of disgust when I let them smell it. Well, just a moment ago, I looked over at the coffee table where my beer was sitting, and the little shit was licking the top of the can! I am gonna have to get him into Kittenholics Anonymous!

Okay, Now I have freakin' seen it all!

2007-02-18T22:17:00.000-06:00

I was just watching the news, and there was a story about this broad who had this terrible problem. It was just absolutely keeping her up at night. She has a few dozen pairs of high heel shoes, and can't wear them because they cause her excruciating pain. AWWWWWWWWWW You poor, poor thing you! I will stop worrying about the soldiers dying in Iraq, world hunger, and global warming now!

Science comes to her rescue. Some moron came up with the solution to her terrible plight! He is injecting Botox and some other stuff into her heels. I guess it kills the pain receptors or something. I didn't pay real close attention to the stupid story. Just enough to think, "Lady if it hurts to wear the @#$%ing high heels then stop wearing them for Crying out loud!"

In the "They haven't been buried yet news"; James Brown: 55 days. Anna Nicole: 9

New Blog Feature: Days Above Ground!

2007-02-17T18:04:00.000-06:00

Okay, for those of you living in a cave, there are two dead Celebs that are still unburied. James Brown, the Godfather of Soul has been dead since Christmas. That's 54 days above ground. Why? His relatives are arguing over where he should spend his eternal slumber. Oh Puh-leeze! Bury the poor son of a bitch and be done with it. He's dead! DO you think he really cares where they park his stiff?

Then of course there is the train wreck that is the evolving Anna Nicole Smith Saga. She died February 9th. For those who care, that's 8 days above ground. It's gonna be interesting to see who gets buried first. I will guess that James Brown will end up in the dirt first, but Anna Nicole will end up above ground longer, while they try to A: figure out what actually killed her and B: Who DA Babydaddy!

Quickie Blog!

2007-02-16T22:26:00.000-06:00

I have to make this a short one. I am in the process of finishing ( or at least trying to ) my training for ProFlowers. I have been lazy on this, I had ten days to finish this, which is up tomorrow. Oops! No excuses. Well, sort of my back has really been hurting a lot since Sunday, but I could have sat here at least an hour or two a day to get this shit done. Now I have to bust my butt to finish it.

"Ces't La Vie, as we say on Earth!" James T. Kirk to Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

I will get it finished, and then I can start working and getting us caught up on our bills. When I have time, I will blog about what our electric provider has been trying to do to us. Boy oh boy will I blog about that!!

Have a good one.

Friday Movie Guide (Cheap & Easy Blog)

2007-02-16T08:34:00.000-06:00

Here's the Friday Movie Guide!
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Breach
Well-acted dramatization of the worst security breach in the history of American intelligence is efficiently told.
God Grew Tired of Us
This moving, inspiring documentary focuses on three of the surviving "lost boys of Sudan."
Bridge to Terabithia
Effortless performances by Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb make this movie worthwhile.
Ghost Rider
Comic-book based tale of a stuntman (Nicolas Cage) who sells his soul is silly in just the right way.
Music and Lyrics (opened Wednesday)
A few good moments shine in this mostly dragging tale of an unlikely duo who craft a hit song for a pop star.
The Italian
Hard-nosed but sentimental tale follows an orphan who longs to find his birth mother before he's adopted.
Daddy's Little Girls (opened Wednesday)
Tyler Perry shows he really can direct with this fantasy about a good black woman finding "a good black man."
Opal Dream
A girl insists her two imaginary friends are real with a fervor that's more disturbing than the movie will admit.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T07:32:00.000-06:00

Today is the day we celebrate St. Valentine's Day. For many people this is a day to give chocolates, flowers, and who knows, perhaps even diamonds. For many guys this is a way to hopefully get some lovin'! For many guys this is a way to stay out of the doghouse. Some guys will get to work today, see the cards and flowers on the receptionists desk and say "Oh crap! That's today???"

Actually I usually try to get something nice for Sue on Valentines. Sometimes we just don't have the cash, as is the case this year. She knows how much I love her, and fortunately I have a wife who is not a materialistic money grubber who thinks only how much loot she can get out of a relationship. Sue knows that I don't have much other than love to offer. She certainly didn't marry me for my money (or my looks!) However there are a lot of women out there who measure a relationship by how much they get for birthdays, anniversaries and of course on the mother lode of romantic holidays, Valentines Day.

Let's look at Valentines Day through history:There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine. Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball.

In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800's and now the date is very commercialized. The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14. The spirit of good continues as valentines are sent out with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.

While most people associate St. Valentine's Day with hearts, flowers, chocolates and the like, for Chicagoans the day brings memories of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In 1929 gang violence between Al "Scarface" Capone's South-side gang and George "Bugs" Moran came to a bloody head after years of escalation. Seven men were killed in a hail of machine-gun fire. One of the men, optometrist Dr. Reinhardt Schwimmer was not one of Moran's men. He was a hanger-on who was fascinated by the world of bootleggers. Dr Schwimmer picked a bad day to visit his gangland buddies. It cost him his life. Capone of course denied any complicity in the hit, but it was widely known that he had ordered the assassination of Moran. Ironically it was the way the hit went down that may have saved Moran's life. The killers were dressed as Chicago Police officers. Moran, on his way into the garage, saw the ersatz policemen entering, and chose to avoid the garage that morning.

A short blog tonight

2007-02-12T19:26:00.000-06:00

As Sue mentioned in her blog, Sue's Muse yesterday, I have managed to hurt my back again. The frustrating thing is that I don't recall overdoing anything, or trying to do something I shouldn't have. Unfortunately with my type of back injury it doesn't take much. At any rate due to this tonight, I will only write a short blog.

We have a gentleman by the name of Tom Leppart who is running for the Office of Mayor of Dallas. Now we do not live in Dallas, so therefore we can't vote for or against this guy anyway, but there is something about him that kind of bothers me. A few weeks ago, Leppart resigned from a country club he was a member of. It seems that they exclude blacks, Jews, and Hispanics. What you say, he resigned? Well good for him! How astute! Yes it was rather politically expedient of him to resign this association wasn't it! Especially just a short time before announcing he was running for Mayor.

It seems to me, that is would have been better for him to have decided to stay in the country club, and attempt to change it's policies from within. Or even better, not to have joined such an exclusive club in the first place.

No I can't respect a man who makes a show of resigning from a bigoted organization to show that he is not a bigot. It sort of sounds like the old: "Some of my best friends are ( insert the minority of your choice) doesn't it. Fortunately for Leppart we can't vote against him. Unfortunately for Leppart I know plenty of people in the City of Dallas who can.

Mac's last weekend with his balls

2007-02-10T19:02:00.000-06:00

As you know, our 7 month old male ( for the moment...) kitten Mac is going to be neutered on Monday. So this is effectively his last weekend with his balls. Occasionally we have seen him go up to Jenny (Our 4 year old Calico who had already been fixed) and attempted to bite her in the back of the neck. This is a mating stance used by male felines. Jenny usually just gives him a dirty look, and then whaps him across the back of the head and swears at him. Well, at least he has the right sex. Unfortunately for him she just doesn't have the equipment. Of course knowing Jenny I have the feeling she would whap the hell out of him anyway!

Now and again, Mac will be in his favorite spot on the back of the couch licking himself. At this point, we just tell him, "Lick 'em while ya got 'em!" Hopefully we won't have to resort to an Elizabethan Collar when we get him home Monday evening. That has been problematic with our other cats. They can't get to food or water while wearing it, and the litter box is another issue altogether.

What is gonna be interesting is the reactions we are expecting from Shadow and Jenny when we bring him back home. Every time we get one kitty fixed, they come home with different smells, and the other cats don't know what to make of it. They usually hiss, spit and growl at the poor kitty that has been to the vet.

Jenny was really funny when we got her fixed. She came out of the carrier, and stood there swaying back and forth. She fell a couple of times, got back up and then looked at me with a look that said, "Why do I feel so weird?" I told her she should just lay down, she looked at me, and fell right over. She looked at me with a "You know, that might not be a bad idea!"

It will definitely be interesting to see how Mac changes when he recovers. Time will tell. SO be responsible, Get your pets spayed or neutered!

Death of a Bimbo!

2007-02-09T22:01:00.000-06:00

Well, maybe that's a bit unfair. However Anna Nicole Smith was certainly no rocket scientist. Not since the deaths of Marylin Monroe and Princess Diana, has the world waited with such morbid interest over the results of an autopsy.

The life of this 39 year old Playboy centerfold/actress/reality show weirdo, itself kind of sad, was nothing more than bizarre. Born in Houston to a middle class family she ended up married to an 89 year old Texas Billionaire, who died 14 months later. After his death she fought with his son over the estate. One court upheld the will, the next said she couldn't collect. Finally the US Supreme Court granted her the right to sue for the millions she felt she was entitled to.

Prior to her death she was embroiled in a paternity controversy over her young daughter who two men are both claiming to be the father of. Then last September, her 19 year old son from her first marriage died of an accidental drug overdose. Now Anna Nicole herself has died, and the likelihood is that her death will ultimately turn out to be from the same cause. Even her mother thinks she has died from a drug overdose. In another bizarre twist the husband of the late Zsa Zsa Gabor has claimed he could be the father of Anna Nicole's infant daughter. How much weirder can this get?

Why do we care so much about this woman? During the Press Conference today, the Medical Examiner indicated that this case would get top priority to finding the cause of death. I am sure that everyone in Broward County, Florida who is waiting for autopsy results to determine the cause of death of their loved ones, will be happy to wait while they figure out why Anna Nicole died.

I am sorry this woman has died, and I really feel sorry for her daughter. I can just imagine when she gets old enough to ask about her mother. What are the people who end up raising her going to do, show her a copy of Playboy? Hand her the DVD copy of "The Anna Nicole Show"? When this poor kid realizes what a joke her mothers life was she is going to need therapy. The sad truth is that Anna Nicole allowed her life to play out as a caricature. She never came across as a real person. Perhaps not even to herself. Here's hoping that she finally finds some kind of peace now.

Friday Movie Guide or Yes I am Cheating!

2007-02-09T06:44:00.000-06:00

Here are the movies opening this weekend. Also known as the quick and easy cheat blog. I will make an attempt to write the real one later... No promises though. To quote the Nationwide commercials, "Life comes at you fast!"

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Hannibal Rising
Director Peter Webber does nothing to build suspense or make the vengeance scenes anything but graphic.
Breaking and Entering
Ponderous tale of a landscape architect who falls for the mom of a teen burglar hinders good performances.
Norbit
Eddie Murphy again dons a fat suit and wigs, a la The Nutty Professor, but the payoff isn't nearly as satisfying.
The Last Sin Eater
A country girl haunted by guilt over her sister's death seeks redemption through movement toward God.
Factory Girl
Sienna Miller gives a raw, vibrant performance as Andy Warhol's muse but is hampered by a clunky script.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Crazy Astronaut Lady

2007-02-08T22:53:00.000-06:00

By now unless you are living in a cave. you have heard about NASA Astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak. Last year she was a Mission Specialist on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Last week, she drove 900 miles from Houston, Texas to Orlando, Florida with pepper spray, a steel mallet, a knife, and rubber tubing, while wearing a diaper to avoid having to stop on the way.Why? Because she felt that fellow astronaut Colleen Shipman was her rival for the affections of Bil Oefelein another astronaut. Hmm. Can you say too much Tang?

What I really want to know is what made this guy worth her humiliation, let alone the fact she is now facing a bevy of charges including attempted murder! I love Sue, and she loves me, but frankly I can't see either of us wearing a diaper to drive 900 miles for the other one! I would love to hear Oefelein's take on all of this! I mean is he God's gift to women or something? Is he that great in the sack ( Did Nowak even have a clue about that)

Obviously Nowak has a couple of screws loose. Of course she's gonna get some lawyer come up with the "Traveling in Space has caused her to become temporarily unbalanced." Defense! Really! It wasn't the space flight that caused this psycho broad to lose her marbles. Obviously NASA is short for Need Another Security Assessment!

Another Certification

2007-02-07T22:44:00.000-06:00

I got my wish... I was hoping to be able to get trained in a different certification. I just got certified in Direct Response, which I mentioned is taking calls for a clearing house of many different products. I will do this gig if I have to but during the training I got the impression that it's a pain in the ass. You have all these different products you have to take orders for, very little information given... If customers ask you anything about the product there is little you can do except send them to customer service. That plus they expect you to read every up-sell that comes across the screen. Some products may have as many as 5 or 6 of these. Jeeze!!!!

At any rate I am going to be training in a program called Pro Flowers. This is a business that obviously sells flowers. I am just getting started into the training, but I have already found they are affiliated with other companies like Cherry Moon Farms which sells fresh fruit for example. This should be an interesting gig. We will see.

I will keep the readers of this blog ( both of you) apprised as to how training is going, and when I finish the training, I'll let you know how the job goes.

Finished Training!

2007-02-06T22:56:00.000-06:00

Well, I finished my training for going back to work online at home! Yea!!! This is the company I worked for before. I had to train for a different project. What's interesting is that I started training for this one when I was doing the HSN thing a couple of years ago, but messed up. I got through it this time.

I can start getting hours now. I also expressed an interest in the project they have available for a company called Pro Flowers. I guess I would be taking orders for flowers shops, pretty obvious there.

The other thing I am now certified in is called Direct Response. They take calls for all kinds of products apparently. They are a clearing house for a lot of these commercials you see where there is an 800 number to call. SO if you are watching the commercial for the light that you shake and want to buy it, you may end up talking to me. That or something like it. Time will tell. I hope this work out better than it has in the past. These projects start out good, then hours to work seem to dwindle to nothing. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The Bears lost, but in a way I still win!

2007-02-04T22:39:00.000-06:00

As you may have seen in Sue's blog, we had a bet on the Super Bowl tonight. Neither of us had followed the teams this year, so I let Sue have first pick on what team she wanted to root for. She picked the Indianapolis Colts because she likes horses, and she was born in Indiana. So that left me with the Chicago Bears.

On one hand, I was betting against myself, as I happen to like Payton Manning, the Quarterback of the Colts. However, the Bears are a pretty good team. I had followed them quite some time back when Mike Ditka was the Head Coach.

The game got started, and immediately the Bears intercepted the kick and ran 92 yards for a touchdown. I thought that I had a good chance of winning the bet. However, in the first quarter alone there were 4 turnovers. The game was really getting interesting. While the Bears held the lead for a short time, I knew that anything could happen. The Colts fought back on a rainy evening in Miami, and unfortunately, my team dropped the ball both figuratively, and literally. The Colts simply played a better game, and won. 29 - 17. At least it wasn't a total rout.

So I lost the bet. However, the look on Sue's face when she realized that she had actually won the bet was priceless! Sue doesn't usually like to bet on anything, because she has seldom won. I, like Sue think we will enjoy making other bets. The two of us will have a nice time going out to dinner together, and Sandy will enjoy watching one of her shows. So like I said in the title of this blog, the Bears lost, but I still win!

Hodge Podge

2007-02-03T21:41:00.000-06:00

This is going to be a blog about various subjects today. A California Assemblyman, Lloyd Levine, proposed banning incandescent light bulbs in the state to save energy. Compact fluorescent bulbs cost more but last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs. According to the Federal Government, replacing one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent in every household would save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for a year. Personally, we have replaced the bulk of our incandescent bulbs with the fluorescents some time back. It's hard to say whether or not we are getting any savings as we are getting screwed by our electric company. I'll keep you informed on that if I ever figure out the answer. Truth be told, we change light bulbs less often, and I really do think they use less electricity.

The question is, should the state ban incandescents? Texas doesn't have anything like this under consideration, but I wonder if perhaps we should. At the very least government offices should be made to change to all fluorescent lights. Then the savings can be passed on to the consumers.

In another story, Texas Governor Rick Perry has signed ( or is about to sign) legislation making it mandatory for all girls in the sixth grade to be vaccinated against the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) This virus has been proven to be the cause of Cervical Cancer. Naturally a lot of people are up in arms. How dare this man force us to vaccinate our daughters! The government shouldn't get involved with our health! HELLO! Ever heard of POLIO??? If a simple vaccination, like the polio vaccine can help to prevent one of the most virulent forms of cancer deaths among women, then I am all for it. If you don't want your daughter vaccinated against a potential death sentence, then move to a third world country.

Let's see what else. Oh yeah. According to this website, http://antiwar.com/casualties/ here are the latest US Casualty figures in Iraq for the month of February. 12 Americans killed in combat in Iraq. Way to go Shrub. I can't wait for your surge to kick in.

The Friday Cheat Blog

2007-02-02T18:27:00.000-06:00

Here is the Friday Cheat Blog as I call the Movie Guide for today.

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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Because I Said So
Meddlesome mother worries that her daughter (Mandy Moore) will stay single forever in this generic chick flick.
Constellation
Glacially paced interracial family drama has some nice, articulate scenes but is ultimately tedious and muddled.
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
A gay man pretends he's not in order to pick up a guy headed back into the closet in this vulgar sequel.
The Messengers
A boy and his teenage sister are clued in to the paranormal at their family's new farmhouse. This film did not screen in advance for critics.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Bostonians Going Overboard?

2007-02-01T09:07:00.000-06:00

By now most of us have heard about the strange lighted devices in Boston making people think they were the victims of a terrorist attack. Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.

It turned out that these devices were a publicity stunt by an advertising company doing an ad campaign for a Cartoon Network show called: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". This is part of the Adult Swim block of programing. Apparently the figures were characters from this cartoon, and it was an advertising ploy.

Cartoon Network, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting issued an apology, and had done the same thing in other cities, but Boston was the only city in which these devices were reported.

Did the people of Boston overreact to a publicity stunt? My first knee-jerk reaction was, yes. The went way overboard. However Sue pointed out that in this post 9/11 world we can ill afford to not treat these unknown incidents with seriousness. Suppose these lighted figures had been hiding a dirty bomb? What if they had been designed to draw the attention of people to these devices while the perpetrators were busily attacking another target?

The folks of Boston should be applauded for their vigilance. Instead they are being derided as a city of Chicken Littles. Wake up people. The next suspicious light or package might just be the real thing.

Smoke Free Texas?

2007-01-31T22:16:00.000-06:00

Texas lawmakers are introducing a bill designed to make Texas a smoke free state. As it is many communities have already banned smoking in all public places. Now there is a Texas senator, Sen. Rodney Ellis, (D-Houston) that wants to introduce a bill that will outlaw smoking through the state of Texas.

I am an ex smoker, and as such I agree that smoking is bad for your health. When I was a Navy Corpsman, I used to chuckle at the Chief of Cardiology ( my boss when I was an EKG Tech) sit there telling a patient who had just suffered a heart attack, to quit smoking. All while he was puffing away.

At the same time, I get irritated with laws aimed at telling people what they can do with their bodies. If some moron wants to pollute his lungs fine. I know all about second hand smoke, but when you go to a bar, you expect people to be smoking. I can understand not wanting to breath the second hand smoke, but I can remember when I had to go outside to smoke a cigarette. It makes you feel like a second class citizen.

Back to the idea of regulating someone's health. If we were paying for everyone's health care in America, then we would have the right to tell them they can't smoke. This to me is akin to telling a woman she can't get an abortion. I know there are many who will think I am nuts for this opinion.

The next thing I am expecting to see, is a ban on tobacco products in every way. O wait they already tried to do something like that it was called: Prohibition!

Weather brings Pain

2007-01-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

This is going to be a somewhat short post tonight. I am in a lot of pain. Sue is hurting quite a bit as well. We both tend to hurt more when weather moves in. The change in air pressure tends to cause problems. Sue's hips are hurting more, and my back feels like a Roman short sword is being thrust into it, and being twisted. This also sends pain down my left leg.

Normally we both have a certain amount of pain every day. When the weather systems move in, the pain goes through the roof. I have only been dealing with this for about 7 or 8 years. Sue has dealt with it for nearly 30. So I sometimes feel like I don't have the right to complain how much I am hurting. Naturally Sue doesn't agree with this. We have to try to work things so that whichever one is hurting less takes care of things that need done around the house, like dinner, cleaning up, things like that. It gets fun when both of us are hurting.

Oh well, to some degree you get used to it. You have to compartmentalize it the best you can. Most of the time this works, but times like now nothing really works. I hate being like this. Every now and then I think about the possibility of trying to go back to work, then have one of these times hit, where it hurts just to breathe. That pretty much kills the idea.

Buckling Down

2007-01-29T23:36:00.000-06:00

I have said here before that I am in the process of going back to work. Not at a "real" job like I did before I wrecked my back, but working from home. That's why I had the hassles with the phone company about installing a second phone line. I was going to do that when we lived in Arizona, but US West ( Or as we called it US Worst, (Later QWEST or QWORST) wanted to charge us over $300.00 to hook up the second line. Here, it only cost us $40.00.

The line is now installed, and I have been given 10 days to do the training for the company I worked for previously. The set up is: They route calls to our phone for various companies which I provide customer service for. I take the calls and then follow a script on my computer, and make the sale, or take the order, or solve the customer service problem, whatever the case may be. Our phone number is never seen by a customer. They are calling an 800 number, and the company I work for, West At Home Agents, sends me the call. I am one of many people around the country that do this from my home. This is about the only legitimate work from home gig I have seen.

In the past for the company, I have taken calls for Home Shopping Network, Pizza Hut, and Office Depot. After awhile the calls seem to dwindle, and I don't make any money but for awhile it provides some extra bucks.

I really need to buckle down now and do the training. I am working on it. The way it works is I go through the online training material, and then take a test. I have 2 chances to take each test. Most of it is common sense, but sometimes, what you think makes sense doesn't.

I can do this, I did it before. It's just a matter of getting it done. At any rate, that's about it for today. More news when it becomes less available!

Kitten with a Death Wish!

2007-01-28T22:20:00.000-06:00

Mac, our youngest kitty must have a death wish. We got home from church today, and immediately we see Jenny laying on top of the Fireplace Mantel. No problem, at least for the moment. Shadow is nowhere to be seen, and neither was Mac. At least not at first.

We finally spotted him up on top of one of the bookcases in the living room. The one where we had two containers of artificial flowers. This has been a bone of contention. He and Jenny, but mostly Mac we think, have been going after these flowers. There was some fake Baby's breath in the one, that he has pretty much destroyed.

At any rate we see him up there, and yell at him to get down. Usually when we catch him on the counter, and yell at him he gets down. Not today. He gives us this defiant #@$% you! look, and digs in. I went for the squirt bottle. I squirted him about a dozen times in the face. All he does is to give me a dirty look. I finally had to reach up and drag him down.

Sue meanwhile gets the flowers down and grumbling, tries to salvage them. We have come to the conclusion that we are going to have to get a wire or mesh type hanging bracket, and hang our flowers and plants from the ceiling. For the time being, we have to store them in the garage.

To add insult to injury, the little shit is now attempting to get over on the other side of my desk for some reason. I have had to pick him up several times and send him the other direction. I now have the squirt bottle here in case... Although earlier that certainly didn't seem to be much of a deterrent. We console ourselves with the knowledge that a week from tomorrow, he is getting neutered! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why am I not surprised!

2007-01-27T15:38:00.000-06:00

I have been following the story of four US Soldiers who were attacked, kidnapped, and excuted in a supposedly secure Iraqi compound. These animals that carried this attack out were wearing US Uniforms, carrying US weapons, and driving a vehicle identical to what US Forces drive. Now how in the name of God did they get their hands on all these items? We know of course our friends, the Iraqis that we are dying to bring democracy to would never have given the insurgent forces anything like that, now don't we. We all know that these people want our help. They contacted us a few years ago, and said, please come over here and get rid of Saddam for us! You can even pretend he still has WMD's. (That he may not have ever had in the first place) The UN will buy that. ( Not that the UN is worth two cents any more, if they ever were, but that's another rant!)

It galls me that Bush has put the lives of our people in the hands of these people. Al-Malaki can't even control his temper in the Iraq Parliament. How is he going to keep up his end, as Bush claims he is going to? Once again, slowly. The Iraqis are engaged in a civil war. There is a good possibility that Saddam was on his way out even without our help. You can only suppress, kill, and generally screw with people for so long before they will revolt. The Kurds were getting close to attempting a coup before we attacked Iraq, and may well have removed Saddam from power. This alone would have ignited the civil war, and we would not have been embroiled in the middle of it as we are now.

The Iraqi security claims that they will have things under control so we can begin troop withdrawals by 2008. The new commander that was just confirmed told the Senate that this surge should only be necessary until summer. Summer of 2050? Gates ( the new Sec'y of Defense) stated yesterday that the Senate resolution against the surge "Emboldens the Enemy" How ridiculous. So then Congress is not allowed to express an opinion? I suppose the fact that the majority of the American public feels the same way does the same thing? The Bush administration has their collective heads so far up their asses that they need a flashlight to see their way out! It cracks me up that his Repulican buddies are deserting his position like rats from a sinking ship.

"I'm the decision maker!" - says Bush

2007-01-26T18:33:00.000-06:00

Bush says, "I'm the decision maker!" So does this mean he is going to accept responsibility for the over 3000 American deaths in Iraq, and the deaths to come? Not to mention the missing limbs, and wounded and maimed men and women who have shed their blood in the Iraq Civil War?

On the National News tonight I heard a soldier make the comment that he is sick of hearing people say they support the troops but not the war. "If you honor the work we are doing here, then support us all the way!" he said. To a small degree I can understand that. I just wonder how many soldiers they had to go through before they could find one to appear on camera and make that statement. I also wonder if this particular soldier has actually seen combat. If he has, then I apologize.

I have my doubts though that the majority of the troops there want to be there any more than the Iraqi people really want them there. When you consider the average soldier on the ground in Iraq has been there for 2 and in some cases, 3 tours of duty it is time to start bringing them home. Bush needs to admit that he has made a mistake. He is the decision maker? Then make a decision that makes sense for the first time in your life. The possibility exists that if he doesn't our children may end up over there. Sandy is 15 now, and will graduate in 2010. I have hopes that encouraging her to join the Air Force doesn't cause her to end up in harms way, because of Bush's war.

Post # 1 - The Quick & easy one!

2007-01-26T06:49:00.000-06:00

Here is the easy one. Don't worry, I'll write a real one later!

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Smokin' Aces
Star-studded gangster flick tries to be cool to a point that's so over-the-top, it smacks of desperation.
Venus
An odd relationship between a young woman and an aging actor leads them to the next stage in their lives.
Catch and Release
This fish-themed romance flops wildly all over the place when a young woman starts over after her fiancé dies.
Sweet Land
Beautiful but a bit of a bore, this period immigrant tale is filtered through a more recent immigrant sensibility.
Seraphim Falls
Technically solid but dramatically unremarkable Western finds Liam Neeson seeking revenge on Pierce Brosnan.
Blood and Chocolate
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Girl occasionally turns in to a werewolf. Drama ensues. This film did not screen in time to be reviewed.
Epic Movie
This year's movie-spoofing flick takes on Nacho Libre, Snakes on a Plane and The Chronicles of Narnia, to name a few. This film did not screen in time to be reviewed.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.
Opening Friday, Feb. 2
Because I Said So
Diane Keaton tries to set her daughter up with Mr. Right.
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
A gay guy plays straight to land his dream date.
Opal Dream
A young girl develops a friendship with an imaginary mate.
The Messengers
Kids are clued into the paranormal in this thriller.

Mac will soon be a Unique (eunuch) Kitty!

2007-01-25T18:52:00.000-06:00

I finally got off my rear end and contacted The Colony Animal Shelter about getting Mac fixed. They have a spay and neuter clinic every month or so, and as it turns out they have one on February 12th. Mac is about 7 months old, and it's about time.

The cost is $25.00, plus $5.00 for the rabies shot he has to have. So for $30.00 we will have another nutless kitty! Yeah I know that sounds mean, but what can I say. When I gave Sue the particulars, she looked at Mac and told him: "Well, Mac, lick em' while ya got em'!"

When you consider that Mac has an annoying tendency to jump up on the counters, and we have both considered cutting them off ourselves, he is getting off pretty easy.

It will really be interesting to see how Jenny and Shadow treat him when we get him back home on the afternoon of the 12th. He was pretty feisty when we first got him, and when Jenny walked up to the carrier, Mac spit and hissed at her. Come to think of it he still is a feisty little shit! But when we get him home from being neutered, he will have the smell of the anesthesia on him, so that will put them a little bit off.

We're also curious as to how getting neutered will affect his personality. Before we got Shadow fixed, he was a lot more outgoing. Now he's a fraidy cat. Go figure. Like I said we are wondering what this is gonna do to Mac. Not getting him neutered is not an option however. We don't want him to start spraying, which male cats tend to do. That and if he ever got out, we don't want to add to the stray kitty population. So in the words of Bob Barker, "Remember to get your dog or cat spayed or neutered!"

State of the Union or Out of touch with Reality

2007-01-24T08:06:00.000-06:00

Bush gave his State of the Union Address last night before a Congress that was made up of a Democratic majority. He started off graciously enough by recognizing that he was the first president to begin the speech with the words, "Madame Speaker" referring to newly minted Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He even mentioned that Pelosi's father, former Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.would have been proud to see his daughter ascend to the office.

However he showed how out of touch with the country he was soon after that opening. His plan to overhaul health care in America is laudable but confusing. The proposal for a standard tax deduction for health care would make it more affordable for low-income individuals but would pay for the subsidy by taxing pricier health plans for any amount above $7,500 a year for individuals or $15,000 a year for families.

His energy plan to reduce gasoline consumption is laughable. He fails to understand that his idea to increase the production of ethanol would cause shortfalls in corn exports, feed to chickens and cows, and would not reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are worsening global warming.

On the immigration front, he favors a guest worker plan. Frankly I am of two minds on this plan. On one hand, this would legitimize many of the illegal immigrants that come here for work, but would not address the reported 11 million already here. Legislators on both sides of the aisle are against any form of amnesty which to his credit, Bush is not advocating. However he really has no plan to help Mexico find a reason for their citizens to stay home.

The elephant in the room however, continues to be Bush's disastrous war in Iraq. He stood at the podium one year ago telling us we are winning. Now he is asking us to commit more American blood to a lost cause. He talks about how we are bringing democracy to the Iraqi people. I hate to tell you Mr. Bush, but the Iraqi people do not want our democracy. What works in America, and in Western Europe simply does not work in a country like Iraq. I understand that there are democracies in the Middle East, well, one perhaps. Israel, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Islamic countries just do not lend themselves to the democratic process. Iraq was a dictatorship for so long, that to expect them to change overnight is completely unrealistic, and that is what is costing us American lives. The country has dissolved into a bloody civil war, and if Bush can't see that he needs to open his eyes.

All in all, Bush shows that he is completely out of touch with reality, and gives us more of the same. I however didn't expect anything else. In that I guess I was not disappointed.

What to do when your wife gets a Mammogram!

2007-01-23T15:50:00.000-06:00

Sue is getting a mammogram done tomorrow. As she mentioned in her blog, she is not looking forward to getting her "boobs squished" as she puts it. Several years ago, I had lump on my left breast and had to have a mammogram done. ( Yes, men actually have been known to get breast cancer.) When I first discovered the lump, I was not sure what it was, so I went to see my doctor. The mammogram confirmed it was nothing, just a fat cell tumor fortunately. There was really no need to do anything for it. Eventually, it went away on it's own.

Having had the test done, I can understand Sue's trepidation. There are these two metal plates that you have to place your breast into. Then they tighten these plates up until you tell them to stop. They want you to wait until it "just starts to hurt a little" Difficult enough when you are male, but I can just imagine what it must feel like for a woman, especially if you are well endowed.
I suspect Sue is going to be black and blue for a week or more. Especially since she bruises at the drop of a hat.

So the question is, what to do? Well, I plan make sure she doesn't have to cook dinner for a few days. I will take care of all of the chores she might try to do. I will also make sure to give her lots of tender loving care. But then I usually do that anyway.

Prayer among friends, and other subjects.

2007-01-22T19:37:00.000-06:00

We just got a call from Joan, a friend of ours from our church. It seems that the son of our Church secretary has sustained some type of injury to his arm, crushing it. We don't know all of the details, but at this time we don't need to.

This is an example of our prayer chain in action. When someone at our church needs prayer either due to an illness, an injury, or some type of need in the family, the prayer chain goes to work. In fact one doesn't have to be a member of our church to benefit from our prayers. Many times we are praying for a neighbor, or a co-worker of a church member. It's nice to know that when something happens to one of us, or we have a need, we can get prayer from a lot of people. I can guarantee when you have lots of people praying for you, you will feel it.

Other subjects:
I called the phone company this morning, and was assured that the tech would be there between 12 noon and 6 this evening. As it turned out he called me at around 1 this afternoon, and was there about 15 minutes later. Within a half an hour I had my second line up and running. I was actually impressed. So maybe the phone company doesn't suck as much as I thought.

The weather today has been a bit cooler, but not bitterly cold. I do not believe we have any major winter weather coming, but the fortune tellers ( I mean meteorologists) don't really seem to know what the weather is gonna do until just before it does it!!! We will see.

Warmer Weather? No thanks! Not in Winter anyway!

2007-01-21T20:12:00.000-06:00

We got up to 55 today. However it looks like colder weather is coming back. We have had a lot of rain over the last several days. We definitely need it. We have had a couple of really dry years. It's funny in a way. We left Arizona in the midst of a drought, and get here to Texas and found the same thing.

We had unseasonably warm temperatures until recently too. Then Bam! We got winter weather. Ice, snow, sleet! Down to the point where Sandy got her first snow day. ( As I mentioned in a recent blog) I really do not have a problem with the weather getting cold. One thing I missed in Arizona was the change of seasons.

One thing I have noticed in Texas, is that the weather is very changeable. It can be cool one day then hot the next. So having winter weather show up, is a welcome change for January. When you consider that January in Arizona, the temperatures are usually in the 60s most of the time, I like having to put on a coat when I go outside, instead of having to wear shorts. Bring on the winter weather!

The Phone Company REALLY Sucks!

2007-01-20T13:57:00.000-06:00

We slept in this morning, as we often try to do on Saturdays. (When I say slept in - I actually just mean we didn't get up at 6:30 to get Sandy off to school - sleeping is a relative term!)
Sandy had gone out to get the paper, and discovered a door hanger from... You guessed it, the Phone Company!

It seems that the same moron who showed up the other day showed up at 8:15 this morning to install the new line. I spent 15 minutes on the phone on Thursday getting this straightened out, or so I thought! I had made an arrangement for said moron to come out on Monday, January 22, in the afternoon, I might add - to install this line. Had I known it was even a possibility of him coming out today, I would have jumped at the chance, and been waiting with baited breath!

But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The idiot shows up at 8:15 this morning, and leaves another stupid door hanger, stating that he had no access to the back yard or to our house. Of course he didn't! We were sleeping! What part of Monday, January 22, 2007 - Afternoon - does this dip wad not understand? Or is it simply that the guy I talked to in scheduling and the repair schmuck just do not communicate? Either way this does not bode well, especially for a company whose sole reason for existing is to enable us to communicate with the outside world.

Friday Blog 2 or The Real Blog

2007-01-19T17:12:00.000-06:00

Here is the real blog for tonight. I missed last night, and this morning I did my usual Friday At the Movies guide. Of course there were only 2 movies to cut and paste into the blog this morning, but I did it anyway!

Now for the real blog of the day.

Last night, I was reading a book called "Growing Deep in the Christian Life" by Chuck Swindoll. The use of the word "Hell" came up. Actually the discussion was on the overly casual use of the word. He quoted from an article called "Whatever Happened to Hell?" by Jon E. Braun. In the article Braun points out that we often say things like, "What the hell were you thinking?"or "who the Hell do you think you are?" Sometimes I have even jokingly said to someone, " Go to Hell!" At any rate this kind of made me stop to think for a moment. How often do I casually use the word "hell" myself on any given day? Probably more than I realize. I would be willing to wager that most of us do.

Braun asks us to consider if we are actually wanting to know, "What the place of punishment were you thinking?" or "Who the opposite of Heaven do you think you are?" Or are we actually suggesting that someone literally go to Hell? Part of the problem, according to Braun is that Hell has become an unreal concept to us. If the concept of Hell is not real, then the word is just a word. However words are very powerful. This leads to the question, if Hell doesn't seem like a real place to us, is Heaven any more real? If so, why? If we accept that Heaven exists, then to me, we must accept that Hell also exists. Hell is a place where lost souls are punished for eternity. So using the word with impunity is plain wrong. Maybe not as wrong as using the name of The Lord in vain, but wrong nevertheless.

I know that I have used the term quite a bit without thinking about it, but as a general rule I usually don't invite anyone to go to Hell, though I probably have said it flippantly in the past. I obviously can't speak for anyone else, but as for myself, I intend to try to think a bit more, before I casually use the word, Hell. I know I will probably forget this from time to time, being human. I do plan to try. It's interesting what God places in your heart and in your thoughts. Perhaps we would do well to wish for someone to go to Heaven, and then showing them the way.

The Quick and Easy Friday Post

2007-01-19T07:21:00.000-06:00

I missed yesterday, no excuse. Here is the Quick and Easy post: The movies opening today. Actually the list is rather short. Don't worry though, I will write a real post later. Who knows, this list is so short I may feel obligated to write more than one more....
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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Flannel Pajamas
The twin specters of Ingmar Bergman and Woody Allen hover over this talky history of a relationship.
The Hitcher
A hitchhiker (Sean Bean) torments a couple in this remake of the 1986 thriller.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Sandy gets a snow day!

2007-01-17T19:33:00.000-06:00

We got up this morning at 6:30 as usual so Sandy could get ready for school. I looked at Weatherbug, and discovered there was a winter storm warning in effect, and that we had overnight accumulations of snow and sleet. I mentioned this to Sandy, and she looked out the back door, and could see some snow on the ground. There was probably less than a half an inch but to a kid who has spent the bulk of her life in Arizona, this is a lot of snow.

I looked up to see if her school had canceled, and lo and behold it had. Sandy had her first snow day ever! The downside is that there wasn't enough snow on the ground to make a snow man, or snow angels. Well, we may yet have a chance for this as we have more winter weather heading this way.

She spent some of the day attempting to catch up on her homework. She has until Friday to complete one assignment in World Geography, but I have this suspicion she will put that off hoping that she will get another day off of school. Considering we just had to prod her to finish her math homework... We are hoping she will get her act together. Time will tell.

The Phone Company Sucks!!!

2007-01-16T16:43:00.000-06:00

Yeah I know, we all think the Phone Company sucks. I have proof! A couple of weeks ago, I went online and ordered a second phone line installed so that I could go back to working from home for a few bucks extra a month. I got an e-mail acknowledging the order, and with it a notice that I would receive an e-mail letting me know when they would be coming out to the house to install the second line.

Last week I went online to look to see what the status of the order was. My order showed up, marked complete. Excuse me? How was it complete when they hadn't even been to the house to install the flippin' line...Might I ask? So I figured that I would wait till today to call to find out what the hell was going on.

We got up at 6:30 this morning with Sandy as usual, and after she left for school, Sue and I went back to bed for a couple of hours. When I got up the phone was flashing, telling me there was message. The Phone Company installation tech had called at 9:15 to say he was on his way. Naturally he knocked and we never heard him. He left a door hanger telling us to reschedule.

What really gripes my cookies is that they never bothered to send me the promised e-mail letting me know the date the guy was going to show up! Had I known he was coming today, I would have made certain to be up and semi-coherent so I could get the line in. Now I have to wait till next Monday, the 22nd to get the line in. CRAP! So I offer this as proof of what we have all known for many years. The Damn Phone Company (Any one of them be it AT&T, General Telephone, or what ever stupid company you have near you that gives you phone service {an oxymoron if I ever heard one} SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winter Weather

2007-01-15T18:39:00.000-06:00

We seemed to have gotten lucky here. I woke up at 8:00 this morning, and after I fed the kitties, I went outside to get the paper. Although the lawn was crunchy... We didn't have the expected ice covering everything. There was some ice on the bridges around the area from what I have heard, and the news reported several accidents.

We have been using our fireplace with the cold weather. It is nice to have a fire going on a cold night like the ones we have been having. I am glad that this house has the fireplace. It wouldn't have been a deal breaker if we didn't, but it had been a dream of both Sue and I to have a house with a fireplace.

Since the weather has been cold, we have been keeping the car in the garage. That's another nice thing about having a house. When we were living at the apartment we naturally didn't have the option. I am glad we don't live there any more. Especially when they had our car towed because we were literally one half an inch over the line in the parking lot. That was how the picture they took showed it. Sheesh! Like I said, thank God we are out of there. Living in a house definitely has its advantages.

This and that!

2007-01-14T21:52:00.000-06:00

I asked Sue what she was blogging about, and she indicated she was going to blog about various subjects. That makes sense, as I can't think of anything in particular to blog about. Let's see, where to start.

When I got up this morning, I had a couple of e-mails stating that church services had indeed been canceled today. We did not have any ice on the ground, but Terry decided to err on the side of caution. I can't say that I blame him.

As of 10:00 this evening, we only have a little ice on the ground, but we do have more coming apparently. In fact the news blurb just said the next wave is hours away. It is beginning to sound nasty. Oklahoma got nailed really bad, but they don't think we are gonna get it as bad here. We can count ourselves fortunate. Even more fortuitous, we don't really need to go anywhere tomorrow, Sandy is out of school because of MLK day, so no worries there.

This computer is really beginning to piss me off. Half the time I have to restart it because it starts to bog down, It's less than a year old! It slows down, or refuses to open a program. I scan disk, and defrag it and it still screws up! AARRGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once I get myself back to work, I plan to pick up a couple of 1 gig memory sticks. One for my system, and the other for Sue's real system. She is using the one I had given to Sandy because her newer system (a few months newer than mine actually) kept crapping out, so I had to switch it out for the older system. I am convinced that the memory is the problem. I want to update that, and get video cards that will run all of the features of Vista, which is supposed to come out the end of this month.

As to going back to work, I had ordered a second phone line from AT&T, and have heard nothing yet. I went up online to check the status of the order, and it states that it is complete. Complete? My ASS! So Tuesday I have to call these idiots and explain to them that there is no bloody way that it's complete! I need the second line, with nothing on it like voice mail, call waiting etc. The flip side would to have our voice mail taken off of this line, and that's not an option. It was a pain in the ass to have to tun off the answering machine, and then remember to turn it back on, then half the time the stupid thing didn't work! Sigh. I hate having to deal with morons. If I want the line installed I will have to though. More news when it becomes less available!!!

Ice - and not the kind that scares illegal immigrants!

2007-01-13T22:15:00.000-06:00

We are bracing for a major winter blast. We have had rain since last night... and apparently it is going to turn to ice tomorrow. We are looking for up to an inch of ice accumulation by Monday. I have gone out several times, but nothing so far. If we do get any ice out there, I will take some pictures and post here.

I remember an ice storm in January of 1968 or 1970, not really sure of the year. I seem to remember Mom and Dad taking pictures of the ice on the trees. It is certainly pretty to look at, but Hell to drive on. I called our Pastor today to let him know we would likely not be making it into church tomorrow. I was going to do the announcements, so I wanted to let him know. He indicated the possibility of canceling services. We just don't want to run the risk of wrecking the car. I am pretty good at driving but there are a lot of idiots out there that don't.

If church gets canceled tomorrow, it will be the first time since Sue and I have gone to Covenant that services have been canceled. The weather looks like it might be a really big mess. The news was showing people stocking up on everything, batteries, water, food. I guess they think the power is going to go out. I guess being prepared is a good idea. We have some food that can be prepared without cooking, and we have candles, and a hurricane lamp, and a fireplace. We'll see what happens.

Here is the real blog!

2007-01-12T16:51:00.000-06:00

If you have read this blog for any time, you may have noticed that on Fridays, I usually copy the "At the Movies"guide from the Dallas Morning News, and post it on the blog. It was easy, and gave me a quick, sort of down and dirty blog. No thinking, no hassles, just a quick cut and paste. Sue pointed out that this was cheating. She's right. If my goal is to write in this blog on a daily basis, then a quick cut and paste, not matter how easy it is, constitutes cheating. At the least it's somewhat lazy!

So I have come up with a compromise. I will post the movie guide in the morning, then write a real blog later in the day. Well, here it is, later in the day.

Sue has been feeling bleckie ( Her word) lately, and has been running a low grade fever for the last couple of weeks. She got hold of her doctor, and we went in to see her. (Yes she actually called at 1:30 and got an appointment at 3:30. When we left the house, it was raining a little, just a drizzle actually. By the time we came out of the doctors office, it was pouring rain. The streets were flooding and when we got in the house, we discovered the temperature had dropped from 67 to 40. This was in the space of an hour and a half. Sheesh!

The fun part is that now I gotta go back out to get Sue's meds. The doctor gave her a prescription for anti-biotics. I am waiting for the rain to let up a tad, because on top of this rain we have a winter storm coming, and are expecting about a half inch of ice on the ground by morning. Loverly!!!!

Friday Movies or The Easy Post

2007-01-12T11:38:00.000-06:00

Here are the movies opening today. The real blog will be done later...

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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Letters from Iwo Jima
Flags of Our Fathers follow-up offers outstanding performances, mostly by actors you've never heard of.
Pan's Labyrinth
Guillermo Del Toro's engrossing, visually stunning tale follows a little girl coming to grips with Fascist Spain.
Alpha Dog
Justin Timberlake shines as one of the kidnappers in this true-life tale of criminals digging their own graves.
Stomp the Yard
Rhythmic step dancing is infectious in this formulaic underdog flick of a L.A. teen transplanted to Atlanta.
Arthur and the Invisibles
Redubbing and recutting scrubs all the charm right off Luc Besson's first children's film.
Primeval
A news team heads to South Africa to capture a 25-foot crocodile. This film was not screened in advance for critics.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.