Saturday, April 30, 2005

It's a gray, damp, and chilly Saturday. I was really hoping I'd be able to get a start on the lawn (the grass is really starting to get away from me) but it doesn't look like that's going to happen today.

Well the story of the two New England roofers who found a stash of money while digging in a backyard of a home has really gotten away from them. Apparently their story changed with each new appearance on national tv. Then an anonymous call from a woman who told police they were lying started the investigation. Now they've been arrested; too bad they didn't just keep quiet and sell the money.

Another twisty story: The woman in Georgia who was found on Friday and told police and her fiancee that she was kidnapped, had her hair cut, and then was let go was not abducted. She finally confessed that she was nervous about her upcoming nuptials and needed some time away. She was found in New Mexico. I guess it was easier to lie about being kidnapped than just saying to the fiancee, 'I need some time to think.'

Jaw-dropper of the day: Andrea Yates redux? On Wednesday night in Illinois when Tonya Vasilev's husband and a friend found her at home, they also discovered the Vasilev's 9year old son and 3 year old daughter dead. Vasilev had some minor cuts on her hand and the two children had been stabbed more than 200 times. Five years ago the couple's 3 month old daughter died in a fire in the town house where they used to live. Vasilev has been charged with two counts of first degree murder. And a family must pick up the shattered pieces of their lives.

Wherever you are today pray for each other,

paul

Thursday, April 28, 2005


Yikes!!! Posted by Hello

Here are a couple of pics of Charlie the chimp, the primate in the China zoo who has taken up a very bad habit. Posted by Hello
It's a windy spring day, the rain is gone and the sun is out. These are the kind of days that should make one thankful to be alive.

Regardless of whether you've been following the Michael Jackson trial or not, Debbie Rowe's testimony is certainly intriguing. Convinced that she would testify that she was forced to read from a script and praise Jackson during a tv special, the prosecutors got a surprise when she did a 180 and said she wasn't coached and did not look at the script. There's got to be more to this than meets the eye. She's currently trying to get more visitation for her children and I'm wondering if there wasn't some sort of deal brokered between her and Jackson. However one looks at it, Jackson's life is a mess.

Jaw dropper of the day: Fahrenheit 451 comes to......Alabama. Gerald Allen, a Republican lawmaker in Alabama is trying to get a bill passed that would ban certain books in public school libraries. No new books or plays that feature gay characters or are written by gay authors can be bought and current books would have to go. Some such books include The Color Purple, anything by Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote. Shakespeare can stay but just barely.

Public and college libraries will be able to keep these books that would just prove to be so detrimental to our children. Their young, innocent eyes should never have to read such stuff. I think Allen should just get a group together, go out into the middle of the street with the above books (and others) and just start a huge bonfire.

That's all for now.

paul

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Hello from Western, NY, and another gray and gloomy day. Still damp and still cold and the largest airliner in the world has just landed in Toulouse, France.

Jaw dropper item of the day: Formerly known as the ridiculous item of the day, I've decided to go with the more true to form title as my jaw inevitably drops when I read these stories.

Talk about having mush for brains. Don't read this if you get squeamish easily. An unsuspecting man in Bangkok went to the doctor due to itching in his ears. He had scratched so vigorously that his eardrums ruptured and he had to put cotton balls in his ears. The doctors found maggots, 50 of them, in his ears. They believe flies got into his ears to lay eggs and they hatched into larvae. The doctors removed the maggots using a suction device and tweezers. Now that's enough to give anyone the heebie jeebies. Now go scratch your ears.

That's all for now. Enjoy YOUR day

paul

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Why do we spend so much time and energy focusing on negative things? Why do we constantly look to be offended? Why do we let fear run our lives? Do any of us know for certain that we'll come back reincarnated? If anyone knows for a fact please let me know, otherwise let's live life to the fullest because wouldn't it be awful to be on our deathbed thinking: What if/I should have/if only........

Ridiculous item of the day: My thanks to my friend Mike for bringing this to my attention. A 20 yr old Lyons, NY, man was caught in the act. The residents of the home that the young man was staying at got an eyeful when they caught James R.J. Abbott bent over being "made love to." That wasn't the shocking part; he had the family's Rotweiller on top of him. He confessed and was charged with sexual misconduct and is scheduled to return to court. If found guilty, Abbott will have to register as a sex offender. He said he wanted to see what being made love to by a dog was like. No word on whether the dog, Keystone, will have to register as well BUTT he may not go back to being with other dogs, instead preferring humans. I can almost hear the wedding bells.

That's all for now.

paul

Monday, April 25, 2005

It's the start of a new week and the last week of April. The leaves on the trees have really started coming back this past week and will no doubt continue to do so as May quickly approaches. The grass has already started growing with a vengeance.

Ridiculous item of the day: It's not enough that we humans have to litter but now we are sharing our litter, along with nasty habits, with our furry friends. A male chimpanzee at the Bloemfontein zoo in South Africa has taken up smoking. Baby chimps are able to mimic adults and this chimp, Charlie, has learned to bum cigarettes off of visitors. He has also taken up drinking soda thanks to visitors tossing soda cans into his cage. As a result three of his teeth have gone bad and not only that but he's learned to hide the cigarettes when staff come around. Talk about juvenile behavior. Pretty soon he'll figure a way out of his cage and inevitably miss his curfew. And just wait until he learns to talk.

That's all for now,

paul

Sunday, April 24, 2005

It's been a gloomy and quite chilly day today. Pope Benedict has officially been installed as the pope and the Virgin Mary lives: in Chicago.

What is proving to be an all too familiar trend in today's society, seeing holy images in everyday items and places, many people have flocked to the underpass at Fullerton Avenue on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago. It has become a shrine to the mother of Jesus and a new holy mecca. A spiritual sign or just a stain from water and road salt? You decide; just check out the picture.

That's all for now,

paul

freaky resemblance or sent from above? Posted by Hello

Saturday, April 23, 2005

We're enjoying a lazy Saturday; nothing to do, nowhere to go, except dinner later this evening, and no plans. It's too bad that it's raining outside otherwise we could go out and do some yardwork. The grass seems to have grown 2inches overnight. I'll be whipping that lawn mower out very very soon.

We just finished watching Meet The Fockers, my video pick of the week, an entertaining movie with several laugh out loud funny moments. I actually enjoyed seeing Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand in this movie and DeNiro, of course, is playing the same role as in the first film. In fact he's played the same kind of role in several films over the past few years. Soon I'll be listing the summer movies I'm looking forward to seeing and there are several that look very promising. Looks can be deceiving though.

Thought of the day: If you are feeling disconnected from something or someone, do something about it. Connect!!!!!

Ridiculous item of the day: Those things aren't just for sex anymore.......In New Delhi, India, many of the condoms are used to make toys, saris, and bathroom slippers. The weavers use the condoms on their thread spools and the lubricant rubs off on the thread so that it goes through the machine faster. The condoms are also used by sari makers to polish gold and silver threads on women's garments. They put them on their fingers turned inside out. Only a quarter of the 1 billion annually produced condoms are actually used for sex. Considering the spread of AIDS and population maybe a few more should be used for those afternoon delights.

That's all for today.

paul

Friday, April 22, 2005

It's been an absolutely wonderful week here in Western, NY, and today was nice up until about an hour ago when it got gloomy and rainy. Pretty soon (sooner than I want to admit) it will be time to start mowing again. Oh who am I kidding, I enjoy mowing. For some reason I find it relaxing. I'm sick, sick, sick.

Went to see the new Sydney Pollack film, The Interpreter. I've always enjoyed Pollack as a director whether it was Tootsie, Out Of Africa, The Firm, Three Days Of The Condor, Absence Of Malice and even a semi-dud film like Random Hearts. Sean Penn is really a fine actor and Kidman, of course, is a fine actress. I've only disliked Kidman in one film I've seen her in and that was Cold Mountain (but only because she was terribly miscast). The writing is smart and the plot is very timely (genocide in Africa, terrorist plotting in the US). The ending is clever even if it is a bit convoluted. It's, for me, the first popcorn film of the season. And many more to come I'm sure.

Speaking of Kidman, I also saw the movie Birth (now on video) which stars Kidman as a woman who loses her husband only to encounter, 10 years later, a child who claims he is her dead husband reincarnated. Everyone is disbelieving, even Kidman at first, and are sure it's not her dead husband. There's a twist near the end with one of the characters that explains some of what has been going on but Kidman's character becomes so certain that the boy is her dead husband she even takes a bath with him and considers sleeping with him. The best scene in the movie is when Kidman's fiancee grabs the kid in the middle of a wedding rehearsal dinner and proceeds to whip his bottom. I only wish he had whipped some sense into Kidman's character. The ending is disappointing and will not satisfy but the kid was well cast......CREEPY!!!!!!!

That's all for now.

Enjoy your evening.

paul

Thursday, April 21, 2005

It's a beautiful and chilly morning today. My spouse and I went for a 2 mile walk this morning and one of the priceless sights of being married is seeing him stop on the track to "save" the earthworms creeping along the track lest they be stepped on. "They have to mate," he said.

On a day like today how can anyone spend such wasteful time and energy looking to find offense? Our culture is rife with people just looking to be offended. Life's too short and precious for that crap. Enjoy life and instead of looking for offense, look for peace.

Ridiculous item of the day: It could have been a scene right out of an action movie. A man in Miami, fed up with his troublesome car, took matters into his own hands and put it out of its misery. The man "killed" his 1994 Chrysler LeBaron by firing five rounds of his semi-automatic pistol into the Chrysler's hood. He was arrested on a weapons charge but released the next day. He reportedly said, "I think every guy in the universe has wanted to do it. It was worth every damn minute in that jail." No word on how he'll get around now that his wheels are in the ground.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

I was honestly surprised when I found out yesterday that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected the new pope. I asked my spouse, a pastor of an open and affirming church, what that would mean for the Catholic church. "More people for us," he answered. Anyone thinking that Ratzinger will bring the Catholic church into the 20th century is mistaken. I have to say that I'm glad I'm not Catholic and I feel sorry for the people longing for reform.

paul

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Hello,

It's a bit chilly this morning, 42 degrees, but it promises to be another gloriously sunny day. Why am I writing like that? That's not how I usually talk. Oh well! Still no pope, big surprise, so the cardinals will be meeting again today. There's already been one vote (oooh more black smoke) and will be one more this morning and two more in the afternoon if they don't have one picked in the morning. And to prove that they won't be outdone by the U.S.'s presidential election, the nominees for the papacy are experiencing some mudslinging of their own. Rumors, gossip and past "sins" are being dredged up.

Ridiculous item of the day: Never put your pet's name down when entering a cash drawing. One man in British Columbia found that out the hard way. He entered a cash drawing at a gas station and the winner turned out to be Mr. Jengles. That is the name of the man's dog, also the name he put down on the entry card. The gas station attendant said that a dog couldn't cash a check (duh!) and would not give the $410 to the dog's owner (HIS name wasn't on the entry form). The attendant plans on donating the money to the local SPCA. The dog, a miniature dachsund-pinscher cross, has been eerily silent.

That's all for now. Enjoy your day

Monday, April 18, 2005

It's an absolute perfect day here in Western, NY; a gentle breeze, nice bright sun, temps just right in the low 70's. It's the kind of day we expect to have in Florida whenever we go down. The kind of day we revel in with shorts and t-shirt and sandals while natives wear sweaters and pants and we laugh because they are cold.

Ridiculous item of the day: You may have seen this story on the Today show last week. Many of us are familiar with the travelling garden gnome in the Travelocity commercials but one woman in Washington state had one of her own. Marianne Severson of Redmond, WA, awoke one morning in early April to find a binder with pics of her garden gnome at several different locations. The binder had pics of her gnome with an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas, walking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a waitress at a Hooters restaurant and of course the big pic was a picture in People magazine with Paris Hilton holding her dog in one hand and the gnome in the other; turns out the pic was real. Apparently in Europe kidnapping gnomes to take on trips is a common prank. In France in the 90's there was a group that called themselves the "Garden Gnome Liberation Front" that aimed at taking garden gnomes back to "where they came from." I guess that must be Gnomeland or the United States of Gnomes. Severson eventually found out who had taken the gnome; a student on spring break with his friends. She supposedly had one request for the man: "Next time take my husband and I instead of our gnome." No word on what land they come from.

That's all for now. Enjoy the rest of your spring day.

paul

Sunday, April 17, 2005

It's another beautiful day in Western, NY. Went to see a film called Dear Frankie yesterday. It's about a mother whose son writes to his sailor father and she writes the replies (as his father). The trouble is when the ship that his father supposedly sails on comes into port she has to find a sailor to be the boy's father. It's a sweet movie and raises the questions how far do you go to keep the truth from your child about your real father? I must be getting soft in my "old" age.

Ridiculous item of the day: After 5 years and 272 tries, a 70 year old man in Seoul finally passed the oral part of the driver's test. Illiterate, he used the test to teach himself the rules of the road as he could not read a manual. Now he prepares to take the driving part of the test. LOOK OUT!!!!!

Enjoy your day

paul

Saturday, April 16, 2005

sunny Saturday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Friday and you plan on enjoying the sunshine today. It looks to be another gorgeous day.

My video pick of the week (I don't think I had one last week, I must have seen all crappy movies last week) is The Woodsman. I didn't get a chance to see this last year before the Academy Awards and if I had I would have said then that Kevin Bacon should have been nominated for his role as a convicted pedophile trying to start over after being released from prison. This film proves that Bacon is very much underrated as an actor. FYI: He was also robbed of a nom for Murder In The First. The film is a bit too pedantic at times, especially one scene in which Bacon's character befriends a young girl and he sees the kind of abuse he has caused through her eyes and he realizes just how close to home the abuse hits. The film also shows just how difficult it can be for the pedophile to work their way back into society.

I can't think of anything ridiculous today except to be sitting at the computer instead of outside playing.

Enjoy YOUR day.

paul

weekly post-April 15, 2005

Hello friends and loved ones,

Another week has passed by and instead of being outside enjoying the glorious sun I'm sitting here at the computer typing this email listening to the first CD I've purchased in months. Last week I mentioned the film Millions and I really liked the music, especially the song at the end. It's called Nirvana by a group called El Bosco. I've no idea what they are saying since the lyrics are hard to understand. It's a neat twist on Pachelbel's Canon. The rest of the album features alternative acts such as Feeder and The Clash as well as some instrumental pieces from the film. It's a great album to listen to if you're in an introspective or somber mood; a mood I've been in all week.

Ridiculous item of the week: Well just shoot me now!!!!!!! That's what a 911 operator in Texas said to a woman of two daughters. The woman called 911 because her daughters were out of control and one had punched a hole in the wall. The humorous response of the operator, "Do you want us to come over and shoot her?" was not met with appreciation by the mother. The mother proceeded to ask the operator his name and announce she was going to file a formal complaint, no doubt by this time oblivious to her rambunctious daughters. Yes, the comment was inappropriate, however, the sad part of this story is that the woman can't control her daughters and had to call 911. If she were really smart she'd take her kids to Brie Van De Kamps home and SHE'D put them in line (I apologize to those of you who don't watch Desperate Housewives). To listen to the recording go to http://www.woai.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=4B76022F-4EA9-4BB0-8312-E35F90525A24

My final thought before I sign off and go "play" outside (ahhhh, the days of being a kid and just going out to play) is this. I've believed in God for as long as I can remember, however, I've never believed that God "did" things to people or "caused" things to happen. I've often heard things such as "why would God do that?" or "why is God punishing me?" I've heard these things all my life and I've always believed that while God is watching, God doesn't participate in the day to day activities. Our bodies get sick, wear out, fall apart, even when we are as healthy as humanly possible, we are only humans. Bad things happen because we have free will and some people just choose to exercise poor judgment and make poor decisions. I say this as I get more upsetting health news in my family this week. No matter what happens the key is to try and remain hopeful, optimistic, and keep a sparkle in our eyes.

Wherever you are this weekend, have fun and stay safe, stay healthy and happy.

Until next week................

paul

Thursday, April 14, 2005

bits and pieces: A brutal killing in California; a 13 year old pony league player killed another player with a baseball bat after being teased for pitching a bad inning. Gone are the days when one could just taunt someone else without worrying about consequences; am I the only one who is sick of hearing about Britney Spears's pregnancy? Her and her husband are both repulsive and I feel sorry for her unborn child; Oscar nominated Alfre Woodard set to join Desperate Housewives and as for creator Marc Cherry and the gay kiss on Arrested Development, I'll have to wait for the DVD to catch it. Speaking of Housewives, whatever's going on with the tension between the actresses, I wish they'd get over it quick. And leave Teri Hatcher alone. It's not her fault she's the only one to win a screen actors guild and golden globe award; two more missing girls in California. How does this keep happening? How do these kids just keep disappearing? And finally for pure evil look no further than Eric Rudolph, convicted bomber.

Ridiculous item of the day: Don't bend over for the soap, do bend over for chapstick. A man in Brooklyn, NY, is still standing today thanks to his chapstick. A physician's assistant was at work when two men outside started arguing. One man pulled out a bb gun and the second pulled out a real gun and fired. The first shot hit the second man, the second shot went through a window and would have hit the P.A. inside the building had he not been bent over picking up his chapstick. He did, however, suffer a cut near the eye because of flying glass. As a result of the situation, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, the makers of ChapStick, called the PA and have offered him a lifetime supply of ChapStick.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Oooooohhhhh, I'm so sick of that Boston Rob and Amber on the Amazing Race. Why, why, why, do they keep coming in first? Why can't they just be eliminated already? It's too bad the other teams can't just vote them off. At least it was some sort of divine justice to see the shocked look on their faces when Phil Keoghan told them that the leg of the race wasn't over. "You're still racing," Phil told them as they almost collapsed. Lynn and Alex are certainly funny and although a gay couple have already won one of the amazing races, I'm hoping Lynn and Alex will be the second gay couple to win. At one point Lynn commented on walking through a multi-storied building, "It's like total Jane Fonda workout; step aerobics." Now if only they could step on Rob and Amber.

That's all for now. Enjoy your day, wherever you are.

paul


"

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Let us enjoy life, let us be truthful, laugh, sing, and play and let us do each thing every day.

Ridiculous item of the day: They are the Olympics that Babe would be proud of. Thousands of residents in Shanghai converged on a city park to watch the Pig Olympics (no not men, actual pigs). Many students who attended the Olympics were surprised to have their preconceptions about pigs dispelled as they watched the pigs run over hurdles, dive, swim, and jump through hoops. The days of thinking of pigs as lazy and dull are over. The pigs, a midget species, begin the training for the Olympics soon after they are born and can compete professionally when they are 1 year old. And to prove they have stamina they perform two times a day. Now that sounds like some hoppin' bacon.

That's all for now. Enjoy your day

paul

Monday, April 11, 2005

Those of us in Western NY are waking up to a cool and sunshiny morning. Absolutely springlike. Residents in Colorado experienced up to two feet of snow, cancelled flights, missing electricity and wicked wicked weather. I'm sure many people (I'm one) in this area are saying, "Thank heavens that's not us."

Ridiculous item of the day: A woman who used French truffle oil to quiet a squeaky toilet seat (cost of a 3 oz bottle: $50); two men who knocked themselves unconscious while opening their car doors; a man who burned down his front porch after not fully putting out his cigarette; a man who used an $80 bottle of Chardonnay to make a wine spritzer (cost $6.50) for a customer; what do these people have in common? They were all nominated for the village idiot award. The award has been handed out for a number of years in Story, Indiana, and given to the person who gets the most votes at the Story Inn's saloon. The winner: a man who used a circular saw to cut through a live wire to replace the inn's steel roof and he also damaged his 98 Dodge truck, the day after he got it, by getting it stuck atop a whiskey barrel planter. Wonder what he was doing.

That's it for now. Wherever you are today, enjoy it.

paul

Sunday, April 10, 2005

beautiful day

I didn't blog yesterday, I know, it was just so beautiful and we were busy so I took the day off. It was in the 60's yesterday and again today. Two beautiful, beautiful spring days. We had a wedding at church yesterday in which Jim officiated.

Ridiculous item of the day: A man in Oslo got a rude awakening when he stole a box of shoes out of a shoe salesman's car. The car and the box belonged to a travelling salesman and when the thief checked out his loot he realized there were only 25 shoes and they were all for the left foot. Guess he won't be using those for dancing.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

paul

Saturday, April 09, 2005

weekly post

Hello Spring, Goodbye wicked wet winter weather (that's for my friend Lady Di who truly enjoys alliteration). Spring may have arrived on the calendar but this past week (today in fact) it has arrived in the temps and sunshine. As my spouse would say, it's delicious.

Karol Wojtyla was laid to rest today. 26 years, 5 months, 2 weeks (the 2nd longest reign), won the vote of 103 of 109 cardinals (after 10 ballots), bridged the rift between Catholics and Jews, the first non-Italian pontiff in more than 400 years (he was Polish), traveled to 129 countries and performer of numerous humanitarian acts, including forgiving the man who shot him in 1981. More than 2 million people gathered in Rome to mourn. Now the real fun starts; choosing a new pope. Whoever it is, hopefully he won't be German born (that means you Ratzinger).

movie of the week: I'm not into sappy or maudlin movies, however, we went to see a truly enjoyable (I thought) film last weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though there heart tugging and over the top moments. The film Millions is a movie I highly recommend. It's a story of two young brothers who find a bag of cash that "falls from the sky." One brother wants to spend it (and not frugally) and the other wants to give it to the poor as he thinks it is from God. There's one scene where a line of homeless people and charity groups are lined up at the kid's home; the line spans the length of half the block. It's a touching movie with some nice points about faith and being a good person. It's directed by Danny Boyle. Who? The director of the movie Trainspotting and 28 Days Later (the creepy zombie movie). Yes, he's made a "family film," however, there are still elements of his scary style as the brothers encounter the criminal who "lost" the money and he wants it back.

Ridiculous item of the week: The word is that Jimmy Carter believed Bush's delegation to the Pope's funeral was strong enough without him, however, no matter what happened or what miscommunication there was, Carter should have been there. He was the only president to host the Pope at the White House when John Paul visited more than a quarter century ago.

Wherever you are this weekend, enjoy it and relish it. Get some sun and live life fully. And remember these words (which we can all live by) of Pope John Paul II; "But if there be truth in me, it should explode. I cannot reject it; I would be rejecting myself."

Be safe, happy, and healthy.

love,

paul

Thursday, April 07, 2005

oooh, I've got a good one today

Thank heavens this week is almost over. It's been a long week and the saving grace has been the melting of the snow and the absolute springlike weather. I know, I know, it's not springlike, it's actually spring. Anyway, I've got spring fever, I just feel like I want to be outside with the birds and running barefoot in the grass (yes, just like Laura Ingalls). Maybe I can put that on my to do list for the weekend.

Ridiculous item of the day: So that's where they get the NYC taxi drivers from.....Anyone going to Lima, Peru, anytime soon? Yes, I'm sure you all are. If you do then take a taxi or bus at your own risk. According to a survey done by Lima's San Marcos University, many of the bus and taxi drivers have psychopathic tendencies. These include anxious, antisocial, and aggressive behavior. 40% of the drivers suffer from psychological problems and many would feel no guilt if they injured or ran over a pedestrian. Each year hundreds of lives are claimed in bus and taxi crashes; 85 were killed in crashes in the last three months of 2004 alone. I do have to wonder though; are we sending the drivers over there or are they coming over here? Hmmmmmm................. I guess bad drivers really are everywhere.

Enjoy YOUR day

paul

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

hey, what should I title today's entry?

It was an absolute beautiful day yesterday and another one is promised today. Jim has had work engagements both nights so far this week and another one tomorrow night. We are looking forward to the weekend.

Ridiculous item of the day: If you rob me just make sure you clean up after yourself. One burglar in Richmond, VA, did just that. He robbed a woman's apartment but also washed and dried the clothes and dishes. The robber made off with the computer, tv and other items, even had some food and booze but was thoughtful enough to close and lock the door on the way out. According to the apartment owner, the rear sliding glass door had been left open (way to go!!!) but was locked up tight when she returned. What I want to know is when did she realize the door had been left open? And couldn't she have called someone to lock it? Whatever, at least she didn't get back from vacation to a dirty apartment. No word on whether or not deodorizer was used.

That's all for now. Enjoy YOUR day.

paul

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

It's a beautiful spring day. The sun is shining, the snow has disappeared, the grass is growing, it's one of those days that makes me thankful to live in this part of the world.

Ridiculous item of the day: Nothing like cashing in on the Pope's passing; literally that is. Apparently Italian lottery players, or addicts I should say, are putting down numbers that correspond with the time and day of the Pope's death. Also factored in is the age of the Pope when he died. No word yet of anyone winning, however, people across Rome are also putting money down on who will be the next Pope. Frontrunners are the Italian Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi and right behind is Nigeria's Francis Arinze. No doubt lotto players in this country are doing the same thing.

That's all for now. Enjoy spring.

paul

Monday, April 04, 2005

no title again today

Guess what? It's another chilly day here in Western, NY, and there's still snow on the ground and it's the 4th of April. The saving grace is this: It's supposed to be in the high 60's this week (yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll believe it when I feel it). Sounds like someone is still crabby (see my terse blog from yesterday).

Ridiculous item of the day: It's not their fault, they are just color coordinated challenged. The prisoners in Tokyo will be getting a makeover. In an effort to improve prisoner morale, the colors of the uniforms and the bedding will soon change. Instead of pajamas that are black and white striped and uniforms that are yellow-green; prisoners will mint green pajamas and pale blue outfits. The bedding, instead of orange and green striped, will now feature a "warm" color such as brown. The thinking, by the color psychologists (honest, I'm not making this up), is that the old uniforms aren't bright and the new ones will give prisoners a more positive outlook. The old bedding caused prisoners to be nervous and aggressive (so that's why prisons are so violent; the bedsheets clash) and the new look will allow for a better night's sleep. I've heard of certain prisons treating their prisoners so good they'd never want to leave but this is ridiculous. Did Martha Stewart have a hand in this?

That's all for now. Enjoy YOUR day.

paul

Sunday, April 03, 2005

what time is it?

Ugh! Daylight savings time. I lost a whole hour of beauty sleep. Then to top it all off, there's a layer of slushy snow on the ground this morning. I'm just to crabby to write anything else.

paul

Saturday, April 02, 2005

The day has been cold, rainy and gloomy; all day. The day ended with the passing of Pope John Paul II.

May he rest in peace