Dirt for Dessert

Now, I thought this was interesting. What this photo shows is actually pudding. Yes, edible pudding. Under all that dirt, which is actually crushed Oreo Cookies, is a type of pudding concoction. The colorful things you see sticking out of the dirt are worms - edible gummy worms. I have seen this dish prepared before but, this little extra makes it kind of cute (issh what am I doing - I hate that word). The extras are the worms and the clever use of the toy wheelbarrow. I've only seen the dessert made in a regular bowl and no worms added. What a neat extra touch. It's kinda cute, I mean neat.

^

Master of Malapropism

In my youth I greatly, enjoyed old reruns of 'The Bowery Boys' and especially loved the linguistic twists so often employed by it's lead character, Slip Mahoney. Well, I didn't realize there was even a word for it. A malapropism is the incorrect use of a word by substituting a similar-sounding word with different meaning, usually with comic effect. This is exactly what ol' Slip Mahoney always did and what attracted me to the hilarious series in the first place. Slip, played by Leo Gorcey, was a master of malapropism which henceforth became my favorite style of comedy. If done with talent and timing nothing beats this method of comedic effect.

From the mid thirties to the mid fifties Leo Gorcey was a very, busy actor. He became famous as the leader of the fictional gangs known as The Dead End Kids (1937-39), The East Side Kids (1940-45), and best of all The Bowery Boys (1946-56).

Rantings, Ramblings, and Other Miscellaneous Stuff: Are You A Bad Speller?

Everyone, please check out the video that Sunni has posted at her great site. If you have a sense of humor at all, you should love this video clip. I have not laughed that hard in a long time. Hell, I was still chuckling long after I viewed it. Go to -

Rantings, Ramblings, and Other Miscellaneous Stuff: Are You A Bad Speller? and lighten up your day. Believe me, this link will be well worth your time. If not, go down to your local Five and Dime (do they still exist) and buy yourself a large portion of 'sense of humor' and use the whole thing.

The 4400 Season Premeire - Season 4

I excitedly watched the season premiere of The 4400. This is the fourth season of this great story and if you haven't seen this show it is a must. Put it on your to-do list now!

I have been anticipating the return (no pun intended) of The 4400 since last season's finale. Last season, as you would expect, was a cliff-hanger that left many questions unanswered. Well, you don't see many answers here -yet. And you shouldn't. What we received with this episode (The Wrath of Graham), as with all episodes, are even more unanswered questions. Like what will Kyle's power be? Or what is the future of Shawn? Actually, there are numerous questions to be answered this season and hopefully many seasons to come.

All these plot twists and character developments are quite exciting to me. It is nearly infinite with plot possibilities and our star characters have so much to reveal, let alone the limitless variations we will be seeing with new characters yet to be introduced. Also, the creative introduction of new powers is absolutely boundless. As intriguing as all this stuff is, this is not what keeps me dedicated to this program. What then has made such a fan of me? It is the unique scenario instilled in the storyline of not knowing the good guys from the bad guys!

Has a show been created before where you don't know who to root for? Maybe, but it's never been done this well. Are 'the 4400' good or evil? Do we rally behind them or behind the government? Is Jordan Collier a messiah or a devil? Or neither? Is promicin good or bad? Will it help or hinder mankind? Is humankind going to be destroyed, saved, or what? And what is the impetus behind 'the 4400' to begin with? I can't wait to get more confused as the season goes along.

Have you taken your PROMICIN yet?

Reality TV For Everyone

I can honestly state that I don't watch reality TV. I know there are many closet reality watches which enjoy these programs in secret but, I don't see the allure of them. I've seen 'The Amazing Race' a few times and it was somewhat entertaining but, that's about it. I've never seen 'Big Brother'. Not one time. Not even one minute. I believe this is the show that started it all. I simply have no interest in this type of . . . entertainment. Entertainment?

Well, I guess many do watch reality TV or they wouldn't keep producing them. And produce them they do. Since the creation of this crap there has been a massive invasion of more and more reality for our idiot boxes. They have reality shows for just about everything and everyone. What, you haven't had enough yet? You need a show which appeals directly to you? There is a new one coming your way. Maybe this program will keep you glued to your television.


I've got a great and creative idea for a new show. How about a show on kidney transplants? No, not a documentary of the surgery but, something more riveting. Stay with me now. Picture this - a terminally ill woman will select one of three patients to receive her kidneys! That should work for ya.

She will make her choice based on the contestants' history, profile and conversation with their family and friends.

Viewers will also be able to send in their advice by text message during the 80-minute show. Yup, 80 minutes. We all know a 60 minute program just wouldn't be enough!

Ah, damn! Someone beat me to it! Wouldn't you know. I guess I'm not they only creative guy around. It turns out that Dutch television is way ahead of me. Wait, wait! There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding this program over there. Perhaps, I still could sell this idea to Hollywood. Surely, we here in America can see the need for this stuff. Hell, we don't have enough good entertainment on our televisions yet. We need more reality and this could help fill the void. I know I'm onto something here.

Top Ten Westerns

I have noticed that some of my dedicated readers are avid or budding fans of the 'western' movie genre. I am a fan of the western movie myself. So, for these readers I submit a top ten list of western movies. This list is not my own (perhaps someday I shall compile one) but, is rather a list I have acquired from the Cinemacom website. It is a very, informative and entertaining site. Check it out if you an interest in westerns.

• The Ox-Bow Incident - William A. Wellman (1942) Henry Fonda
• Duel in the Sun - King Vidor (1946) Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones
• My Darling Clementine - John Ford (1946) Henry Fonda, Victor Mature
• Red River - Howard Hawks (1948) John Wayne, Montgomery Clift
• Broken Arrow - Delmer Daves (1950) James Stewart, Jeff Chandler
• The Gunfighter - Henry King (1950) Gregory Peck
• Stars in My Crown - Jacques Tourneur (1950) Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew
• Winchester '73 - Anthony Mann (1950) James Stewart, Stephen McNally
• High Noon - Fred Zinnemann (1952) Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly
• The Naked Spur - Anthony Mann (1953) James Stewart, Robert Ryan

Are We the Baddies?

A couple of SS Officers in contemplation.

The Sentinel

I just finished watching The Sentinel. It turned out to be a decent movie but, it could have been much better. Michael Douglas played the main character, Pete Garrison, and did quite well. Kim Basinger made an excellent and believable first lady. Eva Longoria, although excellent eye candy, was just not convincing in her role as Special Agent Jill Marin and seemed totally out of place. Sadly, the president was played by David Rasche who's character in the film was totally non-descript. He was like the one you would see at a party sitting by himself in the corner. You hardly even knew he was there.

There seemed to be an uncomfortable scramble to cram in details in nearly every scene. The whole movie seems very rushed. Yet the audience is given precious little information on the back story leaving you scratching your head for explanations of what might have started the whole plot. We don't even get to learn why the bad guys want to kill the president. We learn almost nothing of the bad guys. In fact character development, all around, was almost non-existent. Isn't this what stories are about?

Don't expect too much and you may enjoy watching this movie.

released 2006

Dust Art

This guy is amazing. He creates art in the dust which deposits on the window of his vehicles.

When the dust gets thick on the back window of his Mini Cooper, Scott Wade uses it as a canvas to create temporary works of art. Among his creations was a copy of C.M. Coolidge’s ‘A Friend in Need,’ better known as dogs playing poker.


Wade used his finger and other implements to etch this homage to Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ and Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa.’

Wade lives off the unpaved Roadrunner Road north of San Marcos, which dusts the back windows of his car and gives him the canvases to create his own works of art.

A gimme-capped John Kelso was the subject of one window portrait.

Besides his finger, Wade uses traditional art tools, such as paintbrushes, and unconventional ones, like a chewed Popsicle stick, to make his drawings.

Wade takes pride in his creations, but he knows that with one good shower, his work will just wash away.

The Poker Player

The poker player from whatever creed
Is undoubtedly one hell of a breed
Like a piranha he will scour the seas
So just beware it's not you that he sees
For it's been said, that his favorite dish
Is not a whale but sweet little fish

He will swim from table to table
And take your cash whenever able
From Las Vegas to Havana
You can't escape from this piranha
So accept it and be true to heart
That you and your cash will have to part

But you and your pride will not let it rest
For you still want to play and to beat the best
You put on dark glasses and the poker frown
As you take a seat and lay your money down
You lose your cash but you're not sorry
For now you are part of a poker story

By Peter Costa

The 'Dog' Arrested

Duane `Dog' Chapman Arrested by Feds
Thursday, September 14th, 2006 at 5:17pm
AP Photo/LUCY PEMONI

TV reality star Duane "Dog" Chapman and two co-stars on his show were arrested Thursday in Hawaii on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy in an alleged kidnapping three years ago.

Chapman, son Leland Chapman and associate Timothy Chapman were taken into custody and did not resist arrest, said Mark Hanohano, U.S. Marshal for the district of Hawaii. "It went down without incident," Hanohano said.

Mona K. Wood, a publicist for the star of the popular cable series "Dog The Bounty Hunter," said Chapman would be vindicated. "He arrests the bad guys _ and he is definitely not one of them," she said.

The charges stem from Chapman's capture of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster on June 18, 2003, in Puerto Villarta, Mexico, said Marshals spokeswoman Nikki Credic in Washington.

Chapman's capture of Luster, who had fled the country after being convicted of raping three women, catapulted the 53-year-old bounty hunter to fame and led to the reality series on A&E.

The three are being held in Honolulu. Bail has not been set. They will face an extradition hearing to Mexico under terms of treaties between the U.S. and Mexico, Credic said.

Chapman's son Leland, 29, and Timothy Chapman, 41, no relation, assist Chapman in exploits chronicled for the TV show around the Hawaiian Islands. The show focuses on Chapman's family as much as the bounty hunting, which generally involves tracking down bail jumpers, often creating emotional scenes with repentant captives.

Charges have been pending against the three since local police in Mexico arrested them shortly after they roped in Luster. They posted bail but never returned to Puerto Villarta for their court hearing on July 15, 2003, Credic said.

Mexican authorities demanded that the Chapmans transfer Luster to Mexican police. Their refusal to do so led to their initial arrest.

A U.S. warrant for their arrest was signed by a federal judge in Honolulu on Wednesday.

Doesn't anyone remember The Bowery Boys?

I fondly remember watching old black and white re-runs of the 'Bowery Boys' in my youth, back when there were only three (3) television channels to chose from. They were hilarious! I will probably anger some when I say that they were more entertaining than 'The Three Stooges' or 'Laurel and Hardy' but they were more entertaining than 'The Three Stooges' or 'Laurel and Hardy'

I especially loved the way Slip (the leading character) butchered the English language. Very, funny stuff. I have even tried this humor myself, on the street or amongst friends - only to have it fly over most peoples heads and they would look at me as if I was the idiot. It is too bad that humor today largely consists of sex or obscene language. I have a list of three (3) things which I consider cheap laughs. Sex, obscene language, and of course rude bodily functions (slapstick could almost be a fourth, but is OK if it's not all you got). Sure, many times you may evoke laughter with one of these three (3) crutches but, a true master is one who can create laughter without relying on this safety net of sure-fire laughs. It's just plain cheating. Anyone can use THE THREE effectively. Come on comedians - 'stand up' and show the world you really do have talent. Don't just do what anyone can do.

A little history of THE BOWERY BOYS

After their success in the Broadway play of the same name, The 'Dead End Kids' were introduced to an unsuspecting public in Samuel Goldwyn's 1937 film 'Dead End', a crime drama featuring Humphrey Bogart. Next to the actors, 'The Dead End Kids' stood out. They weren't acting; they were the real thing, rough around the edges and eager to cause trouble.

Goldwyn signed the boys but he couldn't tame them. After Goldwyn fired them they headed over to Warner Bros Studios and made 7 'Dead End Kids'films. The success of the films caused other studios to copy the winning formula. Universal Studios produced 12 films and cashed in with their 'Little Tough Guys' series. Meanwhile Monogram Films, known as the king of the poverty row studios cranked out 23 popular 'East Side Kids' movies.

The anarchistic actors hopped from studio to studio and film to film. They knew no boundaries. Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall and the Boys finished films at a furious pace. Between 1940 and 1957 they made an average of five films a year. As they experienced more films, their characters came into a sharper focus. The final winning formula of Leo Gorcey as Slip Mahoney (The Chief) and Huntz Hall as Horace Debussy Jones (Sach) came into its own in 1946 when Monogram/Allied Artist churned out 48 hilarious 'Bowery Boys'movies.

Hollywood could take the boys out of the Bowery, but they couldn't take the Bowery out of the Boys. They continued causing trouble with girls, booze and general mayhem. They were wild and rowdy off-screen as they were before the camera. In 1955, 20 years after their original on stage appearance, Bernard Gorcey, who played Louie of' Louie's Sweetshop' died in a tragic car accident. Leo was stricken with grief and soon bowed out of the franchise. The show must go on and Huntz Hall, teaming up with Stanley Clements (Duke) led the remaining Boys until 1958, when the series finally drew to a close.

This info was found at 'The Bowery Boys Collection'

Harrier Flying Extremely Low

Happy Birthday -

You Know Who You Are

BORN: 10 September 1970

Your date of conception, and bane to the world, was on or about 18 December 1969 which was a Thursday.

You were born on a Thursday under the astrological sign of (snicker) Virgo.
Your Life path number is 9 not 7.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9 not 7.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5 not 7.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 7 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 8 & 22 but not 7.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2440839.5.
The golden number for 1970 is 14.
The year 1970 was not a leap year.

No 7's here, either !

You were born in the Chinese year of the Dog.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Bare; your plant is Violets, even though your a pansy.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Haties.

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 9 Elul 5730.

As of 9/11/2006 1:30:39 AM EDT
You are 36 years old.
You are 432 months old.
You are 1,879 weeks old.
You are 13,150 days old.
You are 315,601 hours old.
You are 18,936,090 minutes old.
You are 1,136,165,439 seconds old.
You might as well hang it up !

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Ryan Phillippe (1974) Randy Johnson (1963) Dan Castellaneta (1958)
Amy Irving (1953) Joe Perry (1950) Jose Feliciano (1945)
Charles Kuralt (1934) Roger Maris (1934) Arnold Palmer (1929)

Top songs of 1970

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
I'll Be There by Jackson Five
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head by B.J. Thomas
Close to You by Carpenters
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison
I Think I Love You by Partridge Family
Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross
American Woman by Guess Who
War by Edwin Starr
Let It Be by Beatles

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.146771037182 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 364 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 37 candles.
Those 37 candles produce 37 BTUs,
or 9,324 calories of heat (that's only 9.3240 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.23 US ounces of water with that many candles, so help the world conserve energy by not requiring any more candles, OK.

In 1970 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US. Many feel there was one (1) too many !
In 1970 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile. Please help conserve space !
In 1970 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%)
In 1970 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000) Let's get this rate up this year !
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US (tick,tick) one person dies (tick,tick) approximately every 12 (tick,hint,tick) seconds. There's no shame in this, my friend !

Your birthstone is Sapphire
The Mystical properties of Sapphire -
Though not meant to replace traditional medical treatment, Sapphire is used for clear thinking. Perhaps you need this medical treatment. For your birthday gift I have sent you the new book, "Do It Yourself Frontal Lobotomies For Dummies", please follow all directions closely.

Your birth tree is - Weeping Willow, the Melancholy
Beautiful but full of melancholy, un-attractive, very empathic, loves anything beautiful but distasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, dishonest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, no intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner (sometimes restraints are needed).

There are 105 days till Christmas 2006!

The moon's phase on the day you were born was waxing gibbous.

Season Finale of the 4400

The season for the 4400 just ended and it looks like season four is a reality. Sweet.

I will not go into much plot detail as all you need to know can be found here. I will comment on the re-taking of Alana, though, because I have heard many people questioning her new disappearance. My theory is that she was snatched for her 'attempted' interfering in the interrogation of Shawn. Even though, she did not get the chance to do this it is clear that she agreed to give it a try. I think this was not in the cards and it possibly angered the powers that be. Perhaps this was not part of her intended purpose and she was recalled for a little tweaking or maybe even a little punishment. Just a thought.

There were many plot twists, as one would expect here, but the ending was simply masterful. Kevin turns, looks directly at the TV viewer (aka you and I) and very directly poses the big question - Would you take the shot? We are given the opportunity to take the promicin serum, which will either give you 'a 4400 power' (telekinesis, precognitive visions, the ability to heal or drain life, etc) or kill you with a massive brain hemorrhage. The odds of one or the other happening are exactly fifty (50) percent.

Do you want the shot?

Murder on the Disoriented Express

Yesterday, my wife and I joined the crew for a fun and hilarious evening on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. It was a 'dinner-theater' performance on an actual train ride. If you can afford the somewhat steep price of this marvelous night out, I highly recommend it.

A limited number of passengers are selected to actually perform with the professional cast. Yours truly was one of the few. I was chosen to play the part of Colonel Boris Schmirnoff, one of the several murder suspects. I bellowed out my best Russian accent during the night and was told by many that I was quite convincing. I've not had this much fun in a long time.

Traveling by train can be fun, romantic, and sometimes dangerous. Take the case of the North Shore Scenic Railroad's Elegant Dinner Train. A group of people, most of whom are strangers to one another, sit down to a gourmet meal in the beautiful Lake of the Isles dining car. As the train pulls out of the Depot in Duluth and heads onto the Lakefront Line, the guests in the dining car meet one another and find that there is something just a little off balance. An air of mystery surrounds the "alter-egos" of some of the passengers. To quote Sherlock Holmes, "The game is afoot."

The evening will begin as audience members are assigned new identities for the drama. Some will even become suspects for the crime! As the mystery unfolds, a murder occurs and the audience must figure out who has committed the crime. It was a fast-paced and funny performance that Upstage Productions has been perfecting for over a decade.

Almost as if planned to the exact minute, the train crosses Railroad Street and the diesel engine's horn blares out its warning! One of the passengers has met a cruel and quite fatal end. For the remainder of the evening, your job is to solve the crime and deliver the guilty party to authorities by the time the train returns to the station.

Of course, because this is a sophisticated and elegant evening, dinner and cocktails will continue as if there is nothing wrong. Fortunately, there is a world-famous detective on board to assist in finding the guilty party. In fact, several of them. Murder on the Disoriented Express" is so complex, they called in the expertise of super sleuths Charlie Chan, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Lt. Columbo and even Charlies Angels! It's an evening of mirth, merriment, and mayhem on The Disoriented Express! Be the first to solve the crime and win the prize!

All dates depart at 6:30pm for a 2.5 hour excursion.

find me guilty

I am a huge fan of any book or movie pertaining to Organized Crime, so I had to watch 'find me guilty'. This movie was based on a true story, which is my favorite type of crime movie to watch (or any movie for that matter). It is a very bizarre movie, as true stories can sometimes be, with a somewhat surprising ending. I would not put this on my 'Top Ten List' of mafia movies to see but I am, also, glad that I viewed it. Having watched every Organized Crime film I could get my hands on, not making the 'Top Ten' is not an automatic condemnation. I actually did enjoy this flick.

I must say this is not your typical mafia movie. Far from it. There is an attempted murder in the opening of the movie and a short scene of a beating in a jail cell somewhere towards the end. Other than that, the remainder of the movie virtually takes place in the courtroom. It was said, I believe, that this was the longest running criminal trial in U.S. history! If you are after the typical violent or graphic scenes you won't find them here. There, indeed were some dry spots in the movie but, there is generally enough drama to keep things entertaining.

The whole premise of the movie is about a stand-up guy (played by Vin Diesel) who elects to defend himself in court. Having nothing but a sixth-grade education and no legal knowledge whatsoever he uses humor (by design or not - I do not know) to present his view, sometimes making a mockery of the court. In the opening of the trial he actually states that he is not a gangster but, rather a 'gagster'. He used a very unique defense, I must say, pitching many one-liners and telling a few risque jokes.

I was very, pleasantly surprised by the performance of Vin Diesel, as I have never been a big fan of his past work. I have a newfound respect for his talent, after watching this movie. He played the part excellently and I now concede that he can truly act after all. It was a flawless performance.

I would recommend this movie to those interested in the genre, just keep the afore mentioned disclaimers in mind.

Released 2006

Happy Birthday Sir Paul

It is rumored that 40 years ago Paul wrote the song "When I'm 64" as a tribute to his father. He wrote it as a teenager but, it wasn't recorded until 1967 and is found on the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. However, McCartney, who turns 64 today, has had quite a different life than the one he wrote about in the song. He is a billionaire and a knight of the British Empire.

Happy birthday Sir Paul.

And while we are celebrating - Happy Father's Day to all you fathers.

Best Juggling Ever

I have seen a few jugglers in my day, but nobody compares to this guy. You've got to watch this, you will be amazed !