Kevin's Crazy World

Watching TV Without Watching TV

2008-07-21T17:23:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I realize with almost every household either have a TIVO, DVR, or VCR, missing a television show is becoming a harder and harder task. However, it still happens. Or maybe, you really want to know who is kicked off of Big Brother, without fast forwarding to the last 2 minutes of the show. Regardless of the reason, you definitly do not want to be the last person to know what happened on the most popular show amongst your friends. I have stumbled upon a website that I just had to mention. Television Without Pity is a website that has television, reviews, recaps, and even forums to discuss the shows you love. I have personally used it when I wanted to catch up on what happened while I was on vacation. (Speaking of which, vacation was great and I will probably be writing about it sometime soon.) But I understand if you do not want to spoil a television show, so they also have a link to Movies Without Pity, which you guessed it, discusses movies. So check out the website, and let me know what you think. :)

Countries that Begin with K?

2008-07-06T22:28:00.001-04:00

So my wife and I were playing Scattergories this past weekend with some of our good friends and the letter for the list was K. For those of you that have not played Scattergories before, each round you have find or creatively think of words that fit within specified categories that begin with the letter that was rolled on a die. So, while we were playing, the letter was K and the category was countries. So, that got me to thinking, how many countries actually begin with K. So I just started thinking and here are the countries that I came up with:

* Kazakhstan
* Kenya
* Kiribati (I only know this because I really want to visit Australia)
* Kosovo
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan

I'm not sure if North Korea and South Korea would count. Can anyone think of any other country name?

How To Have a Pool Party Without Having a Pool

2008-07-01T05:46:00.001-04:00

So I know this is illegal, but I do have to give credit to the originators of this idea. As I am sure most of us have realized, Google will eventually take over the world. Okay, so maybe I am joking, but really they have seemed to conquer whatever area of business they have decided to enter. Well now, some teenagers in England are using Google's dominance to their advantage.

One of Google's first projects in the map navigating business was Google Earth. If you have never tried it, I highly encourage you to do so. It does require a download but the pictures that you can see are quite neat and best of all, it is free. So back to the story. So what these teenagers are doing is using Google Earth to find nearby houses that have pools at them, and they are telling all of their friends to show up at that house for a party. Because none of the invitors or the invitees live at these houses, guests are highly encouraged to come in a costume so they cannot be identified and come via bike, so they can make a quick get away. While I would not like to be one of these home owners who either finds beer cans around their pool or is awakened by a party, I do have to give these teenagers credit. Maybe if they cause such a commotion, the community would consider providing a pool for them to have their parties. I am not sure about you, but I think the pool situation in Virginia is absolutely crazy. We "signed up" for a nearby pool, but it has a 5 year wait. If that is not the craziest thing, what is?

The Benga Bus Has Ended . . .

2008-06-30T05:26:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I know that the real song by the Vengaboys is about the Venga Bus (We Like to Party), but really the lyrics apply to this too. In case you do not know the lyrics, I have typed them at the end of this post.

Christine Morteh operated a luxury black bus that cruised around South Beach, weaving between hot spots that were frequented by tourists and club-goers. If you wanted to ride on the bus, it cost $40. However, this was not the typical luxury bus. For $40, patrons were offered a ride to certain locations, as well as unlimited alcoholic drinks. Additionally, the bus provided entertainment. During the trip, several young women would string down to a G-string, that was frequently stuffed with cash, and offer to perform sexual acts with the bus' patrons.

If you were interested in taking a ride on the bus, it is a little to late. On Sunday, June 22, the police arrested Morteh and shutdown the operation. After reading about this, I was surprised to hear two things. One, that the "cover" charge was only $40 and that the cost of the sexual acts was never released. Two, that someone would actually pay to have sexual acts done to them, while riding on a bus with other patrons around. I guess that put a whole new meaning to R Kelly's hit "Bump N' Grind" ("I don't see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind.")

We Like To Party Lyrics

We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party

I've got something to tell ya
I've got news for you
Gonna put some wheels in motion
Get ready 'cause we're coming through
Hey now, hey now, here's what I say now
Happiness is just around the corner
Hey now, hey now, here's what I say now
We'll be there for you

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody's jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body

We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party

Hey now, hey now, here's what I say now
Happiness is just around the corner
Hey now, hey now, here's what I say now
We'll be there for you

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody's jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody's jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body

We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party

The Vengabus is coming, the Vengabus is coming
The Vengabus is coming, the Vengabus is..

Happy National HIV Testing Day!

2008-06-27T03:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, so last month I listed a few "interesting" national month holidays for the month of May. Well, I thought it would be fun to do that for June, until I realized today is National HIV Testing Day. National HIV Testing Day is an annual campaign by the National Association of People with Aids to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing. This is something serious that our country, let alone the world, faces and the more people know about their status the better. So help spread the word. If you are unsure of your status, go get tested.

Stay or Go: If you are handicapped you are screwed!

2008-06-26T10:50:00.001-04:00

Okay, so could you imagine being at a bar and not being able to leave? The bartender will not serve you another drink because you are clearly intoxicated, but you cannot leave, for fear of being charged with drunk driving because you are in a wheel chair?

So maybe this is a gross exaggeration of what happened to a man in Australia, but it is feasible. Last Friday, a man in a motorized wheelchair was found in a slumber an exit lane on a highway and was charged with drunk driving. While the fact he was on the highway is troubling. However, what is even more troubling is the fact that the police gave the man a breathalyzer test and stated that since he was over the legal limit, he would be charged with “operating a vehicle while drunk.” The man’s location did not matter to the police, who did mention that he placed himself in “a very dangerous situation.” I am truly wondering where the line is. If a handicapped person is at a bar, does not feel safe to get home, and calls for a taxi, technically, the police can charge them with drunk driving the minute you exit the bar. How fair is this?

Execution of Child Rapist = Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

2008-06-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

Today must be a full moon, because this is the second story today that has ruffled my feathers. The Supreme Court today, has rules that child rapists cannot be executed, because among other things, it would be cruel and unusual. Now, I would love to hear why this is cruel or unusual.

The case at hand involved a stepfather, Patrick Kennedy, who raped his 8-year-old stepdaughter. There are way too many sources to list, but I think we can all agree that the gill will never be the same. Outside of the physical of injuries could may heal, this man has essentially killed the girl's innocence, childhood, and trust. But the Court's majority has decided that killing this man would be excessive, because executions should only be limited to cases where the criminal committed intentional first-degree murder. There is no doubt that this man's actions were intentional. As an aside, if this girl is now unable to bear children, would the court find castration an acceptable punishment or is that cruel and unusual too?

The Court stated that criminal punishment is limited to only the worst of crimes, I have to wonder how much worse is murder to child rape? I am by no means arguing that capital punishment is appropriate in all rape cases (although I am against rape is all fashions). I do believe that it should be on the table for prosecutors to utilize in the cases which they feel it is necessary, such as this one. The fact that people are arguing that if the death penalty was applicable to rapists, then they would be more inclined to kill their victims is ludicrous. Studies have shown that most criminals do not limit their actions based on the repercussions, and that is especially true in the case of a violent or deviant perpetrators. And even if this was true, then is it possible that by increasing the penalty, more people would be deterred from raping a child? The argument could clearly swing both ways. Rarely am I so critical of a Supreme Court decision, but I do have say, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE THEY THINKING?

Who Really Cares If There Was A Pact?

2008-06-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so rarely do I get this riled about newspaper coverage, but I do have to say, I am getting tired of all of the coverage the girls from Gloucester High School in Massachusetts are getting. I think as a society, we are asking the wrong question. Do we really care if there was a pregnancy pact between the seventeen girls that are now pregnant. Isn't the proper question, why did they decide to get pregnant? Let's assume arguendo, that there was a pact, wouldn't the reason behind the pact be more important than the pact itself? And if there wasn't a pact, does that mean there was something in the water in Gloucester, Massachusetts? When will we forget about the stupid he said she said and get to the real question: why are high school kids getting pregnant?

Conclusion of the Car Saga

2008-06-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

So I am happy to report that the car saga has finally ended. :) After fighting, and I do mean fighting, with the insurance company, they finally agreed to pay for all of the damages. Based on this, the body shop did all of the repairs and I picked up the car. However, at that time, I still had not received a check from the insurance company. So, I contacted them, and as usual, I had to leave a message. The next day, I received the checks and called the insurance company, because the check was made payable to my last name first, which I thought was odd. The insurance company told me that was normal, so I just deposited the check. Well, three days later, my bank contacted me saying that there was a stop payment on the check. As you could imagine, I was livid. So I had to call the insurance company again, and ask them what the freak! Needless to say, she was like, you told me to cancel it, and I was like um, what? If I said that, why would have I tried to deposit it? It didn't make sense. A new check was mailed to me and the call ended with the insurance company hanging up on me. I LOVE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! I am just happy to report that my car is repaired and I finally have been paid by the insurance company (I think!).

American Express Has Been Replaced By A Sports Bra

2008-06-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up the slogan that I had always heard associated with American Express is Don't Leave Home Without It. However, for Jessica Bruinsma, the one thing that she is happy that she did not leave home without is her sports bra. Bruinsma is a 24-year-old Colorado resident, who was hiking in the Bavarian Alps. On June 16, Bruinsma was separated from her friend during a bad weather storm, near the Austrian border.

In fact, Bruinsma took a wrong step and she fell 16.4 feet, causing a bruise on her leg and dislocating her shoulder. Luckily she landed on a narrow ledge where she was about to find a supply box that contained water. During her 70 hours on the ledge, she noticed a cable that is used for timber transport nearby. So she took off her sports bra and attached it to the cable. The only reason the cable was anywhere near the ledge, is because it was out of service and was to have work done on it. Needless to say, when the serviceman appeared to work on the line and he raised the cable and saw the bra, he called the authorities. After her whole ordeal, Bruinsma has decided to change her plans of staying in Berchtesgaden and learning German to going back home to her parents.

If there was one thing you were going to bring when you go hiking, what would it be?

When Escaping From Jail . . . Watch Your Step

2008-06-24T14:00:00.000-04:00

In what seems like something out of a cartoon, authorities in Alton, Texas are reporting that a pair of inmates, Jesus Albert Suarez Chavez, 17, and Roman Orozco Martinez, 22, were caught attempting to escape from the jail. While capturing a prisoner is not very note worthy, how they captured one of them is. During their escape attempt through the air conditioner vents, one of the inmates fell through the ceiling into the office of Police Chief Baldemar Flores. The other inmate was captured attempting to get into the air vent. Needless to say, the walking on ceiling tiles was probably not the best way to escape.

When I heard about this I had two totally different feelings. First, I was reminded of all of the stupid criminal acts, such as robbing a police officer or asking an officer for dope. But then, the cynical side of me perked up and started to wonder if the inmates were then going to sue for possible injuries. In a world where McDonalds can be sued for hot coffee why couldn't the city or the ceiling manufacturer or installer be sued. Was there a warning in the air vent that it could not handle the weight of the person? Maybe it is me, but if we have so many stupid labels on things, maybe the air vents should have them too?

Breastfeeding = Promotion??

2008-06-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

You may think this is a joke, but Jiang Xiaojuan, a 30 woman in China, actually received a promotion for breastfeeding. Sure, there is a story behind the headline, but could you even imagine it?

Jiang is a police officer, who is also a mother, who sprung into action after last month's earthquake. To help with the disaster relief work, Jiang breastfed nine babies, earning her the nickname of "the police mum." Due to her "work," Jiang has been awarded numerous titles, including "hero and model police officer" and "excellent member of the Communist Party." Jiang was also appointed to the Communist Party of China Committee of the Jiangyou Public Security Bureau.

Did you ever imagine that breastfeeding would even land a promotion, let alone in China?

Just What Is Your Life Worth?

2008-06-24T06:23:00.000-04:00

That is exactly the question that Australian Ian Usher, 44, is asking the world about his life. After his twelve-year relationship (five of which he was married) broke up, Usher decided to put his life up for sale. Usher has listed his life on eBay with a starting bid of 155,000 Australian dollars, which is equivalent to almost 147,500 US dollars. Before you place a bid, though, I think I should let you know what this offer include. If you win the auction, which ends on June 29th, then you are the owner of:
* three bedroom house in Perth, Western Australia,
* a car,
* a motorbike,
* Usher's clothes, and
* Usher's friends (I wonder what they think they are worth).

Additionally, you are entitled to a trial for Usher's job at a local rug store in Australia. If you had to list your life for sale on eBay, what would you list it for? What do you think your spouse would be willing to pay? Do you think they would be able to pay?

23 Pounds Worth of Baby: A Diet In the Making?

2008-06-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I say this in complete jest, but could you imagine shedding over 23 pounds in a single day? That is exactly what one woman did in Winston-Salem, North Carolina last week, when she gave birth. The Maynards gave birth to Sean William Maynard and Abigail Rose Maynard, who weighed in at 10 pounds 14 ounces and 12 pounds 3 ounces, respectively, for a combined weight of 23 pounds and 1 ounce. I had heard of some women experiencing back problems while coming to term, but could you imagine. The only thing scarier is that the combined weight of the Maynards fall about four pounds shy of the world record established in 1927 for the heaviest set of twins, which weighed in at a total combined weight of 27 pounds 12 ounces.

The Gates of Hell Are Being Shut Down?

2008-06-23T13:00:00.001-04:00

It what seems like a fittingly appropriate post on today, the day I posted about George Carlin's death, I had to share this funny tidbit. In Yonkers, New York, a defunct power plant has acquired a nickname that may nearby residents find unflattering: the Gates of Hell. The Yonkers City Council is now trying to squash the nickname and have the power plant referred to as either the Glenwood Power Station or by its address. It probably does not help that a councilwoman had actually used the nickname, the Gates of Hell, in a flier about a community meeting. Leave it to New York to try to squash the Gates of Hell.

However, when you think about it, is the Gates of Hell, really that bad? Most art aficionados, would think of the sculpture that French artist Auguste Rodin created. The sculpture is over 19 feet high and 13 feet wide and contains 180 figures.

If New York has a Little Italy, why not a Little Gates of Hell? Just a thought! Maybe if Yonkers markets it right, it could turn into a tourist attraction? After all, John McCain said he wants to go to the Gates of Hell.

One of the Greatest Comedians Has Passed On

2008-06-23T10:02:00.007-04:00

So I enjoyed my break from blogging and was waiting for the right moment to come back and sadly it has come. For those that have not heard, George Carlin has passed away yesterday in Santa Monica, California. For those of you that do not know who George Carlin is, I am not sure where to begin. (Click here to see all YouTube videos that involve George Carlin.) Carlin is most famous for his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine that he released in 1972, and subsequently released a similar version called "Filthy Word" in 1973. For education purposes only, I will list them below. This routine was aired publicly without censorship and ultimately led to a Supreme Court case, which ruled that the FCC could establish indecency regulations in American broadcasting.

Carlin had been viewed as one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, as he constantly changed his routine and usually focused on the flaws in modern-day America. Like all major celebrities, Carlin did have an arrest record. He was arrested for performing his Seven Words routine in Milwaukee. In addition to being a stand-up comedian, Carlin had written a popular book, Brain Droppings, and appeared on numerous television shows and talk shows.

Mere words cannot express how big of a loss this is to a society how needs to learn how to laugh more. Carlin was a mastermind at finding humor in even the most serious situations. George, you will be missed!

Below are a few quotes from Carlin:

When cheese gets it's picture taken, what does it say?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted?

Is a vegetarian permitted to eat animal crackers?

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.

I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

As promised, here are the seven words. If you do not want to see them, STOP reading.

1. Shit
2. Piss
3. Fuck
4. Cunt
5. Cocksucker
6. Motherfucker
7. Tits

Just for completeness, I should note that Carlin later added three more:
8. Fart
9. Turd
10. Twat

"Top Mom" Gets Reality Show

2008-05-27T10:47:00.009-04:00

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

2008-05-23T08:00:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-22T23:30:00.005-04:00

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?

2008-05-22T22:18:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-05-21T19:20:00.000-04:00

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!)

2008-05-21T18:20:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-05-21T16:40:00.007-04:00

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

2008-05-21T16:33:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-21T04:30:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-20T19:27:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-05-20T13:12:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-20T10:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-20T08:54:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-19T21:15:00.000-04:00

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?

2008-05-19T20:42:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-05-19T16:10:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-19T07:28:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-18T19:35:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-16T17:50:00.004-04:00

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?

2008-05-16T13:15:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-16T09:51:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-15T12:49:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-15T12:35:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-15T08:17:00.000-04:00

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?!?!?

2008-05-15T05:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-14T19:00:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

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?

2008-05-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

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, . . .

2008-05-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-14T10:22:00.011-04:00

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!

2008-05-14T10:00:00.002-04:00

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?

2008-05-14T07:14:00.005-04:00

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?

2008-05-14T06:00:00.002-04:00

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?

2008-05-13T21:34:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-05-13T20:29:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-12T17:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-12T11:00:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

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??

2008-05-11T20:00:00.000-04:00

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?"

2008-05-11T12:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-08T11:55:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

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!

2008-05-07T17:34:00.000-04:00

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."

2008-05-07T15:30:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-07T14:11:00.004-04:00

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.”

2008-05-07T12:00:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-07T07:45:00.001-04:00

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)

2008-05-07T06:36:00.000-04:00

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)

2008-05-06T17:01:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-06T09:15:00.001-04:00

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

2008-05-05T18:30:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

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?

2008-05-05T09:47:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-04T07:40:00.000-04:00

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

2008-05-03T22:00:00.000-04:00

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!

Does the NBA MVP go to the Best Player?

2008-05-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

So the reports are now circulating that Kobe Bryant will win the MVP for this year’s season. But does he deserve it or is it more of a pity vote? It is clear that his statistics, while impressive, are dwarfed by LeBron James’ statistics. I understand that this award is not BP or Best Player, but rather Most Valuable Player. I also understand the argument that have been made for Kobe. However, was this year’s award more a matter of giving Kobe his due. I recognize that part of my disdain for Kobe is the fact, as an avid Bulls fan, that he was not traded to the Bulls. However, it would be interesting to see what fact a true Kobe supporter can hang their hat on. It certainly is not his statistics. While Kobe’s 3-point shot was quite accurate, 36.1%, he only averaged 28.3 points per game, compared to LeBron’s 30. He also only averaged 5.4 assists per game, while LeBron averaged 7.2 per game. Lastly, he averaged 6.3 rebounds per game, compared to LeBron’s average of 7.9 per game. While Kobe’s statistics are quite impressive, I refer to his statistics as “only” because I believe that LeBron’s statistics are just that much more impressive.

If you look at the recent playoff series between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers, which I believe will sadly end tonight, LeBron has been and will probably be the difference. If you compare the supporting cases that LeBron and Kobe have, it seems to me, that the Lakers would have had a better chance of making the playoffs without Kobe than the Cavaliers would have had without LeBron. But if that is the case, doesn’t that mean that LeBron should be the MVP? If it is the best player that led their team to the best record, then why is it that they are predicting Kevin Garnett to be third in voting? Through Garnett’s solid play, the Celtics were a force to be reckoned with during the regular season, amassing a 64-16 record. Who in the world ever expected this from the Celtics this year?

I am by no means suggesting that Kobe is not a great player. I think he is amazing. I just do not think he is the most valuable player. It is a sad day when a player is not given his due because his team or supporting cast is not the greatest. And then the fans wonder why a player wants to get traded to a team that has a supporting cast, rather than developing a cast. Is it a matter of saying if Kobe and LeBron switched teams for the year and the statistics were the same, then LeBron would have won or at the very least Kobe wouldn’t have? Or is it really a matter of saying Kobe is 29 years old and if he does not win it this year, then he may be the greatest player to never win the MVP? If that is the case, then we should all realize that this year’s MVP is more of a sympathy vote. As I said before, I think Kobe is a great player. Now whether he was this year’s MVP is a different story.

The Desire or Lack Thereof of Being Innocent

2008-05-02T11:47:00.001-04:00

What does it mean to be "innocent?" I could be literal and say that Merriam Webster defines "innocent" as being "free from guilt or sin especially through lack of knowledge of evil." But that not what I mean. I guess the proper question is whether innocence a desired trait and at what cost would people pay to remain "innocent." There are two stories that are consistently being discussed that are discussing innocence and they are coming from two very different angles.

The first is the famed Miley Cyrus pictures that were taken by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair. Without going into to much detail, because I am sure everyone know what I am talking about, the issue was whether those pictures should have been taken of Miley Cyrus in the first place. I understand that she is only 15 and they were being published for the whole world to see. I also understand there is an ongoing debate between whether the pictures were "tasteful" or "artistic." But that is not what caught my attention. I was reading a few articles online and some of the commentators on the articles pointed out, why would Miley Cyrus take these pictures. I think that should be a key question that very few people are addressing. I think it goes without saying, that a year ago, everyone would agree that Miley Cyrus was "sweet and innocent." Now there are pictures that are turning up (both amateur and professional) and instead of asking why, they are scrutinizing the pictures and the photographer. One of the current comments pointed out that this could be a public relations ploy for Miley to lose her "innocent" title. The truth is, Miley Cyrus will not be able to play Hannah Montana forever. There has to be a point in her life where either she or Disney says that enough is enough. However, what happens then? I know I am going really far back, but look at Shirley Temple. Shirley Temple was a huge childhood star that never really lost her "innocent" title, so as she grew up, there were not any roles for her. These pictures could be the start of a turning point in Miley's career where she is trying to add a little bit of an edge to her career. I do realize that Miley issued a statement saying that she is embarrassed, but that was at the behest of Disney, her current main sponsor. This could be reading too much into it, but her most recent concert tour was titled the "Best of Both Worlds." Miley is starting to break out and so these pictures could just be another way of her trying to transition from a sweet and innocent child into a teenager. This could mean that her past affiliations and sponsorships might end, but then a completely new set of affiliations and sponsorships may be waiting for her. The question is, if this is true, just how far would Miley go to lose that "innocent" label?

On the other side of Miley is Roger Clemens. Assume for the brief moment that as you read this post, that you believe that Roger Clemens is indeed innocent of taking performance enhancing drugs or steroids. (I realize this is a stretch because most people that I have spoken with think that he is indeed guilty.) So let's see what this "innocent" man has endured, so far. He testified before Congress saying that he did not take performance-enhancing drugs and he was heavily doubted. So much so, that skeptics said that if you are so innocent, what are you going to do about your accuser. Clemens was forced into a corner where for public perception reasons, he had to sue his accuser Brian McNamee for defamation. Regardless of the outcome of the defamation suit, a new issue has arisen due to the suit: namely the "relationship" of Roger Clemens and Mindy McCready. While it is unclear what their relationship actually consisted of, it is clear that the then 28-year-old Clemens befriended the then 15-year-old Mindy McCready and a friendship had developed. The report of this relationship has now further tarnished the public's perception of Clemens. In fact, many newspapers are reporting that this "relationship" is more damaging to his reputation then any possibility that he did use performance-enhancing drugs. So in the end, the question that some people, at the very least Clemens, has to ask, is was it worth it? Even if the defamation suit is successful and a court finds that McNamee defamed Clemens' reputation, who would really be a winner? This is looking like a lose-lose situation all the way around. The only question is, how much more can Clemens lose?

I wanted to share my thoughts on this, because I find it so interesting to see two totally different people trying to get to the other side of the "innocence" line.

A New Song "In My Head"

2008-05-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

So last night, in the middle of the night, I woke up and had another song in my head. I really do not know where they come from, but this one is really fitting for the topic. It was the The Cranberry's Zombie. I just kept hearing "In Your Head" all over again.

My Car May Be a Total Loss???

2008-05-01T13:35:00.001-04:00

So the estimator came to my house last night and said that he agreed with the repairs that the body shop said need to be done. However, he also said considering my car's age (8 years) and total mileage (~55,000), the insurance company may consider the car a total loss! The total estimated cost of the repairs was only $1,800. When I went onto Kelley Blue Book today, the value of my car is at least $5,600 for a private party sale. I am not sure how this would qualify as a total loss, but I am awaiting to hear back from the insurance company.

Crazy Songs that Get Stuck in My Head

2008-05-01T12:50:00.000-04:00

I am sure that I am not the only one that gets a song stuck in my head and can't get it out. I am not sure why, but all I know is that I have had Monty Python's I'm a Lumberjack song in my head since Saturday and I still can't get rid of it.

Car Update

2008-04-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, I admit that my car was not damaged as much as this jeep, but because of how this process has evolved, you would think that we are talking about a lot of damage. I received a phone call today from the appraiser who wanted to drive by and look at my car sometime during the day. I explained that I am at work during the day and that I park at the Metro so getting to my car is quite difficult. So we arranged to meet sometime between 5 - 7 PM, which means I need to leave work early, but hopefully this will get the ball rolling. I mentioned to him that I have the written estimate from the body shop where the work would be done and he did not seem pleased to hear that. The only reason I mentioned it is because the insurance company told me to do so. Ugh the frustration! To my understanding, which may not be correct because the rules seem to be constantly changing, after receiving the estimate, I am supposed to then go to the body shop and have them look at the estimate. If they disagree with the estimate, then the body shop and the appraiser need to come to some form of an agreement. Now why this would occur if I already have the written estimate from the body shop, I do not know and I hope it does not happen, but if it does, you will be the first to know about it.

Searching for Women to Eat Chocolate Every Day!

2008-04-30T13:10:00.000-04:00

So, as one of my New Year's resolutions I decided to lose weight. With that in mind, I usually read all these "interesting" health articles and came accross one that I wanted to share. On Monday, CNN reported that for medical research purposes, United Kingdom scientists are trying to find 150 women to eat chocolate every day. I found this statemetnt very troubling. Are scientists in the UK having difficulty in finding women that want to eat chocolate? I understand that the study puts limitations on the participants, namely that they "must be postmenopausal women under the age of 70," but is it really that difficult? The purpose of the study is to determine the impact, if any, that cocoa could have in cutting the risk of heart disease. After thinkning about this, my only question is why are they limiting it to women? I'm sure that men also suffer from type 2 diabetes, and I am also sure that some men would me more than willing to eat chocolate every day.

With chocolate and ice cream being today's posts, I have a feeling that this diet thing is really going to work out.

Ice Cream Week?

2008-04-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

So I am not sure what is so special about ice cream this week, but yesterday Ben and Jerry's had their free cone day and today, Baskin and Robbins is having their 31 cent night. It is tonight only from 5 - 10 PM. The interesting thing is, according to their website, they actually allow up to 10 scoops (which are 2.5 oz scoops) per person. That is generous, because normally I feel like they only allow one per person. If you do plan on getting more than one scoop per person, I would encourage you to print out the website. Then, why stop there? Tomorrow, you could head to Carvel (although I truly feel that it is so much better down south then it is up in Virginia), where they are having an ice cream happy hour. From 4 - 6 PM, Carvel is offering a free Arctic Blender or a free Blended Coffee.

Also, you may want to mark your calendars for May 13, which is Haagen-Dazs' New Flavor Day, where they will be providing a free scoop of their new ice cream, Vanilla Honey Bee, from 4 - 8 PM.

The reason why this is so interesting is because National Ice Cream Month is every July and National Ice Cream Day is the third Sunday in July. But the way I see it, you can't complain about free or cheap ice cream.

I Have Heard of Downsizing, But Even Matzah?

2008-04-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

Even though my car was hit over the weekend, this past Sunday was a very happy day, for it marked the end of Passover. I truly enjoy some elements of Passover, namely the Seder and hanging out with friends, but this year, I noticed something was different with the matzah. No, they haven’t found a way of making matzah taste good, which if anyone wants to make a bazillion dollars, they should find a way of doing that. Rather, the size of the matzah that is being sold has gotten smaller, and the price has continued to get higher. Because we purchased so many boxes of matzah (from regular to egg to grape), I noticed this trend from two of the major matzah manufacturers: Streit’s and Manishevitz. I realize that the economy is tight, but did they really need to shrink the size of the matzah. I highly doubt that changing the size of the matzah is encouraging us, the “afflicted people,” to buy more matzah. So maybe they figure they have less cost and could make more of a profit. The more I think about this, the more I wonder whether my friend’s five-package of matzah, which in fact only contained four full boxes of matzah, was an accident or maybe intentional. As he points out, what are the ramifications of such an action? Are customers really going to call up and demand a new box of matzah, especially after Passover?

The good-natured person in me, which contrary to some people’s opinion does exist, says that this has to be an honest mistake. But then I think about Coca-Cola. Every year Coca-Cola comes out with yellow caps that designate certain bottles of their Coke and Diet Coke as being Kosher for Passover. While I understand the need for Kosher for Passover Coke, because it usually contains corn syrup (which some Jews cannot consumer during Passover), I am unsure of why there has to be a Kosher for Passover Diet Coke. When I was discussing this a few years ago with one of my friends whose relatives once worked at a Coca-Cola factory, they said that Coca-Cola brings someone into the factories where they re-kosher all of the equipment and ban all employees from eating leaven products in the production site. However, this raises a completely new series of questions. Does this mean that employees could generally eat leaven products, or anything for that matter, in the production site any other time during the year? What if they wanted to eat a ham and cheese casserole, is that okay? The older I get and the more I think about it, the more dumbfounded on the explanation. I do understand that there is a need for some that certain products must be certified as Kosher for Passover, and maybe there is an extra piece of mind for products like Diet Coke, which do not normally contain any banned Passover substance. (I admit that I did run out and will in the future run out to purchase Diet Coke with yellow caps.) However, then I wonder why there are products like Kosher for Passover soap? It has been many years since I have been told that my mouth would be washed out with soap, but I guess maybe some adults like the taste? While I say this is in all sincerity, I do realize that there is religious support, namely the statements of Biur Halacha, which provide that chometz items should not be used during Passover, even if they are not consumed. But then, if the economy continues as it is, and people convert their cars to using corn products as gas, does that mean that people should not drive during Passover?

I realize I have digressed from my original point, and I apologize, but you I think these products are examples of a tight economy where people will do anything for a quick buck. As it is, the economy is shrinking. How and when it will turn around is unknown, but I hope that my smaller matzahs have helped. Because while I definitely had my fair share of matzah, and no I do not need any more, I definitely noticed that the portions have gotten smaller.

Day One

2008-04-29T11:40:00.000-04:00

What better title than "Day One" to describe my first blog post. Who knows how long this will last or how often I will actually blog, but I figure, why not give this a shot. I was excited to start the blog, because quite a few friends of mine have a blog, but was shocked to see the limited selection that Google has for blog templates. Personally, I am not a fan of the template that I selected, but I think it is a matter of choosing the lesser evils.

Speaking of lesser evils, I am pondering the recent car accident that my car was involved in. I have owned my car since I graduated from college (back in 2000). My car has been with me through a lot and I try to take the best care of it, so whenever something happens to it, it is difficult for me to deal with. Well, with that said, let me describe what happened this past weekend. I parked on the street in front of my house and sometime on Saturday morning, my next door neighbor's brother, who apparently is now staying with my neighbor while he and his wife go house hunting (yeah, good luck with that), backed out of the drive way and hit the front corner of the my car. Upon hitting my car, to my understanding, he told his wife to go to our house and tell us that he hit me, but he had to run to work. His wife said that it was too early to knock on my door and that they would tell me later. It is still unclear why they didn't leave a note on my car to tell me, but such as life. Needless to say, when I went outside on Saturday, I saw what appeared to be a red taillight that was cracked by the front of my car. Therefore, I became suspicious and checked the corner and then I saw the damage: my front bumper and side fender was scraped, and the headlight was cracked. After about 10 minutes of Kara and I looking around to see what had happened, the neighbor's brother's wife ran outside in her pajamas to let us know that her husband hit my car. After talking to her, she called her husband who then spoke to me via cell phone and apologized for hitting my car. (I do have to admit, if there ever were a person that I would want to hit my car, it would be him, because he has been so nice and friendly about the matter. With that said, I NEVER want anyone to hit my car, so that is not an invite.) He wanted to settle this without going through insurance, so I said on Monday, I would go to the body shop and get an estimate and we could settle it then. So on Monday, I went to two different body shops and the result was the same. In addition to the damage I listed above, the insight radiator support was cracked, so the estimated damage was approximately $1,800. When I communicated that to the neighbor's brother, he informed me that he was only willing and able to pay $1,500 to repair my car, without going through insurance, so he said that he would file a claim with his insurance. This is the where the lesser of the two evils comes in. I am truly wondering, would I have been better off just accepting the $1,500 from him in cash and paying the difference out of pocket or am I better off going through his insurance. At this point, it is too late, and we are going through his insurance. However, as this situation continues to unfold, I truly question whether I made the right decision. The insurance company is disregarding the estimates I received and assigned my case to a body shop in Lorton! That is only a 30+ minute drive away, without traffic! So I called the insurance company, who apologized and said they would try to find someone closer. Oh the joys!