Wow!!!! It's been a beautiful day and the birds have been busy. When I woke up this morning I heard the birds screeching. There were several of them and it reminded me of the sound of a crowd at a baseball game. I don't know that the birds were playing baseball, however, they sure sounded excited about something. Maybe the glorious day ahead.

Sith This: Went to see Star Wars Episode III:Revenge of the Sith. It was the best of the first three episodes and Lucas captured the tortured soul of Anakin before he embraces the dark side. The war and politics in the film eerily mirrors the war and politics going on in the world today. One of the main themes, fear and how it can wreak havoc, is evident throughout the film. Anakin, consumed by his fears, embraces the dark side in order to prevent his fears from coming true. Unfortunately, he makes the wrong decision and his fears are realized anyway. A few of the things in the film are contrived, such as the death of one of the characters near the end, but there are some really exciting light saber battles and it's a movie that should be experienced on the big screen.

Jaw dropper of the day: Only in San Francisco, huh? The city's Center for Sex and Culture played host on Saturday to the Masturbate-A-Thon. Apparently it's an annual event and people come to celebrate playing with Rosie and her five friends in a semi-public setting. There's even an endurance competition. Last year's record was six-and-a-half hours. There is a five minute break allowed for every hour. One man, who only gave his name as Tony, gave this statement about the event, "The whole point is coming out and making love to your best friend." No question as to where his loyalties lie.

Wherever you are today, I hope YOU, like the birds, are screeching with excitement.

paul

I didn't get to finish this yesterday because there was a slight problem with our monitor. We ended up having to get a new one. It's a flat screen and it's bright!!!!

Joan Of Arcadia: It's too bad that this show didn't get renewed. After an especially dour season, the storyline between good and evil was just starting to pick up. With the introduction of a character, who was obviously supposed to be some sort of devil, the storylines could have become exciting and unpredictable. Most of the season was spent watching the characters mope and act tortured, however, the last couple of episodes did show some promise. Alas, we'll never know what might have been. 6.5 antennae

Judging Amy: Another show that didn't make the cut for next season. This show ended with Amy quitting the bench, losing her court supervised officer, and finding out one of the girls who had appeared in her courtroom had been killed. So what does she do? She goes to Washington to become a Senator. Tyne Daly's character was starting to show some promising change and she realized that she shouldn't let fear run her life and embrace the blossoming relationship with Ignacio, her landscaper. This show, like many other finales, lacked the punch and pizzazz to go out with a bang. 4 antennae

Cold Case: One of my absolute favorite shows, Cold Case's finale offered suspense, drama, and creepiness. It delved into the psychosis of many of the characters and offered a hostage situation with Lily. The villain was truly creepy and the last song played of the season, The Who's Behind Blue Eyes, was wonderful. 8 antennae

Amazing Race 7: In the penultimate episode, Rob and Amber were leading. They had been leading for most of the season. It took me a couple of episodes to get over the gay couple being eliminated. Uchenna & Joyce, overtook Rob and Amber to become the victors for this season. For a while it looked like it might be anitclimactic, but Boston Rob and his girl were put in their place. Besides they already won a million dollars, or at least she did. 7.5 antennae

Survivor: Pulau In the tenth installment of this series, first was the name of the game. Two people were off the island moments after the tribes had been chosen, the longest challenge ever, one castaway banished to an island by herself and one tribe whittled down to just one member before the merge. Not a lot of excitment most of the time, however, there were some great moments. One that sticks out was when redneck James is talking to the camera and beating himself up for getting beat during one of the challenges by Coby, the gay hairdresser. I was rooting for Jen to win but once Ian took himself out of the last challenge and Tom and Katie were left, there was no doubt who would win. And while the jury was questioning the final two, Katie hanged herself several times creating even less of a doubt that fireman Tom would win. 8.5 antennae

That's all for today. Tomorrow my review of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Here's one with Vladimir Putin and our very own George W. enjoying a nice ride together. My thanks to my friend Mikey D. for this pic and the Go Navy pic. 

Here's a couple of pics for your enjoyment. Some midshipmen at a navy game had "go navy" spelled out, however, the men with "g," "a," and "y" were standing a bit too close to each other, as you can see. I wonder if they realized this. 

Well, for us, the season is over. We've seen the season finales of our favorite shows and this season was the season of the fizzling finales. The episodes started out promising and offered excitement, suspense, adventure, however, in the final minutes the delivery was off or not there at all. Therefore, without further ado, I'll offer my ratings of some of the season finales. The rating system will be 1 antenna for a truly horrible finale to 10 antennae for a superbly fascinating finale.

Lost: The episode started with a bang, literally, as one character blew himself up in mid-sentence. The castaways on the raft faced a mysterious crew on a boat who asked for little boy Walt, and took him as his father looked on helplessly. Their boat, meanwhile, got blown up and all three of the men ended up in the water. We got a glimpse of the "big monster." The glimpse was a dust of smoke and it really sounded like some sort of machine as it attacked one of the characters. The hatch was finally opened up, however, instead of getting a look at something good, we were treated to a long tunnel leading downward. And this was the big payoff we've been waiting for? Lame-o 4 antennae

CSI: Quentin Tarantino, who directed this episode, is out of touch with reality and took arty for his own good. All of the characters in this episode were not written true to form. Catherine, Warwick, Nick, all of them were written as if they had been invaded by body snatchers. Nick, especially, was not himself. Yes, he was buried alive, however, his crying fit early on was not typical Nick. The best part of the episode was the last 20mins when the crew found Nick. Grissom showed more emotion than he's shown in five seasons, which was nice. A really nice touch is when Grissom referred to Nick as Poncho. Poncho is what Nick was called by his father. The ending, with Nick going to visit the woman in prison, was really weak. It should have ended with Grissom saying, "I want my guys back." 6 antennae

Third Watch: The very last episode ever was actually pretty good. I never watched this show every week, however, when I did watch I found it good. One of the high points was tough cop Cruz blowing herself up and taking the bad guys with her. The ending also featured a look into the future of the characters. This was a nice ending to a thrilling show. A bonus for including Doc in the episode. 8 antennae

Medium: A typical episode, even a bit ho-hum. Nothing too exciting happens and the show ends with a character in the hospital pulling out his IV. Not even a major character and no explanation as to why he's apparently killing himself. A lame 'to be continued' then appears on screen. Oh goody, looking forward to that continuation. 3 antennae

Grey's Anatomy: Not a bad episode. Filled with funny moments and poor George, one of the residents, really gets busted on and humiliated to no end. It's revealed what has happened to the main character's mother, who was once a brilliant surgeon and the ending has a bit of a twist as it's revealed that Patrick Dempsey's character is married. A twist, yes. Lame, definitely. 4 antennae

Desperate Housewives: Another example of a last episode starting off with a running start. The main mystery of the season is in fact cleared up and a revealing scene as to who really killed the "poor" girlfriend of plumber Mike. Alfre Woodard's charcter will be involved in the mystery of season 2. Her character already seems deliciously cool (and she's not white....yea!). The ending, meanwhile, lame and not a hint of suspense. 4.5 antennae

Alias: This episode featured Lena Olin, probably her last episode for a while from the looks of it. It's part Night Of The Living Dead and part 28 Days Later as the characters defuse a nuclear weapon. One character, although minor, did get iced, however, I was really hoping either Arvin Sloane or Nadia would get killed off. It was looking like Nadia might die, however, at the end it was obvious she was going to be alright. The last few minutes looked promising as Vaughn and Sydney were racing off to Santa Barbara to elope. He started to tell her that it was no accident he took her case when she first entered the CIA and he implied that he has a very shadowy past. She was starting to get scared and then BOOM they were blindsided by another car. What a cheap and lame ending. This show offered a very clever and exciting ending two years ago as Sydney awoke after a fight with an enemy. However, come to find out, she's been "gone" for two years. 3.5 antennae

Jaw dropper of the day: Ok kids let's play a game. A substitute teacher in Terre Haute, IN, has been fired. Some of the first graders in the class would not stop talking so substitute teacher Sheryl Smith taped their mouths shut. She put the tape on vertically and did not leave it on very long, however, it was long enough for some parents to complain and Smith end up fired. She alleges it was "just a little piece of Scotch tape" and that she "was just joking with them." I've no doubt these kids were laughing under their Scotch tape.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Good morning,

Another glorious day with the birds surrounding us with their song. Picture me as Julie Andrews standing outside in my front yard twirling and twirling and singing. Now wouldn't that be a sight!!!!

Exxon Mobil has passed on protecting GLBT people in their non-discrimination policy. For the 7th year in a row sexual orientation will not be included in the policy. 29.4 percent of the shareholders voted in favor of including sexual orientation in the policy, the highest percentage so far. The company used to have the sexual orientation provision but it was rescinded in 1999 when Mobil merged with Exxon. It is the only Fortune 50 company not to include orientation in its primary non-discrimination policy.

Jaw dropper of the day: The season finale of Lost. The episode started off well enough; with a bang in fact as one of the characters literally blew up mid-sentence. It was exciting, suspenseful and full of action, however, the ending gave us nothing and offered us more questions than it had already answered. What a disappointment. I haven't watched the finale of Alias yet, however, I'll be grading all of the finales for the season (of the shows that I watch anyway, I can't watch everything, sadly).

Enjoy your day,

paul

Hello,

I apologize to those of you that read this, I didn't write yesterday. It was such a gray day and I was in a gray mood and just didn't feel like it. Even God took a day off. Ooooh, I must have some sort of complex comparing myself to God.

Tonight is the big season finale of Lost and Alias. I just know that the season finale of Lost is going to have me pulling my hair out. And to think I'll have to wait almost four months before I find out what happens. This weekend I'll be rating all of the season finales (the ones I watched anyway).

Jaw dropper of the day: Let's move to Denmark. Actually I've always wanted to visit the country, I've heard the Danish are quite modern and liberal. In Copenhagen, which has the world's largest sperm bank (now there's an idea for a field trip), authorities plan to start taxing donors. Now donors receive 500 crown, about $84 US dollars. According to Cryos International Sperm Bank, "it's a special kind of work and cannot be compared to a normal working income." The bank is afraid the tax will deter donors from making deposits. Typically, Cryos receives between 30-60 donors A DAY at its three branches. Wow, talk about a possible low sperm count. Oh, I couldn't resist.

Enjoy your day,

paul

By the way, the season finale of Desperate Housewives was really pretty good. It wrapped up the mystery of Mary Alice and Zack and Paul Young. There weren't a lot of so called surprises, however, the revelation that Mary Alice, not Paul, killed Deirdre was a bit of a twist. Now as Teri Hatcher's character, Susan, sits being held hostage by Zack we have to wait to find out what happens to Mike Delfino. Zack is determined to kill Mike because he thinks Mike killed his father. Mike walks in the door and.......will Mike survive? My guess is no and Zack will be sent away. The mystery next season will involve Alfre Woodard, who's already been introduced.

A new day has dawned, the birds are singing their joyous song, the sun is rising to burn off the morning dew, everything is waking up, rejuvenated and refreshed. Oh, gag me with a spoon!!!!! Somebody stop me, I sound like a hallmark card. Yes, it's Monday and if you live in Western, NY, you may be excitied that Bushie is coming to visit Rochester tomorrow. Or you may be like me and can't care less.

Jaw dropper of the day: Talk about preventing one's daughter from seeing someone. A man in Eagle, Idaho, west of Boise, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault and felony kidnapping. 49-year old Paul David Thomas, forced his daughter's 18 year old boyfriend into his van during the boy's lunch hour. He forced the teen into his van in front of Eagle High School and told the teen he had a knife and threatened violence against him all because the teen persisted in seeing the man's daughter. The teen escaped the van while it was stopped at an intersection and he got into another car, which just happened to have some of the teen's classmates. The father then followed the car and the teen phoned the police using a phone of one of his classmates. That sounds like one scary father. Maybe the boy should just find another girlfriend. There are other fish in the sea.

Enjoy your day,

paul

The big news this weekend: Star Wars and Saddam's underpants. Yes, Saddam does wear briefs as witnessed by the pics of him in The Sun and New York Post and all over the news. And Star Wars is the number one movie of the weekend; duh!!!

Jaw dropper of the day: A NYC man was saved from burning up by some special liquid. A wheelchair bound Vietnam Vet, Francis Abrams, was riding the subway when some teens set a plastic bag, attached to the wheelchair, on fire. The flames then spread up to Abrams's jacket and could have burned his entire body. However, two women, one with a baby, doused the flames. One woman doused the flames with a bottle of water, the other woman, who was carrying a baby, doused them with a cup of freshly pumped breast milk. The man was saved and officers confirmed the fire was put out with breast milk. The teens, thankfully, were later caught.

Enjoy your evening,

paul

For fun

Here's a cool link with some pics and a quiz. Decide which pics are real or fake. I did terrible. I only got 2 out of 10 right.

http://i.euniverse.com/funpages/cms_content/4462/real_or_hoax1.swf

first one of the season

We're finally getting our first thunderstorm of spring. Ever since I was little I've enjoyed thunderstorms. The louder the thunder, the better. I like how quickly it gets dark and the flashes of lightning and the rumbles from overhead. The claps have always freaked me out but only a little bit just because they are so sudden.

In my humble opinion: One of the best movies of the year so far is definitely Walk On Water. It's directed by Israeli director Eytan Fox. He also directed Yossi & Jagger, a film about two army men who form a relationship while in camp on the Israel-Lebanon border. The new movie, Walk On Water tells the story of Eyal, a hardened hitman living in Israel who is charged with befriending a young man and his sister in order to get information about their grandfather who is responsible for some crimes during WWII. Eyal bugs the apartment in order to find out what, if anything, the siblings know about their grandfather. Eyal acts as a tour guide and the three of them visit several attractions such as the Dead Sea.

Axel, the young man, it turns out is gay and Eyal finds this out as the film progresses and when Axel returns home to Berlin, Eyal is forced to travel there in order to attend a birthday party for Axel's father. The final scenes in which Eyal discovers Axel's criminal grandfather and the moment when Axel realizes Eyal is not who he has seemed, provide some wonderful quiet suspense. The movie also uses a lot of music to correspond to the characters shifting moods and their slowly changing ideals. Of course any movie that uses Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love, one of the few Boss tunes I really like, has got to be good. The tunnel in this movie is not necessarily a literal one, instead it's the tunnel the characters go through to reach the other side.

One of the best scenes is a scene in which Eyal, a total straight man, and Axel sit in a gay bar and Eyal gets a brief instruction on gay sex. It's not played for laughs, however, the fact that the characters are genuine and not stereotypical, does offer the scene some chuckles. Definitely good chuckles. It's a MUST SEE.

That's all for now, enjoy your day..........

paul

Absolutely beautiful here in Western, NY, and the birds are going to eat us out of house and home. They have really been eating a great deal lately. I would have thought they would let up and scrounge for other kinds of food besides our bird seed. The bluejays are such slobs. Everytime I see them out there they are throwing their food around and making a mess. Just like two year olds.

I have two video picks this week: The first one is a movie called The Green Butchers. It's a movie in the tradition of Eating Raoul and Sweeney Todd. It focuses on two butchers who open their own business and one of them stumbles upon a way to make his marinade more tasty. The one character who discovers this "secret" ingredient is not the sharpest tool in the shed and before the two of them know it their scheme spirals out of control and threatens to ruin them. There is an interesting side story with the mentally handicapped brother of one of the butchers. It's well done and while it is a bit predictable with a typical hollywood ending (it's not a hollywood movie) it's engaging and has a good pace. It is subtitled so if that doesn't scare you off, then check it out.

My second pick is a sprawling film from 1961 with an all star cast. Judgment At Nuremberg spans the trial of several judges who ruled during the atrocities of WWII. Set a couple of years after the war, the film takes us through the witnesses of the trial, the burden of the tribunal to decide if these judges are guilty or not and just who does share the guilt during a war. Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift and Maximilian Schell (who deservedly won an Oscar for his role) star in the film. It's a finely made film and lest you think it's outdated then take a look at what's going on in our world right now especially the controversy in our judicial system.

Jaw dropper of the day: A village in Moscow is mourning the loss of its lake. All that's left of a lake in the Nizhegorodskaya region which is East of Moscow on the Volga river is a muddy hole. Of course it's not all that bizarre; officials think an underground water course or cave sucked the water down. Of course one woman thought that America took the lake. Even America isn't that good.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Jaw dropper of the day: This lesser panda at a zoo in the Chiba zoological park, southeast of Tokyo, can stand on its two legs for about 10 seconds when it sees something interesting. Unlike a typical black and white panda, the lesser panda has brown fur and a white stripe on its tail. Is it just me or does this look like someone in a panda suit? It's actually kind of creepy. Oh well, enjoy anyway. Here's the link if you want to read the whole story. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050519/od_afp/japananimalpandaoffbeat_050519153203 

Here's one of our pretty goldfinch birds. They are so small (they really do look like tweety bird. Tweety could have been a canary or goldfinch). 

I finally got a really good one!!!! Here's a rose breasted grossbeak at our feeder. We actually have a few of them every day. He looks quite proud doesn't he? If I looked as pretty as he did, I'd be all puffed up like that too. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050519/od_afp/japananimalpandaoffbeat_050519153203

Let me try this again!!!!

Sorry, how about I put in this link again so it's clickable. I'll get the hang of it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050519/od_afp/japananimalpandaoffbeat_050519153203

Sorry about that. I didn't realize the link was not in the email. It's kind of hard to click on it if it's not accessible. Here it is.

http://www.softlab.ece.ntua.gr/~sivann/pub/swf/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

http://www.softlab.ece.ntua.gr/~sivann/pub/swf/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

Here's a neat link that I was sent. This is for all of you who tire of the "send this to 5 people in 10 minutes or you are a loser," emails. Or "send this to 10 of your best friends and you'll become a millionaire."

Enjoy

It's a fabulous day to be alive, but then again so is everyday. I've been outside taking more pics of our birds. I'll post a few in a bit here. I've got a couple with goldfinchs and a couple with red breasted grossbeaks. The northern orioles still have not been back and after we went out and got some special suet for them too.

jaw dropper of the day: Some of us know people who could benefit from a law like this. In Icononzo, Colombia, a small town about 40mi southwest of Bogota, a law was passed about six months ago that makes it a crime to gossip or spread rumors. This is punishable by $150,000 or up to 4 years in prison. Apparently people in Colombia have been spreading rumors and telling untrue gossip about people and those people have been ending up in jail or worse being murdered. Jesus Ignacio Jimenez, the mayor of Icononzo, claims that gossip in a place like Colombia can have "serious consequences." In other words, it can be murder, literally. So far no one has been caught gossiping or telling rumors since this law has passed (hmmm). I guess that means people are just being more careful about who they gossip to. Either that or they are just watching their mouths. Of course, as my sister pointed out to my stepfather once when he told her to watch her mouth, her nose was in the way so she couldn't.

Enjoy your day,

paul

wee weener winkie

Today is the day that season 4 of the most quintessential show about nothing, that really had something to say, is released on dvd. The 4th season of Seinfeld is out today and only a few months after the release of the first 3 seasons. It's nice that they don't wait so long between releases of the different seasons. My personal favorites are The Puffy Shirt and The Doll. Alas, those are in seasons 5 and 7, respectively.

Jaw dropper of the day: Grill owner Loyd Ardrey, of South Carolina, says, "I just want my weenie back." Someone stole a 12-foot long smiling hot dog sign from Ardrey's Ebenezer Grill in South Carolina. The sign weighs about 35 pounds and cost around $750 to make. The police say that the screws were taken out and someone made off with the sign. According to Ardrey, people use the grill restaurant as a marker to locate professional offices which are nearby. Before the hot dog was stolen, Ardrey wanted to make up bumper stickers that read: Ebenezer Grill-Look for the big weenie. Now it seems more than a few people are doing just that.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Survivor:The next day

If you had asked me before the jury tribal council if I had wanted Tom to win, I would have said no because he is arrogant, chauvinistic, and acts like his shit doesn't stink. That was before the final tribal council and after the final tribal council, watching Katie hang herself and not at least pretend she wants people's votes, I was definitely rooting for Tom.

Survivor: Palau had a lot of firsts; the longest challenge (over 11 hours), two members booted off (not voted as there was no vote) right after the tribes were chosen, the first tribal council held at a challenge and one of the most popular (in a good way) women players: Stephenie. I like to think of her as the female Rupert. Rupert was very popular and a favorite to win, Stephenie was the same way.

The reunion show was good and I'm glad they continue to have Jeff Probst host it. Coby, the gay hairdresser, adopted his cousin's newborn daughter and named her Janu. That was a touching moment. The next Survivor will start in September and be held in Guatemala. Exciting!!!!

Katie Gallagher hung herself during the jury. Tom Westman has won the 10th season of Survivor. Survivor Palau winner: Tom Westman.

Well I was wrong, Jen didn't win. The final tribal council with the jury speaking out was quite exciting. Katie is a piece of work. She acted like she didn't even want to win. She even told Janu that she didn't expect Janu's vote so she didn't feel as if she needed to answer Janu's question. After watching the jury I'm hoping Tom wins.

Had a wonderful Sunday here in Western, NY. Today was the first day we used our new projector at church. We still have a few glitches to work out but it was so nice to finally have it up and be able to use it.

Tonight is the big finale of Survivor. My money is on Jen, possibly Katie but I'll be surprised if Tom or Ian wins. Of course I've been wrong before and it's possible I'll be wrong again.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening.

paul

A truly gray day here in Western, NY. A good day to be inside which is exactly what we were. My spouse and I spent some time with a good couple friend of ours from church. We went to see Monster-In-Law. It was truly enjoyable and very funny. The writing was very funny at times and Jane Fonda was hilarious. Jennifer Lopez wasn't bad and Wanda Sykes, another funny lady, proved that she can hold her own with Jane Fonda. I recommend it.

That's it for now. Dinner time. My spouse is making a dish that is like pizza but not really pizza (hahaha).

enjoy your evening,

paul

It's another glorious day although it's still a bit chilly. Thank heavens it's the weekend.

My video pick of the week: It's not a new movie, in fact it was released in the mid 80's and it's probably not a movie many have seen. Brazil is the movie I recently watched and totally enjoyed. It stars Katherine Helmond, Robert DeNiro, Jonathan Pryce, Jim Broadbent, and Ian Holm. It's got car chases, murder, shootouts, romance, fantasy, intrigue, betrayal, comedy, and action. It's got everything and the story moves briskly. Some of the fantasy scenes are a bit much and the end chase is a little long but the ending is a bit of a shocker. I was a little upset by the ending, however, the whole movie was wonderful. It told a great story. It's also a story that can easily be applied to today's hustle and bustle.

That's all for now, enjoy your day and have a pleasant weekend,

paul

Oh my gosh it's so cold!!!!!! It's really just the wind that is cold but the sun is out and the birds are feeding and singing. I've been experimenting with my digital camera and trying to get some pics of the birds. I got a few and a little later I'll try to get some more. The biggest problem I'm having is keeping the camera steady when I get ready to shoot.

Jaw dropper of the day: Jesus Christ is alive and well and living in West Virginia? Yes, it's true, although he's not the same one as the J.C. who died on the cross. The man born Peter Robert Phillips Jr moved to West Virginia and attempted to get a driver's license in the state with the name Jesus Christ. He was refused despite the fact that he already has a US passport, social security card and Washington license bearing the name JC. His birth certificate from Florida provided the snafu; it has his birth name. Phillips attempted to legally change his name in 2003 but was rejected in a court of law because taking the name could "provoke a violent reaction or significantly offend people." Phillips's lawyer argued that his client had already changed his name 15 years earlier and has been using the name "without incident." Why all the hassle? Phillips, um, I mean Christ wanted to express his faith and love to himself, um, I mean to Jesus. It's all so confusing. If he wants to express his love to the son of God why doesn't he just wear a cross or carry a rosary?

That's all for today.

paul

Another beautiful day, the kind of day that should make one happy to be alive.

Jaw dropper of the day: Imagine my surprise when on my way home from work this morning I heard that the cutest couple of the new millennium got married. Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney (yowsa!) tied the knot. Chesney is no longer on the market. It's about time Zellweger found someone worthy of her. After being linked with Jim Carrey and White Stripes singer Jack White she made a good choice of man to marry. Here's hoping that the marriage lasts longer than the box office run of one of her movies or the chart run of one of his albums.

Enjoy your evening,

paul

Another pic of Bushie and Abdullah. See the Pres is for gay marriage.  

Anyone watch Desperate Housewives? Last night's show was really good. One of my favorite scenes was when Felicia, murdered Martha's sister, said to the creepy Paul Young, "I'm not my sister Martha, you don't want to screw with me." Then when he left her house she revealed a knife she had hidden. Oh goody!!!! I am sick of Gabrielle. She is spoiled, irritating, obnoxious and so friggin' shallow. Of course she will probably lose the baby. She is also stupid because anyone who would cheat on someone that looks like her husband Carlos needs a good slap upside the head. He's a looker!!!!!! And that episode is just one more reason why Teri Hatcher won the Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy. She deserved it. Now if only the other housewives would cut her some slack.

Jaw dropper of the day: Talk about having too much time on your hands at school. A high schooler in Hazen, ND, and one of his friends are in hot water after one of the boys was put on ebay to be sold. The two boys lost their computer privileges at school for the rest of the year (oooh, big punishment since it's already May) after one boy was put on ebay as an item to be purchased. The mother of the boy being sold thought it was funny and thought the prinicpal "blew the whole thing out of proportion." Two of the boys friends actually put bids in and got it up to $3,300. Hmmm, I wonder how much I could get for my spouse.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Another beautiful day here in Western, NY, where we spent more time watching the birds at our feeder. I could just do that all day (that is if I didn't have a life). We saw the female and male Northern Oriole again and I'm pestering my spouse to keep suet in the house because that's what they seem to like to eat.

Jaw dropper of the day: As if the face of the Virgin Mary in the grilled cheese sandwich wasn't enough; a man from Newton, NJ, carved the face of the runaway bride in a piece of toast. The bride to be is Jennifer Wilbanks who ran away to New Mexico because she was nervous about getting married. Perry Lonzello from New Jersey etched her face in a piece of Wonder bread and put it on ebay to be sold. As of Friday the price was up to $15,400. The bidding closes today. In 2004 the grilled cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary's face sold for $28,000. Next up, the face of Elvis Presley on rye. And then the image of Princess Diana on pumpernickel. There's no end to this craziness.

Enjoy your evening,

paul

Spent more time out at the feeder today. We saw some goldfinchs, bluejays, a cardinal and a beautiful bird that I've only seen pics of, a Northern Oriole. We saw a male and female. The male, described by my spouse as liquid gold when he flies (the bird not my spouse), was yellowish-orange, black and white. He was so magnificent. We also saw a rose breasted grossbeak. Very pretty. I like our birds.

For those of you who want a chuckle, here's a pic of crown prince Abdullah and Bush holding hands.

paul

How cute!!!! 

Are you outside enjoying the weather? It's a beautiful day. I was outside mowing and my spouse and I did something we had never done before. We both went outside and sat in the grass and watched the birds at the bird feeder. It was fun, enjoyable. In a bit we'll be taking a little hike at Letchworth Park.

I watched the first season of Dynasty. It recently came out on dvd and I wanted to watch how it all started. I remember growing up I got hooked on it somehow; probably my mom or my grandmother (my grandmother did watch Dallas so it's possible I first saw Dynasty with her). Anyway, I remember when I was 11, the show had been on for a few years, and on Wednesday nights I would sneak out of bed and turn the tv on (thankfully there was one in my room) and watch on Wednesday nights. I'd have the sound turn down to low so my mom and stepdad wouldn't hear and if I heard footsteps or something I'd turn the tv off real quick. I really liked watching Krystle and Alexis and their many catfights. The first season was bland and many characters spent most of the season just moping. Krystle wasn't like I remembered her, Blake treated her like a servant and she didn't really seem to carry any weight within the family. Maybe that was just the first season. The character of Fallon was a real witch and "Alexis" (really just a woman who was meant to look like Joan Collins) didn't come onto the scene until the final minute of the final episode of season 1 and wasn't introduced until season 2. Even the theme of the show was a bit different during the first season. I'm looking forward to season 2.

Jaw dropper of the day: Dennis Kozlowski, the former CEO of Tyco, during his trial for securities fraud was asked about an omission on his 1999 tax return. Kozlowski neglected to claim on his return a $25 million dollar bonus and then stated at his trial that he didn't notice it was missing from the return. Oh, come now, how ridiculous is that?

Enjoy the rest of your day,

paul

summer movies edition

It was an absolutely beautiful day today. Not too warm, nice breeze, sunny. I walked outside barefoot for a while and just enjoyed the feeling of the grass between my toes. Soon the fireflies will be out and it will be a veritable lightshow as it gets darker. That's always enjoyable to me.

Here's the list of the summer movies I'm really looking forward to. These are the movies I plan to shell out $6 for. I always try to go to matinees because I don't want to pay $2-3 more dollars for an evening show.

Monster-In-Law: Whatever you may think of Jane Fonda, she is talented and I for one am looking forward to seeing her back on the big screen as an over the top mother in law. JLo plays her "poor" daughter-in-law.

Cinderella Man: The reteaming of Ron Howard and Russell Crowe. Crowe is a wonderful actor and despite his turbulent personal life he knows how to deliver on screen. Also on screen with him is Renee Zellweger, another one of my favs. I'm drooling already (only figuratively).

The 40-Year-Old Virgin: It has Steve Carrell in it. The guy from the remake of The Office and Bruce Almighty. He's funny; enough said.

Bewitched: Not a true reworking of the original series. In the movie Darrin and Samantha don't already know each other and she is hired on his tv show. Shirley MacLaine plays Endora and Steve Carrell (yes, him again) plays Uncle Arthur. I hope he does Paul Lynde proud.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: Only because I've watched all of the other ones and I'm interested to see how Anakin becomes Darth Vader and besides my spouse will want to see it so I'll happily accompany him.

Honorable Mention to War Of The Worlds: The original still creeps me out a bit, however, I will go to check out Tom Cruise as action/sci fi hero and of course cute and not so little anymore Dakota Fanning is in it. This is an event movie in the same vein as Independence Day and one reason I'll go is because many people will be talking about it and I don't want to be left out (haha).

That's it for now. Enjoy your evening.

paul

Have you ever just stepped outside early in the morning and just listened to all of the songs of the birds? I get out of work at 5:30 in the morning and when I arrive home I have to stand outside for a few minutes just listening to all of the different birds and their different sounds and songs. It's really amazing the sounds they make.

My spouse and I got into a little disagreement yesterday about a news story I heard. Usually we pretty much agree on social issues, however, this time we didn't. Two high school students in Minnesota were suspended for wearing buttons that said I "heart" my vagina. I can't make the heart symbol so I have to write it out. The buttons were inspired by the play The Vagina Monologues. The school, which probably has a dress code, suspended them because the buttons were inappropriate and some students found them offensive. My spouse lumped this in with free speech, however, I don't agree. I think a school is an inappropriate venue for wearing items like that and if they were in violation of the dress code then they most certainly should have been suspended. Nothing wrong with a little healthy disagreement.

That's all, enjoy your day

paul

It's been downright chilly overnight here in Western, NY. Right now it's 32 degrees but this weekend it's supposed to get up into the 70's. Finally a warming trend.

Disease of the week: Don't worry, it's nothing I have or anyone I know has. Huntington's Disease is a degeneration of brain cells in a certain area of the brain. It is genetic and as of yet there is no cure but there is treatment to control it. The symptoms are emotional disturbances, loss of intellectual faculties and uncontrolled movements. Why am I talking about this disease? Because before last weekend I had never heard of it. Last weekend we rented a terrible movie called Darkness (I only rented because it had Anna Paquin, the girl from The Piano). Anyway, one of the characters in the movie had Huntington's Disease. Fast forward to a couple of days ago when I started reading a book called Saturday and one of the characters in the book has Huntington's Disease. Then this morning driving home from work I heard about a guy from Oswego, NY, who died while climbing Mt. Everest. He was trying to raise money for awareness for, you guessed it, Huntington's Disease. How funny is life?

Jaw Dropper of the day: Picture it: You're in your car, waiting in line at the drive through and from behind you hear someone yelling at you through their window and then you hear the words, Bitch Communists. That's what happened to a couple in Columbia, South Carolina, while waiting in the drive thru line at McDonald's. Apparently the guy was offended by the bumper sticker on their car that read, Another Christian Against Bush. And yes, HORROR OF HORRORS the couple was a lesbian couple. But the guy behind them didn't know that, all he saw was the bumper sticker. Not satisfied the guy caught up to the couple a few minutes later on the Interstate and proceeded to tailgate them for a few miles before finally turning off. I've seen some bumper stickers I didn't like and that I wanted to rip off but I've never had that kind of reaction. Some people just can't control themselves. And some people are just SCARY!!!!!!

Enjoy your day and check your rearview mirror (HAHAHAHAHAHA.....evil laugh)

paul

I always feel like I should write dear blog, like dear diary when I start an entry.

What I'm listening to on the radio: I'm really liking the JoDee Messina song, My Give A Damn's Busted, the ultimate "I couldn't care less" song. And everytime I hear that Gwen Stefani song, Hollaback Girl, some masochistic part of my brain forces me to listen to it. It is annoyingly infectious. It's grown on me; like a fungus. And I've been hearing Backstreet Boys's new song. You may remember them, one of the many boy band groups from the 90's. They were arguably the most popular and their new song sounds strangely like ALL of their songs from the 90's. It's like they went into the studio and just produced the same sound, no new direction or anything. How sad.

Anyway, not much to say today, I'm tired. I'll have a doozy of a jaw dropper tomorrow. Until then, peace.

paul

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