Town Lays Off Entire Police Department!

Here's a sign of the times! Effective tomorrow, October 1, the town of Marfa, Texas will no longer have a Police Department! They figure they can save about $90,000 a year if they don't have to pay the Chief and his two officers. Of course, the Chief becomes the Marshall and he'll pull down $4,000 a year. The county sheriff department will pull up the rest of the slack.

The population of Marfa is 1,862. I know, I know, it's a small town and everybody knows everybody. Yeah...I know, but something seems wrong, here. I can't put my finger on it, but a town that can't afford to pay its cops? Something's wrong....

Brigitte Bardot Celebrating 75

Brigitte Bardot is 75. I was too young to appreciate her work as I was just a kid during her heyday. I can tell you, this, looking at her photos, she appears to look timeless! If you were to search Google Images for the woman, you would find some 50 year old+ pictures where Bardot appears as fresh and contemporary as any of today's top models or actresses. She also had that quality..... It's a quality which she translated well onto film and photographs. It's a quality that is stored between one's ears and can communicate beyond language barriers. Yeah, she was hot!

She spent most of her life protecting animals. She has come under fire, lately for resisting Muslim influence on her beloved France.

At 75 she remains passionate.

Monday Foto - Keeley Hazell

With all the crap that's going on in the world, I thought it might be a good idea to expand the regular Friday Foto feature to Monday, I can't guarantee one every Monday just as I can't promise to top Keeley Hazell. Keeley is a 23year old Page 3 Girl fro The Sun. She's incredibly popular in England.

Click the picture to get the full effect!

Banned in Chicago - Fox Report On Olympics

The local Fox TV affiliate in Chicago aired a story on a group of local Chicagoans who do not want their city to host the 2016 Olympics. The group calls themselves Chicagoans For Rio. Here's a You Tube video of the Fox report:



After this report aired, the Fox station was asked not to repeat the story. The station caved in. Do you find this disturbing in a free country with freedom of the press? Michelle Obama is actively campaigning for Chicago to be named "Host City." The decision will be announced by the International Olympic Committee on Friday.

For more on this organization, visit their web site: www.chicagoansforrio.com

U.S Senate, the EPA & Cows w/Gas

Life sure is complicated! Thank God we have the U.S. Senate to keep the EPA in check!

From the N.Y. Post:

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Charles Schumer helped snuff out an odorous "gas tax" that could have fined upstate (New York) cows for their flatulent contributions to global warming.

The Interior Department Appropriations Bill passing through the Senate contains language that explicitly squelches any efforts by the EPA to try to control carbon-dioxide or methane emissions from livestock production.

The "cow tax," if it were ever implemented, could have run to $175 per dairy cow and $20 per hog.

I say we chow down on baked beans and march on the EPA!

Dumb Teacher

Here's an example of one of the absolute idiots who we hire to teach our kids. This report is from the Associated Press:

An upstate New York school district is investigating a fourth-grader's assertion that his teacher - a Red Sox fan - made him hide his Yankees T-shirt from view.

Nathan Johns, a student at Van Buren Elementary School in Baldwinsville, said he wasn't sure what to think at first when his teacher told him to go to the bathroom and turn his Yankees shirt inside out. He said he complied and later was told to wear it that way until dismissal.

"I thought to myself, 'Is he serious or is he kidding?' " the boy said. "But he had this look like he wasn't kidding at all."

He said his teacher, Peter Addabbo (picture), keeps Red Sox paraphernalia on display all over the classroom.

Baldwinsville Schools Superintendent Jeanne Dangle said Friday that the district is conducting an investigation regarding the incident. - AP

Mr. Addabbo, you're a gavone! Forget the baseball and teach the kids something. The Red Sox and the Yankees are professional sports teams. That's all! This is not war, it is sport! A teacher has no right to humiliate a pupil over his preference in sports! From the story, the fourth grader seems to be more mature than the teacher!

NFL Picks - Week 3

Last week was a rough one. I was only able to pick 7 winners. I can explain this by saying that the wrong teams won many of the games. Muffed field goals, dumb turnovers.......
If you haven't been following, after going 7 & 9 last week, my season total is 19 & 13.
Here are my week 3 picks.....

cleveland at BALTIMORE
WASHINGTON at detroit
jacksonville at HOUSTON
atlanta at NEW ENGLAND
GREEN BAY at st. louis
GIANTS at tampa bay
tennessee at JETS
kansas city at PHILADELPHIA
san francisco at MINNESOTA

new orleans at BUFFALO
CHICAGO at seattle
pittsburgh at CINCINNATI
DENVER at oakland
miami at SAN DIEGO

indianapolis at ARIZONA

carolina at DALLAS

Friday Foto - Erin Andrews

This week's Friday Foto is featuring Erin Andrews. Erin is a reporter for ESPN. She's 31, a graduate of University of Florida, a ZTA sorority girl, a member of the Dazzlers, the Gator basketball dance team and has become an Internet sensation. A candid peep hole movie has been going around on the Internet. It was taken as she was changing clothes in her hotel room. She tells Oprah that she thought that the video would ruin her career. No so, young Erin! This is the USA! Such things usually boost a career! You see, apparently, there are a lot of guys who surf the internet who have never seen a naked woman, attractive or not, in person!

Click the picture for the full effect....and have a nice weekend!

Is Pamela Anderson Broke?

That's broke, not broken. Star Magazine reports that she's at least $1.2 million dollars in debt!
Last year she ran up a $674,043 bill for having her Malibu home renovated. Brunder Construction says the bill is unpaid. She also owes $252,360 in unpaid taxes over two years.
With her money management skills, she should run for Congress!

The Perfect Picture!

In honor of the Oktoberfest, going on in Munich, I was inspired to post this picture. I think it's a nice little picture. Given the content, I'd say that it's in the runing for "The Perfect Picture!" The girl ain't bad either! She's Irina Voronina, a Russian born model. If you read Playboy Magazine, she's not a stranger.

OK, get back to work!

Mackenzie Phillips - Shocking?

I guess if I have to wonder if I'm shocked, I'm not really shocked.

Mackenzie Phillips, daughter of the Mamas & the Pappas' John Phillips, was on Oprah, today. Phillips has a book which is coming out. It's called "High On Arrival." (Are you shocked, yet?) Welllllll, she mentions that she had sex with her father on the night before she was to get married in 1979 at age 19. She wrote in her book: "I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father." She continued to say that the sexual relationship with her father lasted a decade and ended when she became pregnant and didn't know who had fathered the child. She had an abortion, which her father paid for, "and I never let him touch me again."

Phillips told Winfrey that she first tried cocaine when she was 11 years old. Her father did drugs with her, taught her to roll joints and injected her with cocaine. Phillips said she's been clean for a year after pleading guilty to possessing cocaine and entering a drug treatment program.

Phillips said the sexual relationship, although she believes it eventually became consensual, was "an abuse of power" and "a betrayal" on her father's part. She said she forgave John Phillips on his deathbed.

Shocked? Don't be. She obviously needs some money, so she's writing a book. I'm shocked to think that she would think that anybody would pay $29.95 (or more)to read this crap!

Toys For Tots

It's that time of year, again. The Marine Corps collects toys for the many needy children in our area. The concept is pretty simple. Well, the Marines need some help in doing what they do. Our dealership lends them a truck. We've done this for years. They get free publicity from the local media - or do they? This is what bothers me! It's not the program! Certainly not! These Marines are heroes. It humbles me to hear the horrible and dangerous things that these guys have gone through. The guy in charge of the local program is a combat veteran with a purple heart. The problem is not with the program at all. It is with a local TV station that partners with the Marines. Yes, they partner with the Marines insisting on excluding the other local TV stations from participating in publicising this event! Does this sound right? Yes friends, in Terre Haute, Indiana we have a TV station that actually bullies the competition out of public service announcements! It's more than that! The Marines are forbidden to be interviewed by the non partner stations! Is this the exploitation of a charitable event?

Tacky, guys. Real tacky.

This is just another reason why I'm glad that I said goodbye to broadcasting in this town!

Would You Eat At These Places?

Here's an interesting collection of pictures of restaurants where I don't think I would eat.....

Click the pictures as necessary.

Faith Hill Turns 42

County music singer Faith Hill is 42 today. She's sold more than 40 million records and has had at least eight #1 country hit songs. Am I a fan? Let's just say that her talent has captured my attention. I've noticed that she is real good at what she does. She remains incredibly popular despite some kind of altercation at an awards ceremony. The memory is a little fuzzy, but I think I remember something........

ISU Football Team Loses

Breaking news! The Indiana State University Football team lost yesterday, 41-0 to South Dakota State. More breaking news? The sun rose in the east! This brings the losing streak to 30 consecutive games. The current record began with sufficient momentum. You see, the Sycamores have won only 1 of their last 55 games! Being an alumnus of ISU, I had hoped to report a win. At the rate that I am going, I have roughly 15 more years of space available for this blog. I'm thinking that I should be able to report an ISU win, somewhere in there!

Sophia Loren Turns 75

Sophia Loren, an Academy Award winning actress is celebrating, today, with 75 candles on her cake. We at the blog remember her as a smart, talented actress. Watching her on the screen was and is always fun, as well as interesting...classy dame!

Happy birthday from the blog!

NFL Picks - Week 2

Last week wasn't half bad! My predictions were 12 and 4. Here's how I see week #2:

houston at TENNESSEE
new orleans at PHILADELPHIA
arizona at JACKSONVILLE
OAKLAND at kansas city
cincinnati at GREEN BAY
MINNESOTA at detroit
saint louis at WASHINGTON
new england at NY JETS
caroliina at ATLANTA

tampa bay at BUFFALO
SEATTLE at san francisco
baltimore at SAN DIEGO
PITTSBURGH at chicago
CLEVELAND at denver
ny giants at DALLAS

INDIANAPOLIS at miami

Friday Foto - Emanuela Folliero

This week's Friday Foto comes to us from Italy. Emanuela Folliero has been on Italian TV for more than 20 years. We don't know of her in the USA. I feel that it is my duty to do what little I can to...are you still reading this? You should be clicking the tiny thumbnail picture of this beautiful lady. This way you can get the full effect! You will notice that the picture is in black & white. I don't think it really matters....

Have a nice weekend!

Teacher Donates Kidney To Student

Here's one to make us all feel good. Jennifer Mazzotta-Perretti is a teacher at Nassau BOCES in Wantagh, Long Island, NY. She gave her creative writing class an assignment to write about their experiences doing good deeds.

One student in her summer creative writing class posed the question: Would you give life to someone else if you didn't have to give up your own? She said yes, she would.

Then he asked if she would donate one of her kidneys - to him. Again, she said yes. After a battery of tests, the organ donation was done. High school student Kevin O'Brien has had a history of kidney problems. His teacher saved his life with the kindness of her kidney donation.

In researching this story I found two other cases where teachers have donated a kidney to a student.

Amazing.

Philadelphia Libraries Closing

The Philadelphia Free Public Library system is shutting down! Really! They will be closing their doors on October 2. I can't believe it! What the hell is going on, here? Could you imagine what would happen if they shut down High School Football? No, that would never happen. The libraries are closing due to lack of funds. Funding which could not be arranged by politicians who probably never spent more than ten minutes in a library!

If it has come to this, the end can't be far away.

Leno Prime Time

Jay Leno's prime time show debuted, last night. Leno left the Tonight Show because he wanted to retire. He may, finally, get his wish. Apparently NBC offered the guy enough money to sidestep retirement to do a daily, M-F comedy show on NBC at 10PM. It must have been A LOT OF MONEY! It's apparent that he's aiming at a younger audience than he owned on the Tonight Show. I wanted to like the show. I did not. If his first effort in prime time is an indication, retirement may come for Jay within, say...13 weeks...

The endless hype should have tipped me off.

Patrick Swayze Dies

Sad news. Partick Swayze died today. He was only 57. The internet will be full of biographies on the guy. To me, he seemed different than most of what Hollywood pushes off as star material. The guy was talented. If you saw him in Dirty Dancing, you'd know - the guy could dance! And act? He convinced me that his character was a tough New York kid. And Roadhouse, where he played a bouncer. His famous line in the hospital emergency room, to the lady doctor (Kelly Lynch) who was treating him, "Pain don't hurt." Guys, feel free to use that line. It worked for Swayze.

I liked the guy. He'll be missed.

Wild Wild West

I don't watch award shows on TV. It's a publicity venue invented by a business to further promote itself and overpaid, spoiled, under talented people as they congratulate each other. Besides, there was a football game on NBC. I say it was a football game, Bears fans may disagree.

Getting back to the awards show, the VMA on MTV where Taylor Swift won an award for best female video. As she accepts her trophy, gavone #1 - Kanye West takes the mic from her and tells us that Beyonce's video was one of the best ever made. Swift did the best thing possible: nothing. That's right. The crowd booed West. See video, below:



Well......"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Viacom." Translation: If Viacom can't make any money on it, you can't see it!

(I'm thinking, Taylor: knee to the crotch.)
Beyonce later won an award and invited Swift, on stage, to finish her remarks. Classy, but I still don't watch awards shows.

Friday Foto - Marisol Gonzalez

Another week, another Friday Foto! Marisol González Casas (born March 12, 1983 in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico) competed in the Miss Universe 2003 pageant, held in Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. She recently made her debut as an actress in the telenovela Contra viento y marea (2005).

Click the picture for the full effect and have a good weekend!

CNN Screws Up

Pardon the technical jargon, but CNN screwed up, this morning. They reported that the U.S.Coast Guard fired 10 rounds at a suspicious watercraft on the Potomac River, in Washington D.C. this morning. CNN went full tilt, with live video of this breaking news story! Where did they get their information? In the news business, it's good to be the first to report a story. It's better to be accurate! (You may quote me.)



The U.S. Coast Guard says that they were conducting a training exercise. Responsible journalism at its best! We pay money to watch CNN. Shouldn't they do a better job?

Peter Zenger would have been so proud!

Don't Ever Forget This!

NFL Picks - Week One

I'm going to try this again. The thing to remember is that I am simply a casual fan. I do not have the information or instincts that are enjoyed by the people who do this for a living. With this in mind, here are my picks:

tennessee at PITTSBURGH

jacksonville at INDIANAPOLIS
detroit at NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA at carolina
DALLAS at tampa bay
ny jets at HOUSTON
kansas city at BALTIMORE
DENVER at cincinnati
minnesota at CLEVELAND
miami at ATLANTA

washington at NY GIANTS
san francisco at ARIZONA
saint louis at SEATTLE

CHICAGO at green bay

buffalo at NEW ENGLAND
SAN DIEGO at oakland

Latest Banned PETA Commercial

Is this deja vu? PETA, the ethical treatment of animals people have come up with an ad, of some kind, and managed to get it banned at a few airports.

You may remember that PETA wanted to advertise during the Super Bowl, last February. The content was deemed too racy. It had something to do with vegetables and the physical act of love....it's on You Tube...you can look it up.

The latest spot features Pamela Anderson as a security guard...



Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude. Don't the wierdos at PETA care about young children seeing this? Answer: NO, they don't care.

These wierdos are actually hurting their own cause. Anybody in for some ribeye? Make mine medium.

Medicare Humor

While we are in the middle of a national health care debate, I think it may be good to take some time out to appreciate a little humor.......

The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, 'Hello.'

'Mrs. Sanders, please.'

'Speaking.'

'Mrs. Sanders, this is Doctor Jones at Saint Agnes Laboratory. When your
husband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another
Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which one belongs to your
husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good.'

'What do you mean?' Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.

'Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other
one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which.'

'That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?' questioned Mrs. Sanders.

'Normally we can, but Medicare will only pay for these expensive tests one
time.'

'Well, what am I supposed to do now?'

'The folks at Medicare recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in
the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him.'

MDA Telethon Rakes In $60 Million

For some reason, I am fascinated by the annual MDA Telethon. I've felt this way long before I was in broadcasting and long before I ever met a person afflicted with an MD condition. Why the fascination? Probably it's the triumph of the human spirit. On a local level, I worked with many MDA District Directors. Some were very good at fund raising, others were not. I've met scores of MD patients, many of whom are no longer with us. I met the parents, too. The kids and the parents know and appreciate what the volunteers do. These folks really need help. They also really need to know that we are aware of their plight and that they aren't alone.

I know that Jerry Lewis has many detractors. While I don't believe that he's a candidate for sainthood, I'm sure that I'd get a pretty good argument from people affected by MD. This year $60.5 million was raised nationally. This is down from last year's record $65 million.

The Blog salutes the volunteers, but mostly remembers the patients and families affected by MD.

Naked Cowboy Pulls Out...Of Mayoral Bid

The Naked Cowboy has been entertaining New Yorkers and tourists in the Times Square neighborhood for years. He's been so popular that in July of this year, he threw his hat into the ring - running for Mayor of New York City.

Well, today, 38 year old Robert Burck announced that he is officially pulling out of the race. It is so sad to see a dream die!

He will continue entertaining the Times Square faithful, wearing his cowboy hat, boots, BVDs and a smile.

Monday Moron

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday. Anyway, I thought that, perhaps, this picture may amuse you. What we need, guys, is some kind of headgear which provides the ability to keep the sun out of our eyes. An image of Sherlock Holmes' hat just popped into my head!
Naw, we'd probably just wear it sideways!

Tequila Held & Choked?

Tila Tequila, an almost famous reality TV person, finds herself in the hospital, today. You see, Tila had a date, last night, with NFLer Shawne Merriman. She tells the cops that Merriman choked her and wouldn't let her leave his place. This was at 3:45 AM.

TIME OUT! We pause, here for a moment, as I suggest to the females in the audience - if you have a date with a guy and you find yourself at his house, you should decide on staying or leaving - long before 3:45AM! This is particularly true if your date is a wealthy (at the moment) jock with a history of drug use who is easily capable of killing you should you upset his agenda.

Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, 27, signed a citizen's arrest warrant when authorities arrived on the scene, charging the NFL linebacker with battery and false imprisonment. He says that she was too intoxicated to leave safely. The preliminary "E-Online" report said that Merriman was arrested and released on bail and that no charges were filed! Read that last sentence, again.

Two Potatoes

Two potatoes are walking down the street.
One of them is a prostitute.
How can you tell which one is the hooker?
She's the one with the stamp that says, "I DA HO."

Friday Foto - Natalia Rose

Will the real Natalia Rose please stand up. I found this picture and I knew immediately that I had to feature this young lady as a Friday Foto. I googled her and found that there are several somewhat famous Natalia Roses floating around cyper space. There's the nutritionist, then there's the west coast model and there's the country singer.....all named Natalia Rose!
Our Natalia is from northern New Jersey. This could all be confusing until you consider that "...a rose by any name..."
That's right, GT is quoting Shakespeare! I got culture! or at least I went to a decent high school where they taught something...

Click on the picture, if you haven't already, for the full effect...and have a nice weekend.

Koosman Jailed For Tax Evasion

Sad news. Jerry Koosman screwed up. He failed to file federal tax returns between 2002 & 2004. He owed as much as $80,000. We will be "putting him up" (in jail) for 6 months.

For those of you who may not have existed in 1969, Koosman, a southpaw, helped the 1969 Miracle Mets win the World Series. In New York (and parts of Chicago) the '69 National League East pennant race was and is legendary. Koosman is truely N.Y. Mets Royalty!

Ironic to see that a masterful pitcher of 40 years ago should screw up over something as common as paying federal income tax.

Elvis & Jacko: Alive & Well Outside Austin TX!

The guys at work thought this was a hoot! Click the image for a larger picture....
Sometimes Hoosier Humor does not translate well.




Benny, please tell me if you want credit for the above?!?

Real American Heroes!

Time to get serious for a few moments! This was passed on to me from friend, Benny Brown:

This came from Allan Zullo, an author, who is writing a book on war heroes.It is an extraordinary and true story:

As you might know, I'm working on the book WAR HEROES: Voices from Afghanistan. One of the stories is about PVT Channing Moss, who was impaled by a live rocket propelled grenade (RPG) during a Taliban ambush while on patrol. Army protocol says that medevac choppers are never to carry anyone with a live round in him. Even though they feared it could explode, the flight crew said damn the protocol and flew him to the nearest aid station. Again, protocol said that in such a case the patient is to be put in a sandbagged area away from the surgical unit, given a shot of morphine and left to wait (and die) until others are treated. Again, the medical team ignored the protocol. Here's a seven-minute video put together by the Military Times, which includes actual footage of the surgery where Dr. John Oh, a Korean immigrant who became a naturalized citizen and went to West Point,removed the live round with the help of volunteers and a member of the EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) team. I've interviewed several of the people involved. Moss has undergone six operations but is doing well at home in Gainesville, GA. To me, this is one of the most amazing stories I've ever worked on. I think you'll find the video pretty remarkable.

Click here for the video.

Thanks, Benny!