It's an overcast day in the 40's on this somewhat gloomy Monday. I did finally get out there and get a good start on the lawn. There's about 2 acres to mow and I probably got an acre and a half done. I would have finished it all but as it is my spouse calls me compulsive so maybe I shouldn't be SO compulsive. Besides it's not going anywhere.

I've discovered a new radio station in our area. It's 93.3 Fickle FM. Fickle being the key word. They switch decades and genres and never stick to one type (fickle). I like it very much so far. I've heard songs from the 60's-the present. Most of the radio stations in this area (and most areas) focus on 70's and 80's or 90's or classic rock. This is the first radio station I've heard that really spans all of the musical decades and does not focus on one particular type. And I've heard songs that I literally have not heard in years.

Jaw dropper of the day: Pesos or Pot? A man in Fargo, N.D., tried to pay the pizza man with pot. When the pizza delivery man came to the door the customer looked around for some money and then offered the delivery guy marijuana for payment. He then said he would either need money or the pizza. At that point the customer started yelling and pushing and punched the driver in the face. Needless to say the customer, who was intoxicated, was arrested and released after posting a bond of $5,000. The driver did not seek medical attention for his injuries. Maybe he didn't have insurance, maybe he was just embarrassed but if someone had punched me in the face I would have been at the hospital especially if blood was drawn. Oh well, that's just me.

That's all for today. Have a great day and be safe.

paul

It's another cool spring morning on this Sunday. We have a road sign very near to our house and every spring for several mornings each week we are awakened by the sound of a downy woodpecker pecking away at the sign. It's not unpleasant (at least not for us), however, it is quite loud because it is a metal road sign.

I heard another rotten remake on the radio yesterday. A new group calld d.h.t. has remade the song Listen To Your Heart. This was a #1 song in 1989 by the group Roxette. A terrific Swedish group who had several big hits. Why another group wants to come along and remake the song, which sounds eerily similar to the original, is beyond me.

Jaw dropper of the day: In Peru, more than 4,000 frogs were saved by Peruvian officials after they were found in an abattoir. In the Andes frog cocktails are apparently quite popular because they are supposedly aphrodisiacs. People can even choose their own frog for the cocktail. The officials released the Telmatobius frogs back to where they came from in the southern lakes of the high Andes. Whew!!!!! What's next frog soup? We already have frog legs.

That's all, enjoy your Sunday.

paul

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

Yikes!!! 

Here are a couple of pics of Charlie the chimp, the primate in the China zoo who has taken up a very bad habit. 

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

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

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

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

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? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello,

It's a windy and sunny spring day on this Thursday. Not a trace of snow in our yard or on our road. Yea!!!!!!

I am really enjoying The Office, the remake of the British series of the same name. It's funny, envelope pushing and as close to a perfect remake of the show as possible. So far they've kept in the offensive aspect of the series which is really good. I'm pleasantly surprised at how daring they've been. Steve Carrell is very funny and nails the role that Ricky Gervais was so memorable in. Hopefully NBC will continue to allow the show to keep everything it has (and then some) and lose nothing. They've done a nice job of advertising it too.

Ridiculous item of the day: Nothing like stealing from your employer before you are hired. A man in Florida was applying for a job last Thursday when a video camera caught him taking an employee's keys, opening an office, and taking 15 lottery tickets from a file cabinet. He then left and returned four hours later to finish the application. He was arrested when he returned and found in his van were the keys and the 15 lottery tickets. A double whammy for him; the lottery tickets had previously been voided. Not a good day!

That's all for today, more later.

paul

Hello, it was another beautiful day. Went to see The Upside Of Anger; a great movie, wonderful acting and the best cast movie I've seen in a while. Joan Allen was riveting; she never went overboard and really knows how to inhabit a role without going over the top. Why hasn't she won an Oscar? Kevin Costner seems to just get better looking with age, talk about a hunk. The only flaw with the movie were a couple of things that were just out of place: One daughters medical crisis and Allen's fantasy of another daughter's boyfriend's head exploding. The movie does hit a little too hard in some places with the message, however, it really shows how anger and bitterness can distort our view of life and hold us back. A must see and did I mention the casting is impeccable?

Ridiculous item of the day: A republican politician in Colorado, decrying same sex marriage, said that it could one day lead to interspecies marriage. He mentioned a man in Boulder, CO, who tried to marry his horse. However, that was a political stunt during a short lived allowance of same sex marriage and it happened in the 70's. I think we should prove him right. I think we should all go out right now and marry our dogs, cats, horses, any animal we have. Oh come on, you know you have such deep feelings for Fifi and Fido. You see the way they look at you; they just make your heart go pitter patter and besides they already share your bed.

Songs I'm enjoying on the radio: "The Hand That Feeds" by Nine Inch Nails. I've never been a big fan of NIN. I have enjoyed a song here and a song there, however, this song just gets my whole body moving. What a great first single from their new album. "B.Y.O.B." by System Of A Down. This group I have enjoyed from the beginning and I'm sure people would be surprised to know I enjoy listening to them. With lyrics such as "you feed us lies from the tablecloth" and "why don't president's fight the war?" you won't be blamed if you think this is a political song (haha). And also "Holiday" by Green Day. One more is Kelly Clarkson's new one, "Behind These Hazel Eyes" a catchy, midtempo song. It's not as catchy as "Since U Been Gone" which is annoyingly infectious, however, it's still a good song. I don't think she's got the greatest voice, or the most talented singer out there right now, however, she is talented and bearable when she doesn't put out songs like "Breakaway."

That's all for now. Peace wherever you are.

paul

another great title for today's post

It's Wednesday and today will be in the 60's. Yesterday was gray, cold, and damp and today the sun is out, the birds are busier than ever and it's warming up. I truly enjoy watching the birds at our feeder, in fact I would watch all day long if I had nothing else to do. I do wish the squirrels would just go away forever. They have been getting into the bird feeder and throwing food all over the ground and hoarding it so that it goes fast. We've done a few different things to keep them away and so far for the past day and a half they've not been in the feeder. I've been watching. I would really like to get rid of the big feeder and get one that is squirrel proof but Jim likes the big feeder (it has sentimental value). If worst comes to worst I'll get a new baffle.

Ridiculous item of the week: Remember in the Friends episode when Joey did that poster for the STD? No, well he did and then he got all nervous that people would really think he had one. At the end of the episode he saw the poster and tried to tear the bottom half (with the disease) off. Unfortunately, being NYC, there were other ads from other posters under his; touting such things as drugs, abuse, etc....and his picture topped them all. Well in NYC (imagine) four male models are suing because an ad campaign for domestic violence went longer than it should have. The four men all signed up to be part of an ad campaign for domestic violence. Their pictures behind bars on a poster with the captions, "successful executive, devoted churchgoer, abusive husband." The posters were to only be up for 5 weeks in NYC subways and buses. However, the posters also ended up in police stations and charities and were up far longer than the five weeks. Friends of the models began to actually think they actually beat their wives. But tell me, was this before or after the five weeks were up? One signs up for something like this and people see the posters, what difference does it make how long they are up? Hundreds (maybe more) of people ride the NYC buses and subways each day. Isn't it possible that after the first 2 weeks people were wondering, "hmmm, I wonder if he's really a wife beater?" Now they are each suing $1 million each. Why don't they just go out and get a real job?

That's all for now. Enjoy your spring day and pray for each other.

paul

another good title

It's a gray, damp and cold Tuesday here in Western NY. I'm not complaining because I know by the end of this week the sun will be shining and it will be near 60. I will think positive, I will think positive.

Ridiculous item of the week: One of the top rules when committing a burglary is never call the police while still at the scene of the crime. A man in England learned that lesson too late when he broke one of the other rules; always have a good escape plan, he didn't. He robbed a snack bar in a railway station and after downing a 6 pack of beer he tried to escape through a window. Unfortunately he was too big or the window was too small. He then phoned the police for help and that's when he was arrested. The whole incident cost him $908. It would have been a whole lot cheaper to just buy a 6pack at the store.

That's all for today. wherever you are today, enjoy........

paul

title goes here

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. It's still a bit chilly here today in Western NY but it's not snowing, however, it is damp and muddy. There's no stopping spring though and this week will be in the 60's.

Ridiculous item of the day: Never throw out plastic Easter eggs without first opening them to see if they are empty. One woman in Wisconsin learned that lesson a little too late. A woman donated some items to the Salvation Army that had belonged to her grandmother, among them some plastic Easter eggs. A strange thing to donate but that's just me. Anyway, while reading her grandmother's diary, the woman discovered that her grandmother had filled the eggs with cash. It seems her grandmother had planned a special Easter indeed. The woman went back to the store but by then the eggs were gone. The store manager is hoping a "goodhearted soul will come forward."

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

paul

what should I call this?

It's a chilly Easter Sunday morning. This week is supposed to get up into the 50's and possibly even the 60's by the end of the week. I can start wearing shorts pretty soon....Yea!

Ridiculous item of the week: It's never a good idea to beat up your trash man. That's one rule that a family in Philadelphia didn't follow. While following their garbage truck and picking up bags of garbage, Richard Meyers and a co-worker passed a house where the garbage had NOT been put out. At that point, Eugene Dykes, one of the owners of the house, yelled for the truck to stop; it didn't. Dykes then started putting bags of garbage in the truck (luckily for him the truck was going slow enough to do so). Then he got mad and he, his wife and sons started hitting garbageman Meyers. Meyers had to crawl under the truck for protection. I think next garbage day instead of picking up garbage at that house they should pelt the house with garbage. I always make sure our garbage is out in PLENTY of time for the garbageman; don't most people?

Wherever you are this Easter day, have a wonderful one.

peace,

paul

Hard to believe but tomorrow is Easter. Even harder to believe that next week marks the beginning of April. Almost a quarter of the way through the year.

We had our monthly artsy fartsy movie today. Once a month some people from the church get together to see a movie (usually an independent or small budget film). Today we saw Schultze Gets The Blues, a movie about a mine worker who retires and has to figure out what to do with his life. He decides to take up the accordion and ends up going to Texas. The adventure that follows is touching and funny. By the way, the film is in German (w/subtitles of course) and the language barrier is just one of the things that makes the journey interesting.

Ridiculous item of the day: Have clothes, won't wrestle. The amateur sumo association in Tokyo thought it would be a good idea if teenagers wore "sumo pants" while wrestling. The thinking was that kids want to look cool (and what teen doesn't want to look cool?) and the "mawashi" that wrestlers typically wear just wouldn't be stylish enough. The wrapped cloth covers the bare minimum but the professional sumo wrestling body decided it won't let kids wrestle at the national stadium if they are wearing pants. So much for modesty.

That's all for now. More later.

paul

F-F-Finally Friday

Happy Good Friday!!!!

I work at a job where I don't get all the bank/school holidays off (I don't automatically get the major holidays off either) so today doesn't feel like a holiday or anything but an ordinary day. At least it won't until I try to go to the post office.

Ridiculous item of the day: Talk about waking up dead: A woman in British Columbia, Canada woke up in the morgue last weekend. The 87-year old was a resident of an extended care facility and while she was sleeping her roommate passed away. When the driver of the ambulance arrived, he took the woman without checking her wrist bracelet, and it ended up he took the wrong one. When the woman did wake up, imagine her surprise, she was in the hallway of the hospital morgue. Lucky for her the morgue workers had already noticed her legs moving. Needless to say the ambulance driver was immediately fired.

Video pick of the week: I saw a wonderfully written, paced, and directed French film this past week titled Red Lights. Directed by Cedric Kahn, Lights tells the story of a married couple on the way to pick up their children from summer camp. The male has a penchant for whiskey (he can't seem to drink it fast enough) and the female seems to revel in nagging him and picking at him. Fed up and determined to prove that he is the man, he turns off and goes into a bar. His wife threatens to take the bus the rest of the way if he goes in, he does, and she's gone when he comes out; but did she really take the bus? When he stops at yet another bar and gives a ride to a stranger, the nightmare really begins. The suspense builds slowly and it's not right away that we sense there's some real danger. When we finally learn what happened to the wife is when we realize that the night they were separated will resonate with them for a long time. Bonus points for the road shots while the husband is driving. I kept feeling like I was in one of those race car video games and I clenched a few times. Extra bonus for a clever jump-in-the-seat moment near the end (yes, even though I didn't jump). This is how a suspense movie should be made and I'd be surprised if the director wasn't influenced by Hitchcock.

That's all for now. Wherever you are today, have a nice one.

paul

a lovely spring? day

Yes, it's spring but you wouldn't know it to look outside. We got between 2 and 4 inches of new snow between yesterday and last night. Ahhhhhhh, May, May wherefore art thou May.

Ridiculous item of the day: We've all heard of road rage but snowball rage? A woman in Massachusetts, picking up her daughter from school, had her vehicle pelted with snowballs by some kids. The woman got out of her car and started chasing the kids, with a tire iron (that'll do some damage). The kids continued to throw snowballs at her. "Cold" under the collar, the woman went back to her car to get her pepper spray. A male student, whose car was being blocked by the woman's, asked her to move the car and an argument ensued. The student then found himself on the wrong end of the woman's pepper spray. She has pled not guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and carrying a firearm (apparently pepper spray is one) without having it properly registered. Next time I'm sure the kids will just throw stones.

That's all for today. Enjoy YOUR day!

paul

another cold day

It's hump day and it's still cold. What a surprise!!!! And to top it all off there is talk of more snow (another surprise).

Not much new to report today, another day, another day.

Ridiculous item of the day: A film about volcanoes on an IMAX screen sounds rather exciting. However, if you live in the South, in Texas, Georgia, or the Carolinas, you won't be able to see it. The film makes reference to a connection between human DNA and microbes inside undersea volcanoes. It seems people in the south don't subscribe to evolution, rather they believe in creationism. The film may upset those people so it won't be shown in those (and possibly other) southern states. Damn Southerners; spoken like a true Texan (which I am).

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

paul

what's a good title for today?

It's Tuesday, the third day of spring, and it still feels like winter. Helloooooooo snow, go away already.

Another teenager has gone on a shooting rampage (no, this isn't a joke). A teenager in Minnesota has killed his grandparents and eight other students (including himself) all the while brandishing a gun and smiling. How does this keep happening? It never fails, however, that when this does happen, you hear stories about how the teen was an outcast, made fun of, not with the "in" group. Maybe one day soon we will realize the importance of paying more attention to our future.

Ridiculous item of the day: A new study in Britain is taking place. More than 600 patients are being assembled by a doctor of the University of York in Britain. This treatment dates back to Napoleon but has since been pushed to the side thanks to antibiotics and newer treatments. In order to alleviate pain and prevent infection, and in a shorter amount of time, maggots are being used to eat dead tissue and kill of bacteria. In Britain, more than 600 million pounds, or 1.15 billion dollars, is spent each year treating leg ulcers. The belief is that maggots can heal us faster. Last year the USFDA actually approved maggots as a "medical device." Lest we think that maggots will start reproducing and "taking over our body," the greenfly larvae (which are sterilized) are said to only be interested in the unhealthy tissue and would start eating each other before they went after healthy skin. If this works and does heal wounds faster, these little critters could be coming to a hospital near you. FYI: Everytime I think of maggots (which is not often), I think of that scene in Poltergeist where the researcher is in the kitchen and starts eating the chicken and when he looks in the mirror he sees it is covered with maggots. EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!

That's all for now. More later.

paul

It's the second day of spring here in Western NY and the snow is still falling. The roads are just slick enough to make driving a little dangerous. Winter is not exiting gracefully.

Ridiculous item of the day: I haven't written anything controversial in a while, well I'm in the mood to do so today. Once again Bush and his cronies have put their noses where they don't belong. The ordeal of Terri Schiavo has continued for 15 years and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. The House and the Senate passed a bill that applies only to Schiavo to let the parents ask the judge to reinsert the feeding tube; it was removed on Friday. Schiavo has been in a persisten vegatative state since 1990. Just let the woman die in peace and with some dignity. How long does she have to linger like that before it's enough? That's not a quality filled life, no matter how you look at it.

That's it for now. Have a peaceful day.

paul

Sunday

Not much of a posting yesterday, it was a long day and I just couldn't muster too much to say. I've got a lot to say today; spring is here and it feels so fine. Just a little bit of snow still on the ground this morning and also the thinnest sheet of ice (how strange). It's not cold but it's not warm either. Wouldn't it be cool if on the first day of spring the weather just changed suddenly to match the season?

Ridiculous item of the day: Supernatural event or just a regular fire? A pet store in Michigantown, Indiana, was destroyed last October and only one animal survived. A palm-sized turtle named Lucky is the only animal that didn't perish in the fire. A red-eared slider turtle, Lucky has now developed a goatee and pointy horns on its shell, according to the store owner. The owner says it's the face of the devil and he wants to make it known that he was there. Lucky's behavior hasn't changed; which means he hasn't started spinning his head in a 360 degree direction or spitting up pea soup. The owner does plan on auctioning off a dvd of Lucky's story that he produced. He will do this via the internet and even offer the winner the option of buying Lucky. No word on if a miniature cross will come with Lucky.

That's all for now. Enjoy your Sunday.

paul

Saturday night here and I apologize for blogging so late but the internet has been funky today. We had a wonderful church retreat at Ellison Park (for those of you NOT in the Rochester area, it's a very nice park with lodges and trails etc.....). We had 33 people which is a great number for our church. I'm off to bed and I'm such an old fart (32 going on 82).

Ridiculous item of the day: Oh, I'm too tired......Life is ridiculous.


More later.

paul

Hello,

It's finally Friday and the snow is melting and the mud is coming through. Yes, Sunday marks the official arrival of spring and the birds (not to mention the people) are thrilled. We have a church dinner tonight to talk about our church retreat tomorrow. Being the pastor's spouse, I have to go tonight and smile and nod occasionally (wait, I'm not an accessory, who am I kidding, I'll just butt right in and say what I please).

There was a neat (who still uses that word besides me?) article that I read this past week about the Bible and how Christian conservatives try to use certain phrases within the Bible to persecute GLBT people. By the way, they are misinterpreting the phrases. Anyway, the other teachings and rules in the Old Testament are ignored by those same Christians. It was a cool article. If you are interested in reading it, here's the link: http://cjonline.com/stories/031205/opi_roy.shtml I think it's at least worth a read.

Ridiculous item of the day: Alan Keyes, the loser, oops, I mean losing Senate candidate (he was crushed by Barack Obama for an Illinois seat) is at it again. He had nothing but bad things to say about same sex marriage at a Christian rally in Florida. First he called homosexuality "selfish hedonism" and called Mary Cheney a "selfish hedonist." And by the way, the Cheney family hardly blinked when he said that but John Kerry invokes her name, in a positive manner, and they are just thrown into a tizzy.....disgusting!!!! Then Keyes kicks his own daughter out because she is a lesbian and now he has this to say, "Marriage exists in order to respect, recognize and enforce obligations that arise from the fact of procreation." He then went on to mention that heterosexual couples who don't procreate won't hurt the institution of marriage but gay unions would "annihilate" it. Excuse me, isn't that contradictory? You should get married to procreate but if you don't that's ok. What a joke!!!!!! Ok, that's my little rant for the day.

I leave you with a quote from Shaquille O'Neal, NBA player extraordinnaire, in response to being one of the NBA players listed as obese, according to the body-mass index, "I'm classified as phenomenal."

Wherever you are today, have a phenomenal one.

paul

Oh, that's a good title

Scott Peterson sentenced to death, Robert Blake a free man today, and Michael Jackson's trial is still going on. What is it with celebrities and their inability to stay out of trouble? Granted Scott Peterson isn't a celebrity, not in the traditional sense anyway, but I'll bet more people than not know his name now. Which celebrity will be next? As sure as the sun is bright, there will be another one.

Ridiculous item of the day: A Berlin post office had a little scare when a package started vibrating and making strange noises. Afraid it may have been a bomb, the workers brought in the sender of the package and to their surprise it was a life-size female sex doll. According to the police, the man wanted to return the doll because it kept turning itself on at the wrong moment (talk about premature ejaculation). All was back to normal when the guy removed the batteries. No word on if/when the doll will get her groove back.

That's all for now. More later.

paul

p.s. Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!!!!

can't think of a title today

Good morning, on this cold Wednesday, from Western NY. It's so unusual for it to be cold. Nothing much new today, same old same old. Same stuff, different day, yada, yada, yada. The week is halfway over and while I would usually be looking forward to the weekend, this weekend is going to be very very busy. No time to be a couch potato this weekend. Oh well............

Ridiculous item of the day: Coming soon to the Great White Way: The Regal Beagle (the Three's Company Musical), Everybody Knows Your Name: Sing for Cheers, and Tootie Talk: The Facts Of Life Musical in the key of L. Ok, I made those three titles up but with such movie to stage shows as The Producers, Hairspray, Spamalot, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, soon one will need a remote control for the theatre. And coming soon, these titles are not made up: The Apprentice: The Musical, Shrek, and Catch Me If You Can (from the Tom Hanks and Leo DiCaprio movie). And if you are keeping score, the next move will be to have commercials at the theatre like the ones they spend 20mins showing at the movies.

That's all for now. More later................

paul

no title today

Another cold day here in Western NY; not a big surprise. The sun feels nice, however, and the days have the "look" of spring to them. Not too much longer and some of us will be complaining how hot it is.

Ridiculous item of the day: Talk about silly souvenirs; how would you like a man-hole cover? No? Well they are apparently big in China. Around 240,000 (yes, thousand) man-hole and street drain covers were stolen in Beijing last year. The covers are stolen and then sold as scrap for a mere two dollars. Big business those man hole covers and we thought homeland security was big. Beijing is experimenting with new covers that are made of non-metal materials and have no recycling value. The theft of the covers is described as rampant.

That's all for now. More later..........

paul

It's a cold Monday here in Western NY. I know I didn't blog yesterday but even God rested on Sunday (haha....I crack myself up).

I'd like us all to take a moment to realize just how precious life is. Over the weekend in Brookfield Wis, a man walked into a room where a church service was being held and started shooting. In all, he killed seven people, including the minister and his son and wounded four other people. He then shot himself. He had been a member of the congregation. It just goes to show you, one day you can be going along like la la la and then boom!!!!

Ridiculous item of the day: Just when you thought it was safe to take otc medicine; think again, it could come back and put you in jail. A former judge in California found himself in jail after a urine test showed traces of alcohol. Judge William Danser had been under house arrest for fixing traffic tickets for friends and acquaintances and was ordered to spend 90 days with an electronic monitoring device (like Martha Stewart). One of the requirements is that he had to stay away from alcohol. Well wouldn't you know it, Danser got sick and as luck (or lack of luck) would have it got an unexpected visit from his probation officer. In bed, as a result of his bad cough, Danser had to take a urine test and that's when the alcohol was found. The culprit: the NyQuil he had taken for his cough. He was only 7 days from the end of his sentence but he still had to spend a week in the clinker. Next time he might want to try an herbal remedy.

That's all for now. Wherever you are today I hope you are smiling.

paul

slippery Saturday

Hello,

We just had a couple of blasts of snow. Just enough to cover everything and make the roads slippery. Winter, it seems, is not going to go willingly (but does it ever?).

We had a wonderfully relaxing Saturday; started out giving away one of our tvs to our pet nanny. We don't have it hooked up, haven't used it in years so we figured we'd give her a newer one. She made some delicious cinnamon muffins.

Then we watched Princess Diaries 2. I know, I know, Princess Diaries 2? It was a fun, mindless movie. And it had Julie Andrews too. Then a short nap and now we are sitting here watching Animal Cops. I can't believe so many people are so cruel and neglectful of animals. I may not be much of an animal person but even I know how to treat them.

Ridiculous item of the day: If you've ever seen Psycho then you know that Norman Bates impersonates his dead mother. Well here's one for you: A man in Instanbul impersonated his dead mother in order to collect her pension. Suspicious bank employees (his deep voice was one give away) alerted the police and raided the guy's home and found his mother (the real one) buried in the basement. He told police the mother died of natural causes. Hmmmm....we'll see. The guy had previously been convicted of carrying firearms and armed robbery. He had also previously withdrawn over $6,000 (U.S.) from his mother's account.

That's all for now. Wherever you are tonight be safe, healthy and happy.

paul

Friday blog

Hello from Western NY,

Week 2 of March is almost down and only a little more than two left (yes, March is one of those long months) and spring is STILL not here. Luckily, for us, we didn't have the major snowstorm that was predicted (our Williams weatherman sure does like to alarm people). For some reason, the fact that Easter is coming had me thinking about when I learned there was no Easter Bunny (or, no Paul, there isn't an Easter Bunny). I remember I was 7 years old and I was talking to my mom and somehow the subject of Santa Claus came up. She told me she and dad were Santa Claus and she then told me they were the Easter Bunny & tooth fairy too. I don't remember being upset or shocked, just kind of taking it in stride. That's my childhood memory for the week.

big deal? I would like to meet the person who originally came up with the idea of putting tv shows on dvd. That's an idea just short of genius! I spent the week watching the ESPN series Playmakers. It was on last year and cancelled because the NFL thought it portrayed their league in a negative light. Yes, I watched all of the episodes thinking, 'I'm sure that ALL of the football players have lives like this.' It's a freakin' tv show, get over it. I know (and THIS is really scary) there are people out there who can't distinguish between reality and fantasy but every show portrays something negatively. Let's just cancel tv. And by the way, the gay character I heard about was lame (and a secondary character at that).

ridiculous item of the week: Stop me if you've heard this one: A man in Cranberry, Pa, walks into a convenient store intent on holding the place up. He walked in, wearing a mask, walked up to the counter and caused the clerk to burst out in laughter. His choice of mask: a Pluto mask. The clerk was laughing so hard that he couldn't (or wouldn't) do what the robber wanted. He obviously didn't have a weapon otherwise the clerk may have been laughing out of his a**. Eventually the robber left the store; no doubt in extreme frustration and humiliation. Police Sgt. Dave Kovach thought that even though the clerk foiled the robbery, his actions were dangerous and ill-advised. No word on whether or not the robber is holed up with Goofy (ooooh, buh dum dum).

Quote of the week: "My biggest weakness is my sensitivity. I am too sensitive a person." Mike Tyson talking about his character flaws. Right, he's sensitive and I'm the next Queen of England.

That's all for this week...........Until next time, stay safe, stay happy, and stay healthy.

love,

paul

It's still cold here in Western NY but still no major snow. I am already so sick of the Michael Jackson trial. Regardless of whether he's guilty or not, it can't be easy to have this all played out again. Whereas he was once the king of pop (almost every song he released went to #1) now he's a punchline and not a very funny one at that.

That's it for now. I feel so old today, I've been sleeping but not feeling rested when I wake up, I sometimes feel like I should be 72 instead of 32. How sad!!! I will say I'm really looking forward to spring. It really is my favorite season.

more later.

love,

p

It's a very very cold Wednesday here in Western NY. Still no major snow (and each day without snow is a day closer to Spring). In fact, the days are definitely getting lighter earlier. On my way home from work this morning, it was daylight by the time I got home, usually it's still dark.

Ridiculous item of the day: A high school football coach in Oregon is being investigated by a state panel for an unconventional treatment of one of his players. Coach Reed of Central Linn High School in Halsey, Oregon is accused of threatening student safety and health (even though the student gave him permission for the bizarre treatment). During a game, Reed licked one of the player's bloody scabs in the belief that licking could heal wounds. Reed has not been arrested as the action may be disgusting but it's not against the law. People if you must lick, lick your own wounds.

That's all for now. Wherever you are stay warm.

love,

p

Hello from Western NY,

It's a very cold and very very windy Wednesday; still no snow falling. It's mid week (almost) and life may be hard sometimes but it's good to be alive.

Ridiculous item of the day: Pet peeve? Wait until you hear this story. A German man went on holiday and left the lights on and loud music playing so his pet would not be lonely. Naturally, that caused the neighbors to complain and after five days of non-stop loud music the police were called. When no one answered the door, police weren't sure if someone was inside hurt or dead. Of course the police eventually had to break the door down and while they were there, the guy's friend showed up. Yes, he did have someone coming over to feed his pet. The pet: a golden hamster. The owner was not able to be reached but the friend did promise to come over more often and turn the music down. Darn! Now the hamster can't do his dance. That makes me think of that dancing hamster that went around the internet a few years back and then was actually turned into a silly but infectious single.

Wherever you are today, be safe, be happy and be healthy.

p

new week

Another week in Western NY and more snow predicted. Our alarmist weatherman is calling for a deep freeze (it will be in the teens, that's not a deep freeze). He really likes to get people all hepped up.

Nothing exciting today, same stuff, different day. Jim's sitting here watching his favorite channel, the SCI-FI channel. He really likes that stuff (I don't know why).

Ridiculous item of the day: Let's get tanked: A woman in Arkansas was arrested for fleeing apprehension and two counts of third degree domestic battery. She thought she could hide from the police in a place they would never look (right). She hid in a septic tank near an abandoned house. One of the officers found her hiding place when he stepped on the tank. No word on how long she had to hold her breath while hiding. I'll bet she needed a nice hot shower (I know I would have). Ewww!

more later,

paul

It's Sunday and I'm just getting ready for work. Not a lot going on this evening in Western NY. We are expecting more snow this week, however, we can take comfort in the fact that it's getting lighter each day and there are only about 14 more days till spring.

Short and sweet tonight, more later.

paul

I'm having a quiet evening here in Western NY with my spouse Jim. As I get older (32) I seem to more and more enjoy the nights in, with my glass of wine. Before I met Jim, I used to enjoy going out (dancing, clubbing, whatever) every weekend. I'm turning into an old fart.

The big news this week: At one point during her trial, a witness testified that Martha Stewart threatened to fire her stockbroker if he didn't change his hold music, however, now she's BACK!!!!!!!! She will be under supervision (with her lovely ankle bracelet tracking her every move) at her 153 acre farm in Bedford, NY but Stewart has two shows in the pipeline, her company is on the upswing, and she's suddenly in demand. It will be interesting to see if she lives up the Nielsen expectations but she's become human since voluntarily going to jail. Among her good deeds in jail, helping a woman reunite with the family that had disowned her. Stewart even wrote the letter instrumental in getting them back together. We'll see how this plays out.

That's it for now, more later........

love,

p

It's Sunday and I'm just getting ready for work. Not a lot going on this evening in Western NY. We are expecting more snow this week, however, we can take comfort in the fact that it's getting lighter each day and there are only about 14 more days till spring.

Short and sweet tonight, more later.

paul

It's a wonderfully sunny Saturday here in Western NY. I've been in a bit of a depression the past week and a half (I'm still not sure why) but it seems to have passed. Not much going on, Jim is napping and I'm sitting here typing and watching tv. I'm watching that ESPN show Playmakers, the one that was cancelled after 11 eps because of pressure from the NFL. It follows a fictional pro football team and the players' personal lives and troubles. I've yet to hear the word NFL, however, one of the reasons (if not the only reason) the show was cancelled is because the league was afraid that it would portray them in a bad light and give people the impression that all football players are like the ones on the show. Um, hello, it's a television show, and it's not set as a reality show either. It's very interesting. I didn't watch it when it was on but I do remember hearing all the flack it was getting. I also heard there was a gay character; haven't seen one yet but I am only on the fifth episode.

That's it for now; more later......

p

white weekend

The snow has stopped (for now) but there's more on the way this weekend AND next week. However, that just brings us one week closer to spring.

Yesterday I was all upset because I couldn't get the page to load so I knew if my blog posted or not. It turns out it did post, I just didn't realize it; sometimes I have no patience.

Ridiculous item of the day: It is difficult to be granted a divorce in Iran, however, it can be done on grounds of neglect (financially or sexually), spousal abuse, or drug addiction. This of course has to be proved. Well stop the presses, a woman in Iran is seeking divorce from her husband for not being clean. The woman, who was identified only as Mina, says her husband has not bathed in over a year. She says even his children won't go near him (they probably can't because he smells so bad). When they met 8 years ago, she says, he was obsessive about being clean. Now he has some sort of aversion to water and he won't bathe. "Everybody is making fun of us. We cannot go to any parties. I feel so ashamed," she was quoted as saying. Geez, I feel dirty if I go one day without washing only my HAIR, forget about going a day without showering. I can't even imagine the dirt and the smell that must be emanating from him.

That's all for now. More later.

love,

p

white hump day

Sometimes I just hate the computer. I had written a fairly long blog about the weather and Desperate Housewives and it never published because the stupid page wouldn't load. Anyway, I'm too frustrated to write it all again, so I'll just say it's still snowing and I'll write more later.

Hope everyone is well.

love,

p

white hump day

Another snowy day here in Western NY. We had around 6 inches yesterday and last night and we are expecting another 2-4 inches today. Oh, how March does come in like a lion. But spring is right around the corner

There was a news article a few weeks back declaring that a cast member of Desperate Housewives was going to come out; it focused on Marcia Cross. She is the red-haired anal retentive stepfordish desperate housewife. She was also deliciously evil as psycho Kimberly on Melrose Place in the 90's. Anyway, according to an article in The Advocate, she is not gay. A character on the show did come out (her tv son) and although Marcia is supportive of gay/AIDS charities, she is supposedly straight. If she is in fact gay, she's not coming out at this time. Speaking of Desperate Housewives, one of the best lines in a recent episode was uttered by the dark-skinned, hoity-toity housewife, Gabrielle. A teen character was questioning his sexuality and she kissed him. "Feel anything?" she asked. "No," he replied. "Yep, definitely gay," she uttered as she walked away. Later on in the episode we saw him kissing Marcia Cross's tv son (how scandalous indeed). It's about time the show had a gay character, the creator is gay after all.

That's it for now....more later

p

another white day

Hello,

It's Tuesday and it's snowing again. In fact, it's supposed to snow all week long. What was I saying last week about being thankful we don't live in California with the weather THEY are having?

The Michael Jackson trial is under way. I'm not looking forward to another long drawn out celebrity trial and the media overexposure that results from it. I am, however, looking forward to the verdict.

Ridiculous item of the day: Last summer, an intoxicated man who was semi-incoherent was picked up by police in Tennessee. He pled guilty, on Monday, to burglary, theft, vandalism, indecent exposure and public intoxication. Last July, the man broke into a service area and stole some snacks and did some damage. He was found by police running toward his jeep with the snacks, including a container of nacho cheese. He was naked and also had nacho cheese in his hair, on his face, and on his shoulders. Kind of gives new meaning to eating and running. At least it wasn't hot sauce.

More later.

love,

p