This weeks DVD releases: 4/1/2008

"Alvin and The Chipmunks" is my favorote new release for this week.Having seen it,I think it was a decent family flick and Jason Lee is one of my favorite actors.And who can resist Alvin,Simon & Theodore?

Other theatrical releases:

• "The Good Night"-stars Gwyneth Paltrow & Danny Devito-widescreen
• "Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"-Graphic Tim Burton Victorian era tale,stars Johnny Depp-2 disc set

TV on DVD:

• "Martin-The Complete Fourth Season "-4 disc set
• "Father Knows Best-Season One"-4 disc set
• "Murder,She Wrote-The Complete Eighth Season"-5 disc set
• "The Wrong Medicine-60 Minutes"
• "The Science of Sleep-60 Minutes"

Other DVD releases this week:

• "The Osmonds-in Las Vegas - Collector's Edition"-2 disc set
• "Hidalgo"-Bluray release
• "Blue Man Group - How to Be a Megastar Live!"-2 disc set

Thats all for this week.By the way,I am impressed to see that older black&white TV shows like "Father Knows Best" are becoming available on DVD.For those of you who do not buy alot of movies-alot of larger libraries carry TV series on DVD that most rental stores would not carry.

A nifty drink to hasten summertime...

As a former bartender,my husband is frequently asked how to make certain drinks and we stumbled upon a VERY simple one that was made famous by country music artist Kenny Chesney called "Cruzan Confusion".Sounded so damn good I had to share it!

1 oz Cruzan Coconut Rum
1 oz Cruzan Mango Rum
Fill with pineapple juice and add ice!

The Dangers of Drinkin' with your "Buddies".

A Muncie,Indiana man awoke very early Thursday morning after a night of drinking with his pals and found himself inside a garbage truck!At around 6am the truck driver had just emptied a receptacle and was about to activate the trash compresser when he heard screams coming from the rear of his truck.William Bowen,27,complained he was cold and told police the last thing he recalled was drinking with "the guys" around 3am Thursday and next thing he knows,he wakes up in a garbage truck,about to be turned into a human cube.He refused to "rat" on his pals and disclose who he had been drinking with.Aside from being extremely intoxicated,police say he suffered minor injuries and no charges would be filed.
Two things occur to me while reading this story-and that is when you start waking up in the back of a rolling dumpster its either time to go to AA,or dump your pals or both!I do not think for a second he crawled in there on his own.This is one of those drunk off your ass stunts,the things guys everywhere did years before shows like Jackass made it popular.Nevertheless,the guy is fortunate to be alive!

She did WHAT with pliers?

Famed attorney Gloria Allred is representing Mandi Hamlin,a Texas woman who claims she was flying from Lubbock to Dallas and forced by TSA staff to remove nipple piercings after setting off a handheld metal detector and suffered distress.One came off easy but the piercing on her other breast required the use of pliers.TSA says that they can ask piercings be removed to avoid a physical "pat-down" but Allred says her client was not given that option.
Allred said "After nipple rings are inserted, the skin can often heal around the piercing, and the rings can be extremely difficult and painful to remove." DUH! Speaking as a woman who has had major reconstructive breast surgery,I cannot fathom why one would deliberately pierce one of the most nerve-rich tissue in their bodies and mutilate it.I have no grudge against anyone who likes piercings,I am just not that into it.And maybe it is just me but wouldn't you take the piercings out (she had barbell type jewelry) before flying to avoid this kind of thing in the first place?Everyone is whining about increased airport security so this thing is bound to happen.I do feel for Ms.Hamblin but the mere fact that she felt it necessary to retain Gloria Allred,who is known for taking high profile cases tells me she wants to capitalize on it.

Snake Tales

A woman in Anne Arundel County,Maryland, was startled by an unwanted guest last weekend while watching TV in her apartment.A 3 - foot boa came slithering out from behind her entertainment center.She did not own a snake and had moved in two months ago,so its assumed a previous tenant left the snake.The snake is being held by Animal Control and if it is not claimed it will go to a reptile rescue organization.
Which begs the question-where could a 3-ft snake conceal itself in an apartment without being seen?Creepy thought!

110 Years Later....United States vs. Wong Kim Ark

A historic decision was handed down by the Supreme Court on March 28,1898, a decision that decreed any child born inside the United States to foreign parents who were NOT American citizens was indeed a U.S. citizen by virtue of birth.While it might have seemed like a good idea at the time,over a century later it is an economic,societal and diplomatic disaster.
School systems,social services and other community resources are overburdened by the very large families of illegal immigrants who are taking advantage of Americas benevolence.They know that any children born inside American borders is an "instant citizen" and therefore qualifies them for food stamps,cash assistance,Medicaid and a host of other programs.Their children are also entitled to a public education and since many of them do not speak English,all of these taxpayer funded agencies have to hire extra people who can translate.
A friend of mine who lives in a distant state reported that in her school district,public Pre-K is strictly limited to a)children in a home under the poverty level or b) children who do NOT speak English!Her tax dollars are good enough to support Pre-K instruction but her child is not welcome!The only alternative is expensive private school Pre-K or pre-school.Similar tales come in from those who have worked in a welfare office or hospital or clinic.Since Medicaid picks up the tab for prenatal care and childbirth,there is no incentive NOT to keep breeding more "citizens".
As a country,when do we stand up and say we have had enough?
Considering the horrific treatment that Chinese and other Asian immigrants received in the 1800's I can understand why it happened.(the decision)Although they worked long hours building railroads and working in mines among other things,they were severely discriminated against.Like the immigrants of 2008,they did jobs that were deemed too dangerous or difficult for anyone else.Unlike 2008 immigrants,these were proud immigrants who wanted to adapt to their new country,rather than force it to adapt to them.They were anxious and grateful for the opportunity they perceived to be here and they struggled to learn the language and understand the American culture.They did not demand to have Chinese or Cantonese translators-or run through the streets waving Peoples Republic of China flags and flaunting their illegal status.They paid their own way because there was no welfare back then.Older,more established immigrants networked to help new arrivals from their homeland to assimilate and survive.So the Supreme court could not possibly foresee the impact the decision would have decades later.
As a Mother,the reality of this decision hits my heart-The Baltimore Sun did a story not too long ago about the American-born children of illegal immigrants who have had one or both parents deported.What happens to these young Americans when their father is picked up by INS?Unfortunately this issue never came into play when the historic decision was made in 1898.
What do we do about it now?Do we give immunity to the parents,even though they are illegal,in an attempt to preserve families?Do we deport the minor children with the parents,although they are Americans just like you or I?

"Snake Oil" Salesman charged in Texas

"Bayou Bob",AKA Bob Popplewell of Santo,Texas,turned himself in to authorities on Monday to face charges brought against him by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for sticking rattlesnakes into bottles of cheap vodka to preserve them and billing it as an "ancient Asian cure" and selling it for about $23 a bottle to visitors to his Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch.He claims that alot of Asian people buy it from him and it is no different from the Taiwanese practice of spiking liquor drinks with the gallbladder of a freshly killed snake,considered an aphrodisiac elixir.Bayou Bob adds that he simply finds the cheapest vodka he can and uses it for his "miracle cure" and does not feel he is breaking the law.The State of Texas emphatically disagrees,stating that 429 bottles of snake vodka and one bottle of snake tequila was confiscated,about $10,000 worth,and since Popplewell was not licensed to sell liquor he is a criminal.He faces a year in jail and/or 1k in fines.Hopefully since he is 63 yrs old and all they will go light on him and demand in the future he refrain from selling booze.
Now I honestly have never heard of embalming a snake in a bottle of liquor.Popplewell says that his concoction tastes sweet and syrupy.Yuck!I am familiar with the whole worm in the tequila bottle thing.Most of your premium Mezcals(Monte Alban,for example) have an agave worm in the bottle and it is reputed that whoever consumes the worm in the bottle will see visions-and of that I have no doubt!I am also familiar with the practice of buying cheap corn liquor and steeping fruit in it to make a quart of brandy(alot of older people do that),but snakes?
When you consider that on average,a half gallon bottle of cheap vodka runs ten bucks,a fifth bottle even less,there was "low overhead"Popplewell got the snakes for free,because he had a snake ranch-and then he gets $23 bucks a bottle?He was making a killing and obviously not paying any taxes on it.Not to mention since he is not a licensed distiller there are no sanitation practices in place to assure the stuff is even safe to consume!Mr.Popplewell would be wise to stick to rattlesnake ranching and preferably not handle the snakes while sipping on the vodka....

World's dumbest copper thief

A Plainfield,CT man was arrested on Saturday for stealing about 30 feet worth of copper gutters from All Hallows Church ,during their Easter Vigil Service that evening.He allegedly ripped out the gutter while 200 parishioners were inside!When hearing the racket he was making,the police were called and they tracked 44 yr old Paul Bissonnette to his home,where he had fled with folded-up gutters.And get this-he was already out on bond for another previous larceny and forgery charges!What a dumbass!And who would steal from a church anyway?Is there no honor among thieves?I would be afraid of getting a direct pass to purgatory for such a thing!
Bissonnette is scheduled to appear in court April 7th and was released on $2,500 bond.The judge musta been an atheist.....

Happy Maryland Day!

Believe it or not,today is actually an obscure holiday,"Maryland Day",which commemorates the founding of Maryland by colonists on this date in 1634,sent here by Lord Baltimore himself.

But what exactly do we have to celebrate?In case you haven't noticed,living in the "Free State" is starting to cost too much.Our state sales tax recently increased by 1%,a foolhardy move considering our proximity to tax-free Delaware.The price of a pack of smokes in Maryland have skyrocketed,but we also are close to Virginia,where cigarettes are considerably cheaper.Alcohol is just as lethal as tobacco,but alcohol taxes have not been increased in our state in over a decade,excluding the sales tax increase.Don't even get me started on the smoking ban issue.

At the same time that we are paying higher service fees at the MVA,they are making it easy for illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses.While I get a decent Federal Tax Refund,I almost always end up owing Maryland money.Property taxes are being inflated in some counties to the point that they are driving out jobs and residents?We blame watermen and farmers for polluting the bay but allow unchecked development to swallow up rural areas.Do I need to go on?

All of our elected officials need to take this day to think about what direction Maryland is headed in and decide what to do next.If things keep going the way they are,they may have to think up a new state nickname.

This weeks DVD releases 3/25/2008

This week "The Mist" based on the short story by Stephen King,is released to home video and I can hardly wait to go rent it tomorrow!I read the original story many years ago and always thought it might make a good movie-I shall see!"The Mist" is available on DVD with deleted scenes.

Other theatrical releases this week:

• "The Kite Runner"-A story about two boys growing up together in Kabul.Largely Middle Eastern cast-widescreen
• "Wristcutters:A Love Story"-Strange black comedy about afterlife for suicidees.-Commentary,widescreen

Other Releases this week:

• "Bonnie & Clyde"(1967)-also on blu-ray
• "Control"
• "Lost Highway"-widescreen
• "Solomon & Sheba"(1955)-widescreen

New TV on DVD this week:

• "Wings-The 6th Season"-4 disc set
• "Sliders-the 4th Season"-5 disc set
• "Party of Five - The Complete Third Season"-5 disc set
• "Daybreak-The Complete Series"-4 disc set

That wraps up this week!It seems like every week more and more television shows from both present and past are being released on DVD-all of us have at least 2 or 3 Tv shows we love so much we would sit and watch every episode if it were on DVD!

$1350 for a cornflake?WTF???

A pair of sisters in Virginia who listed a cornflake shaped like the state of Illinois on EBay have a buyer/bidder-a Texas man who will pay $1350 for the curious cornflake and add it to his "traveling pop culture/Americana museum".Since food items are prohibited by Ebay,the sisters had to get creative and actually auction off a certificate entitling the bearer to the cornflake.
Is it just me or is this insane???I do not fault the girls selling it -but what fricking idiot spends $1350 for something I would sweep up and throw into the swill if I saw it lying on my floor at home?Who was it that said theres a sucker born every minute?P.T.Barnum?
With a recession on and gas prices like they are I think spending any amount of money on a SINGLE cornflake render someone certifiable.For that price,I hope it was Kelloggs brand and not some cheap store brand cereal!

Gee Whiz!!!

Communication Workers of America District 7 are outraged after a Qwest supervisor distributed disposable urine bags to about 25 male field technicians.The idea is to reduce the time they spend leaving a job site to find a bathroom and take a potty break and Qwest claims some men had asked for the bags.ICK!
If someone prefers to use the pee-bags that's cool but it should not be mandatory.A spokesman for the union said that the company has made an issue in the past over techs leaving a work site to find a bathroom because of the "time it wastes".If they are out where no people are they can just piss in the bushes like 98.9% of the male population does-and if they are in a place where they cannot pee outside,then WHERE are they supposed to go to pee in the bags?In the cabs of their company work trucks?Whats next?Buckets to sh*t in?
Utility companies have been buying these bags from a company called American Innotek for years for their outdoor workers and thats accomodating,but no employee should be pressured to use them instead of using a real bathroom somewhere.

Flashback Movies:"American History X"(1998)

While surfing the channels this evening I happened upon "American History X"(1998) airing on FX.One of the most controversial modern films dealing with race relations,it follows the story of an angry young white man,Derek(Edward Norton) who becames entangled with a neo-Nazi movement in Venice Beach,California after his father is killed in the line of duty by a black man he was trying to rescue from a fire.It comes to a boil when a group of black youths comes around to rob Derek and he kills one of them,and goes to prison for 3 years for manslaughter.He joins the Aryan Brotherhood for protection behind bars and comes to disagree with their practice of dealing drugs with minority gangs,which in his opinion is sleeping with the enemy.Derek is sexually assaulted by AB members after speaking his displeasure over their dealings and befriends a black inmate named Lamont-who keeps Derek safe from black gangs after the AB dumps him.
Derek comes home a more mature and changed man and he is disappointed to see that his younger brother Danny has fallen in with the neo-Nazi groups and with the help of a dedicated black teacher that both brothers respect,Derek attempts to save his brother from the same violent and hate-filled lifestyle he once led-but he might be too late.There is a graphic prison shower rape scene,and two violent death scenes but the overall story that plays out makes me cry everytime.It is offensive to some,but it accurately portrays what goes on in the streets of alot of cities everyday and it proves once and for all that people CAN change.It is brutal,raw and almost real.All of the scenes portraying flashbacks are filmed in black & white and show the destruction of Derek and Dannys family,as well as happier times when their patriarch was alive.Ten years later,it remains a powerful film.

"Hell's Kitchen" returns on Fox Tuesday,April 1st!

Hell's Kitchen will be returning to Fox in 12 days and once again we will see two teams of would-be chefs struggle to earn the right to own their own restaurant and endure profanity laced tirades from Chef Gordon Ramsey.

I was very impressed with the previous seasons and I also enjoyed "Kitchen Nightmares" with Gordon Ramsey on Fox-adapted from his BBC show "Gordon Ramseys Kitchen Nightmares",where the chef visited failing restaurants and revamped things and whipped people into shape.He IS quite abrasive and foul-mouthed but I find him hysterically funny.He doesn't clean it up for TV,they just have to F&*King edit him-LOL!

We have a family member who is a chef at a world famous restaurant and we keep threatening to "nominate" him for "Hell's Kitchen" for a chance to win his own eatery but he warns us he would listen about ten seconds of Ramseys outbursts and punch him in the face!

Some former contestants have butted heads with Chef Ramsey and alot of them have done stupid stuff like trying to serve undercooked poultry and seafood,or scooping pasta from a garbage can-nevertheless there is alot of talent out there in the world waiting to be noticed.Former contestants have included a guy who cooked in jail,nursing home cooks,pizza makers and bartenders.It will be interesting to see the "new class".

Check local TV listings for time-April 1,2008

"The Riches" Season Two Premiere

Eddie Izzard & Minnie Driver as "The Riches"

The 2nd season premiere of the FX original series "The Riches" last night was exquisite and full of the chaos that surrounds the Malloy clan and everyone around them.The stolen money Dahlia buried is revealed to have been found by adorable little Sam.Just as things are starting to jump off with evil Traveler family member Dale in the picture,a very drunk and belligerent Hugh shows up in a most comical way-as Wayne is trying to leave in a car with the hapless Pete's corpse in the trunk.As Wayne tries to corral Hugh and Dale,he has to deal with an overzealous rent-a-cop.Meanwhile,Dahlia escaped with the kids and "Grandma" and drug-addicted unhappily married neighbor Nina joins them for the ride.After the engine blows up in the Mercedes,they set out on foot and get sidetracked briefly when Grandma gets ill and needs a doctor.The kindly doctor declares her drunk and accuses the family of nelgecting her.He insists on admitting her to a hospital and meanwhile Dahlia wonders how to get on the move again with limited funds.The previews from next week look promising!
If you did not get a chance to see the first season of "The Riches",it is available on DVD everywhere and its worth a watch.I do not care for any of the other FX original series like "Dirt",The Shield" or "Rescue Me" but "The Riches" is one of the most unique comedy-dramas to come along in while."The Riches" airs every Tuesday on FX at 10 pm EST.

Defending the Farmers

Yesterday in Somerset County,the County Commissioners,along with representatives from the Somerset Farm Bureau and the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. met to hear concerns from residents about large chicken farming operations in east Princess Anne.
While I empathize with the citizens concerns,especially regarding water usage of "mega-farms",to place any more regulations upon poultry farmers will only effect our local economy adversely.Chicken is King on Delmarva-and those birds have supported many families in this area over the years.It is not a glamorous job,it is sometimes a high-risk gamble and it gets increasingly difficult each year.The price of electricity and fuel has placed an additional strain on poultry growers and they just may not survive more restrictions.With the national economy already on the brink,do we really want to "bite the hand that feeds us"?Think for a second about all the commerce that would be lost if the poultry industry downsized or folded altogether-not to mention jobs.Somerset County in particular is one of the poorest in the state and with the seafood industry tanking,we need the poultry farms.Contrary to popular belief,farmers are not the bad guys polluting the bay all by themselves,they are the original environmentalists.I think that with the advanced agricultural technology we have available today,we can eliminate alot of the negative aspects such as odor,runoff and litter management without eliminating the poultry farms.

"Scavenger" Thefts

I was reading the local paper today and there were two separate incidents involving the theft of metal products for salvage in the police report.People are stealing copper wire,aluminum,practically any valuable metal to be had and redeeming it at salvage companies,or at least attempting to.I have heard of idiots trying to steal highway guardrails and plumbing from peoples homes for cash,but a group of criminals in Delmar actually plotted to steal railroad tracks!Similar crimes are occuring more often all over the country and it begs the question-is the rise in recyclable metal thefts a result of the depressed economy?Is it substance abuse or gambling debts that inspire people to do this?Some thieves risk their lives by stealing copper from utility stations,a good way to get a lethal shock.Is it worth it?

This week's DVD releases-3/18/2008

"I Am Legend",starring Will Smith,and based on a 1954 sci-fi novel of the same name by Richard Matheson,will be among this weeks DVD releases.It is actually the 3rd film adaptation of the novel,the movies "The Last Man on Earth"(1964) and "The Omega Man"(1971)are also based on the "I Am Legend" novel.Alot of CGI effects,nevertheless a great film.Widescreen

Other Theatrical Releases this week:

• "Atonement"-Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star as tragic lovers seperated by a lie-widescreen
• "Enchantment"-Live action Disney romantic comedy/real-life fairytale stars Patrick Dempsey-widescreen,also on Blu-ray

Other releases:

• "After Dark Horror Fest-8 Films to die for"-Second installment of "Horror Fest" films-great independent horror-Consists of the following titles:

"Borderland "
"Crazy Eights "
"The Deaths of Ian Stone "
''Lake Dead ''
"Mulberry Street ''
"Nightmare Man ''
"Tooth & Nail ''
''Unearthed ''

• "Bull Durham"(1988)-commentary added
• "The Ice Storm"(1997)-2 disc set
• "Love in the time of Cholera"-deleted scenes,alternate scenes
• "Revolver"-widescreen
• "Don't Drink the Water "(1969) -widescreen
• "Mafioso" (1962) - Criterion Collection -widescreen

Tv on DVD this week:

• "McHale's Navy-Season Three "-5 disc set
• "Married With Children - The Complete Eighth Season"- 3 disc set
• " The Wild Wild West - The Fourth Season"-6 disc set
• " Battlestar Galactica - Season Three "Commentary,6 disc set
• "Bionic Woman - Volume One "-2 disc set
• "Go Diego Go! - Moonlight Rescue "-fullscreen,Nickelodeon childrens show movie length episode

Thats all for this week!

MOVIE TRIVIA:George Romero was inspired to create his breakout film "Night of the Living Dead"by the novel.

"Intervention" on A and E

I admit that I am a huge nerd and that I watch alot of A&E Channel and they have a great original series,"Intervention".Each episode is basically a documentary abouta person who has an extreme addiction and desperately needs intervention.Although the show focuses mainly on alcoholics and drug addicts,they have also done episodes with people addicted to shopping,plastic surgery,gambling and people with eating disorders.There is an update on the featured patient at the close of the program.The show its in its season and airs a new episode every Monday at 9pm.
Tonights show is about Lawrence,a successful young enteprenuer who owns a chain of tanning salons in Vegas.He is also recovering from surgery for testicular cancer and his friends and family are concerned because not only has he not started chemo as planned,he is drinking very heavily and going downhill rapidly.He has had 3 grand mal seizures,which were caused by alcohol withdrawals and tonight he faces an intervention.Like many other of the featured addicts,he has personal demons that precluded his addiction-his mother left him when he was young with a violent abusive father.A recurring theme in the show seems to be sexual,emotional or physical abuse of some kind in the addicts past.Lawrence is drinking about a half gallon of straight Skyy vodka DAILY.
Maybe I am just making blind assumptions here,but I am sure each and everyone of us is familiar with addiction on some level.We either have had one ourselves,or known someone who was addicted.I grew up with an alcoholic stepfather and unless you have a been affected by a family members addiction,you cannot begin to fathom the totally dysfunctional lifestyle it entails.My stepfather was known to drink at LEAST a half-gallon of cheap Canadian whisky a day.After us kids left home we were clear of it,but our late Mother still put up with alot.I love her dearly,but she did enable him.Oh yeah,I know all about co-dependents.I read alot of Al-Anon literature in my lifetime.
The positive thing about it all is that I have a healthy respect for the dangers of alcoholism and As a result,I rarely imbibe.About twice a month,on the weekend,I will either have a cold shot of Grand Marnier or Knob Creek Bourbon-thats all!All it does is make me sleepy so drinking isn't really a big "thing" for me.I sleep enough!At an age where other kids tried to outdrink one another with illegally-gotten booze,I knew that it wasn't the "good time" I needed,because of the things I witnessed.Its tough for a kid because its hard to bring friends over from school when you dont know what kind of day it is going to be at home.
I am not anti-alcohol,far from it.I just believe in moderation-in fact,I have a fully stocked "bar"cabinet at home.No cheap swill-just a few bottles of really nice stuff for guests.
"Intervention" takes the viewer inside the world of an addict and sees up close the effect it has on those around them.Critics call it exploitive,but its REAL reality TV and it really packs an emotional punch.

Happy Saint Patricks Day/Show your Celtic Pride!

Break out the Baileys Irish Cream,the green Schlitz beer,corned beef & cabbage-tomorrow is St.Patricks Day,which honors the late Christian missionary and patron saint of Ireland.Those of you who do not wear green on Monday may be chastised!

Although I am not devoutly observant of the holiday,I do appreciate it greatly.My late maternal grandfather was a 2nd generation Irish-American,and he followed his ancestors footsteps to become a shipbuilder as a young man and later a skilled and very sought-after craftsman and carpenter.Irish immigrants,as well as Italian and Polish immigrants,were not treated very well when they first arrived on American soil,and yet they overcame all the obstacles in their path.the very first St.Patricks Day parade was held in NYC by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army in 1767 and ever since then many major US cities have elaborate festivities to observe the day.Locally,there is a St.Patricks Day parade annually in Ocean City,and while I have never been there,I hear it is quite a celebration.

Even if you are not Irish,if you are looking for an excuse to party,here it is.Just please remember that if you drink,do not drive.Not only is it stupid and selfish,the police WILL be out there looking for drunk drivers.And if you indulge in cabbage( it doesnt agree with me!),do your wife or significant other a favor and take some Beano or GAS-X!LOL-In a nod to my Irish-Italian roots,I DID make a succulent triple layer 3 cheese sausage lasagna!Happy St.Paddys Day!!!!

Traffic back-ups on Route 54

A friend of mine who commutes on Line Rd everyday asked me to mention this.Please note that the opinion expressed within is not my own.
"Everyday I use Route 54 to drive to work and almost every weekday,there is a certain Wicomico County School bus that NEVER exceeds 25 mph and there are always at least a dozen or more cars behind this bus trying to get where they are going.The bus is always empty at this time and yet the driver never attempts to get up to the posted limit and/or pull over and let people doing the speed limit pass.I have more couth than some of the drivers,who actually shoot this driver the bird and yell as they illegally pass."
OK,I did my part-my friend asked me to post this for her and I did!

Flashback Movies:"Joe Dirt"(2001)

"Joe Dirt" DVD cover
David Spade as "Joe Dirt"

I had the opportunity today to watch one of my favorite movies on Comedy Central,the 2001 comedy "Joe Dirt",starring the sarcastic dry comic & SNL alumni David Spade.In a departure from his usual smart-aleck characters,he plays a loveable white-trash mullet wearing orphaned janitor who is "discovered" by talk radio DJ Zander Kelly(Dennis Miller),who encourages Joe to share his life story with listeners.Joe Dirt was abandoned by his parents as a child at the Grand Canyon and spends 20 years roaming the country,seeking his parents and meeting a variety of colorful characters,including a former mob accountant in Witness Protection(Christopher Walken) and a beautiful country girl named Brandy(Brittany Daniel),and even spends time in a basement dungeon pit reminiscent of "Silence of the Lambs"after meeting a man calling himself"Buffalo Bob".The soundtrack is chock full of classic rock tunes by the likes of Bachman-Turner Overdrive,Bob Seger,Lynyrd Skynyrd and Joe Walsh,to name a few.He sports a variety of cool T-shirts,including one that says"I choked Linda Lovelace"!

Despite his being bullied and disappointed at every turn,Joe remains positive and his mottos are "Lifes a Garden,Dig It!' and "You cant have "NO" in your heart".He goes on to meet his awful parents,and realizes that he had a family all along,in his friends AND there is a happy ending!He not only gets the girl,he gets his Hemi Plymouth convertible back and in the closing scene,leaves bully and romantic rival Robby(played very badly by Kid Rock) and his "slant-six" Firebird in the dust.

While the movie cost 33 million to make and only made 30 million at the box office,DVD sales were phenomenal and it is a modern cult classic.In my opinion,Spade hasn't done anything nearly as funny since this film!

The movie also features appearances by comic Bob Zany,actress Rosanna Arquette and Kevin Farley,brother to the late comic and Spade sidekick Chris Farley,as well as Kevin Nealon from SNL.And heres a bit of trivia-in the scene where Joe meets Indian firecracker vendor "Kickin' Wing",there are two huge arrows sticking out of the ground that are actually all that is left from the abandoned"Twin Arrows" Rest Stop ,a former landmark on the famous Route 66.

If you have never seen it,give it a chance.It is a hysterical and heartwarming comedy.

The Voting Rights Act Anniversary

President L.B.Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act

Forty-three years ago this week,President Lyndon B.Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law,which essentially guaranteed minorities the right to vote without paying so-called"poll taxes" or being subjected to literacy tests.While the law protects ALL minority races,it was primarily directed towards preserving the voting rights of blacks,particularly in states such as Mississippi,where black voters were threatened and intimidated into not voting.Any effort by blacks to organize voter registration drives were met with violence and many homes and churches were torched during this shameful period in American history.In an attempt to prevent blacks from voting,illiterates were turned away and attempts were made to extort "taxes" from them for their right to vote.Groups like the NAACP,the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Congress of Racial Equality worked tirelessly to insure blacks were aware of their rights and to encourage them to register at the polls,and lots of blood was shed along the way.Medgar Evers,who was the leader of the NAACP in the early 60's,literally gave his life to the cause and his killer was not brought to justice until 3 decades later.Civil rights workers James Chaney,Andy Goodman & Mickey Schwerner were jailed in Neshoba County,Mississippi, and later released.As they were driving out of town,they were ambushed by a Sheriffs Deputy,who delivered them into the hands of the local KKK,which not surprisingly,was in cahoots with the cops.They were brutally murdered and later their bodies were recovered on a Mississippi farm.Numerous others were lynched and/or simply disappeared.

In 1964,less than 5% of black Mississippians were registered to vote.In 1967,after the VRA had been in effect for two years,over 29% were registered.108 blacks ran for public office in 1967 and 22 of them actually won.With federal oversight of elections,bitter white resistors turned to gerrymandering to prevent black majorities and even made elaborate changes to the qualifications required to run for office,in an attempt to suppress black political hopefuls.

Fast-forward to today,when the main Democratic contenders are a white female and a biracial man.Occasionally adjustments are made to the Voting Rights Act and in fact,President George W.Bush signed a re-authorization of the Act before the 89th US Congress.

So many people today still take their voting rights for granted and they need to be reminded that until about 90 years ago,no woman could vote and until just 4 decades ago,neither could black people.Everyone should take a few moments this week to reflect on the many sacrifices made by those before us so that EVERYONE is allowed to exercise the right to vote!

Source references:"Ghosts of Mississippi" by Maryanne Vollers printed in 1995

Coming this week....

I have not had alot of free time this week but I plan on adding book reviews to the blog later this week-nothing special,just books I have read and hold in high esteem.If anyone has any suggestions for book titles to review,I am open to them!I am blogging the best I can with a very slow dialup connection but rumor has it us people in the sticks may be getting DSl soon-stay tuned!

Woman removed from bathroom after TWO years on toilet!

Authorities in Ness County,Kansas were called to a home on Febuary 27 and removed a 35 year old woman from the bathroom toilet,where she had been for approximately TWO years,so long,in fact that her skin had to started to grow AROUND the toilet seat.According to her live-in boyfriend,she started staying in the bathroom more and more until finally she just refused to leave and stayed on the commode.He claims they had a "normal" relationship,and over the last two years he took food to her and bathed her but let her stay on the toilet.
Kory McFarren stated that his girlfriend,Pam Babcock,had endured pysical abuse as a child and developed a severe phobia about leaving the sanctuary of the bathroom.He even brought her clean clothes,changed her and claims he has been "taking care of her" for their entire 16 year relationship and that at no time was she ever forced to stay in the bathroom.Police are considering what charges,if any,to file against McFadden,but they say there is no evidence to prove she was held against her will or restrained in any way,nor confined to the room by force or threat.
When she became ill last month,he called the police and they found her on the toilet,and her legs had atrophied to the point that doctos say she may never walk again.She has refused to cooperate with the police or medical staff treating her in a Wichita hospital and her boyfriend admits "I should have sought help sooner but its not my fault-she got it set in her mind that was a safe place for her and she is an adult who can make up her own mind so I kinda got used to it"WTF?
I do not know who is more in need of a shrink,him or her.While authorites say they "do not know if she is physically or mentally ill",I think its pretty safe to say anyone who lives in a bathroom and sits on the hopper so long her ass grows around it has some mental health issues.While McFadden is certainly not guilty of any abuse,he is guilty of neglect.His going along with her eccentricities did not help her at all and he is her "enabler".Maybe he loved her and wanted her to be happy,but on the other hand if he loved her so much,why did he put up with this for so long?Neighbors report they havent seen her in SIX years.Why didnt THEY call someone in the last six years?I know if one of my neighbors just drops out of sight and I see her partner coming and going,it would not take me even six WEEKS to be nosy and ask about him/her-are they sick?Did they go away?I may be a pest or a busybody,but I would certainly make sure that person was OK and still breathing,and not dead or holed up in a bathroom for two whole years.
I pity Ms.Babcock because she had to be pretty traumatized to think that she was not even safe in her home,but I have no pity for her boyfriend,only anger and resentment.If I spent one DAY sequestered in the bathroom,you can bet that Mr.Totmom would kick the door down and carry my fat ass out of there,kicking and screaming.He would physically make me seek psychiatric care,even if he had to commit me against my will-because he loves me.I would do the same for him.
All McFadden did was enable his girlfriends mental illness just as a codependent enables alcoholic or drug-addicted partners.Had he sought help for her when this nonsense started,she could have been hospitalized and/or given outpatient mental health care,and with the right drugs,she could have had a normal life or something close to it.At this point, she may never walk again and odds are she will remain institutionalized for many years.Jail is too harsh for McFadden but he DEFINITELY needs psychiatric help for his own issues.A normal,sane man doesnt participate in this kind of thing.What do y'all think?

Honda theft epidemic in Washington State

Yakima,Washington police had already investigated the theft of 11 Hondas in a two week period and last week they were dealing with 9 Honda thefts in a 24-hour period on Thursday and Friday.They made an arrest Monday of one suspect,who had Honda parts stashed in his home but two more hondas were stolen after his arrest and they suspect a theft-ring,as all the missing Hondas were mid-90's models.

It does not surprise me at all.In a previous post here,titled "Honda:Gone in 60 Seconds or Less",I touched briefly on why Hondas are so "hot" in the black market of stolen cars and car parts.First of all,genuine Honda parts are very expensive,and with so many Hondas on the road,and their longevity(I know of Civics with 400k on the odometer!)there is always a market for cheap parts.The second and most important factor is the relative ease in stealing a 90's model Honda-even a novice thief can take a key from ANY 1990's Honda,file it down a little and it will fit most cars from that period.This has been well known among Honda mechanics,dealers and enthusiasts for some time,police are just catching up to the fact,and our local Honda dealer,Pohanka,has a strict policy on replacement keys-a valid registration to the vehicle and a matching photo ID for the owner are required-no exceptions.Unfortunately all the safeguards in the world will not deter thieves but at least dealers are doing their part.As a Honda owner,I HATE having to fork out $$$ for replacement parts but whats the alternative?Higher insurance rates for everyone to recoup losses for the stolen cars!The Honda Civic has been the most "popular" car for thieves for over a decade now.If you own a 90's era Honda,your best bet is to equip it with an alarm system or Lojack because locking it will not help-not if the bad guys have a key that will work on it-and they do not have to "hotwire" it or tow it-they simply get in,insert the key and drive off.Newer Hondas have more complicated ignition and locking systems and are not so easily spirited away.Then again,with gas prices the way they are,maybe we better all get gas cap locks!

Litterbugs SUCK!

Over the weekend, wind and rain combined and as a result drainage ditches were close to overfilling and when that happens,all the garbage people toss out their car windows floats up to the surface and becomes very visible and I just cannot understand how someone can be too lazy to wait til they get home to take their car-trash inside.I keep grocery bags in my vehicle just for that purpose and bring them in to toss them.It not only looks ugly it is even dangerous to wildlife who can either ingest or get entangled in trash!I totally agree with the steep fines in Maryland for littering offenses and wish that our state would adopt a bottle deposit program like other states have-not only would it encourage recycling it might reduce the amount of cans and bottles on the side of the roads or in ditches in the long run.In Somerset County the road crews (inmates) do the best they can,but as soon as they clean a stretch of road,people come along and dump more of their crap!Perhaps forcing litterbugs to join a crew picking up trash is a better deterrent than the fines,whatever it takes as far as I am concerned.If there were deposits for containers people would be encouraged not to dispose of them.People-please stop littering!!!!!!!!

"Hey you GUYS!!!!!!"- The Electric Company Comeback

According to PBS, Sesame Workshop has an updated version of the old-school PBS kids show "The Electric Company"(aired 1971-1977) in the works and it is expected to start airing on PBS affiliates in the fall of 2008.I am not only not surprised,I also think it is a great idea and a novel way to introduce a whole new generation to the shows us 30-somethings grew up watching as kids!

I recently borrowed one of the DVD Volumes that were released in 2006 for my daughter and she LOVED it,so much that she knows the theme song now LOL.In my day it was what you graduated to when you grew out of Sesame Street and there were alot of stars like Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno,and Bill Cosby.They had original recurring characters like "Easy Reader" ,comic shorts of "Spiderman" and a neat part of the show called "Short Circus",a group of singing and dancing kids,including a very young Irene Cara(Fame).In addition to the DVD Volumes,Apple offers classic original episodes of "The Electric Company" through I-Tunes.I can hardly wait to see the remade 2008 premiere!

This weeks DVD releases 3/11/08

This week "Bee Movie" will be released,much to the delight of kids and kids at heart!Its another cute Pixar flick,with comic Jerry Seinfeld voicing the main character.Also,one of my all-time favorite 90's movies,"Dogma" is being re-released on DVD with extra features on board.It is Kevin Smith at his best!There are also a few new titles on the HD and blu ray format for the 1st time.Rent a movie this week!!!!!

Theatrical Releases:

• "Bee Movie"-widescreen
• "Dan in Real Life"-Quirky romantic comedy starring Steve Carell-widescreen
• "No Country for Old Men"-The latest of the Coen Brothers efforts,stars Josh Brolin,Tommy Lee Jones-also on blu-ray disc
• "August Rush"-Blu ray disc

Other DVD releases this week:

• "Dogma"(1999)-Deleted scenes,blu ray disc
• "Michael Clayton"-HD DVD/Standard DVD Combo
• "I,Robot"-Blu ray disc
• "The Mod Squad-Season One Volume Two"-4 disc set
• "Stargate:The Ark of truth"-widescreen
• "Gattaca"(1997)-Blu ray disc
• "Hitman"-2 disc set
• "Dangerous Crossing" (1953) -fullscreen
• "Black Widow" (1954)-featurettes
• "Daisy Kenyon" (1947) -Fullscreen

Flashback Movies:"Say Anything"(1989)

Movie poster from "Say Anything",of John Cusacks famous serenade scene.

One of my favorite movies from the fabulous 80's was "Say Anything",a teenage love story between a Lloyd(John Cusack),a wannabe kickboxer and ordinary guy and Diane(Ione Skye),a beautiful and highly intelligent "rich Daddys girl" who has a scholarship waiting for her to study abroad.Of course Dianes father meddles and encourages their breakup and then they get back together and fly off to England at the conclusion.More than anything,the scene where Lloyd stands in front of his beater car(70's Malibu)in a trenchcoat,with his boombox lifted high over his head,playing Peter Gabriels"In Your Eyes" in front of his girls house to woo her back,stands out as a classic movie moment.It spawned many spoofs on shows like "Family Guy" & "South Park",and the "Drew Carey Show" & "Greys Anatomy" and I admit I have a gigantic black & white poster from that scene,identical to the photo above,hanging in our den next to all the beer signs and Giants posters lol.

And its funny to note that in 2008,standing in a girls yard with a loud radio would get you locked up for stalking,nevertheless in this movie,at that time,it was romantic!We have a copy of the movie and whenever we have "date-night" it is a favorite flashback movie.John Cusacks onscreen sister,with whom he lived,was played by none other than his REAL offscreen sister,actress Joan Cusack!If you have never seen it,it plays on WE and AMC networks alot-in fact it airs on AMC tomorrow morning at 9:30 EST!

The Ford Mustang turns 44

The 1964 Mustang

On this day in 1964,the very first of that quintessential classic American "muscle car" ,the Ford Mustang,rolled off the assembly line and into automotive history.The legendary former chairman Lee Iacocca & the Ford product manager,Donald Frey,had a simple and affordable yet powerful "pony"car in mind and built the first 'Tangs on a Falcon chassis-in fact the early models closely resemble Falcons of the same model years.The Ford Mustang is now in its FIFTH generation and oddly enough,the 2008 models are a close yet modern likeness to the original first generation car.In April of 1964,the new Mustangs were featured at the New York Worlds Fair and the motoring world has been in love ever since!

I owned a 3rd generation(93) LX model,fast-back, and while it was only equipped with a 2.3L 4 cylinder engine,it was still a peppy and dependable car to drive and own.It was by far the best American car I have ever owned and I ended up selling it after my daughter was born because it just was not big enough and it needed body work that I just did not have the time or money to deal with-I evolved into a "minivan Mom" you could say but I still love the Ford Mustang.Over the years,there have been many varieties of Mustang models introduced,The Boss,the Shelbys,Saleens,Cobras,etc,etc and even the most basic model today can be upgraded thanks to the huge amount of aftermarket parts companies dedicated to classic Fords.

At a time when it is rumored that the GM is cutting out the Camaro/Firebird model line,and everyone is either driving SUV's or buying foreign,it is comforting to see that the Ford Mustang remains a profitable and competitive car in an everchanging market.

If I had to choose my "dream" Mustang it would have to be hands-down a 67 GT Cobra,"Eleanor" from the movie"Gone in 60 Seconds"-following a close second would be the later model 3rd generation Steven Saleen GT.Heres to another 44 years of pony!

"Turkey-spotting"

There seem to be alot of turkeys out and about today around my neck of the woods and while I was not able to get good pics with my primitive technology (LOL) I have to say there was about 25-30 turkey hens grazing in the cornfield across the road from my place!They hover close to the edge of the trees and stay in a group and what tickles me is that when they go back into the woods they have to cross a huge drainage ditch and they all line up,single-file to "jump" the ditch with a flutter of wings,and cross one at a time!I rarely see a turkey tom,but you know theres always a handful of them somewhere on the edge of the woods,watching over the hens while they eat.I was curious and asked my husband why the toms sit there and hold sentinel like that and you know what his reply was?"They are looking out for their bitches!"ROFLMAO-crude,but when you think about it-it makes sense.My daughter especially loves to spot deer,turkey and the occasional herons that appear,not to mention snakes,frogs and turtles and on days like this,I am so glad we are raising her out in the country rather than in town where theres traffic,and no wildlife to speak of.

"I'm Ba-ack!

I finally have my computer back and I have vowed to never again do anything with it more complicated than ripping music after last weeks disaster,where I proceded to worsen my troubles by getting cocky and trying to be a do-it-yourselfer!I just wanted to put it out there that I hope to start blogging again regularly this weekend!

I SHALL RETURN!

Last week I was having problems getting and staying connected to the internet so I decided to be all "tekkie" and try to remedy it myself by re-installing Windows XP and all that happy crappy and ended up making it worse.So.....I trucked my PC off to the shop and they are running a week behind so its been a long silent week for Totmom.Hell,the staff at my local library didnt even think I was alive anymore LOL-I have been reading ALOT of books and getting lots done around the house.I hope to be back "on-line" by the 10th and I assure you all I WILL be back,I miss blogging so very much-I have almost been tempted to keep a written journal,but then again,who the hell writes with pens and pencils anymore?LOL-Thanks and see you next week!