It's another hot one. It's going to be in the 90's today. Stay cool everyone.

Who says gays don't have more fun and aren't at the center of the social stratosphere? I don't say that and after reading this article, you can't either (nyah,nyah,nyah). Check it out.

NEW YORK, NY --Gays and lesbians who read the nation's top gay newspapers are more socially outgoing, travel more frequently and are more concerned about health and fitness than the general U.S. adult population. These generally held perceptions about the country's gays and lesbians are supported by statistical findings in a just-released reader survey conducted on behalf of the National Gay Newspaper Guild.
Harris Interactive conducted the Guild reader poll and posed the same questions to a statistical sample of the U.S. population. Further comparison of off-beat topics shows that compared to the general population, the gays and lesbians that were polled:
-- are twice as likely to own an iPod;
-- are half as likely to own a Chevrolet or Buick vehicle, but more than twice as likely to own a Honda;
-- are more likely to have rented a car in the past year; and
-- are three times more likely to have a personal trainer.
"The Guild's survey provides invaluable demographic information about a highly targeted cross-section of readers from the nation's leading gay and lesbian publications," said Todd Evans, CEO of Rivendell Media, the company that organized the Guild in 1982. "Over the past 20 years of doing this report, our survey has become a benchmark resource for insight into our community."
The National Gay Newspaper Guild first surveyed its readers in 1984 to provide a reader profile to prospective advertisers. The poll is noted as one of the first statistically reliable demographic marketing studies of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) market. Conducted every four years since 1984, the Guild survey has become one of the premier U.S. sources for LGBT marketing data.
"The idea for a survey began as an advertising sales tool for member newspapers, but it has evolved to become a notable statistical profile of gays and lesbians as a target consumer market," said Evans.
Technophiles
In addition to an affinity for the iPod (17% gays, lesbians vs. 8% general population), gay and lesbian respondents in the guild survey also proved to be heavily into gadgets and the latest technology.
Those that have Internet access at home are more likely than the average U.S. adult to have broadband (66% vs. 57%) instead of a dial-up service with twice as many LGBT high-speed surfers opting for Wi-Fi access at home (25% vs. 12%). Guild readers were almost twice as likely to own a PDA or Personal Digital Assistant (25% vs. 13%) or own a wireless e-mail device such as a Blackberry (7% vs. 4%).
Gay and lesbian wireless customers are more likely to have added features on their cell phone such as a camera (25% vs. 20%) or services such as text messaging (75% vs. 66%) and e-mail (39% vs. 32%).
Readers are just as likely as the average U.S. adult to own a home computer (94% vs. 95%); however, it's more likely that the computer of choice is a laptop (46% vs. 29%). While IBM compatible computer systems were most popular among both sample sets (83% vs. 84%), Guild readers are three times more likely to own a MacIntosh (15% vs. 5%).
Guild readers also are more likely to use online travel reservations sites than other U.S. adults with airline Web sites being favored by a majority of both groups (70% vs. 54%).
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
The surveyed gays and lesbians had more than twice as many college degrees as the average U.S. adult (67% vs. 25%) with the graduating class earning more than three times as many graduate degrees (28% vs. 8%).
The gay and lesbian sample was three times as likely to belong to a health club (51% vs. 17%), with gym members three times more likely to have a personal trainer (13% vs. 4%). They also are more than twice as likely to get massages (36% vs. 14%).
Of those surveyed, the Guild readers were more likely to consume champagne (30% vs. 12%) and imported wine (43% vs. 19%) but also more likely to consumer domestic beer (76% vs. 72%). Also, readers were more likely to be brand-loyal consumers (52% vs. 38%).
Ford was an equally popular car maker among both groups (14% vs. 19%). Hondas were more than twice as popular among gays and lesbian car owners (11% vs. 5%) while there was a marked disagreement in Chevrolets (7% vs. 18%) and Buicks (1% vs. 4%).
Readers tended to have higher personal and household incomes and higher household net worth than the average U.S. adult. They were more than two times as likely to have an individual income over $50,000 (43% vs. 21%) and almost two times as likely to have a net worth over $500,000 (26% vs. 14%).
Social Creatures and World Travelers
Gay and lesbians in the poll tend to host parties at home with a clear preference for dinner parties (12% vs. 5%) and cocktail parties (10% vs. 2%) over cook-outs (7% vs. 8%).
When it comes to dining out, the gay and lesbian in the survey were half as likely to have dined out only one to five times in the past 30 days (16% vs. 37%), while twice as likely to have dined out more than 10 times (48% vs. 25%).
Guild readers also are more than three times as likely to have been to a night club (43% vs. 14%) and more than six times as likely to have been to a live theatre performance (15% vs. 2%) or museum/art gallery (13% vs. 2%) two or more times per month in the past year.
Nearly nine in ten surveyed gays and lesbians have traveled within the United Sates in the past year compared to seven in ten U.S. adults (87% vs. 70%). Readers were almost twice as like to have taken a trip outside the United States in the past three years (58% vs. 28%). Guild readers also took more than twice as many flights for personal travel in the past years (average 2.9 vs. 1.3 trips). They also were more likely to have rented a car in the past year for personal or business use (mean of 2.7 vs. 1.1 rentals).
The National Gay Newspaper Guild (www.nationalgaynewspaperguild.com) represents the top LGBT local newspapers in the nation and has a member circulation larger than the leading national LGBT magazines combined. Member publications include Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco; Bay Windows, Boston; Between the Lines, Detroit; Dallas Voice, Dallas; Frontiers, Los Angeles; Gay & Lesbian Times, San Diego; Houston Voice, Houston; New York Blade, New York; Philadelphia Gay News, Philadelphia: Southern Voice, Atlanta: Washington Blade, Washington, D.C.: The Weekly News, Miami; and Windy City Times, Chicago.
Methodology:
The 2005 NGNG Readership Survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive within the United States between October 10, 2004 and March 21, 2005. The interviewing was administered to nationwide samples of 3,801 adults (aged 18 and over) who are readers of a NGNG publication and a separate general sample of 2,731 U.S. adults (aged 18 and over).

The thought of the day: It's not premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married.

It's hard to believe it's August 1. Where does the time go to? We had a nice day yesterday at Jones Pond, a gay campground about 20 miles from where we live. Jim performed a wedding for two of the guys who have a trailer there. It was a nice ceremony and Jim used some of his shtick which included verbal participation from the audience. It was my first time there and everyone was really nice and the campground itself was pretty, relaxing, and clean. It is a clothing optional (in certain areas) camp and maybe one day I'll be comfortable enough with my own body to walk around au naturel.

Jaw dropper of the day: I wrote a couple of months ago on a procedure hospitals are using to eat away bacteria and infectious parts of the body; the use of maggots is helping get rid of infection in some cases. A woman in Bay City, Michigan, diagnosed with diabetes lost her left leg because of the disease and she also has wounds that develop on her right foot as a result of putting pressure on it. On July 6, doctors put maggots on the foot of Barbara Enser, each maggot about 2 millimeters in size. Then the wound was covered with foam, tape, and a gauze bandage. Two days later, on July 8, the maggots had swollen to about 4 millimeters and were eating away at the infection. The maggots apparently only eat infected tissue and leave healthy skin alone. They also leave an enzyme on the skin that promotes healing. When the bandages were removed on July 10, the swelling in the foot was gone, where there had been infected tissue now had healthy tissue and the maggots were removed by the use of tweezers. The skin is then rinsed with a saline solution and any remaining dead skin is cut away. How funky indeed!!!! As long as it works, but hey, no squirming.

Enjoy your day,

paul

It's a glorious Sunday morning and the start of another week (and, yes, it's back to work). It's too bad vacations can't last forever.

Jaw dropper of the day: A few years ago, in Northeastern Canada, a fisherman found a piece of Boivin cheese at the bottom of the lake. He ate the cheese and declared it to be the best cheese he had EVER eaten. With that in mind, a dairy owner threw 10 barrels of cheese into the lake (which goes down 130 feet). Now divers are trying to find the cheese. In all there are about 1700 pounds of it. Apparently depths that deep are good for cheese because it's really cold and the pressure speeds up the aging process of the cheese. Of course whether it's safe to eat is still up in the air (actually, it's below sea level, hahahaha) but we only have that lone fisherman's word on the fact that it is glorious cheese.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Both Jim and I have finished Harry Potter (Book 6). Now we anxiously (or I do anyway) await book 7, the final book in the series. We were hypothesizing about what will happen in the last book. Neither one of us thinks that the character who dies is truly dead. I won't say who it is in case someone who hasn't read it is reading this. I'm so thoughtful. Speaking of Harry Potter, a letter written by Joseph Ratzinger (before he was head honcho of the Catholic church) recently surfaced. It was in response to a letter written by a German sociologist who was criticizing J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. Part of the letter states, and I quote, "It is good that you are throwing light on Harry Potter, because these are subtle seductions that work imperceptibly, and because of that deeply, and erode Christianity in the soul before it can even grow properly." Huh?!? And the whole Catholic priest abuse scandal doesn't erode Christianity. The Potter books have done a lot of good in getting young people to read. How many other books are so anxiously waited for that children all over the world stay up until midnight just to purchase theirs?

Jaw dropper of the day: Talk about a cool treat, how about fruity and spicy popsicles? These popsicles, from the Palapa Azul ice cream company, come in flavors such as sweet corn, Mexican chocolate, and goat's milk caramel (yummalicious indeed).

Enjoy your day,

paul

Fair Friday

Slowly but surely we are getting back to our "normal" lives after our big General Conference. I am excited, however, because the next conference, in two years, will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, a place I've never been to. It is in July and yes it will be hot but it should still be fabulous. I feel spiritually renewed after this conference and have a better sense of where I want to be in my church.

Jaw dropper of the day: Tomato stains? Just use a little club soda. You might want to use a lot of club soda for this one. Fairfield, CA, an hour south of Sacramento was to hold their annual tomato toss contest. Yes, people hurl tomatoes at each other. The event was to be sponsored by Maytag, however, they pulled their support. The event, which lasts about 15-min, will probably still go on but without the tossing of the fruit (yes, tomatoes are a fruit). Does that mean it will just be called the toss contest? Or just the contest if there is to be no tossing? Oh well!

Enjoy your day,

paul

It was only in the low 80's today but it felt like a heatwave compared to the temps in Calgary. We really don't deal with the heat very well.

It's nice to be back home although Calgary is a wonderful city.

Jaw dropper of the day will return tomorrow. I'm just too tired to try and write something. I need a vacation, oh wait, I just had one.

Enjoy your evening,

paul

O Canada: The final days

The final day of our conference in Canada (the fourth nation in the world that has equal marriage for GLBT people. The "sermon" that our new moderator gave was not really a sermon but more of an "acceptance speech." She didn't really preach but it wasn't a true acceptance speech in the way that one thinks of such a speech. It was just her talking about her life experiences and her time at the conference and memories she has throughout her years in the denomination. I feel renewed spiritually and invigorated to be a part of such an important denomination.

We left Calgary today and when we got to the Calgary airport we found out that our flight to Chicago was delayed two hours. Therefore, we would be missing our connecting flight from Chicago to Rochester. We waited in line to go through customs for about an hour and then we didn't get to go through customs because the computers were down so we had to wait and go through in Chicago. We got a later flight from Chicago to Rochester but had to spend 4 hours at the airport waiting for the flight. NEVER AGAIN CHICAGO, NEVER AGAIN!!!!!! Thank God we made it home safely and not too terribly late.

This & That: During our trip to Banff to see the majestic mountains, the mosquitoes were terrible. Jim said there must have been a sign at the bottom of the mountain that read: Blood Buffet or Human Buffet.

By the way, I really like Canadian money. It's so colorful (the bills anyway) and it looks like play money but it buys real things. It certainly doesn't spend like play money though and it goes fast.

Well we are home and safe and I hope you are too.

paul

O Canada day 5

Monday was an absolute beautiful day, not just weather wise but scenery wise as well. We took a bus into Banff and spent the day surrounded by the Canadian Rockies. For lunch, we went to an Irish pub and restaurant and sat up on the second floor of the restaurant where the patio was. We sat on the patio looking right out at the massive mountains; they are just amazing. At one point we saw an elk and we also saw a mule deer. The mule deer had antlers that made it look like a reindeer, just the way the antlers were shaped. Of course, I didn't get pics of those two animals because the batteries in my digital camera had died and the gift shop we went to at one of our stops were all sold out of double AA batteries. In fact, two of the gift shops we went to were sold out. Of course they were. We also took the gondola up one of the mountains. We climbed to well over 7,000 feet. The view was incredible. The animals were very bold as they would take food offered by people. I've got some pics taken while I was feeding one of the chipmunks and the birds weren't shy either. A couple of times I thought I might get my hand taken off. The whole day was just lovely. We crashed fairly early; before 8pm.

Today is our last day and we will once again make the most of the day, enjoying the city, attending a workshop or two and trying to just relax.

Enjoy your day,

paul

O Canada Day 4

Another fabulous day in Calgary. We got to hear Bishop Steven Charleston, President of Epicopal Divinity School, preach this morning. He likes the Catholic liturgy and preaches like a Baptist. He was wonderful and he didn't overdo the Baptist preaching style. I never used to like people calling out, Hallelujah, praise the Lord, yes, Amen, etc, during service or during the sermon. I've grown tolerant of it and maybe someday I may even do it myself. If I'm so compelled to do so.

The clergy and lay people voted in a new Moderator, Rev. Nancy Wilson, will start her 6 year term in October. Fortunately, I will also be at her installation at the National Cathedral. Three people from each church participating will be serving communion/holding the elements. I'll be holding the elements from the Open Arms church. By the way, I'm getting more and more used to my digital camera. It's really true, the more you use something, the less "afraid" of it you become.

We had dinner at an Irish restaurant and pub and I had shepherd's pie for the very first time. It was really good. Of course, I will have to order it again so I can compare but I liked it. I had wanted to try it for a long time and we were at a restaurant where it was served, so I said, "what the hell."

Tomorrow we take a bus tour up to the Canadian Rockies and ride the gondola up the mountain.

We were feeling a bit peckish for some sort of dessert so we just ordered room service and here he is now.

More tomorrow,

paul

O Canada day 3

We had another fabulous day in Calgary. Surprisingly, people are really friendly, eh? The temps have been wonderful, in the 60's, and delicious (yes, my spouse really does say that).

We got to hear Bishop V. Gene Robinson preach this morning. Jim had heard him once before and I really listened to his sermon objectively, throwing out Jim's opinion; he wasn't impressed. I liked what he said, however, he didn't say anything really profound and he was not a powerful speaker; I wanted more from him. I'm really really glad I had the chance to hear him preach and how cool that he wanted to preach at an MCC conference.

Most of the workshops I attended today were good and we had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant; we even ate outside. It wasn't as nice or classy as Hy's last night but the food was good and Jim thought our waiter was family (he thinks everyone is family).

I can't believe it's already Saturday night. Where does the time go? We are going on a day trip to Banff on Monday, I'm really looking for to it.

Well, we have to find a restaurant for dinner tomorrow night; we are taking the church's alternate lay delegate and his partner out to dinner. We may even walk to the train station at some point. Not to ride the train but just to look at the station. How queer is that? Well, duh, it's par for the course.

Have a nice evening,

paul

O Canada Day 2 Cont. and Day 3:The beginning

I forgot to mention that after our fabulous dinner last night the waiter thanked us and as we were leaving he actually shook our hands. It was strange and neat at the same time. When we returned to our hotel after dinner, Ryan, the concierge was still working and we thanked him for treating us to dessert. The view of the mountains from our hotel room is simply incredible. We're off to breakfast now and then to hear V. Gene Robinson preach.

More later,

paul

By the way, not to put a damper on the vacation but I was remembering that while we were at the airport in Chicago we did a lot of walking. People seemed to be aiming for us and acting like we were invisible. It's unbelievable how rude many people are. It got to the point where Jim DID NOT move out of anyone's way. He made them walk around him. Ok, I'm done bitching.

A fabulous first full day in Calgary. We missed the morning worship service but had a nice leisurely breakfast in the hotel. We then went to a meeting with the people from our region. We are in Region 3 which covers most of the east coast and Puerto Rico. It was interesting being there and really hearing the behind the scenes of the denomination. Tomorrow I will be sitting in listening in on one of the business forums. They will be discussing the by-laws and some possible changes.

This evening after the church service we went to a restaurant called Hy's. It was a medieval/private club themed restaurant. The waitstaff were all dressed like butchers (but without the blood all over their clothes). Jim had Butterfly Neptune filet with crab meat on top and I had gorgonzola filet mignon. The food was absolutely fabulous and the waiter treated us to dessert. Actually it was from our waiter, Richard, and the guy at the hotel that recommended the restaurant. They actually paid for our dessert and they don't even know us, how cool is that. We had asked the concierge, Ryan, to recommend a good steakhouse. That's how we happened upon Hy's. The food, once again, was just fabulous. The filet mignon practically melted in my mouth.

One of the preachers at the evening service was a guy by the name of Lance. Lance really looks like he is twelve years old. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration but he really does look young. He is the kind of preacher that I would like to see more of (up and coming preachers) for our denomination, MCC.

Tomorrow V. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal bishop will be speaking. I'm looking forward to hearing him. Jim heard him speak in Boston and was not impressed but I'm looking forward to forming my own opinion.

Until tomorrow,

Paul

O Canada: Day 1

Thursday morning started with a 4am alarm as we scrambled to shower and get ready for our trip to Calgary. We must have been in the shower when the phone rang, however, there was no message. We left the house around 5:15 and Jim saw that he had a message on his cell phone. He listened to the message and we found out our 8am flight had been cancelled.

After turning around and going back home, Jim got on the phone and we got a new flight that would leave at 11am, get into Chicago just after noon (our time) and we had a 7 hour, yes, 7 hour layover in Chicago. Our flight from Chicago to Calgary didn't leave until 7:05. Originally, we were to have left Rochester at 8, arrive in Chicago at 9ish, leave Chicago at 11 and then arrive in Calgary around 1. Now here's the thing: The time in Chicago is one hour behind Rochester and Calgary is one hour behind Chicago. And after spending 7 hours in Chicago, neither Jim nor I care if we never see Chicago again. Chicago is the reason our original flight was cancelled. There was some sort of delay in Chicago and that just threw everything off.

Humor: On our flight from Rochester to Chicago, we were served tiny bags of cheddar cheese chex-type mix. Jim tore into his bag and promptly began remarking, "These look like dog treats." I started laughing and trying to get him to be quiet because the stewardess was still standing near our seats. "They taste like cat food." Hmmmm, we all know what that tastes like don't we? "Look," he said holding a single piece up. "It looks like a piece of dried bird shit with seeds in it." I laughed and dared not turn around for fear the stewardess would be glaring at us. Isn't my spouse funny?

So, we arrived in Calgary last night around 10ish (that would be 12ish)Rochester time and we saw some other people here for the conference (Chicago didn't just mess us up). We were beat. We had to wait for the shuttle to take us to our hotel and of course we had to stop at three other hotels before the driver got to ours. We didn't get to the hotel till 11:30. We promptly went up to our room and crashed.

morning after: Despite being hungry last night, we crashed. We are both ravenous this morning and are on our way to get something to eat. Worship service starts at 10:30. We missed the opening service yesterday due to arriving late, however, it should still be a wonderful conference. We are on the 17th floor and we have a nice view of the city from our window. Calgary is a real city, not like Rochester, a faux city. We can see the Canadian Rockies in the distance and we can faintly make out a patch of white on one of them that must be snow. I'm so hoping we can make it out to see them. It's only 60miles (that's about how long it is from our house to Rochester). I'll keep you posted.

Enjoy your day,

paul

The heatwave is almost over, I think. It's supposed to cool down later today and be cool (er) tomorrow. Whew!!! Thank heavens for AC. I like it and make no bones about it. I cannot imagine not having it in this weather we've been sweating in.

My Oscar video pick of the week is a film that won 76 years ago, at the third Academy Awards. All Quiet On The Western Front tells the story of German soldiers during WWI and how the war affects them. I have to tell you I wasn't sure I'd be able to sit through this movie. The sound wasn't good (thank heavens for subtitles) and it starts out really slow, taking its time to build the story. I don't think I've got short attention span, however, I've definitely been in the fast paced world a long time. I forced myself to watch and I'm glad I did. Some highlights of the film are the scene in which the wounded soldier is being visited by some of his comrades and he realizes that one of his legs has been amputated. Another one is the scene in which one of the German soldiers kills an enemy soldier and he starts talking to the dead soldier realizing that they are both men, both human, both fighting, for what? It's a powerful film and if you can sit through a film made in the late 1920's definitely check it out. The director also won the directing award.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Another Monday.........It's no surprise that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the top movie over the weekend. It's a fun film and it moves along briskly. Johnny Depp is nothing short of brilliant as he hits another weird character out of the park. He manages to be both funny and creepy at the same time. Although I don't buy his "I modeled the character as a cross between Captain Kangaroo and Mister Rogers" statement. He manages to let his Willy Wonka stand apart from Gene Wilder's in the original film.

Another blow for the Bushie camp, po George Bush, his staff just can't get a break. (That spelling error in the last sentence was intentional.) Yesterday on Meet the Press Matt Cooper, the Time magazine reporter, told Tim Russert that he found out about Valerie Plame from Rove. Of course the Republicans are calling it a smear campaign by Democrats. That's code for "we are in the wrong but we'll say anything to get people to feel sorry for us." Give it up already!!!!

Jaw dropper of the day: A couple of years ago the film Calendar Girls, which was based on the calendar of the Rylstone Women's Institue in North Yorkshire, turned real life into hilarious art. Who says the men can't have their day in the nude too? They are!! In Leland, Michigan, twelve caretakers of the school gardens are posing nude, with the props put in the appropriate places of course. One of them is the school superintendent, which, to say the least, has raised a few eyebrows. Not affiliated with the Leland Public Schools, the calendar, called "The Naked Gardener," is being used to raise money for the gardens. At $20 a pop, the first 500 have sold out. The calendars went on sale July 1. There is another printing in the works and no doubt a movie just waiting to be in the can.

Enjoy your day,

paul

We just got back from the annual pride parade in Rochester and while it's no NY or Toronto parade, it's still an event. Our float this year was Grease: Broadway in the Bowl. We have a performing area at Highland Park in Rochester called Highland Bowl. The parade ended near Highland Bowl, therefore Broadway in the Bowl. There were three or four songs from the Grease soundtrack that played over and over as we went down the street and there were about a dozen people (dressed up in leather and as pink ladies of course) that rode the float. There were about a half dozen or so more people that walked near the float. It was fun being out there showing people that one can be gay and christian. Of course the conservative christians were out there. One guy brought his three golden retrievers (they too were dressed up Grease style) and one of them was yelling, "Cruelty to animals. Somebody call PETA." I guess dogs can't be gay either.

As we were leaving we walked by a lone conservative christian who had a sign saying he was an ex-gay. As we walked by he said to us (me and my spouse), "Shame on you." My spouse retorted, "Shame on YOU." And we kept walking. The c.c. kept talking and spouting his stuff but we weren't listening. It took me by surprise to have my spouse talk back but he was very angry. Jesus never condemned people the way the c.c's do.

We got the new Harry Potter book and will hopefully be deep into it very soon. I'm very excited and there will only be one more book. :(

That's it for this evening. Enjoy yours,

paul

Today is the annual gay pride parade in Rochester, NY, and the organizers must have been sleeping on the job this year. Last year the parade went for about 10 blocks on major streets; this year it's only a block and a half and it doesn't run on a major street. Hello????!!!!?? For a group that wants to be prominent, the people in charge of such events don't always step up to the plate.

Jaw dropper of the day: I thought this one was appropriate. Norwegian homosexuals in Oslo are set to launch their own brand of soda at a gastronomic festival. The aim is to promote tolerance. Norway, one of the more liberal countries, has allowed same-sex marriage since the early 90's. However, the Prime Minister has come out against the marriage law. He is a Lutheran Minister of the Christian Democratic Party. In an ironic twist of fate, the Finance Minister is an openly gay member of the Conservative Party.

The soda, which is called homo light, is pear flavored and pink. How sssspecial is that? The group will also be selling pasta salads which are, of course, rainbow colored. The festival runs from July 27-30. Book your tickets now!!!!

Enjoy your day,

paul

The Emmy nominations were announced yesterday and while I am not a fanatic about the Emmys (like I am the Oscars) I do like to know what's nominated and who wins the major awards. It's nice to see some new blood in the Emmy noms. Desperate Housewives, House, and yes, Arrested Development. Of course old stand-bys such as West Wing and Six Feet Under are still there. I really like Arrested Development and was very happy it won the Emmy for best comedy last year. I caught season one on DVD. I'm just not able to watch it on Sundays because there are too many other shows on and we don't have Tivo, yet. The most noms went to Desperate Housewives and Will & Grace; both got 15 noms. I'm sure they'll each win at least one. The awards will be presented on Sept. 18. I probably won't watch but will catch up on the winners.

Jaw dropper of the day: Here's one for the stupid criminals record book: A woman in Brussels was arrested for shoplifting in a sports clothing shop. The woman was apprehended by police and was found to be wearing more than 10 pieces of stolen clothing. As summer temps soared into the high 80's, the woman kind of stuck out like a sore thumb with her bulk. Doesn't she know one is supposed to look bulky in the winter not the summer.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Eeeeeek it's Emily. Dennis is barely a memory and now Emily is pounding on the door of the US. A prayer for our brothers and sisters in the South.

I'm disappointed that Discovery did not launch yesterday, however, better safe than sorry. It may not be too much of a setback though if NASA can get it up in the air on Saturday.

My video pick of the week is a comedy-drama from 1978. California Suite, a movie adapted from Neil Simon's play, follows several different storylines set at a California hotel. There are some funny moments in the movie, the funniest being when Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, and their spouses suffer one pratfall after another. It's absurdly hilarious. The best vignette is the one with Maggie Smith and Michael Caine. Smith plays an actress up for an Academy Award. She is considered the dark horse. Caine plays her husband who uses his status as her accessory to his advantage. He's also bisexual. Yes, that's the future Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies sparring with Michael Caine. When Smith's character tells Caine's character she saw him hitting on a hot young stud Caine replies, "We shared a butter plate." "How spreadably cozy," Smith replies. Then she tells him, "You did everything but lick his artichoke." How deliciously campy indeed!!!! In an ironic twist, Maggie Smith actually got nominated for her role in the movie; and she won (her second Oscar). I can't help but think that Smith herself was a dark horse in the real Oscar race. The movie featured players such as Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Walter Matthau, Elaine May, and Michael Caine. Smith got the only acting nod; the film wasn't even nominated. Smith was up against actresses such as Dyan Cannon, Meryl Streep, and Maureen Stapleton. She is fabulous, she deserved to win.

I'm also raving about Word Wars: The Tiles and Tribulations on the Scrabble Game Circuit. It follows four players as they lead up to the 2002 National Scrabble Championship. These people are the ultimate nerds and have an amazing knowledge of the game scrabble and the words that can be played. These guys will put a bingo on my ass: Using all the tiles in one turn.

Well, I've rambled enough today. Enjoy your day wherever you are.

paul

Today is the big launch of the space shuttle Discovery, two and a half years after the explosion of Columbia. I remember it was February 1 (my birthday) and my spouse and I were at Indiatlantic Beach waiting for the shuttle to land. We knew we wouldn't be able to see it (Cape Canaveral was 50miles away) but we were told that we would feel the rumble as the shuttle came back into the earth's atmosphere and that we would be able to see the flash as it landed. We waited and waited and then got a call from my spouse's niece (who lives in Florida) that we should get back to the house because the shuttle exploded. It was all very surreal. Let's hope last night's fiasco during the test run (a window cover fell off and damaged some tiles which is exactly what happened to Columbia, except with Columbia a piece of foam hit the tiles). God speed to the crew of Discovery and may they have a safe return.

Jaw dropper of the day: A nice house in Washington, only a mile from George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, manicured lawn, pretty flowers adorned the lawn, picture perfect; only what was found inside was anything but pretty. A woman, her husband and daughter in Washington were told to leave their house and it was condemned after authorities found more than 300 cats in the house. The cats, many of which were sick, feral, or unhealthy, had the run of the house. Almost half of them were dead or dying and many of them were found in plastic bags (dead) around the house. Neighbors had complained of the stench coming from the house and the woman was charged with animal neglect and disposing of the animals improperly. Disgusting!!!! The house had feces and urine all over the place and many of the cats will have to be put down. Talk about the cat lady who lives down the street!!! What happened to having one or two nice cats?

Enjoy your day,

paul

It's gonna be another scorcher today. This is not the kind of weather I think of when I think of summer. I think of 70's-80's, cool, sunny, comfortable. Ahhhhhhh, wait where do I find that weather? Oh, in my head. I'm sure it's like that somewhere even though I didn't grow up with that kind of summer. I grew up in Texas where it was nice if the temps didn't reach the 100 mark.

Someone in Canada sure was excited about the 6th Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. They were so excited, in fact, that it was put on display last week at Raincoast Books Ltd. near Vancouver. The book isn't due out for another four days but several copies were sold. The customers had to be tracked down and the books returned and they also had to sign gag orders not to reveal the plot. Sounds like a spy mystery or something.

Jaw dropper of the day: There are about 10,000 prostitutes in Berlin and 63-year-old grandmother and wife Renate Dolle is one of them. She's been prostituting for 49years and plans to retire next year when she turns 64. Her husband drops her off every night (how open minded of him) and on a good night she can have as many as 5 clients at $36 each. Wow!!!! The prostitutes in our country would never make it on that.

Wherever you are today, be safe.

paul

Another Monday and another long hurricane season ahead. We are really lucky to live in a part of the world that doesn't get hurricanes. We only have to deal with snowstorms, ice storms, and mud. Seriously though, when looking around at other parts of the country and the weather they have to deal with (mudslides, tornadoes, etc) we really should count our blessings.

Jaw dropper of the day: If you are afraid of the dark this is one restaurant you don't want to go to. Dans Le Noir (In The Dark) is a restaurant in Paris that serves people in the dark. It's the third such restaurant in Europe where customers order and eat their food in the dark. To make their way to the bathroom they must rely on staff, many of whom are actually blind. The restaurants were opened with the help of the charity, Action For Blind People. It's meant to give people a taste of what it's like to be blind. It's a real restaurant only there are no lights. I think the idea of not being able to see what is being eaten is freaky. And I'd want to know if the cooks are blind too. Can THEY see what they are cooking? It's a family friendly restaurant and kids are welcome too. Just remember to be respectful of the other people eating and keep your voice down.

Wherever you are today, enjoy it.
paul

Today is the annual pride worship and picnic and next week is the pride parade. I enjoy marching in the parade. It's nice to be able to express oneself without hurting someone else. Of course the more I see and hear about what goes on in our world, the more I realize that many people in our country are not civilized. Many people are very ignorant and so quick to hurt and shame others. It's really sad.

Tonight is the premiere of Hogan Knows Best, a reality show that focuses on Hulk Hogan and his clan in the same vein as The Osbournes. Just what we need-another reality show.

Jaw dropper of the day: A man in Oregon sure knows how to get a girl's attention. 38-year-old Todd Grannis decided to propose to his girlfriend but not before performing a dangerous stunt. He put on a gasoline soaked cape, climbed a 10 foot scaffold, was set on fire and then plunged into a swimming pool. Afterwards Grannis got on his knee and proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes but was allegedly a little angry for his stunt. He reportedly told her, "Honey, you make me hot." Now there's an original line.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Well the cat's out of the bag, Jim now knows that I'm smitten with the laptop. However, before I used the laptop this morning, I could not for the life of me figure out how to turn it on. I told you I was technically challenged. That's ok, in the past I've also had trouble figuring out how to turn on a shower. At least I can tie my own shoe.

Enjoy your evening,

paul

It's an overcast Saturday here in Western, NY. Jim volunteered to man an information booth for the hospice company he works for, unfortunately, for him, it turned out to be a Saturday morning. So we're in Rochester and he's helping to run an information booth at the Camp Good Days. I'm sitting here writing my blog on a laptop. I've never been technically inclined (that's Jim's area of expertise, one of them anyway) and while I know how to surf the web and basically use a computer, that's been the extent of my interest in computers. However, sitting here working on this laptop, I feel differently. I think I want one; they are very cool and convenient. The one I'm working on right now isn't huge, in fact, for my size it fits me. Hmmm.... now to start dropping hints that I may want one for Christmas.

Jaw dropper of the day: Furniture movers in Selma, Alabama, got a shock while they were moving a couch from the home of a deceased woman. They found an active grenade stuck in the bottom of the couch. The ATF, FBI and the Bomb Squad were called in (do you think they should have also called in the National Guard?) and they had to use a robot with a camera to get to the grenade. They could not tell from the camera, however, if the pin was still in the grenade so one of the members of the bomb squad had to look. Yup, it was still in. Jeez, Louise, if it wasn't still in and the grenade was active, I would imagine that it would have exploded long ago. The woman's son, who is also deceased, had been in the military but it's not known for sure how it got there.

Wherever you are today, enjoy.

paul

Multiple explosions have rocked London and created chaos in that country. This a day after the announcement that London will host the 2012 Olympic games and the start of the G8 summit. Coincidence? I don't think so. The terrorists continue to create turmoil and cause death.

Nature appreciation: There is a stretch of road in Henrietta, a town in Rochester, which is lined with the mall and a Wegman's and multiple other stores. It's a very busy stretch of road. Each spring and summer there is always a flock of Canada geese that literally stop traffic while they cross the road. It's sometimes amusing, sometimes frustrating (if one is in a hurry), but it always makes me stop and think I need to appreciate life and what's in it more. I even recently noticed a flock of geese that frolic on the lawn outside the building in which I work. They are out there every morning as I'm leaving.

Jaw dropper of the day: In Berlin, a driver who was racing in a Porsche at the airport with other members of a local Porsche club, got a surprise when a plane landed on his roof. The plane, a single engine plane, landed on the roof of the Porsche as it was travelling 100mph. There was a lot of damage done to both the plane and the car but neither pilot nor driver were hurt. The plane was steady on top of the roof at first then the driver slammed on the brakes and sent the plane crashing to the ground.

Enjoy your day,

paul

It's another sultry day. It was in the 90's here yesterday and we're supposed to get some rain (finally) today and tomorrow. Well Independence Day is over for another year yet we should continue to remember those who died while fighting.

Jaw dropper of the day: Many of you know that NASA fired at a comet. The size of the projectile was the size of a refrigerator. Damn, I guess that means they can't film Armageddon Part II. Anyway, one woman in Moscow is calling the explosion an attack on the "holy of the holies." Yes, Marina Bai is suing NASA for about 8.7 billion rubles (that's 300 million US dollars). Bai, an astrologist, claims that the explosion of the comet will upset her horoscope and that it violates her spiritual rights. She originally tried to stop NASA from shooting at the comet but the court would not hear her case. A higher court did intervene but by then it was too late. I guess it just goes to show you, anyone can be sued, even NASA.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Happy Independence Day!!! Many of you probably have the day off; I don't. I had to work last night and again tonight but I get paid double time and a half for every holiday I work. That's nothing to sneeze at. Although I have been sneezing a lot lately, sinuses & allergies are not pretty.

Jaw dropper of the day: Guess which country usually ranks as one of the lowest in the poll of international lovers: Hong Kong. Apparently many in Hong Kong don't know their body parts or how to use them for sexual purposes. The inquiries to the Family Planning Association on how to have sex went up by 50% last year. Many men in Hong Kong would rather go to work than have sex and on average people in Hong Kong have sex 79 times a year. The French by contrast have it 137 times. That's one area I don't have a problem with.

Enjoy your day,

paul

An absolutely wonderful and mildly temperatured day. It's not humid, it's not cold, it's just right. This must be what Goldilocks felt like eating Baby Bear's porridge, sitting in his chair, and sleeping in his bed.

My classic video pick of the week this week is a 1945 Billy Wilder movie titled The Lost Weekend. It stars Ray Milland (who deservedly won the Oscar) as an alcoholic who goes on a weekend bender. Milland captures the desperation and ugliness of alcoholism including the hallucinations he experiences as a result. Jane Wyman stars as his codependent, oops, I mean his loyal and devoted girlfriend. Why she didn't leave him a long time ago is beyond me but then again why does anyone stay with someone unhealthy....it must be love. The film is a bit much at times such as when Milland falls down some stairs and the ending is just too pat. Suddenly he realizes he needs help. All in all a good film and is highly recommended. I'm surprised Hollywood hasn't remade this film yet. I'm seeing Tom Hanks or Sean Penn in the remake. Speaking of actors why is it that so many actors/entertainers from the 50's and 60's were once so svelte and now that are so heavy? Elizabeth Taylor used to be stunning as did Shelly Winters, yes even Ms. Winters was once thin. And believe it or not Burl Ives was not always overweight and the same goes for Della Reese. What happened????

Jaw dropper of the day: A 14-year-old girl in New Hampshire got a shock when she went to use the outhouse at a log cabin rest stop near Albany. The girl was going to use the outhouse at the Kancamagus Scenic Byway when she noticed something in the waste tank in the outhouse; a man's face looking up at her. Police think the man crawled in through the toilet seat and did not know how long he had been there. He's been charged with criminal trespass and goes to court on July 19th. Now that's just so disgusting.

Take a moment of silence today for the passing of Luther Vandross and the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor.

Enjoy your day,

paul

The end of the week is finally here and the heat wave has subsided. It's a bit cooler on this Friday evening, the weekend before Independence Day. One of my favorite things about living in the country is seeing all of the fireflies during the summer. At night I can go out, stand in the middle of the road, and see hundreds of fireflies. If I stand still long enough I'll see them very close to me. It's something I never seem to tire of.

I for one am tired of hearing about Tom Cruise. Yes, I'm going to see "his" movie this weekend, however, that's because it's Steven Spielberg and I like Spielberg and I think the film might be good. I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise. While I've seen his movies, I don't think he's a great actor. Has he had some good roles, yes. I've only seen a couple of movies with him in which I thought HE was really good. The films he's been in have been good but very rarely have I singled him out. Anyway, I think he has some good points about psychiatry and medication, they can be dangerous. At the same time I think he is extreme in his thinking. With many other things in life those things can be helpful or dangerous. I for one found psychiatry very beneficial. And anyone who goes on any drug should know what the side effects are, that's just being smart. I wish he would just give it a rest already. I myself am done.

Jaw dropper of the day: I'm taking this on faith that this is real but the ugly dog contest was held in Santa Barbara, CA and the winner is truly hideous. The 14 year old Chinese crested dog has now won the contest three years in a row. Sam, as he's called, is so ugly that the judges allegedly recoiled when the dog was placed on the judge's table. The only hair Sam has is a yellowish-white patch on his head, he's blind and his eyes look like alien eyes, and he has Austin Powers teeth. Last year after Sam won a large crowd of people gathered for him at a local parade. His meals include cheese balls, sirloin steak, roasted chicken and for dessert some flan (which hides his pills). Susie Lockheed, the owner, shocks people when she kisses him. You can look at the pic for yourself and see how truly ugly this poor dog is.

Check out this pic of a 646 pound catfish that was caught in Northern Thailand in the Mekong River. It holds the record of the largest freshwater fish. Government officials and environmentalists tried negotiating for the fish's release but the male died and was of course eaten. Now that would have fed an army and then some.

War of the Worlds opened yesterday and personally I think Brooke Shields was right. Tom Cruise should stick to saving the world from aliens and leave the psycho babble to people who know what they are talking about. I'm beginning to wonder if Cruise is on drugs. And of course now comes news that his relationship with Katie Holmes is a contract. He also had a contract with Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz and once he's done with the women, the contract is done too. While he's with them, however, they get money and boosts in their careers (after Batman Begins Katie Holmes will need all the help she can get). This just fuels the speculation even more that Tom Cruise leads an alternative lifestyle (is he gay or isn't he?). Lest you think, 'But he has children' the children he has with Nicole Kidman are adopted. Hmmmmmmm

Enjoy your day,

paul

We're having another heatwave here in Western, NY, and it's not pleasant. Hot is one thing, hot and humid is something entirely different. The birds don't seem to mind the heat. They just keep eating and eating. I saw a brown headed cowbird (Jim's least favorite kind of bird) feeding another cowbird (I'm guessing her baby although he looked almost as big as she did). She would peck the seeds on the ground and then literally put the food right in his mouth. It was kind of cute in a twisted sort of way.

My video pick of last week is a 1949 film called All The King's Men. It tells the story of Willie Stark (loosely based on Huey P. Long, one time governor of Louisiana). It stars Broderick Crawford who plays Stark and appeals to the common man and becomes a popular political figure. As his popularity soars he becomes more controlling over others as he loses control of his own life. He even has his right hand man keep a little black book detailing all of the dirt on just about everyone in town. Mercedes McCambridge (who was big in radio) stars in her first film role as the manipulating assistant. McCambridge lights up the screen no matter what scene she's in and I found myself focusing on her even when she wasn't the main attraction in the scene. McCambridge (along with Crawford and the film) won an Oscar and almost 25 years after that film another generation was exposed to McCambridge's talent. In 1973 McCambridge lent her "demonic" voice to the film The Exorcist. That wasn't Linda Blair you heard, it was McCambridge giving us the shivers. And as with all classics, Hollywood is seeing the need to remake the film. Filming is currently underway to remake All The King's Men and will star Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Sean Penn and Anthony Hopkins. Having said that, the original Men was based on the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same name.

Jaw dropper of the day: A woman who was in a car crash in Tokyo was actually dead before the crash. On Sunday, a man driving with his son hit a concrete wall, rebounded and then hit the lane divider. The three year old son was thrown from the front passenger seat and both father and son were killed when they were hit by oncoming traffic. The woman, who was the wife and mother of the other two, was found near the crash but was already in a state of rigor mortis. She is believed to have died one or two days before the crash. Nothing like riding around with your dead mother/wife in the car.

Enjoy your day,

paul

Hello,

I'm back from a weekend of coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ. Had a lot of fun and rode many of the coasters (except for the really big one). I did find out why that coaster was closed. During a test run there was a malfunction (sparks flew out at one point and the car landed with a thud at one point during the run. No one was on the coaster at the time but who knows how long it will be closed. I didn't know there is a similar coaster at Cedar Point in Ohio and it had similar problems when it first opened two years ago. One thing I was appalled by was the fact that all these kids just pushed their way to the front of the lines. It was so annoying and I just felt like smacking them upside the head. Of course there were signs that said line cutters will be ejected from the park and if I wouldn't have gotten in trouble, I would have ejected them myself.

Well I'm tired and hot and cranky. I slept for only two hours yesterday. I got back into Rochester at 2:30 and then had to work last night. More tomorrow and jaw dropper will be back.

By the way, Tom Cruise is an idiot!!!!!!!! Did anyone see Matt Lauer's interview with him on Friday?

Enjoy your day,

paul

I hope everyone had a wonderful first day of summer. The first full day of summer is overcast and rain is threatening to pour out from the sky.

It appears that Saddam Hussein, the butcher of Baghdad, is a nice guy who gives out cigars and really likes Doritos. So say the guards who have watched over him during his incarceration. I really needed to know that. Poor Saddam, he gets caught in his skivvies and is really just a sweetheart. Is there any real news?

Jawdropper of the day: Another unique item on sale on Ebay. Pieces of toast bearing the image of Michael Jackson. These pieces of toast (several of which are fetching upwards of $300) all popped out of their toasters either right before or during the reading of Michael Jackson's not guilty verdict. The sad part of this story is that people will actually buy these pieces of toast and some may even eat them.

Enjoy your day,

paul

The rain is finally gone and the sun is back but the humidity and heat has not returned with the sun. I never tire of watching the birds at the feeder. They seem to be so busy these days, even more so than winter when food was scarce.

Poor Tom Cruise, he just can't get a break. He was in London for a premiere of War Of The Worlds when a man, posing as a journalist, put a microphone in Cruise's face as if he was going to interview the star. Then the microphone squirted water in Cruise's face and Cruise called the guy onto the carpet (the red one they were standing on, it was a premiere). He called the guy a jerk and said he was giving the guy an interview and he goes and does something nasty. The guy was part of a television crew filming a sketch for a comedy show for Channel 4, a publicly owned station. The last time that happened, to Sharon Osbourne, she took a bucket of water and dumped it on the interviewer.

One more note today: Many of you may know that Jennifer Wilbanks, the runaway bride, will be giving her interview to Katie Couric tomorrow night. New reports have come in now saying that while in Las Vegas Wilbanks was seen playing blackjack. She even went so far as to ask people at the blackjack table for money. She allegedly said she would soon have lots of money. Anyone thinking that Wilbanks is not getting paid for this interview, think again. In order to secure the rights to the story, NBC has paid her to give the interview and get the rights. MMMMMM I wonder if her husband was in on this.

That's all for today.

paul

Here's the jaw dropper of the day: A six legged puppy with two (yes, two) penises was found outside of a Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur. The members of the temple are taking care of the puppy and consider him a good omen. They have named him Ong Fatt (Lucky One). The six legs are visible, unfortunately, it's not a good shot of the two penises. Now that's funky!!!! 

Another gray and dreary day, a good one for going back to bed for an hour or two.

Is it just me or does anyone else NOT care about TomKat (ooooh, I'm Tom Cruise, I can propose to my sweetheart on top of the Eiffel Tower). I still think he's an idiot for making those comments about Brooke Shields. What does he know about post partum depression anyway?

Jaw dropper of the day: Southern Baptists in Nashville, Tennessee, are being told to take their children out of public schools that are tolerant of homosexuality. Who is telling them to do this? The churches of course. About 85% of Southern Baptists send their children to public schools or "godless" public schools which they are being deemed by the church. Many can't afford to send their children to private schools or home school them. It just goes to show you that the churches are getting scarier and scarier, telling people how to vote, where to send their children, how to live their lives. The church is supposed to be a spiritual place and not a place where one goes to have the pastor tell them how to make daily decisions. I've got nothing against Southern baptists, however, I do have something against ignorance.

Wherever you are today, enjoy.

paul

Jaw dropper of the day: Still don't think that innocent people are executed? Well Ting Xingshan, of Beijing, was executed in 1989 for butchering a woman. An 18 year old woman disappeared in 1987 and around the same time police found pieces of a woman that had sliced in a professional manner. Xingshan was a butcher by trade and police found out, through rumors, that Xingshan frequented a hotel where the 18 year old worked. He was arrested and sentenced to death and killed by gunshot. He claimed his innocence right up until the very end. Well, lo and behold, the 18 year old, Shi Xiaorong was later found to be serving a prison sentence for selling drugs. Not only that but her husband was serving as well. That's not the first time an innocent in Beijing has been wrongfully convicted. In April, a man was released for killing his wife. He had served 11 years of 15 when the wife turned up alive with another man. Scandalous!!!! Hey, if it can happen in Beijing, what's to say it can't happen in America?

Hello, it's finally the weekend!!!!!!! Thank God and hallelujah.

Friday rant: I am sick, sick, sick of hearing the right wingers say that the detainees at Guantanamo Bay are not being mistreated and that they are not entitled to the Geneva Convention rights. Most, if not all, of them have never even been charged with anything but pose a "threat" to our nation's security. Only a handful of them have caused any trouble after being released. I applaud Sen. Dick Durbin for the comments he made regarding Guantanamo Bay. "If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings," That is the quote that all of the right wingers are focusing on and I have to tell you he is right. There is a great article in this week's Time magazine that details the torture of the 20th hijacker, the one who didn't make it onto one of the planes on 9/11. It talks about the abuse, physical, mental, and spiritual that these soldiers are employing. Either charge the detainees or let them go. For God's sake doesn't our country look bad enough already? And that is not un-American as the Bush administration would have people believe, that is standing up for doing what is right and just.

A bit gray and rainy today but at least it's cooled down. We had a bit of a hot spell there, whew!!!

Big surprise on Terry Schiavo's autopsy (NOT!!!!). Of course it showed that she died of dehydration due to her feeding tube being removed and that she was blind. The widely seen tape of Schiavo seeming to smile and follow her mother's voice is not what it seems. Those actions, smiling and moving the head are automatic responses and do not prove that she was aware of her surroundings. Also her brain had shrunk to half the size it should have been. Personally I think the parents should just let it go once and for all. One would think that after 15 years there would have been some sort of closure.

Jaw dropper of the day: If you happen to move to Frankfurt, Germany, and decide to work at Wal-Mart then feel free to flirt while you work. A court in Germany ruled that employees can flirt with other employees while working. The clause that banned "any kind of communication that could be interpreted as sexual" was found by the court to contradict German labor laws. Pretty soon the employees will be allowed to flirt with the customers as well. We here in America never do that (right!!!!).

Enjoy your day,

paul

I finally got the mowing done; well most of it anyway. I pooped out after doing about 90% of it. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. At least it's not as humid as it has been. Tonight it's supposed to be in the 50's, how nice (I mean that).

No jaw dropper today but I am sucking on a jawbreaker right now, a fire ball (mmmmmm). I do want to say this though, let's be careful driving out there. I'm not sure if it's the nice weather or if I'm just more attuned to the crazies but people drive like maniacs. Let's all be on the defense and don't be afraid to use your horn. That's what it's there for.

Have a great day,

paul

It's another warm day and gray to boot. How dreary!!!!! I wish it would cool down and be sunny so I can get out there and mow, damnit.

Jaw dropper of the day: Talk about minding your own business one day and then dying the next. A man in Lagos was relieving himself (#1, not #2) by the side of the road when a horned African cow knocked the man down and killed him. Efforts to revive him were not successful. The cow also injured several bystanders. The man, a bus driver, was taking a leak by his bus when the cow went mad. So what's the next logical thing to do? Arrest the cow!!!! Yes, that's right, the cow was arrested by the police and they were looking for the cow's owner to charge them with failing to keep the cow under control. No word on whether they will seek manslaughter charges against the cow (oh!!!!!!!).

Enjoy your day,

paul

It's been soooooo hot that I've just not wanted to do anything. I haven't even been outside to mow the lawn, which is getting quite long. Hopefully the cool off later this week will allow me to get out there and make it look pretty.

10 years ago, in 1995, a not guilty verdict was handed down in the OJ Simpson trial. Now 10 years later, another not guilty verdict was read in the Michael Jackson trial. Not guilty on all 10 counts, a clean sweep. Many people think that this case never should have gone to trial. I think that Michael Jackson was lucky, especially in this day and age of hysteria over sexual abuse. Despite the not guilty verdict, I cannot imagine Jackson going back to his normal life, whatever normal was for him.

I've been really bad about writing, it's just been so hot and oppressive. The humidity is the killer.

Wherever you are today, enjoy yourself and stay cool.

paul

It's another scorcher. Thank heavens for air conditioning!!!!!

We went to see Mr. & Mrs. Smith today, no not the pie makers, the movie. Starring Brangelina (Brad & Angelina) the film is very tongue in cheek with some funny moments. It also has more than its share of ridiculous moments. It did have a very serious underlying theme of what can happen to a marriage if people don't tend to it every day. The lies, deceit, bitterness and anger all build up and in the film two people have to try and literally kill each other before they realize what's really important. If you are in the mood for two hours of bang, bang and shoot them up then see this movie. If you'd rather have a more believable and deep thinking movie, skip this one. I will say this though, it was a very nice ending.

Jaw dropper of the day: Two cats in Tokyo almost lost "one" of their lives when they urinated on the wrong appliance. The owner of two cats had his kitchen and living room damaged by fire when his two cats urinated on his fax machine. The electrical printing mechanism was soaked after the cats were done doing their business. The fire was caused as a result of that. No harm to the cats but the owner did suffer smoke inhalation.

Enjoy your evening,

paul

One of the great actresses of our time has passed away. I was so upset that I didn't write yesterday. Anne Bancroft has passed on due to uterine cancer. I had a feeling something was wrong when she was cast in the movie Spanglish she had to drop out and the role went to Cloris Leachman. The reason was health problems and as it turns out they were quite serious. Although she didn't win an Oscar for her role as Mrs. Robinson, Bancroft is probably best known for that role in The Graduate. She was only 6 years older that Dustin Hoffman in that movie but she was clearly supposed to be much older. Her one and only Oscar came from playing Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker.

Jaw dropper of the day: How's this for talent? Sonya Thomas, nicknamed The Black Widow, is the champion in the popcorn eating contest. In a contest sponsored by MTV, Thomas ate 10 boxes of popcorn in 12 minutes. She was tied with Rich LeFevre but some kernels missed LeFevre's mouth. For her prize, Thomas got an MTV movie awards talent gift basket. The estimated worth is $10,000. Not only is she the fastest popcorn eater but she also won the lobster eating contest. Last August she ate 38 lobsters in just 12 minutes. She also won the bean contest eating 8.4 pounds of beans and pork in only 2 min and 47 seconds. Not to rest on her laurels she's also the record holder for the hard boiled eggs contest. Lest you think that Thomas is a big girl, her weight clocks in at 105 lbs. I personally cannot watch those kind of contests as I find them revolting. Anyone eating like that is not a pleasant sight. Food is meant to be enjoyed not wolfed.

Enjoy your day,

paul

It's gonna be another warm one today but we did have a wonderful thunderstorm late yesterday afternoon. I like a good thunderstorm. Yesterday the cottonwood was flying around everywhere. It was all over the ground too and looked a bit like snow. It was a little annoying as I had the car windows open and it kept flying in my car and flying around me. I kept waving my arms trying to keep it away from me. I must have looked like I was having a seizure.

Jaw dropper of the day: I've heard of some strange things to bring through customs but this sounds fishy.....An Australian woman arriving at Melbourne airport from Singapore caught the attention of customs officials when they heard "flipping" noises coming from her waist area. Officials discovered, upon closer inspection, that the woman had an apron made out of plastic water filled bags and they contained fish. Fifty-one fish, all alive and tropical, were discovered. So far she hasn't been charged and no word on what kind of fish they are but this woman must have been BIG. Another five fish were found at her home. Whatever happened to just going to the pet store?

Enjoy your day and stay cool,

paul

Here's a pic of some of those fish in the bags the woman from Melbourne had around her waist. There were 51 fish in bags all around her waist. She wore them like an apron. Anyone know what kind of fish these are? 

I just can't seem to get the hang of getting the links in there right. Here's the link for some "bathroom" reading.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050604/ap_on_fe_st/taiwan_royal_flush

Well the weekend box office numbers are in and Cinderella Man only came in 4th behind The Longest Yard, Star Wars III and the number 1 movie, the asinine animated film Madagascar. I don't care, I enjoyed Cinderella Man and I will say it again, I'll be surprised if it doesn't walk away with some major Oscar nods. Of course I may be wrong, but it wouldn't be the first time. I just hope that angry Russell Crowe's antics don't hurt the film. Throwing a phone at a hotel clerk, come on. He thinks that just because he's sexxxxxxxy that he can act however he wants to. Ugh!!!

Jaw dropper of the day: If you happen to be in Taiwan (I know you're going for your next vacation) then you might want to check out Marton's. Marton means toilet in Chinese and toilets they have. It has a bathroom decor and the food is served in Western and Asian style toilets. Customers sit on toilet seats and urinals are part of the wall decorations. The dishes can be mixed up to resemble a veritable #2. I've included some pics of the restaurant and if you have a strong stomach then please eat there and let me know how it was. I myself think I'll pass.

Enjoy your day,

paul

And you too can have your food served in your very own toilet. Here's the webpage so you too can read the whole story on this true lavoratory experience. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050604/ap_on_fe_st/taiwan_royal_flush 

It's a restaurant the whole family can enjoy. 

Aren't the toilets pretty? These are the "chairs" the customers sit on in the restaurant. 

Another beautiful and warm day today. I guess it needs to rain (soon). Our town has issued a conserve water advisory. We are hoping that doesn't affect our well.

Jaw dropper of the day: Kylie Minogue, who was taken to Melbourne's Cabrini hospital to undergo surgery for breast cancer, caused a ruckus there when she was admitted. Minogue was given 8 out of 18 rooms used for cardio patients. The rooms were used for family and they were cleared out and guards posted and everyone who approached the rooms were treated like members of the media. Family and friends who were wishing to visit loved ones in the cardio ward had to enter through another part of the building. Apparently Minogue did not request the special treatment, however, it does seem a bit extreme. Granted she is much more popular in Australia than in America but she wasn't even a cardio patient.

Enjoy your Sunday,

paul

Rant of the week: I'm so sick of hearing about prisoner abuse, why can't something be done about this? Guantanamo Bay is currently holding around 500 some odd prisoners and most of them are not interrogated or considered to have important information. They also are not entitled to the rights of the Geneva Convention since they are not technically considered prisoners of war. There is currently a case before the Washington court of appeals to decide whether prisoners have been given all the due process they are entitled to. Just because the US is a super power does not entitle them to torture or bully detainees, they aren't even considered pow's. No wonder there is so much anti-American sentiment around the world. Am I proud to live in the US? Yes. Do I think this country has problems? Absolutely. So let's fix them already.

Fun fact: A typical Amish man walks around 18,000 steps a day; women 14,000. A typical American walks around 5,000 steps a day (taken from Time). Now maybe we should take a page from our Amish brothers and sisters and do more walking.

Video pick of the week: Continuing my quest to catch up on Oscar movies I've never seen, my pick for this week is Sayonara. Yes, that is Japanese for goodbye. The 1957 movie, filmed in Japan, tells the story of military personnel meeting and falling in love with Japanese women. A forbidden act, it details how the military brass controls their men by telling them who they can be with, love, show affection to (sound familiar?). It stars a 33 year old Marlon Brando who plays Major Gruver and how he is pro American women. That slowly changes over the course of the movie as he meets and falls in love with the head dancer of a Japanese dancing company. Miiko Taka plays the head dancer whom Brando's character falls in love with. During the movie one of Brando's men, Red Buttons, falls in love with and marries another Japanese girl. The movie chronicles the relationships of both men with their respective Japanese women. The movie is beautifully shot and though it is long and not action oriented at all, it does have a nice payoff although one couple doesn't have a "happy" ending. The movie also stars a young (29) James Garner. Seeing Garner and Brando together it was hard to decide who was sexier in their hayday. Miyoshi Umeki plays Buttons's on screen wife and both Umeki and Buttons are standouts in this movie and both won Oscars for their roles. Taka is also a standout. Brando does a fine job, however, it was hard for me to get past his "mumbling" and he always seemed to be squinting his eyes. I think he was more eye candy (for me anyway).

Enjoy your day,

paul

It's the weekend and of course it's overcast and it looks as if it might thunderstorm. I'm raving about Cinderella Man and telling everyone I see that it is a must see. It's not a perfect movie but it is a feel good movie. The only major criticism I have with the movie is it tugs at the heartstrings too much. It is still a moving piece of work and definitely an uplifitng film. Go see it today.

Jaw dropper of the day: If you go to www.tacobell.com and click on the link that says Food Sightings Museum, you can get a look at different types of food that people took pics of because the food had faces or objects within the food. As if the runaway bride on a piece of toast or the Virgin Mary in the grilled cheese wasn't enough, now we have Jesus sightings on taco bell's chalupas. People are encouraged to take pics of their own chalupa shells if they think there's a hidden image. If you go into the food sightings gallery you can look at the different images and decide if it's real or enhanced. Whatever happened to just eating the food instead of looking for hidden images?

Enjoy your Saturday,

paul

The first great movie of the summer is here. Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and directed by Ron Howard, is a wonderful and thrilling movie. Oh, I know, another boxing movie, well don't think that, this movie is a hit (pun intended).

It tell the story of James J. Braddock who was a mediocre boxer and then lost everything during the depression, including his right to box. He was a wash up and fought to provide for his family. Then when another fighter was unable to fight and they needed someone legit who could fight on short notice, Braddock is the one they turned to. No one expected him to last one round let alone win the fight. Win he did and then he went on to fight the world heavyweight champion at the age of 30 and win that fight as well. Ron Howard is a wonderful director and the editing on the film is terrific, one of the best edited movies I've seen in a while. Of course, Crowe, Zellweger, and Giamatti give great performances and I'm so envious of Zellweger as she gets to cuddle, kiss and canoodle with Crowe (hubba hubba). I'll be very surprised if this film doesn't come away with some major Oscar noms. I'm hoping that this movie does not get lost in the summer shuffle. I am a bit surprised that this wasn't released in the fall.

Jaw dropper of the day: Talk about role playing......Authorities "freed" a Berlin man who was stuffed in the trunk of a car. A concerned citizen called police and told them she saw someone being locked in the trunk of a car. However, when police opened the trunk they saw a man with just a leather throng and a collar. That's all that he was wearing. The mistress was driving and the guy in the trunk was the slave. Officers insisted the man sit in the front of the car and sent the couple on their way. No doubt to another bout of role playing somewhere else.

More later,

paul

Hit The Road Foulkes

I've never professed to be perfect but I do live the best life I can lead. I strive to be honest, true to myself, friendly with others, and do good wherever I can. That's all we can do in this life. Life is not something to get through or to suffer through, it's living each day to the best of one's ability. It's a learning process that doesn't end until death.

What I'm listening to on the radio: I'm really enjoying the new Dave Matthews Band song, American Baby. I've liked certain songs by them, however, I've never been a devoted fan. I'm also enjoying Gavin DeGraw (he sounds a bit like Jon Bon Jovi) and his new song Chariot. One other song I'm enjoying is by a rock group called Staind (I kid you not) and their song Right Here.

Jaw dropper of the day: Talk about a road trip, this is the ultimate road trip. A woman in her 80's in Melbourne, Sydney, took to the road despite being refused an extension of her license. She was denied an extension due to old age. So Marian Foulkes and her husband Tom travelled 1,400 miles from Melbourne to New South Wales. At one point during their journey a cop, who thought they were disoriented, took their car keys so they travelled by bus for the remainder of their journey. They were eventually found at a hotel in Canberra, the Australian capital. Their son reported his parents missing and they travelled for two weeks before being found by police. Both of them have varying degrees of dementia, however, they no doubt enjoyed being "on the run."

Wherever you are today, enjoy it.

paul

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