"Top Mom" Gets Reality Show

Not long ago, I wrote about Dina Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's mother, receiving an award for being "Top Mom" from a mother's group in Long Island, New York. Now Dina and her daughter Aliana (she goes by "Ali") have their own reality show called "Living Lohan." The show, which is on E! Entertainment Television fives an inside look at what it is like in the life Lohan house. I'm sure that everyone is familiar with the feud the Lohan clan has with Michael Lohan (their father). Michael is not part of the show, but OK! magazine has given Michael a part of his own: to blog about each episode. It is interesting to see that the Lohan family has decided to have this show, considering the dreaded impact that Hogan Knows Best had on the Hulk Hogan's family. (Speaking of which, do you hear that Brooke Hogan had an accident yesterday? Unlike her brother, Nick Hogan, who wasn't wearing his seat belt when he got into his accident, for which he was sentenced to eight months in jail, 500 hours of community service, and five years of probation, Brooke was wearing her seat belt and no one was injured. I should note that it appears that Brooke's accident was not her fault.)

It is interesting to note that Lindsay did not make an appearance during the premiere, but she was discussed by her mother and sister on a nonstop basis. Dina has stated that Lindsay would not be part of the show, much to the chagrin of the critics and the media. The reason that Dina provided is that Lindsay is "too good" for the show. If Lindsay participated in the show, then it would be taking a step back in her career, rather than advancing it. Since Lindsay was discussed, Michael needed to chime in and let the world know that Lindsay and Samantha Ronson are "engaged." According to Michael, they plan to have a commitment ceremony at Dolly Parton's Dollywood in Tennessee. Personally, I went to Dollywood when I was a kid and could never see it as a romantic place. Am I wrong? Does anyone have any different recollection of the place?

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, . . . . No, It’s the Gators Backfield

For those that do not know me, I am an avid University of Florida Gators fan. I am a full believer that “If you ain't a Gator, then you must be GATOR BAIT.” With that said, I feel pretty confident in stating that this year’s Gator backfield has the potential of being one the best this year in the SEC. Percy Harvin is one of the fastest players in college football (40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds). During his first two years at Florida, he has amassed almost 1,200 yards rushing and over 1,200 yard receiving, with an average of 9.6 years per catch and 13.8 yards per catch. However, having just one fast player is not enough. So this year, the Gator Nation has a lot to celebrate with the addition of Chris Rainey. Rainey ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. Many recruiting sites have Rainey within the top 5 running backs in the country, so he will definitely fill a need. Can you imagine what our running game will look like if Heisman Winner Tim Tebow, Harvin, and Rainey are all involved. I truly feel bad for the SEC defensive coordinators. GO GATORS!!!

If Gas Gets Too Expensive, We Could Always Turn To Mules?

Growing up in what used to be rural Miami, Florida, there was a sign that used to read, "Welcome to Horse Country." However, as the area became more developed, fewer horses were around and more cars took over. But with the cost of gas rising, maybe the return of horses is right around the corner.

In McMinnville, Tennessee, T.R. Raymond, a farmer, and his family have stopped using the gas powered tractor. They have switched to Dolly and Molly, which are mules that they purchased last year at the mule sale. For those that do not know, a mule is the combination of a male donkey and a female horse. So while I did say it in jest, maybe horses (in some fashion) are making a comeback. According to the Raymond family, they see the mules as the way of the future.

I think it would be quite interesting if we all turned in our automobiles in exchange for horses or mules. If gas prices were to continue to increase, would you do it? I'm comfortable on a horse, but I'm not so sure about riding a horse in a suit. But if that means we become a business casual or casual work atmosphere, who am I to complain?

Look Out Now, It's Sweep Time

It's Broom Time Baby! Okay, so Dick Vitale is not a baseball guy, but if he was, he would definitely be excited about my Marlins. Earlier this month, I wrote about my Marlins and what a surprising year they have had so far. Many critics have said that they started the season with a "light" scheduled. But those critics are officially silenced. For tonight, the Marlins completed a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is the same team that had the best record in baseball before coming to Miami and is currently the leaders of the National League West.

One of the most interesting stories is the Marlins trade of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit in exchange for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo and three minor league pitchers. After this trade, many wrote off the Marlins chances, especially with Miller's ERA at the time of 9.12. However, since the trade, he has turned his game around, including tonight's game were he pitched a magical seven innings, that included nine strikeouts and only one batter reaching second base. In fact, since the trade, his ERA has fallen to 5.33 and he has won four out of his last five opportunities.

On a bit of bad news, Dan Uggla, who has recently had a hot bat, ended his 11-game hitting streak by going 0-for-4. But that is okay, he is still hitting .315. All I have to say, is this team is real. And regardless of how the season ends, they have something to be proud of. Go FISH!!

Polly Want A Cracker . . . What’s That? You Live Where?

We all have heard about the ability of teaching a bird to say Polly Want A Cracker. However, the Nakamura family in Nagareyama, Japan (which is close to Tokyo), choose to teach their parrot, Yosuke Nakamura something more important: his name and address. After escaping from his cage, Yosuke got lost and ended up on a neighbor’s roof. The police eventually rescued the bird, but he said nothing. It was not until he was transferred to a veterinary hospital did he start spilling his beans. So the police were able to track down Yosuke’s owners and returned him home. In addition to telling the hospital staff his address, he also sang songs and entertained the staff.

After hearing this, I was wondering, if you had a bird, what would you teach it? The street address is a smart thing to teach the bird, however what if you moved? If you were going to teach your bird a song, what song would you teach? I would probably want to teach my parrot a Jimmy Buffet song.

Could Someone Please Lend Me $175 For A Hamburger?

The Wall Street Burger Shoope, located in New York City, has increased its price for its asd burger to $175. In fact, the increase was intentionally done so that it has the costliest burger in the city. In case you were wondering, the burger comes with quite an assortment of toppings. First, the burger starts with a Kobe beef patty and is topped with lots of black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, and wild mushrooms. The burger is served on a brioche bun that has flecks of gold leaf. Now, not all of its burgers are $175. In fact, if you want the burger without the truffles, its price drops to $32. But even if that is to expensive, its everyday burger only costs $4.

Criminal Minds Finale = Death And Suspense (Bravo!)

While most of America was watching David Cooke win American Idol 2008, Criminal Minds had it season finale. And like most of the season finales I have written about, someone dies. But the question is . . . who?

I have to give credit to the show's writers, because they have created the perfect cliffhanger ending. Throughout the show, the violence that the perpetrator or perpetrators are committing has escalated, however, the FBI experts of Criminal Minds do not appear to be getting closer to identifying them. So the FBI team members split up to try to cover more ground quicker. The last time you see each member, they are getting into their respective vehicles, which all look identical. Then, just before the show ends, one of the vehicles blows up. Who dies, who knows? But there was a death. So the theme continues. :)

Finally Something To Celebrate - GO BULLS!

So after a depressing season, something has finally gone right for the Chicago Bulls. No they did not pull a miracle trade that would make us 100 times better. Nor did they get their choice of coach, when Mike D'Antoni choose to coach the Knicks instead of the Bulls. Instead, we actually won the NBA lottery!!! The most amazing part is that they only had a 1.7 percent chance of winning the lottery. Now comes the hard part. Who in the world are they going to pick? Okay, so it is not who in the world, but most probably who out of Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose.

According to Chad Ford of ESPN, he believes the Bulls will be picking Beasley. While, I am not so sure of their choice, I think either way, the Bulls will be improved. :) The one major advantage that Rose has an intangible factor, he is a hometown candidate. Unlike Beasley, whose hometown is Fitchburg, Massachusetts and went to Kansas State, Rose went to Memphis and his hometown is Chicago, Illinois. With that said, the Bulls definitely need help in the low post and Beasley is a power forward, while Rose is a point guard.

In the end, the solution is easy. Sit back and relax and get ready to say GO BULLS!!

NOTE: The Chicago Bulls logo is copyrighted and all copyrights belong to the Chicago Bulls. The logo is being used solely for identification purposes.

Shark's Season Finale Proves It Shouldn't Be Renewed

Prior to watching the season and series finale of Shark last night, I would have said that what are they thinking. I was just getting into the show and now they are cancelling it. So with the heightened expectation of this being the end of the road for James Woods, who plays Sebastian Stark. The show, surprisingly, did not end with the death of Stark or any other character for that matter. It seemed to me, that the show was possibly the originally scripted season finale, before they found out that the show was being cancelled. It lacked the usual closing, whether it is "and they lived happily ever after" or the main character dying. Needless to say, I was disappointed. So I applaud the fact that Shark is now off the air.

Like House, NCIS Ends With A Death

Yesterday, I posted about deaths in the season finale of House. Last night was no different with the season finale of NCIS. Within the first hour, the Director Jenny Shepard, played by Lauren Holly, was killed off. However, that was not the unexpected twist. The unexpected twist is that NCIS pulled a House.

At the end of last season, the cast as House was totally rearranged with each of the key assistants to House going somewhere else. This season for NCIS, all of the key assistants to Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, are being sent elsewhere. Supposedly, Anthony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, is being sent to serve on a boat; Timothy McGee, played by Sean Murray, is being sent to a new unit; and Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo, is being sent back to Israel. I only say supposedly because during this season's House, the key assistants were kept around as House obtained new assistants. Similarly, at the end of this season's NCIS, Gibbs was given three new assistants. It would honestly be hard to imagine that they would be getting rid of Weatherly, who has been one of the original characters since 2003.

I have quickly checked and neither Murray or de Pablo have any project currently in the midst. Weatherly is currently filming a movie called Charlie Valentine, which is expected to be released in 2009.

The one interesting line said during the first hour was by Abby Sciuto, played by Pauley Perette. After receiving a picture from the Director, she said, “That’s great director. Annie Liebowitz, she’s not.” Maybe if the picture was of a young star, then the picture would have been clearer? Good thing that Miley Cyrus' picture was not taken by the Director.

So Long Farewell, Until I See You On Re-runs

So with the television season coming to an end, the networks have announced what shows will not be coming back. Looking over the list, some of them are surprising, while others are such a relief. Without further ado:

ABC: Big Shots, Caveman, Carpoolers, Cashmere Mafia, Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, Here Come the Newlyweds, Just for Laughs, Men in Trees, Miss/Guided, Notes From the Underbelly, October Road, Oprah's Big Give, and Women's Murder Club.

Surprises: The biggest surprise has to be Oprah's Big Give. Initial reports were that ABC did not want to renew the show, but more recently, it is being reported that Oprah did not want to renew the show. Maybe that is because it did not draw in as many viewers as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which was in the same slot. Or, maybe it was the fact that she is busy working on her own cable network. Regardless, it is not coming back. Another interesting trend is the number of reality shows that are not coming back. Maybe scripted shows are making a comeback. Thank goodness!

CBS: Cane, Jericho, Kid Nation, Moonlight, Shark, Viva Laughlin, and Welcome to the Captain.

Surprises: I am surprised that Jericho is not returning because of its strong sci-fi fan base. However, I am even more surprised about Shark. I have started getting into the show, just in time for it to end. So, I will definitely will be watching the finale tonight.

CW: Aliens in America, Beauty and the Geek, Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, CW Now, Girlfriends, Life Is Wild, Online Nation, Pussycat Dolls Presents, and WWE Smackdown!

Surprises: Does anyone actually know about any of these shows. I have caught the Beauty and Geek show when nothing else is on, but all I have to say is wow. What happened ot the quality shows UPN used to have?

Fox: Anchorwoman, Back to You, Canterbury's Law, K-Ville, New Amsterdam, The Next Great American Band, The Return of Jezebel James, and Unhitched.

Surprises: I am not surprised by any of these, but am actually pleased that Back to You is not coming back. Many are saying it is because of the cost of each episode. My thought is actually, Kelsey Grammer is just not funny. To my understanding, Grammer is actually trying to get another network to pick up the series.

NBC: 1 vs. 100, Amne$ia, Bionic Woman, Clash of the Choirs, Journeyman, Las Vegas, My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad, Phenomenon, quarterlife, and The Singing Bee.

Surprises: This again proves my comment about reality television shows are starting to die off. Of the shows listed here, I enjoyed 1 vs. 100, but definitely saw the show not being renewed.

Happy Bump Day?

I have heard of Wednesday being referred to as “Hump Day,” but Baskin Robbins is trying to have tomorrow referred to as “Bump Day.” From 11 AM – 10 PM in certain markets (California, Chicago, New York, Nashville, TN, and El Paso, TX), expectant mothers can receive a free 3 ounce cone of their soft serve ice cream. Yes, soft serve ice cream.

Baskin Robbins is now offering soft serve ice cream. In addition to a cone, they are also offering sundaes, pies, and what appears to be their equivalent to a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Their version is called a “31 Below” and is available in the following six flavors: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Heath, Oreo, Chocolate Oreo, Fudge Brownie, and Strawberry Banana. I am skeptical that theirs is as good as Dairy Queen’s, but if they want to send me a free coupon to try one, I would gladly do so. Otherwise, I will stick with my Blizzard.

For those that are nutritionally conscious, below is a table that highlights the nutritional differences between a vanilla cone with vanilla soft serve income from Baskin Robbins, McDonalds, and Dairy Queen:

	Baskin Robbins	McDonalds	Dairy Queen
Serving Size (oz)	6	3.2	5
Calories	280	150	240
Fat (g)	11	3.5	7
Carbohydrates (g)	37	24	32
Cholesterol (mg)	40	15	20
Fiber (g)	0	0	0
Protein (g)	8	4	6

So all you expectant mothers, go out and celebrate. If anyone tries Baskin Robbins new soft serve ice cream, please let me know how it tastes.

Beer for Your Horses, Why Not Your Dog?

This year, Toby Keith and Willie Nelson sang what became a hit song called “Beer For My Horses.” One of the lines in the song is, “whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.” But what about my dogs? In America, dog owners pamper their pets, including their dogs. We now have dog carriers that look like purses, full lines of clothing for a dog, and organic dog food. Why not have beer for a dog?

In Sydney, Australia, Elise Schumacher, a pet supplies store owner, noticed that her dogs, Louis and Vuitton, love the taste of beer. So, she designed Dog Beer of “DB,” which is a non-alcoholic beer. It supposedly tastes like beef but smells like beer. DB’s slogan is “Shout your best friend a beer.”

For a period of short period of time, there was an alternative in the United States: Happy Tail Ale. It was brewed in Napa Valley, but has stopped production for unknown reasons. Maybe if Dog Beer picks up in popularity, then Happy Tail Ale will return?

Season Finale = Someone Dies

Last night, was the House season finale and while some of it was predictable, it was still sad. For example, by the end of the show, James Wilson’s girlfriend, Amber Volakis (who is played by Anne Dudek) died. However, she died after House (played by Hugh Laurie) diagnosed her with amantadine poisoning. Amantadine is a normal drug that people take to fight the flu, so do not panic if you ever have to take it. Rather, because of a bus accident that caused Amber’s kidneys to fail, her system was unable to filter out the amantadine which in turn caused it to bond with her body’s proteins. Thereby, preventing dialysis from removing it from her system. I only say that this is predictable because in the end, now House and James Wilson (played by Robert Sean Leonard) are at odds, because she was only on that bus because House was too drunk to drive home. The relationship between them has been a roller coaster of emotions, so what better what to end a season then to leave it on the rocky side?

However, the show did not stop there. “Thirteen,” who is played by Olivia Wilde, had a family history of Huntington’s Disease. After a season full of poking and prodding by House, Thirteen finally decides to get tested for the disease that has no cure. In essence, Huntington’s Disease is a genetic disease, which causes the brain to degenerate, eventually leading to dementia, and for which there is no cure. Because of the ongoing chemistry between House and Thirteen, maybe next season would be about House’s efforts to find a cure to Huntington’s?

If you haven’t seen House, I highly encourage you to check out the episodes. I think Laurie is an amazing actor and the writing for the show is stellar. I just wish that one of these days, there would be a season finale that “feels good” and it is not the series finale.

Just in Case You Weren’t In DC on Sunday, You Could Have Gone to the New Parade in New York

This past Sunday in DC was the Post Hunt, which I blogged about previously. However, if you were not in DC, you could have gone to the new parade in New York City. I realize that this sounds rather weird, but this past Sunday marked the first, of a possible annual, Veggie Pride Parade. The parade went through the old meatpacking district and ended at Washington Square Park. I know by now that if you did not attend, that you were wondering what was at the parade. So let me tell you one of the highlights. They had a costumed “bride” and “groom” couple, named Penelo Pea Pod and Chris P. Carrot, who exchanged “veggie vows.” After the exchange, observers were asked to “Give Peas a Chance” and “Go Vegetarian.” My only thought was if there was ever going to be a veggie parade, it had to be in New York City. Because, if it could make it there, then it could make it anywhere.

Illinois Traffic Stalled Because They Did Not Have Enough Milk

Today in Illinois, traffic was backed up on Interstate 80, when a tractor trailer driver fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the median. However, this was not the typical tractor trailer. This tractor trailer was loaded with 14 tons of double-stuffed Oreos. So when the Oreos were spewed all over the road, traffic came to a complete standstill. My solution was to have all of the local elementary schools drop off their kids on the highway with a glass of milk, and let them clean up the road. Any one disagree?

Maybe We Should Learn a Thing or Two From Romania About Voter Incentives?

So I saw this article from Reuters (written by Marius Zaharia), and had to summarize it. In an effort to lure voters to municipal elections in Bucharest, Romania, the candidates are resorting to eye popping tactics. For example, Victor Manea, a rotund candidate for mayor in Constanta (a Black Sea port city), which is nicknamed “the elephant,” actually walked an elephant through the town centre. He even joked that “it eats peas,” which is a reference to the current mayor Radu Ştefan Mazăre, whose last name means peas in Romanian.

Think that is far reaching? Then you should go to Arad, Romania, which is on the west coast. There, a candidate has printed on him sitting behind a long table together with 11 colleagues, signifying the “Last Supper.” In essence, he is trying to convince voters that he believes in his team and the voters.

If that is bad, then you would love what is happening in Bistrita, Romania, which is located in central Romania. Gelu Dragan, a candidate for city hall, has a banner of his own. However, he is not using a religious metaphor. Rather, he is displaying an image of a finger with a condom wrapped around it. He believes that this signifies that he will protect against corruption.

I am just curious, would any of these stunts get you out to vote for a certain candidate? If all three of the candidates were running against each other, who would you vote for and why?

Stupid Thieves or Stupid Community?

So I have read two different articles recently that led me to ask this important question. Are thieves getting stupider or are we as a society just missing a few screws?

The first story comes from La Crosse, Wisconsin, where thieves stole a 6-foot-tall, 2,000 pound anchor. The best part of the story is that no one noticed. The anchor used to be mounted outside the Naval Reservist Station, but no one is sure if it has been there since December 31, 2007. This story raised a few questions. One, how do you not notice that a huge anchor is missing? Two, what in the world would thieves do with a 2,000 pound anchor? Third, are you kidding me?

The second story comes from Sydney, Australia, where a robber was polite enough to wait his turn in a queue before holding up the post office. While waiting in line, no one suspected that a robbery would be happening soon, because the robber was very polite. Once it was his turn, however, he overpowered the employee and stole some money. While making his getaway, he left behind some of the money, as well as his knife that he used to hold up the post office. This story is more perplexing than the first. If you are going to rob a store, why would you be so polite before hand? Did the robber’s parents teach manners but not “thou shall not rob?”

So what are your thoughts? Are crooks getting stupider or is are community really sinking?

Graduation: To Go or Not To Go, That is Not The Question

As I mentioned previously, in response to a t-shirt that seniors were wearing, the school administrators were contemplating banning the seniors from prom and possibly graduation. CN, who left a comment about my post, mentioned that they would “be glad to get out of graduation.” After going through a few of them myself, looking back, I too would be glad to get out of graduation. I knew quite a few of my friends that skipped their high school or college graduation, because of how long it is and then you have the sometimes boring speakers. However, that option was never available to Jeff Greenwood, a senior at Opheim High School in Great Falls, Montana, who is both the student body president and the senior class president. Because Greenwood’s graduating class consists of only Greenwood (yes, it is a class of 1). I wonder how did elections go for senior class president? Who nominated Greenwood? Was it a landslide victory?

So when graduation came, there was no opportunity to be lost in the crowd or not noticed if he skipped. Rather, it would be that one empty chair just sitting there. The only thing that makes matters worse, is that his commencement address was being given by Montana’s Governor, Brian Schweitzer. Could you imagine the pressure he was in? I imagine there would be no video games or joking around during this ceremony. If you were in his situation would you go? Do you feel like you would have a choice? All I have to say is, while the ceremony was definitely shorter, I think I like being amongst the sea of graduates rather than having a special graduation just for me.

It’s All Fun and Games until the Power Goes Out

I’m sure we have all heard the expression a game of cat and mouse. It usually means an attempt to “defeat someone by tricking them into making a mistake so that you have an advantage over them.” However, in Tirana, Albania (which is located just east of Italy), residents there will always associate the furry creatures with the expression. Because this past Friday, the electric company explained that a 72-hour blackout was caused when a cat chasing a mouse in its main power station ran into the high voltage power lines.

What seems perplexing to me is that no one in the electric company is shocked by the presence of a cat in the main power station. I understand that you cannot control a mouse, but a cat? Are they really having a cat problem in Albania? Is this the next gig for Bob Barker (of Price is Right fame) to start telling everyone, "Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered?" Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, because residents in Tirana have had such fickle electrical supply in the past, most of the home and businesses also have generators. However, they were off of petroleum which in turn has increased the demand for gas.

Restaurant Review: Foster’s Grille

So every so often, my wife and I go out to eat at several local dining establishments. Tonight, after participating in the Post Hunt, we decided to grab dinner at Foster’s Grille. Foster’s Grille is a restaurant chain, which specializes in burgers, that has restaurants in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia. Sadly, the quality of the food and the service is dependent on who is working that day. As I mentioned in my post discussing Fogo De Chão and Texas de Brazil, I like to have my meat cooked medium well, so I ordered my hamburger medium well. Tonight, my wife also ordered hers medium well. When we both bit into our burgers, then were not cooked satisfactory. Mine was more medium and my wife’s was more medium-rare. When I asked for a new hamburger they were not pleased, however they obliged me. (Yes, I did watch the cooks to make sure they didn’t spit in the new hamburger.) The manager eventually came over and apologized and asked if the new burger was okay. She also told me that in the future, I should ask for her to make sure that my hamburger is cooked correctly.

Now, if this was my first experience with the cooking and service that I experienced, I would not be posting this “warning.” However, this has sadly become a frequent occurrence of late that is slowly lowering my expectations for a restaurant that once was my go to place for a decent burger. I realized that $7.99 for a burger, fries and a drink is a good price, but if the burger is not cooked right and the fries are not seasoned, how good of a price is it? Just wanted to warn, I mean, let you know. Beware of the food quality, this place may be going down. I truly hope that they can turn it around. Has anyone else noticed the decrease in quality?

Post Hunt: A Fun DC Scavenger Hunt Of Sorts

Today was hopefully the first of an annual tradition in Washington, DC: The Post Hunt. The Post Hunt is the brain child of Tom Shroder, Gene Weingarten, and the hilarious Dave Barry. (Click here to see Dave’s blog.) In essence, the Post Hunt is identical to the Herald Hunt, which is held in South Florida every year, except that it is held in Washington, DC. For those that have never participated in either event, I highly encourage you to do so, because I had a blast today. The Post Hunt is a scavenger hunt of sorts, where you need to initially solve five brainteasers, instead of searching for hidden objects. However, you could always be looking for hidden objects as one of the brainteasers. After accumulating the answers to all of the brainteasers, you then have a final clue, which somehow ties the solutions to the brainteasers together.

To give you an idea of how challenging the final clue was, I will divulge how the final clue and answer came together. Based on the final clue and the previous answers to the brain teasers, participants were left with the former home of the caps, which would be the MCI Center. “MCI” when used for roman numeral purposes, is equal to 1,101. Looking at the map, there was a building labeled 1101, so when participants when there, there was a sign regarding employment opportunities with a phone number. Upon calling that number it said No, I asked you to call TODAY. So based on that, participants had to discern to call TODAY, or 5/18/2008 or 202-518-2008. Upon calling that number, the participant was given a clue of giving the roman numerals and team name to a person wearing a Red Sox hat at the intersection of Elm and Maple. For those unfamiliar with DC, there are no streets called Elm and Maple, so participants had to go through a crossword solution to find that Elm and Maple intersect at the “L.” Then, participants had to find the “hidden” L on the map to find the actual location of the man with the hat. As you can see, it was quick a challenge, and my hat is off to the people that solved all of that within 30 minutes.

With all that said, my experience can be summed up in four words: a lot of fun. I highly encourage everyone to come out next year (I really hope they do it again in DC) and join in the fun.

Only in DC: Field Trip Permission Form = Sex in Hotel

Last month, 70 middle-school students from Mid-Carolina Middle School, which is located in Newberry, South Carolina, went on a field trip with 20 chaperons to Washington, DC. However eight of them, saw a lot more than the monuments.

While the chaperons were nowhere to be found one night, it is unclear what exactly they were doing, four of girls from the field trip sneaked out of their rooms and went into the boys rooms and had sex. (It is unknown which hotel they stayed in, as well as if the any of the students were in Room 871.) Luckily, no alcohol or drugs were involved in this incident. According to the school, there was a screw up with the hotel reservations so there was not a chaperone in every room and the rooms were scattered throughout ten different floors. The school's official response is suspending the students for the rest of the school year.

When I thought about this, there were so many questions raised. First, the kids had sex, possibly for the first time, on a school field trip and the school is rewarding, I mean punishing, them with a suspension? While I will agree that having sex on a field trip probably is a prohibited activity, whose fault is it? Should the chaperones done something differently? Is it the hotels fault?

It is also interesting to hear that there is an "ongoing study" of what can be done against the chaperones, which were both volunteers and school employees. If you were a parent what would you want to see done? What if you were a school official?

The most ironic thing about the story, is that the Mid-Carolina Middle School team name is the "Rebels." Maybe the students were just taking their team name to heart. Go Rebels!

Taylor Hicks is a Teen Angel?

With the continued success of American Idol, another American Idol winner is making the jump to Broadway. It has been announced that Taylor Hicks, winner of American Idol in 2006, will be joining the Broadway case of Grease playing the role of Teen Angel from June 6 through September 7. Are you kidding me?

As Teen Angel, Hicks will be singing the famous Beauty School Dropout. However Hicks intends to add some “soulfoul flavor” to the song that Frankie Avalon sang in the extremely popular movie version of Grease, which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. It is interesting that Broadway producers are willing to take the risk of having Hicks as part of the case, considering that he has lost his record deal with J Records, which he won as part of the American Idol win.

Hicks will be joining quite a few American Idol winners/contestants that have had a stint on Broadway, including Fantasia Barrino, who was in The Color Purple, and Clay Aiken, who was in Spamalot.

Normally, I was would be asking, why. However, I have started to lose faith in Broadway, with the increasing role of reality television in the selection of role. For example, the Broadway production of Grease, the producers decided to have their auditions as reality television show on NBC, which was titled, “You’re The One That I Want.” Sadly, this quickly became a popularity contest where looks, at times, beat out actual talent. I would love to know, how many people that actually participated in the voting has gone to Broadway and seen the show. Also, how many people actually shell out the hundreds of dollars to get close enough to be able to distinguish the physical features of the various contestants if they made it to Broadway. I remember an article from the New York Post last month that said people were asking for their money back. However, it is the age or reality television. So MTV has announced that they are having a similar show called, “Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods.” I just hope this show is a flop so Broadway can rise from this mess and revert to the good old days when theatrical stars where everywhere and you needed talent to be there.

Another Fun Prom Story

This time, this story comes from Detroit, Michigan. However, unlike my last post about prom season, this story actually occurred before prom season. At Stevenson High School, 44 seniors were suspended for a day because of a t-shirt they were all wearing. Additionally, school officials are considering banning the students from prom and graduation.

The t-shirt was part of an annual tradition called the "ripening of the tomato," where freshman were green shirts, sophomores - yellow shirts, juniors - orange shirts, and seniors - red shirts. However, it was what was written on the shirts that got the seniors in trouble. Just how offensive was the t-shirt? You tell me. On the front of the t-shirt, it read "Puschin' It To The Limit," which is a play on Busch beer. The back of the t-shirt, it read "Class of .08 Senior," which the school officials explained was a reference to Michigan's blood-alcohol limit for drivers.

The school is holding a meeting today, so the seniors can learn how they can "earn" back the privilege of going to prom and graduation. What would you be willing to do in order to "earn" that privilege? If you were a parent, would you let your kid wear that shirt?

One of the Strangest Places to Visit: the Icelandic Phallological Museum

Okay, so I have to admit, when I heard about this museum, I was shocked. This has to be one of the strangest places to go on vacation, so I had to let you know when I found it on a travel site. The Icelandic Phallological Museum is located in Húsavík, Iceland and is devoted to the phallology. Phallology is an ancient science which studies the male reproductive organ, the penis. The museum was founded in 1997 and is still owned by Sigurdur Hjartarson, who began his collection in 1974 with a bull’s penis. At the time he began his collection, Hjartarson was a school administrator who kept his collection in office as a hobby. Since then, his collection has now grown to 261 preserved penises from 90 different species, and he has only had to pay for one. The organs are either kept in glass jars of formaldehyde or dried and mounted on the wall.

However, there is one species that he is currently missing that he wants for his collection: a human penis. For Hjartarson, it is only a matter of time, because four humans have volunteered to donate their organ after their death, including one American, who has nick-named his “Elmo.” Surprisingly, the museum had approximately 6,000 visitors last year, of which 60 percent were women.

Just in case you are wondering, his largest organ is from a sperm whale and it weighs 154 pounds and is 5.58 feet long. On the other side of the spectrum, he also has a hamster penis that is just 2 mm, which can only be viewed through a magnifying glass.

Surprise of the Year: New York City Cabbies are Foul-Mouthed

I’m sure this is going to be a shock: New York City cabbies have foul mouths. In fact, on October 8, 2007, like many other days, there was an “incident.” Zbigniew Sobczak, a cabbie, cut off fellow cabbie Malik Rizwan on the West Side of Manhattan, when neither had a passenger. Rizwan, in response, honked his horn at Sobczak. Sobczak responsed by jumping out of his cab and started to scream vulgarity repeatedly. In response, Rizwan called the police and accused Sobczak of assault.

An administrative law judge found Sobczak guilty of a lesser crime, verbal harassment, and recommended a $350 fine. However, on May 9, Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman Matthew Daus increased the penalty to $1,000 and suspended Sobczak for 30 days. This is Daus’ attempt to clean up people’s opinion of New York City cabbies.

Free Iced Coffee from Dunkin' Donuts

Because my post about McDonalds giving away free sandwiches today was so popular, I wanted to let everyone know about another free offer for tomorrow. Dunkin' Donuts is giving away for free a 16 oz. iced coffee from 10 AM - 10 PM.

If Starbucks new logo did not drive away customers, free coffee from Dunkin' Donuts just might.

Used Car Salesmen Can Learn From Detroit Teen

Every year, Girl Scouts try to sell Girl Scout Cookies in an effort to raise money for their troops. The cost of each box of cookies varies depending on the buyer’s geographic location from $2.50 to $4.00 per box. This year, Jennifer Sharpe, a 15-year-old Girl Scout in Dearborn, Michigan set the unofficial record of sales this year with 17,328 boxes of cookies. How did you she do it? She setup a stand on the street corner and sold cookies every day with the help of her mother, Pam Sharpe, who is also the troop leader.

Approximately 70% of the proceeds from each sale stay with the local Girl Scout council, which in turn provide a portion of the proceeds to the troop that sold the cookies. This year, Sharpe’s troop raised approximately $21,000 from all of the troop’s cookie sales/. With the proceeds, the troop is going on a 10-day trip to Europe. Who knew selling girl scout cookies was so profitable? Maybe she will be the next best selling author?

My question is, where do they sell girl scout cookies for only $2.50? I could imagine someone buying quite a few boxes and then selling it on e-bay to a person in the $4.00 location. Just how bad is the economy?

Happy Nylon Stockings Day?!?!?

Earlier this month, I listed quite a few humorous national month holidays that correspond with the month of May. Well today, I couldn't resist and wish everyone a happy Nylon Stockings Day. Yes, today, May 15, is Nylon Stockings Day. The origin of the "holiday" dates back to 1940, when Du Pont first introduced nylon stockings. They were so successful, that Du Pont decided to offer them all across America on May 15, 1940. On that day alone, Du Pont sold 5 million pair of nylon stockings. So those of you that wear stockings, put on your Nylons today and celebrate!

Home Alone 4: Lost in Vancouver, British Columbia

We all remember Macaulay Culkin, who has been dating Mila Kunis (one of the stars in the hit movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall) since 2002, playing the role of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Many people probably do not remember the 1997 movie Home Alone 3, which Culkin did not star in. However, Home Alone 4 is actually a real life movie and not one that will be shown in movie theaters.

The star of Home Alone 4 is a 23-month-old boy named J.M. Parreno,. The Parrenos were emigrating from the Philippines to Winnipeg, Canada but had to change planes in Vancouver, British Columbia. For unknown reasons, probably customs and security, the Parreno family had to unpack and repack their bags before boarding their plane to Winnipeg. This left them with 10 minutes to make it to their flight and so they started to run to the gate. The family, which consisted of the father, mother, and two of J.M.’s grandparents, each thought someone else had J.M. However, J.M. was actually left to wander around the airport. The family made their flight to Winnipeg, but because their seats were not together, they continued to think that J.M. was with another person. It was not until officials from Air Canada, their air carrier from their flight to Winnipeg, spoke to the Parreno family, that they realized that J.M. was left behind in Vancouver.

I realize I am not a parent yet, but I cannot foresee a situation where I would leave my child behind. I am so paranoid as it is, that I think checking to make sure my child is with me before I board an airplane would be instinctive. This led me to wonder, has anyone out there left their child behind?

In case you were wondering, Air Canada, paid for the family to fly back to Vancouver to pick up J.M. and to fly back to Winnipeg. For that, I give major kudos to Air Canada.

Car Update

So it has been awhile since I have posted about my car, so I figured I would update you what has happened in the past two weeks. The insurance company finally agreed to cover the cost of the repairs, but would only pay approximately $1,500. So, I took the car to the body shop and they immediately, to my surprise, started working on it. However, when they started to take some of the pieces off my car to be repaired, they discovered that the front grill and the hood were damaged. The grill is broken and the hood is bent, but the body shop said that it was “minor additional damage.” They have contacted the insurance company for additional authorization on Monday, May 12. However, as of this afternoon, the insurance company still has not authorized the additional repairs, so my car is just sitting there. The ironic thing is, the insurance company thought all repairs would be completed in two days, but it has been two days of waiting for approval, rather than repair work. I guess they just want me to keep the rental car a little bit longer, because if the body shop does not hear back soon, the repairs will not be completed by this weekend.

Free Gas If You Go To Church?

We have all heard the expression, a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well, the First Baptist Church of Snellville, Georgia, believe the path to increased membership is through people’s wallet. So the church has created a creative advertising scheme where every time a newcomer or member attends a church event during a Sunday-to-Wednesday revival, they are entered into a raffle to win one of two $500 gas cards.

This promotion raises a few questions about the type of people that would show up. If people are attending the church event solely for the gas card, are they coming in with an open mind? Also, are participants required to attend the whole event? What if the participant is a doctor that is on call and now needs to leave? Is he entered into the raffle?

In addition to the superficial questions, there are a few deeper philosophical questions. If people are only going to be entered into the raffle and continue to go for that purpose, is the church in effect buying a person’s faith? While the idea of a raffle is not unique, I think this raffle crosses a line. Considering the monetary strains that the increasing gas prices have placed on individuals of all walks of life, I truly think this is an effort to buy a person’s faith. I understand that it could be viewed as an enticement to open the eyes of people. However, if that was the case, then members shouldn’t be entitled to enter the raffle. So let’s call it what it is, an effort to buy faith for a chance to win a $500 gas card. I will pass.

Well If Your Current Job Doesn’t Work Out For You, . . .

you could see if David Snyder is hiring. Snyder owns Talley-Ho Pooper Scooper Service, which is known on the Eastern Shore for sweeping up lawn for “nutrient-rich” canine feces, in other words, he is a pooper scooper. To scoop the poop, he uses a metal rake and a dustpan gadget. With each scoop, he earns a little extra cash.

Snyder enjoys what he does, but he also does it for environmental reasons. According to Snyder, scooping poop prevents the contamination of the ground water supply and the Chesapeake Bay. Synder’s business has been blooming since opening in late February, with more than 20 customers paying his fees. The starting fee is $12 for a weekly service. Snyder contributes three percent of his profits toward aPaws, the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists, which helps communities buy oxygen masks for pets.

Free Chicken Biscuit or Chicken Sandwich from McDonalds

Every so often, I find out about free promos and like to pass them along, like the free ice cream week. Well, here is another one. Tomorrow, May 15, McDonalds is giving away a Free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit in the morning or a Free Southern Style Chicken Sandwich in the afternoon. Okay so it is not completely free, you need to purchase a medium or large drink, but the sandwich is free. The Chicken Biscuit is being offered from 7 AM – 10:30 AM and the Chicken Sandwich is being offered from 10:30 AM – 7 PM.

I probably shouldn’t do this, but just in case you were wondering, here is the nutritional information for both the Chicken Biscuit and Chicken Sandwich from McDonalds’ website:

	Chicken Biscuit	Chicken Sandwich
Calories	420	420
Fat (g)	20	19
Carbohydrates (g)	41	40
Cholesterol (mg)	35	50
Fiber (g)	2	1
Protein (g)	18	24

If there are any other food freebies that you know about, please let me know. :) Also, if anyone actually gets one of these sandwiches, please let me know how it tastes. Thanks!

Cow Tipping Anyone? I Dare You!

When I went to Penn State University for a summer program, I met several college students that liked going to a field to go cow tipping. Being from Miami, Florida, I never heard of cow tipping so I tagged along to find out what it is. For those that do not know, Wikipedia defines “cow tipping” as “an activity performed by sneaking up on an upright cow and pushing it over for fun.” I recognize that this is a cruel activity and can cause extreme harm to the cow. I by no means encourage such an activity, however, I would love to see someone try to tip Chilli.

For those of you that have not met Chilli, let me introduce you. This is Chilli. The image is from Daily Mail. Chilli is a Friesian bullock who is approximately 6 foot 6 inch tall and weighs over one ton. His twin sister, Jubilee, is 6 feet tall. So I ask, who is up for a little cow tipping? This time, I think the cow will win. In case you were wondering, Chilli’s handler has contacted the Guinness Book of Records to see if Chilli is the largest bovine.

Free Porn With Every Purchase From Starbucks?

At least that is what the Christian group, The Resistance, wants you to believe. Starbucks, as part of a campaign to roll out a new roast (Pike Place Roast) that could compete with cheaper coffee chains, such as Dunkin' Donuts, rolled out with a new logo on their cups. However, The Resistance is so disturbed about the new logo Starbucks is using, it is calling for a boycott of Starbucks and thinks the company should be renamed Slutbucks. Just in case you have not seen the new logo, here it is. The Resistance's press release is upset that the logo has "a topless mermaid with her legs spread." Not to be picky, but does a mermaid actually have legs? And, is the logo so bad or offensive, that Starbucks should be boycotted?

If anything, the new logo has generated some publicity for Starbucks, and as my marketing professor said in college, free publicity is always better than no publicity. It is just a matter of whether Starbucks will be able to spin it in their favor. However you do have to question Starbucks' move. It is true, that the new brown background will grab people's attention because everyone is now used to the bright green background. However, whenever you think of the color brown and a company, UPS comes to mind. Why didn't they choose another bright color? Regardless of the reasons, as evidenced by this blog, Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz is getting exactly what he wants: pople to talk about the cup and Starbucks.

It is interesting to note that the Wall Street Journal has a poll asking, "Is the new Starbucks cup with its brown, retro logo better or worse than the traditional green-logo version? The results, at the time of this posting, show that over 60% of those participating or over 1,000 people think the new cup is worse.

Airline Profits Are So Bad They Are Now Selling Seats in the Bathroom?

On February 23, 2008, Gokhan Mutlu arrived at the San Diego airport to check in for his flight on JetBlue to New York. Upon checking in, he was told that his flight was full. However, he was allowed to board the flight when a flight attendant willingly agreed to give up her seat and travel in a “jump seat.” It is still unclear whether the flight attendant was working the flight.

90 minutes into the 5 ½ hour flight, the pilot told Mutlu that the flight attendant was uncomfortable in the jump seat, which is understandable because the jump seat is a rather tight seat in the airplane’s cockpit. So Mutlu was instructed to “hang out” in the bathroom for the remainder of the flight. Mutlu initially refused and the pilot became very angry and told Mutlu to “be grateful for being onboard.” Mutlu offered to sit in the jump seat, but was not allowed to because he was not an airline personnel. In the end, Mutlu was forced to sit in the bathroom for a period of time during the flight, including extended periods of turbulence. Eventually, another flight attendand knocked on the bathroom door and told Mutlu that he could return to his seat.

Mutlu has now sued them for $2 million. It should be noted that Mutlu was flying on a "buddy pass," which is a standby travel voucher that JetBlue employees give to friends, so JetBlue wasn't really making any money off of Mutlu. Could you imagine sitting in the bathroom for 30 minutes, let alone a few hours? Personally, I would have waited for the next flight.

Well if President Bush Has Anything to Do With It . . . Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo Over?

It wasn't that long ago that Bush made a joke about Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo. See my post from May 7. Now, it is being reported that the pair has split up. According to several sites, Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo has dumped his girlfriend after her surprise visit to his NFL draft party in Las Vegas. I guess Simpson just needs to "Let Him Fly." If you hear any loud rumblings, it may be the collective cheers from the Dallas Cowboys fans.

Those Pennies Add Up!

In Carleton, Michigan, the St. Patrick Catholic School is now $10,000 richer because of the efforts of Andrew Niemi, a 10-year-old boy who attends the school. Niemi collected the 1 million pennies, from December 26, 2006 through March 17, 2008. I guess that just goes to show you that every little bit counts. With that said, I am still not convinced that Bank of America's Keep the Change program is the right way to "save." This program merely rounds up the amount of your purchases to the nearest dollar and transfers that rounding amount to your savings account. Instead of being "new found money," you are actually paying for it. Rather, what I glean from this story is that instead of not caring about money found on the floor or about the loose change in the couch, every little bit counts and should be considered valuable.

Assault with a Deadly M&M and Dad is Going to Jail Because Daughter Is Not a Graduate

Every so often, I read a story about a court case or an arrest that makes me laugh. Yesterday, two stories fit that bill.

The first comes from Des Moines, Iowa. Sean McGuire is a college student at Drake University, who was arrested for assaulting an officer with M&Ms. While the Des Moines police were questioning one of McGuire’s friends about a hit-and-run accident, McGuire starting throwing M&Ms at the police officer. When the officer turned around, an M&M hit his shoulder. The Drake University security guards noticed the M&Ms and arrested McGuire. McGuire claims that he was “sticking up for his friend.” After being arrested, he was released after posting a $1,000 bond. I understand that you should not throw things at a police officer, but was arresting him really necessary?

The second comes from Fairfield, Ohio. Brian Gegner was sentenced to 180 days in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. No, he did not show a minor porn or provide alcohol. Instead, his crime was that his 18-year-old daughter, Brittany Gegner, has not obtained a high school diploma or a GED. Even though Brittany is now a legal adult, the court still had jurisdiction over Brittany’s case because the issues began when she was a minor. Brittany begged for the court’s leniency stating that she was with her mother when she skipped classes, although her father had custody. My question is, are you kidding me? At what point will society realize that parents only have so much control over their kids.

When Did “After You” Become an Insult?

So it has been about a week since I posted about the guy on the subway that refused to move so someone else could sit down. Since then, a new question has arisen. If there is only one seat available, and there is a woman, an elderly man, and a handicapped man, who should take the seat? While it may seem that I am fascinated with the Metro, this line of thinking was actually inspired by a lunch I had with one of my friends, who happens to be a staunch feminist.

I was raised to respect my elders and people of the opposite sex, so it is instinctive for me to hold a door open when I see someone coming. However, when I went out to lunch with my friend, I held the door open for her and she refused to go through it. According to her, it was my way of showing my dominance over her and so she insisted on holding the door open for me. This made me wonder, when did “after you” become an insult? I thought holding the door open for someone was a way of showing respect and courtesy, but I was informed over lunch, that I was mistaken. So after learning this, I asked my friend, if I saw a female on the Metro that did not have a seat, should I get up and give her my seat. To that question, she was unsure. She had an internal debate for a good five minutes, which was fascinating to listen to, but the lack of a conclusion was telling.

After this lunch, I continued to think about what she said and how I acted and wondered whether people, particularly females, were reading my actions incorrectly. Then, yesterday, I was on the Metro and I got up to offer my seat to an elderly man. He said it was okay and that “someone his age can still stand on the Metro.” I definitely was not trying to be degrading or demeaning by offering him my seat. But then I was going to respond, and yes I choose not to, if someone your age could stand, then someone my age could stand too. Where does the cycle end? Is there a point in time when you could just be a “nice guy” and people not perceive you as you looking down upon them?

So with all of the confusion and comments that I have heard about this, I ask, if you have a seat on a Metro or bus and see a woman, an elderly man, and a handicapped man that do not have a seat, who do you offer it to, if anyone? What is the order? Does it matter if the woman is pregnant? Why are these things so complicated? I do realize the easiest way to avoid this problem is to never take a seat, but then you are going to be trampled by the people that are getting either onto or off the Metro at each station. So for self-preservation reasons, I preserve to sit. I guess this will be one of those questions that I may never know the answer to.

Madison High School Senior Forgets Handcuffs for Prom Outfit, So Cops Provide Them

While most of America was watching CBS to find out who the winner of Survivor Micronesia: Fans vs Favorites was (congratulations Parvati Shallow), Marche Taylor, a senior at Madison High School in Houston, Texas, was wondering what her prom would have been like. When Taylor showed up to her prom, school officials would not let her in, claiming that her outfit was “too skimpy” and “too revealing.” (Click here for a link to a video that includes pictures of the prom dress.) So Taylor offered to modify her dress and cover up some of her body, but that was not enough for the official, because she had no undergarments on. Therefore, Taylor was given the choice of either going home or going to jail. In turn, Taylor requested her money back. It was at this point, that the arguing became more heated. The police were called and Taylor was handcuffed and escorted from the prom.

What are your thoughts? Is the dress too skimpy? Does it matter if the Taylor was 17 or 18? Since she is a senior, she may be going to college next year. Is that dress an outrage at a college function or at a club?

One of my questions is, what do Taylor’s parents think? Personally, I am not as offended by this outfit as others. I have seen a lot worse. In the end, I think the use of handcuffs was probably excessive, but may have been necessary. I can only imagine the scene that was raised at the hotel.

Woman Fired From Stealing From Her Job

Now why in the world would this type of story catch my attention? Isn’t all stealing bad? Is there ever a case where stealing is okay? Well, let me briefly tell you the story of Nicole Lilliman, a 27 year-old single mother, from London, Ontario, who was caught “stealing” from her employer, an outlet of the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut chain.

While working one busy day, Lilliman saw a toddler that was pointing to a Timbit and going “ah” at it. A Timbit is a small donut hole, that is sold for 16 Canadian cents. Well as a mother, Lilliman gave the toddler a Timbit, but failed to immediately go to her purse and pay for it, because of how busy the store was. By the end of the day, Lilliman had completely forgotten about the Timbit, so she failed to pay the 16 cents. So her manager, after reviewing the store’s video security tape, fired her for theft. After numerous complaints regarding Lilliman’s firing by customers, her employer agreed to rehire her and claim that the firing was a “mistake.”

While I agree that is not okay to steal, this story raises so many questions. For example, why didn’t the manager just ask Lilliman for the 16 cents? It was not like she wouldn’t have paid for it. Did the manager even consider that she gave the Timbit to a customer’s child instead of eating for herself, so what gain did she really get form her theft? Also, how many times have people put something in a cart and have not rung it up? For example, you put something on the bottom of the shopping cart and the cash register attendant fails to scan it. It has happened to me numerous times and upon discovering it, I go back to have them ring it up. Should I be charged for theft then? While this seems farfetched, there have been numerous stories that this has occurred. While I agree theft is bad, I think the bigger picture needs to be examined in determining the cause and the reason of such “theft,” in order to determine an appropriate consequence. Here, being fired for a 16 cent Timbit sounds outrageous.

Serving Out-of-Season Fruits or Vegetables = Monetary Fine??

Many Americans will recognize Gordon Ramsay’s name or face from his television shows Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. In addition to be a “television star,” Ramsay also has several restaurants that are quite successful. In fact, Ramsay is one of the highest rated chefs in all of London. And it is that prestige and reputation that enabled him to meet with Prime Minister Gordon Brown. During that meeting, Ramsay urged Brown to pass a law that would fine restaurants that are serving out-of-season fruit and vegetables. While the concept is far reaching it would help stimulate the economy. By allowing restaurants to only serve in season fruits and vegetables, the demand for local produce would increase. However, that is not the reason behind Ramsay’s beliefs. Rather, he is trying to change people’s pallets, because he feels that the British have become a nation of lazy eaters.

Excuse Me, But "Will You Lick My Swizzle Stick?"

This question has caused quite an uproar at The Weather Channel. For those that do not know, “swizzle sticks” are “small sticks placed in cocktails to hold fruit, or merely stir the drink.” However, in this context, a swizzle stick referred to a male appendage, which was previously referred to in my favorite quote of the week. Bob Stokes and Hillary Andrews were co-anchors on The Weather Channel and quite successfully brought the channel higher ratings. However, behind the scenes, Stokes admired Andrews and sought to be with her. So much so, that she became is object of affection, and his yearning quickly became harassment. According to the lawsuit, he would continuously sabotage her at work, ask about details for her sex life, as well as beg her to “lick his swizzle stick.” Her also leered at her chest and followed her into the women’s dressing room. However, this is not the first time that Stokes has been accused of sexual harassment. According to Andrews’ lawsuit, Andrews’ predecessor was also sexually harassed by Stokes. However, her complaints fell on deaf ears, so she eventually resigned. But this was not going to be Andrews’ fate. Instead, she filed a lawsuit and actually won. During the ordeal, Stokes has been fired from The Weather Channel.

This has raised two questions:

1. Why was Stokes given a second chance?

2. Since when did a swizzle stick refer to a male appendage? Am I really getting that old or is this guy just “creative”?

WARNING: New Postal Rates Go Into Effect May 12

Starting tomorrow, May 12, it will now cost 42 cents to mail an envelope first-class. This will mark, what seems like the millionth increase, in the past few years. (Just a quick sidenote: If you want to avoid the constant increases, you can buy a forever stamp which automatically equals whatever the current price of a first-class envelope.) As the world becomes more of an e-commerce community, more people are paying their bills and sending letters via the Internet. As the costs continue to increase, I am sure that people will turn towards modern technology rather than using the old method of “snail mail.” However, this reminds me of a debate that I heard last week concerning Mother’s Day cards. Would mothers be okay with receiving Mother’s Day cards online? That conversation led me to consider this question: Would the world ever move to a wholly Internet based communication world?

“Top Mom” Award Given Just Before Mother’s Day to Dina Lohan (Lindsay’s Mom) – But Is It So Wrong?

On Tuesday, Mingling Moms, a group designed for mothers with babies up to 12 months old in Long Island, New York, held its “Girls’ Night Out” party where it presented several awards, including the Top Mom award. The Top Mom award was awarded to Dina Lohan, Lindsay Lohan’s mother.
Quite a few articles that I have read have questioned the selection of Dina Lohan. However, my thought is why not? Lindsay’s life, similar to that of Brittany Spears, has been quite chaotic recently. Between the drugs, alcohol, partying, and violations of the law, Lindsay’s life has been a roller coaster. However, is that Dina’s fault? Lohan is currently 21 years old and is definitely quite the adult. Look at Aliana, Lindsay's sister. Although she is a lot younger, she hasn't done anything yet that is similar to Lindsay's behavior. Dina has always been concerned about her daughter’s safety. In fact, last year, Dina compared the paparazzi’s treatment of her daughter to that of Princess Diana. It is true that Dina has acted more like a sister than a mother, but nowadays, with kids shunning their parents, isn’t it better to participate and know what is going on in your child’s life then being clueless? I realize these are two different extremes, and the preferred answer is somewhere in between, but clearly Lindsay wouldn’t have allowed that. So if you were a parent and were faced with the option of either participating and possibly providing some but not a lot of guidance or having no clue what is going on in your child’s life, which would you choose?

Images were found on www.starpulse.com and www.allposters.com and may be subject to a copyright claim.

It’s Like Twinkies for Breakfast

We are all familiar with the Twinkie: the golden sponge cake with creamy filling. Since its inception in 1930, the Twinkie has grown in popularity. However, with people watching their weight and monitoring what their kids are eating, fewer Twinkies are being consumed for breakfast. The nutritional information may be a little surprising, especially that it may take more than 41 minutes of walking just to burn off the calories in one Twinkie. Have no fear, Kraft Foods has come to the rescue! Kraft is releasing a new product that my friend has said is delicious: Bagel-fuls. Similar to a Twinkie, Bagel-fuls is a “Bagel” that is a stick (similar to the shape of a Twinkie) and is stuffed with creamy cream cheese (similar to the creamy filling of a Twinkie). There are five different flavors: original, cinnamon, strawberry, chive, and whole grain. Because of my diet, I will not be able to have any, but I thought I would pass along this information, as well as the link to Kraft’s website just in case any one was interested.

Easiest Way to Save Money: Free Grocery Coupons!

With the economy in a constant free fall, as evidenced by the Dow dropping more than 200 points today, every little bit of savings helps. To that end, I came across a website that I wanted to share: www.pchcoupons.com. The website is an offshoot of Publishers Clearing House, who most people associate with the yellow prize patrol. However, here, you do not need to fill out a form and wait by your door for someone to yell surprise. Rather, you can enter your zip code and then go through the pages of free grocery coupons that are printable from your computer. The only downfall is that you have to install software onto your machine in order to print the coupons. However, if you have a decent firewall, you will know if/when any information is trying to be sent from your computer. I have installed the software and neither my virus scanner or spam detector have said that this program, which is merely an add-in for your internet browser is a bad program. The website also has free recipes, which I always enjoy reading.

Just so you know, I am not compensated for mentioning this website. I just thought I would pass along something I found while searching online. I have also found similar websites, which also require the installation of their “coupon printer.” A few of those websites are:
• coupons.smartsource.com
• coolsavings.com/printablecoupons.aspx
• boodle.com

I should mention that the advantage of these websites is that you do not need to register to print the coupons.

Favorite Quote of This Week: "If my aunt had a male appendage, she would be my uncle."

I know it is to early to say this is my favorite quote of the week, but this is too good to pass up. I promised myself, that when I was thinking about my blog, that I would not make it political. And for the most part, I think I have done that. But every so often, the political arena provides such great quotes, that I have to share them. Last night, I was flipping between NCIS, Shark, and the primary results on CNN. On CNN, when the results of Indiana were uncertain, they had a Clinton supporter arguing that the race was not over and "if" this happens and "if" that happens, then Clinton could win. In response, an Obama supporter had the line of the night, "If my aunt had a male appendage, she would be my uncle. However, she doesn't, so let's deal with reality."

Are there any other funny quotes out there this week?

Celebrate Great American Grump Out Day

In the spirit of continuing the crazy ways holidays, I wanted to make sure that every celebrated Great American Grump Out Day today. I am sure you think that I am making the Great American Grump Out Day up, but actually, this day has been officially recognized by the state of Michigan in 2006. This year is the seventh annual Great American Grump Out. On the Great American Grump Out Day, the following activities are prohibited:
• complaining
• frowning
• grousing
• grumping
• hitting
• killing
• punching
• slapping

So it is not to late. For the rest of the day, help “stamp out” grumpiness. Just a quick editorial note, killing is prohibited on every day of the year. :)

Favorite Quote of Last Week: “We're going to send Jessica Simpson to the Democrat National Convention.”

So I came across this quote from last week and I had to share it. On April 30, 2008, President George W. Bush welcomed the Super Bowl winning New York Giants to the White House for their congratulatory visit. Being a true Dallas Cowboys fan, President Bush remembers the beating that the Giants gave the Cowboys this past season and the fact that Jessica Simpson was blamed (by fans) for Tony Romo’s worst performance of his career. Considering the current struggles that John McCain is facing, President Bush joking said, “We're going to send Jessica Simpson to the Democrat National Convention.”

Sad Day in the Ice Cream Industry: Irvine Robbins, Baskin-Robbins Co-Founder, Dies

Irvine Robbins, co-founder of Baskin-Robbins, passed away on Monday, May 5, 2008. As news of his passing circulates throughout the ice cream industry, each are expressing their condolences. Robbins started Baskin-Robbins with his brother-in-law Burt Baskin in 1945 and has been labeled an "Ice Cream Pioneer."

How to Grow Grass (Seed)

Considering that we have been in our house for a little over a year, we still have a lot of landscaping projects to complete. One of such projects is growing grass in the open patches in our backyard. I was speaking with a friend the other day, who suggested that it was too late to grow grass. To that, I say Bah, Humbug! In order to grow grass, the soil needs to be anywhere between 60 to 80 degrees in order for the seed to germinate, so it is definitely not too late. However, if you wait a few more weeks, then the summer heat may just fry the grass seed and prevent anything from growing.

Because my friend asked me how I grow my grass, I figured, why not put it on here to share with the world. :) I know, you guys are just so interested in this. (I promise a better post later on today.) Growing grass is a relatively easy process. First, you need to lay a layer of soil in the area in which you want to grow grass. It has been my experience that using a seeding soil, such as Scotts® Turfbuilder® Seeding Soil, is more effective than using ordinary top soil and mixing in fertilizer. Then you need to scatter the grass seed on top of the soil you just laid. You can either utilize a seed spreader or scatter it by hand, in a similar motion as feeding a chicken. For those that have never fed a chicken, the motion is merely a flick of the wrist. You want to make sure that there is seed scattered throughout the soil, but not a bunch of seed in one place. If you over-seed, then the grass seeds would be competing with each other for the nutrients in the soil and the water, which could lead to disaster. Lastly, you need to cover the grass seed to ensure that the birds and other animals, such as chipmunks and squirrels do not eat your seed. I have found that it is effective to either use a grass growing fabric cover or another very thin layer of soil work. From there, you just need Mother Nature to take its course and you to water it twice a day for at least two weeks.

Good luck!

Another World Record: The Longest Burning Light Bulb (The Centennial Light)

After I wrote about the longest lei, I had to mention another Guinness World Record, the longest burning light bulb. This light bulb, which is referred to as “The Centennial Light” has been burning since 1901, proving once again, that they do not make things like they used to. The Centennial Light is a 5-watt bulb that is housed inside the Fire Department in Livermore, California, which is a small city in Alameda County. Many observers attribute the bulb’s longevity to the fact that it is never turned off and that it was given a perfect seal, so a vacuum is created around the carbon filament. While the website the city of Livermore setup for the Centennial Light Bulb is sometimes down, the bulb continues to burn on.

The Battle of the Brazilian Steakhouses

I am by no means a "Foodie," but I do appreciate a good meal. Recently, I have had the opportunity of visiting the two more popular Brazilian Steakhouses in our area, Fogo De Chão and Texas de Brazil. While each restaurant has certain pros over the other restaurant, it is my opinion that one restaurant is "better" than the other restaurant. For those that have not been to a Brazilian Steakhouse, it is described as an all you can eat restaurant, which usually includes a salad bar, and several side dishes that are delivered to the table, including bread and bananas. Additionally, the restaurant has Gaucho chefs which come to each table with a skewer of certain meat and offer it to the diner. While you are able to state a certain preference of meat, it is definitely a different experience from going to a traditional steakhouse and ordering a certain cut of steak cooked at a desired temperature. With that said, on with the comparison . . .


Fogo De Chão is located at 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in Washington, DC. With DC always being in a state of construction, the constant workers and barricades that are setup diminish the splendor of the exterior of the building. The décor at Fogo De Chão was not as flowing and more distracting as Texas de Brazil. It felt like my guest and I were constantly looking at the décor (not out of interest but more out of distraction), which prevented a flowing conversation. The waiters, while trying to be helpful, were always close to the table, to the point that it felt like they were hovering over our conversation. When they stepped away, I asked my friend if that meant they were bored with our conversation, which was truly minimal. The one good thing at Fogo De Chão is I found their meats to be less salty than that of Texas de Brazil. With that said, the Gauchos at Fogo De Chão did not seem able to cook a single piece of meat to medium well. One time, a Gaucho sliced off a piece of meat that was redder than a fire engine, and then asked if I wanted another piece that was medium well. Needless to say, I said no thank you.

Texas de Brazil is located in the Fair Oaks Shopping Center in Fairfax, Virginia. I found the décor at Texas de Brazil to be more elegant and not distracting. I also found the waiters at Texas de Brazil to be less intrusive, which allowed for more of a flowing conversation. Considering the fact that Gauchos are constantly coming to the table, the less intrusive the wait staff could be, the better. For example, at Fogo, the waiter stopped our conversation to ask if I wanted a new plate. At Texas de Brazil, the waiter just brought be a new plate. As described above, the food cooked by the Gauchos at Texas de Brazil tends to be a little bit saltier than that at Fogo De Chão. However, I do have to give credit to the Gauchos at Texas de Brazil, because when I ask for my meat cooked to medium well, I actually get meat that is cooked to medium well.

All in all, I think the overall atmosphere and food at Texas de Brazil is better. Just wanted to share my thoughts.

It's Time To Celebrate National Pet Month

So this may sound crazy, but May is actually National Pet Month, so let's all go out and celebrate. I have heard that several supermarkets are running sales on pet food, so we should all run out and buy some to celebrate! For those of you who may be confused, thinking it was last month, April, let me assure you it was not. Because April was National Pets are Wonderful Month. Two totally different months with two totally different names. :) Which got me to thinking, what other National Months is May known for. Upon doing some research, I was actually quite surprised to find that there were quite a few National Months in May, so to keep this posting on the shorter side, I figured I would post a few of the celebrations that is going on this month:

• Correct Posture Month
• Foot Health Month
• Mental Health Month
• National Artisan Gelato Month
• National Asparagus Month
• National Barbecue Month
• National Bike Month
• National Chocolate Custard Month
• National Egg Month
• National Good Car Keeping Month
• National Hamburger Month
• National Mine Month
• National Salad Month
• National Salsa Month
• National Share A Story month
• Older Americans Month

I also wanted to mention National Macaroon Day which is May 31st!

Just in case you were concerned, I haven't forgotten today is Cinco de Mayo. So Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! Today started with a big pain with the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. How many people were up before dawn to see it? I certainly missed it.

Humorous Weekend Stories

Every so often, I scour the Internet for stories that make me do a double take, and this weekend was no different. Now, I realize if I want to have a humorous read, I would visit The Onion, which if you haven’t visited before, I highly recommend it. They have all the best spin-off (i.e., partially-true) stories. With that said, the following four stories have been reported as true:

Lei Day – Friday was Lei Day in Hawaii and a group of individuals set out to set a Guinness World Record for the longest lei. When the group was finished worked on the lei, it totaled 5,335 feet in length.

Prison Time for Sharing – We have all been told sharing is a good thing. But for a man in Ohio, he may be sent to prison for sharing his Little Debbie snack cake with an inmate who was on restriction and therefore, not allowed access to snacks. County prosecutors are asking a judge to put the man in prison for nine months.

The Aliens Are Coming – A Denver resident has asked the city to form a commission to deal with the preparations necessary for the arrival of space aliens and there continuous presence on Earth. The proposal for a commission will be discussed at an official meeting.

The Horse Knows the Way Home – I’m sure we all remember the song “Over the River and Through the Woods.” For those who doubt that “[t]he horse know[s] the way to carry the sleigh . . .,” this story is for you. In New York City this past weekend, a Police patrol horse (“Aldo”) was spooked by traffic noise, bucked his rider off him, and took off. Aldo managed to find his way to the stable, which was about eight blocks away. If the horse could make it eight New York City blocks, why couldn’t it make it to Grandma’s House?

If you think I missed anything, please share!

The Only Question is Why?

I took the Metro into work today and because I start at the beginning of the line, it is generally easy for me to find a seat. This is helpful because of my long legs, I can only comfortably sit in certain seats. This morning, like most mornings, I found a seat that was comfortable, so I sat down and started reading the newspaper. By the time the train was at the third station on the line, the metro car that I was in was starting to fill up. It was at that point, the most perplexing thing happened. A man, who could easily be viewed as a toothpick, sat down in the middle of two seats. For those of you that are not familiar with DC's Metro system, the seats are paired in groupings of two. Rather than New York's subway style of lining the walls with seats, Washington's style is more reminiscent of train or standard bus seating. Then he took his briefcase, which again was as thick as he was fat and put that next to him. Just seeing this perplexed me, but what am I to do? There were still a few extra seats, so it was not that he was preventing anyone from sitting down. That is, until we got to the next train station and the Metro car that I was in was standing room only. Still this guy refused to move. People would just stare, and one even said "excuse me" three times, but the guy just sat there, with his legs sprawled open preventing anyone from sitting on their side of him. I am guessing that if the chairs were hard plastic and not cushioned then maybe it wouldn't be as comfortable, but nonetheless, he didn't seem to mind. When I saw an elderly lady standing next to him, I offered her my seat so she could sit down. While I would gladly make such a gesture, it would have been unneeded if the guy decided to sit in one seat. So the only thing I was left to do the rest of the way to work was wonder, "Why?" Does anybody have a similar experience or have an idea of what I should have done?

Nudity in a Movie: The Double Standard

Last night, I saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall and had a good time. However, as a guy, I thought I saw a little too much of Peter Bretter a little too often. In the movie, the only person that is ever fully naked is Peter Bretter. The only other nudity that occurs is a panning of a wall of pictures that shows girls flashing and a brief scene where the camera focuses on one particular picture that is supposed to be Mila Kunis. I hate to disappoint the guys out there, but the picture was not a real picture of Kunis, but rather a body double. Not that I know from personal experience, but she has said so in numerous interviews.

On a side note, it is interest to hear how Kunis described the process of picking out her body double.

“They sent pictures and emails to me of the women -- just boobs and no faces. I get to see their bodies and see what matched my figure the most and what kind of boobs I wanted to have. You go from, like, double D's to A's. It was every kind of boob you can imagine. I sat there with my friends and boyfriend and we looked at them like, "What kind of boobs do you think I should have. Maybe these ones or these ones..." And then I emailed back and said I like this boob and this boob and they ended up going with the boobs that I liked.”

So was this type of nudity okay? I am comfortable saying that saying a male’s full frontal nudity does not bother me, but I do think they went a little over the top with it. It went from shock factor to over the top quickly and while it was really only in the beginning and the end of the movie it never really left the back of my brain. Reading other reviews and speaking with friends, I think a consensus between both guys and girls has been that it was a little too much. But if the roles had been reversed and the movie had full frontal female nudity and only random male crotch shots, would that have been viewed in the same way? The answer is probably not. While some women may take offense to it, most guys would say it was the highlight of the movie.

This is what I call the double standard in Hollywood and this is one of the things that Judd Apatow, the movie’s producer, is trying to address with his movies. For those unfamiliar with Apatow’s name, he has recently had a string of hits including, Superbad, Knocked Up, and The 40 Year Old Virgin. I am not making this up. Apatow has admitted on numerous occasions that it is his personal mission to increase the amount of male nudity in movies, so the double standard is no longer applicable. In fact, he stated in a World Entertainment News Service story that “I’m gonna get a penis in every movie I do from now on.” If you think about it, there are not really that many movies that include full frontal male nudity. Apatow has a long way of breaking the double standard, but in doing so, he needs to ensure that he does not isolate his audience by trying too hard to break it to quickly. To that end, Russell Brand, who plays the new guy in Bretter’s character’s life, has said that if he knew how much full frontal nudity was going to be in the movie, then he would not have been in the movie. This seemed ironic to me, because his character is a musical star who is also a sex maniac. But nonetheless, Apatow has a fine line to walk to ensure that he is moving movie watchers and actors in his direction, rather than having them turn away.

Sport’s Crystal Ball: Looking Ahead to October

I am the first to admit that I am fair weather fan when it comes to hockey. Coming from Florida, where hockey is almost as popular as lacrosse, I root for the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals, but I wouldn’t say I am a die hard fan. That’s not to say that I am totally ignorant and have no clue who is on the roster for the teams. But, if they don’t win, then its not the end of the world.

I am however, a big fan of basketball. As a Chicago Bulls fan, this has been another disappointing year. It has been an exciting year as an up-and-coming fan of the Washington Wizards, but sadly, as I predicted yesterday, there playoff run has ended. So while I will continue to watch the playoffs, I have lost a team to route for. So, I must now focus my attention to October.

Is this going to be the year where one of my teams will actually make it to the World Series? As of right now, I am “sitting pretty” as a fan of both the Oakland Athletics and the Florida Marlins. As a fan of the Washington Nationals, I just need to smile and say, hey at least we have a new stadium. Regardless of how the rest of the season turns out, this season has provided me hope that if not this year, then one of my teams will be showing up in the World Series in some of the coming years. Coming into the season, no one predicted that the Oakland Athletics would have a shot at making the playoffs. Now, they are currently third in MLB with runs scored and share the top spot with the Los Angles Angels in the AL West Standings going into tonight’s game. In fact, even the front office was surprised by the team’s progress and instead of having a “rebuilding year,” they have signed Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas. And the best part, is that they only need to pay $337,000 for the year. The A’s have now moved up to the #2 spot on ESPN’s Power Rankings.

The Florida Marlins have also been a surprise thus far. While I am very satisfied with the Marlins’ World Series record, I do look forward to the day they shed the reputation of “buying” the World Series. Truthfully, with the Yankees still in the MLB, I think the phrase “buying a World Series” for any other team cannot be used. It is interesting to note that for 2008, the Yankees' payroll is over $209 million, while the A’s and Marlins' payrolls are the bottom two teams with only approximately $48 million and $22 million, respectively.

While Las Vegas still has the A’s and the Marlins as a long shot for the World Series, it will definitely be a season of surprises. Play ball!