This weeks DVD releases:4/29/08

"27 Dresses" movie poster

Theatrical releases:

• "27 Dresses"-Classic "always the bridesmaid,never the bride" chick flick romantic comedy stars Katherine Heigl-Widescreen
• "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"-cinematic French film-Widescreen
• "The Golden Compass"-dark fantasy stars Nicole Kidman & Daniel Craig,who also worked and appeared together in last years "Invasion". (trivia tidbit!)-Widescreen

Other movies released this week on DVD:

• "First Knight"(1995)-Blu ray disc also available
• "A Generation Apart"(1984)-Widescreen
• "How She Move"-With featurette
• "Oceans Eleven"(2001)-Blu ray disc also available
• "Oceans Twelve"-Blu ray and DVD

TV on DVD this week:

• "The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones"-DVD set
• "Beverly Hills 90210-The 4th Season"-8 disc set
• "Paranormal State - Season 1"-3 disc set
• "The Waltons-The Complete 7th Season"-5 disc set

Thats all for this week!

Balls to the wall!!!!

A popular automotive fad has emerged on truck bumpers everywhere, and it ain't bumper stickers , and it goes way beyond those cutesy dog heads and boat propellers you see on trailer hitches ! As seen above, alot of guys are fond of those swinging bull testicle replicas made of materials ranging from metallic to rubber and the good ole boys in Florida are no different but lawmakers in the Sunshine State are trying to enact a law banning the ornamental gonads, and violations would be punished with fines.Can anyone say "pork"? What a waste of the states' time and only the latest example of such.

In Louisiana, legislation to ban those baggy falling-down pants was shot down and there is good reason why. If I had a son who wore pants that way, I would b*tchslap him because its not proper upbringing and nobody wants to see the "plumber buttcrack" but it is a matter of taste-and you just cannot dictate that. As much as I hate those baggy pants, to make a legal issue of it and actually fine people for their choice in clothing would be akin to Communism.

As far as the debate in Florida over "bumperballs" goes,I have only seen a few "pairs" of the silver finished ones, and while they are tacky and,lets face it, testicles ain't pretty-real or replica-it is a matter of personal taste rather than outright obscenity. And they ARE fake-its not like the cowpokes are castrating live bulls and teabaggin' the highways with them! As long as Florida is enforcing common decency, maybe they can start letting state police ticketing those people with the annoying old "Bush/Cheney 2004" stickers-thats REALLY offensive!

Golfer beats 67 million to one odds.....

Iowa golfer Ted Kemp should have bought a lottery ticket last Monday-he beat 67 million to one odds and scored two back-to-back holes-in-one (both par 3) at the Muscatine Municipal Golf course.
He used a pitching wedge to sink his tee shot on the 3rd hole from 130 yards out and then made a passing comment about the odds of doing it again. Sure enough, at the next hole, he hit 182 yards with an 8-iron and nailed it again! He finished the day with a 78 and chalked the feat of two aces up to luck, rather than skill.

The lesser of two evils...

Last week's Texas raid of a FDLS sect compound is old news now, but the controversy surrounding the removal of hundreds of children from the communal-style ranch keeps heating up. In this weeks issue of People Magazine, viewpoints from both sides are heard and not suprisingly, there are critics who say the government is interfering with religious freedoms in this situation,and that all the children are happy and certainly not abused.
They do not comment on the fact that authorities raided the compound after a 15 yr.old girl reported she was pregnant with her SECOND child, by a 50 yr. old man she was forced to marry and have intercourse with and that the former leader of the sect is none other than convicted sex offender Warren Jeffs. They speak of their love for their children, but they do mention the "lost boys", those young men ages 13 and up who are cast out of the inner circle of the sect so that the "elders" or older men can claim the barely-pubescent girls.
I empathize with the wives and mothers in the sect who have been separated from their children because they have been oppressed and programmed from birth to be subserviant and obedient to men. They simply do not know any other way. You can't sexually abuse children, not consenting adults but little girls,and then expect to be protected by the Constitution because you say it is "your religion".
By exercising their religious rights,the pedophiles are violating the rights of innocent, trusting children and since children cannot defend or protect themselves, someone has to. I am interested in what y'all think.....

Blade Busted?

This weeks new DVD releases 4-22-2008

I am totally late with this, thanks to technical problems, but just in time for considering what to check out this weekend on DVD.Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has the rare luck to be billed in two of this week's theatrical releases!Read on...

Theatrical Releases:

• "Cloverfield"-The shaky"home movie" type filming of this actually made people dizzy in theaters!It's still a decent horror flick!-Widescreen
• "The Savages"-A deep family drama starring Philip Seymour Hoffman & Laura Linney -Widescreen
• "Charlie Wilson's War"-Cold War era political comedy starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and....Philip Seymour Hoffman!-Widescreen

Other DVD releases this week:

• "The Orphanage"-Widescreen
• "One Missed Call"-Fullscreen

TV this week on DVD:

• "Laverne & Shirley-The 4th Season"-Break out the milk and Pepsi!-4 disc set
• "Friday Night Lights-The 2nd Season"-NBC teen drama-4 disc set

Thats it for this week!

Don't miss the Blue Crab Guru on TV !

Whitey Schmidt

Delmarva's own Blue Crab Guru, Mr. Whitey Schmidt, can be seen Monday night at 9pm on MPT(local PBS stations). He is a "crab connoisseur " & his seafood recipes have been featured in Southern Living Magazine, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and many other publications. He has also authored 10 cookbooks, which are widely available on-line at Amazon and through Marian Hartnett press. Whitey is a Maryland native and Crisfield resident whose crab recipes are famous worldwide. If you love all things crab in the kitchen, treat yourself and tune in!

Yesterdays telephone "blackout" in Maryland

According to the news reports, a wireless communications cable was breached yesterday in Carroll County, MD. All the reports stated that it only interrupted wireless telephone service and although it was owned by AT&T, many other companies used the line.
However until late last night, I was unable to dial outside my calling exchange on landline service , therefore I could not reach ANY cell phone numbers by landline.Many people I know who have DSL were unable to connect and on the TV news it was mentioned that alot of customers in Walmart and other stores were unable to use their debit cards, due to connectivity issues. Then I realized that alot of our connection to the world relies on the communications grid and wondered if there was something to worry about. You hear all the critics saying our nationwide electricity grid needs investment to update it, but little about communications.It doesn't seem like a huge issue, but a gap in telephony creates a challenge just as an electric blackout. Everything from credit card machines to security alarms to satellite receivers for your TV depend on using either standard telephone lines or fiber optic cable to communicate with remote servers. Our telecommunications network needs the same priority given to our electric power grid so that these little "gremlins" occur less often and so that we can keep up with the latest in communications technology.

The people left behind....

Rhonda Parks

The human remains discovered recently in a Somerset County yard have not been positively identified however it is speculated that it may be Rhonda Parks, who has been missing since 2006. I just cannot imagine the agony her loved ones must be enduring, just waiting to see if indeed she has been located.I don't know what would be worse-having someone confirm your daughter is deceased or not knowing anything at all. As long as a body is not found, you can always hang on to some hope that they are still alive. Yet at the same time, knowing what happened to them, and being able to give them a proper Christian burial would be a sad comfort. I am keeping the Parks family in my prayers and at the same time, I wanted to give a mention to some of the other people who are still missing in Somserset County, so that no one forgets they are still out there somewhere, dead or alive, and their families deserve closure so that they can heal.

James Clark Creighton

James Clark Creighton-missing since December 2000-last seen near Bowland Hill on the outskirts of Princess Anne. DOB 9/19/1958 Mr.Creighton has AIDS, a history of drug abuse and has surgical pins in right foot. At the time of his disappearance he was working a steady job and taking Ambien, a sleep medication.He is 6'2 and was 190 lbs when last seen. Foul play is suspected and he may have been taken by force. Contact Wicomico County Combined Task Force Sgt. George Nelson 443-260-3734 with info.

Stuart Garrison

Stuart Raymond Garrison-missing since May 2002-last seen leaving his home on Box Iron Rd in Crisfield, MD,walking on foot. DOB 1960 Mr. Garrison was unemployed and involved in the drug trade at one time but was cleaning up when he vanished.He is 5'9 and was 110 lbs when last seen. Foul play is suspected. contact MSP at 410-290-0050 x 130 with info.

Thomas Borum

Thomas Wilson Borum-missing since January 2000-last seen near Route 13 and Mt. Vernon Rd. intersection just shortly after being discovered missing from his room at nearby Manokin Manor nursing home at 2am. DOB 1913 Mr. Borum was last seen wearing only pajamas and is presumed dead due to exposure but no remains have ever been found and he was declared legally dead later in 2000. He was 5'9 and weighed 151 lbs when last seen. Remains unsolved. Contact Princess Anne Police Department 410-651-1822 with info.

Jacob Webster

Jacob Wesley Webster-missing since June 2006 from Princess Anne, MD. DOB 1/27/1940 Mr.Webster has a limp and a brace on his right leg.He is 5'8 and weighed 190 lbs when last seen.Contact MSP at 410-651-3101 with info.

Gordon Nelson Sr.

Gordon Lee Nelson Sr.-missing since October 2007 from Crisfield,MD.DOB 12/24/1949 No other details.Contact Sgt. Luedtke at the Crisfield Police Department, at 410-968-1323 with info.

I hope I did not leave anyone out-I used what sources were available and if I left someone off the list please let me know.Let's keep the loved ones left behind in our thoughts and remember if you have ANY information about either of these missing persons it is your duty as a human to report it.

"It's in the hole!"

An 85-year old blind veteran made a hole-in-one last week while golfing at the Tortuga in Green Valley, Arizona. The old duffer was with a group of other blind veterans participating in a VA recreation therapy program. Volunteers "line-up" the ball for the veterans and step back and leave them free to drive off.
Robert Dunham says he didn't believe it at first when he was told he hit an ace.I have to this man his "props"-at his age and with his impairment he is still going strong and getting out there on the course. I am not a golfer but I am a "golfer wife" and I honestly think it keeps my husband sane. He is raring to get out on the course as soon as spring comes and has been know to play in inclement weather sometimes. The Pings come out of the hall closet and so do the shoes and the funny hats. I have went along a few times and it really does little for me, but I do enjoy watching the game if I can ride in a cart!
Hats off to Mr. Dunham!

Smokey & The Bandit Trifecta

I am in redneck heaven tonight-Starz Channel is airing "Smokey and the Bandit" and it's two sequels back to back tonight! I remember seeing this at the drive-in when I was a kid, the original first movie that is, and it is still as much fun 30-odd years later. I can even recall alot of guys back then wearing those faux leather "TransAm" jackets with the stripe on it ala Burt Reynolds. Some of the best lines in movie history can be culled from the movie and the car chase scenes are legend. And its got The Great One, Jackie Gleason! Take a trip back to an era where instead of cell phones, people yakked on CB Radios and with gas cheaper than water, muscle cars still ruled the roads.

This weeks DVD releases:4/15/08

Juno on DVD

New on DVD this week for the first time:

• "Juno"-(I saw it and loved it!)
• "Alien vs Predator:Requiem"
• "Lars and the Real Girl"

Other DVD releases:

• "Laurence of Arabia"(1962)-2 disc set
• "A Passage to India"(1984)-2 disc set
• "Retribution"
• "War Dance
• "The Clash Live - Revolution Rock"

TV on DVD

• "Melrose Place-The Fourth Season"-9 disc set
• "How the Earth Was Made-History Channel"

"Rock of Love" Finale tonight

The "Rock of Love 2" finale is airing at this very moment and will rerun tonight and tomorrow, for those of you who have been following it. Tonight it is down to the glam-skank Daisey and wholesome almost-40 Ambre. I am rooting for Ambre, by the way. Daisey still lives with an ex-boyfriend and has enough skeletons in her closet for a Grateful Dead music video. The "final cut" will be made on location in Cancun, Mexico.

Move over, Jagermeister

Jekyll & Hyde liqueur

A fairly new and unique beverage product has come to my attention and I think it just might give other premium liqueurs a run for their money.An Anheuser-Busch subsidiary, Long Tail Libations, offers a potion named "Jekyll & Hyde" and not only do the two different flavors go well together,the 750 ml (" a 5th") bottles nest together side by side for a pretty cool visual effect. The bottles advertise themselves and the cocktail has become popular worldwide.

"Jekyll" is a 60 proof raspberry liqueur that is dark red and "Hyde" is an 80 proof "caramel-molasses" flavored liqueur that is jet black. When a shot is poured, the "Hyde" floats to the top for an interesting contrast for the mouth and the eyes.

Between work and home responsibilities, I seldom go out anymore, but when I do I may have to sample this.It is marketed as a direct-sale drink, specifically for bars and pubs and would definitely appeal to those who like flavored liqueurs such as Jagermeister, Grand Marnier & Sambuca.

"Juno" (2007)

One of the best movies coming out on DVD this week will be Jason Reitmans "Juno", and the title character is a sarcastic and independent-minded 16 year old girl who gets pregnant by her best guy-friend and decides ultimately to give her baby up for adoption. She selects an uber-yuppie couple played by Jason Bateman & Jenifer Garner to adopt her child and develops a deep bond with them over the course of her pregnancy.

Juno, played by Ellen Page, is already ostracized at her high school because she is a noncomformist and she encounters alot of judgemental people in school and out as she gets bigger. In one outstanding scene, she is the target of an ultrasound techinicians' scorn for being a teen mother and her stepmother tells the tech off.Juno also experiences ups and downs in her relationship with Bleeker,the father of her child.Their platonic friendship gets strained, naturally and eventually she discovers she loved him along.

This movie impressed me because it portrayed a very positive and responsible solution to a common social problem.Movies like last years "Knocked Up" make for a hilarious comedy, but how many yuppie fast track women are going to raise a baby with a drunken out-of-work slacker who impregnated them during a boozy encounter? On the other end of the spectrum, characters on TV and movies getting abortions have become the norm in liberal with-it Hollywood. It's just nice to see a story about someone faced with the same problem who takes the high road.

It also has an offbeat soundtrack with tunes by Lou Reed and The Kinks, just to name a couple. "Juno" will be released in two days on DVD and I totally recommend it!

"Absolut"ely Stupid Debate

Absolut brand
The controversial ad
Another controversial anti-war Absolut ad

The big brouhaha over the Absolut Vodka ads depicting parts of the Southwest US on the map as part of Mexico is puzzling to me. Apparently it pisses off people on both sides of the fence (no pun intended) because most Mexicans still feel like they were robbed when the US claimed those territories formerly belonging to their country.Americans are mad because they feel parts of America are already controlled by Mexicans. Tit for tat. (We took a couple of states from them , now they are invading every one of ours,but I digress)

So what does a stupid vodka ad (one that was NEVER meant for the US market in the 1st place) have to do with immigration? Vin & Sprit, the holders of the Absolut brand,have mounted way more potentially controversial Absolut ads in the past, particularly the anti-war ad among others.

Pernod Ricard SA , a French distilled spirit giant,is buying out V&S and aside from Absolut, has exclusive distribution rights to numerous other popular liquor brands sold worldwide. Does Michelle Malkin and the rest of her ilk really think a boycott is going to hurt them in any way?

People are NOT going to stop buying Absolut. Personally I dislike ANY vodka-it tastes like rubbing alcohol to me and I cannot differentiate top shelf stuff (like Absolut or Goose) from the cheap rail stuff, nevertheless ALOT of people consume vodka and many of them prefer the Swedish-made Absolut over any other (which brings me to a curious question-what do Swedes know about vodka?I thought it was a Russian thing!).

If anyone else can figure out what all the hullabaloo is about, please clue me in.Until then,I doubt the marketing dept. at V&S is losing sleep-in fact, all this media attention may even increase their sales worldwide.

This weeks DVD releases:4/8/2008

"Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story"(starring John C.Reilly) is among this weeks DVD releases and having seen it,I have to say it was as bad as I expected but in a good way-it spoofs practically ever "Behind the Music"-style movie about the rise and fall of a famed musician that has ever been made.It borrows heavily from "Walk the Line" and also incorporates scenes from others like "The Doors".

Any "rock star-movie" cliche you can think of is satired here.Look for cameos from very famous faces,including a hilarious turn as a young Elvis by musician Jack White and Jack Black as Paul McCartney.I loved this movie but sadly admit some people will not find it funny.BTW,the unrated DVD version has a gratuitous male full-frontal nudity shot in deference to "Boogie Nights" (John C.Reilly also starred in this!)but this guy is not as developed as Dirk Diggler.

As each decade brings a different music style,Dewey adapts and does a "crossover" between stints in rehab.Hysterically funny movie!

Available in widescreen.

Other Theatrical Releases this week:

• "There will be blood"-deleted scenes on DVD
• "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep"- widescreen DVD
• "Lions for Lambs"-widescreen DVD

Classic re-releases

• "The 6th Day"-Bluray release
• "All about Eve"(1950)-2 disc DVD set

Tv on DVD

• "Matlock-The 1st Season"-7 disc DVD set
• "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Season Six" Animated TV series on DVD

Also,George Romeros' "Day of the Dead" remake (2007) will be released this week on DVD,it stars Ving Rhames,Nick Cannon,and Mena Suvari(American Beauty).A must-see for true horror-philes.

It must be the vodka!

After the Soviet Union fell,the birth rates in Russia dropped by 50 percent and while the population is still decreasing rapidly,births are on the rise.Thanks in part to their Government ,more women of childbearing age are choosing to have children.Experts are warning against false optimism,saying that while the economy was better,the population rate would still drop because Russia has the lowest life expectancy of any other European country and deaths outnumber births.
The Kremlin expanded maternity benefits and offered to provide mothers with vouchers and other financial incentives for each subsequent child after their firstborn.
When I first heard this,I thought of intrusive and Communistic that was and how it would never happen here in the USA-then it occured to me that it already IS happening right here in America.
Think about it.... in America can one have numerous children that they are not prepared to care for,and they are are rewarded by the Government for doing so.The only problem with that is demographics.While Russia's population is dangerously low and enough of a problem for them to throw money at,the US population is bursting at the seams and growing more every day.
And it just might be more than Socialistic policies creating the baby boom-it could be the vodka!

Flashback Movies:"Return of the Living Dead"(1985)

If you like the kind of uber-gory horror movie that is also satirical,campy and at some points utterly ridiculous then "Return of the Living Dead" is a good bet.It has been called "splatstick"and Joe Bob Briggs often hosted it on TNT Monstervision some years ago.

The loose plot revolves around two guys working in a medical supply warehouse who accidently unleash a chemical from a US Army 55 gallon drum and the vapor cloud promptly re-animates human and animal cadavers in the warehouse "cooler" and the chain reaction that ensues.A bunch of 80's punk-rocker kids are pals with one of medical supply employees and they decide to party in an adjacent graveyard while waiting for his shift to end-and then the "party" begins!Zombies abound!This movie spawned several equally campy sequels,but nothing holds a candle to the original!Unlike all other similar movies,being bitten by a zombie will not transform you-only exposure to the lethal gas will do that.Like many movies of that genre,there is an implication that some secret government conspiracy is behind the outbreak.Its not to be taken serious but its worth a look!

The Kids Are Alright?

A plot by several third-graders to attack and "overthrow" one of their teachers was foiled Tuesday at a school in Waycross,Georgia after a student reported one of her classmates brought a weapon to school.Police seized a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape, electrical and transparent tape, ribbons and a crystal paperweight from the students, who apparently intended to use them against the teacher, and all kids involved were either 8 or 9 years old!WTF???
While school admininstration said all students involved in the scheme have been indefinitely suspended,they cannot be charged with a crime under state law because they are under 13!Mothers of other 3rd grade students have joined forces to demand the participants be expelled for the safety of their own kids.
Chillingly,they had the whole thing planned out-even conspiring to cover the windows so nobody could see in and witness the impending attack.The teacher reportedly was a 3rd grade"special ed" teacher,and instructed children with ADD,and other developmental problems.The plot was in retaliation to her disciplining a classmate for standing on a chair.
While some people may find this amusing,I think it is extremely disturbing.Had these kids had the opportunity to set their plan in motion they could have seriously injured or even killed the teacher.(and in accordance to Georgia law,gotten away with murder!)There is nothing "special" about these special ed kids,they demonstrated that by working in tandem to cook up an ambush!Is this what schools are coming to?What about the kids with learning disabilities who truly need special education?They clearly are not getting the attention they require if the teacher is pre-occupied with controlling kids who have severe personality disorders.
And just because they under 13 and cannot be prosecuted does not mean it is out of the states hands.Social Services should do independent investigations into each of these children because plotting to kill an adult,a teacher no less,is NOT normal!Are they growing up in homes with domestic violence,sexual abuse,substance abuse,or mental illness?We cannot sit back and wait until they older and not intervene.Incidents like Jonesboro prove that even young kids can pull off school massacres and they did not just "snap" one day-there were signs of trouble before they decided to shoot up the school.

POISON fans everywhere disappointed....

Poison fans are holding their breath,and hoping that drummer Rikki Rocketts' recent arrest on rape charges will not interrupt the 2008 tour dates scheduled this summer-especially those who have already made plans to catch a show.
It's old news now,but 46 yr. old Rockett was arrested Monday shortly after getting off a plane from New Zealand and landed at LAX, on a rape warrant out of Mississippi.A woman filed a complaint alleging that she was raped in September 2007 in a hotel room at Silver Star Casino,a Choctaw Indian resort near Philadelphia,MS,by Rikki Rockett,whose real name is Richard Ream.
Poison was at its most popular in the 80's as one of the original "hair-bands" and unbeknownst to many people,they are STILL touring regularly over 20 years after the debut album was released to success.So far,no plans to cancel any dates have been announced.They have several concerts scheduled for this year,including dates at nearby venues in Northern Virginia/DC area.