Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
This Just In...
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - One of Nigeria's biggest daily newspapers reported that police implicated a goat in an attempted automobile theft. In a front-page article on Friday, the Vanguard newspaper said that two men tried to steal a Mazda car two days earlier in Kwara State, with one suspect transforming himself into a goat as vigilantes cornered him.
The paper quoted police spokesman Tunde Mohammed as saying that while one suspect escaped, the other transformed into a goat as he was about to be apprehended.
The newspaper reported that police paraded the goat before journalists, and published a picture of the animal.
Police in the state couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Jim's "Go or Don't Go" - Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading is one of those strange movies with an equally strange title that doesn't give you much indication of what the movie is about. Not that it could, nor will I attempt to explain too much about this film. You just had to be there I guess.
The film is the latest effort by the Coen brothers. They have made a long list of very interesting and critically acclaimed movies. I have to say that I'm not very familiar with most of their work, but one of my favorite films, O Brother Where Art Thou (I say "Go" BTW), is a Coen creation.
The plot in a nutshell - A fitness instructor's (Frances McDormand) insecure desire for plastic surgery sets off an international "intelligence" (I'm using this term lightly) crisis. The genius of the film is that every single character is pretty much an idiot, but thinks that they are brilliant. As with their other movies, Burn After Reading is filled with a well-developed and quirky cast of characters. Although the plot is somewhat complicated and their are quite a few cast members, I found it easy to follow and humorous throughout. It is a dark comedy, however, and there are a couple of pretty violent scenes. I don't think that I've ever watched a man being attacked with a hatchet and then found myself laughing one second later, but this film managed to to do that for me. Again, you just had to be there.
As for the cast, it's star-studded. George Clooney, John Malkovich and Brad Pitt are just a few of the fine actors that get wrapped up in the bumbling intrigue. Pitt steals the show as Chad, an empty-headed fitness instructor.
FAIR WARNING: If you have an issue with profanity, this may not be your film. Having said that, I did enjoy this movie and sat back and enjoyed wondering how all of these characters we're going to "resolve" their absurd situations. I say"Go."
The film is the latest effort by the Coen brothers. They have made a long list of very interesting and critically acclaimed movies. I have to say that I'm not very familiar with most of their work, but one of my favorite films, O Brother Where Art Thou (I say "Go" BTW), is a Coen creation.
The plot in a nutshell - A fitness instructor's (Frances McDormand) insecure desire for plastic surgery sets off an international "intelligence" (I'm using this term lightly) crisis. The genius of the film is that every single character is pretty much an idiot, but thinks that they are brilliant. As with their other movies, Burn After Reading is filled with a well-developed and quirky cast of characters. Although the plot is somewhat complicated and their are quite a few cast members, I found it easy to follow and humorous throughout. It is a dark comedy, however, and there are a couple of pretty violent scenes. I don't think that I've ever watched a man being attacked with a hatchet and then found myself laughing one second later, but this film managed to to do that for me. Again, you just had to be there.
As for the cast, it's star-studded. George Clooney, John Malkovich and Brad Pitt are just a few of the fine actors that get wrapped up in the bumbling intrigue. Pitt steals the show as Chad, an empty-headed fitness instructor.
FAIR WARNING: If you have an issue with profanity, this may not be your film. Having said that, I did enjoy this movie and sat back and enjoyed wondering how all of these characters we're going to "resolve" their absurd situations. I say"Go."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Miracle on the Hudson...
I was stunned last week, as I'm sure you all were, by the amazing events that took place on the Hudson River involving the "landing" of a US Airways jet. On Friday, I heard a great commentary by CBS Radio's Dave Ross, and I wanted to share it here. He summed up exactly what I was thinking.
In the unlikely event of a water landing... by Dave Ross
Those of us who fly on a regular basis have many uncomfortable questions floating around in our heads as we pretend to ignore the safety lecture. But we suppress them because we know that strapping yourself in a metal tube to go hurtling through the atmosphere at 500 miles an hour surrounded by jet fuel is an inherently insane idea. And -- we have a suspicion that despite all the options they give you, what would actually happen in the unlikely event of a "water landing" is that you die. But now we have some answers:
-Will this plane REALLY glide with both engines out? Yes.
-Can a plane actually land in the water without breaking apart? Yes.
-Will a fully loaded plane actually float? Yes.
-Is it possible to send a text message under pressure? Yes -- one woman managed to message her husband -- "My plane is crashing."
-Is there really a reason to have able-bodied people in the exit row? Yes.
-Can you really evacuate a plane in 90 seconds? Yes.
-Will the life vests really inflate when you pull firmly on the cord? Yes.
-Can the wing really hold you when you step on it? Yes.
-Can a pilot like Chesley B. Sullenberger III ever be replaced by a computer? No!
-Is there any city more prepared for an emergency than New York City? I doubt it -- talk about a winning team -- the name of the first ferry captain at the scene was Vincent Lombardi!
-And I guess the biggest question of all: Do prayers get answered? Let's see: the plane missed the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet, it stayed intact, it didn't sink, the boats were right there, and nobody died. What do you think?
In the unlikely event of a water landing... by Dave Ross
Those of us who fly on a regular basis have many uncomfortable questions floating around in our heads as we pretend to ignore the safety lecture. But we suppress them because we know that strapping yourself in a metal tube to go hurtling through the atmosphere at 500 miles an hour surrounded by jet fuel is an inherently insane idea. And -- we have a suspicion that despite all the options they give you, what would actually happen in the unlikely event of a "water landing" is that you die. But now we have some answers:
-Will this plane REALLY glide with both engines out? Yes.
-Can a plane actually land in the water without breaking apart? Yes.
-Will a fully loaded plane actually float? Yes.
-Is it possible to send a text message under pressure? Yes -- one woman managed to message her husband -- "My plane is crashing."
-Is there really a reason to have able-bodied people in the exit row? Yes.
-Can you really evacuate a plane in 90 seconds? Yes.
-Will the life vests really inflate when you pull firmly on the cord? Yes.
-Can the wing really hold you when you step on it? Yes.
-Can a pilot like Chesley B. Sullenberger III ever be replaced by a computer? No!
-Is there any city more prepared for an emergency than New York City? I doubt it -- talk about a winning team -- the name of the first ferry captain at the scene was Vincent Lombardi!
-And I guess the biggest question of all: Do prayers get answered? Let's see: the plane missed the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet, it stayed intact, it didn't sink, the boats were right there, and nobody died. What do you think?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Polar Bear...
We finally have our first decent snow of the winter... We went out for a walk in the neighborhood this morning and then Bear got to venture out for a few minutes. It was the first time he has ever not wanted to stay outside for long :)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Jim's Go or Don't Go (TV Edition) - Monk
I had always heard great things about this show. I'm generally not a fan of hour-long TV dramas; especially mystery/crime stuff. However, one thing about Monk always tweaked my curiosity - he suffers from OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is something that I have been accused of "sufferring" from, but I just call it "being tidy." A place for everything and everything has a place - that's my motto.
The series begins with ex-detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) trying to get his job back on the San Francisco police force. After the murder of his wife, Monk suffered a breakdown that led to a five-year suspension from police work. The breakdown also led to his current condition of OCD. This is where the series derives much of it's humor - but not at the expense of people who suffer from the disorder. I can relate to Monk's need to arrange his shirts by color, vacuum his ceiling, or not be able to leave the house until all of his umbrellas are hanging in the same direction. Watching him trying to tidy up a crime scene to avoid a panic attack is hilarious to me.
But the show is not all about Monk's OCD - it's also a clever, very well-acted crime drama. The reason the police put up with Monk's strange habits is that he is very good at what he does. His condition makes him keenly aware of his surroundings and observant of things that are out of place. By solving a case, he has restored order. Tony Shalhoub is outstanding as Monk - he has created a very sympathetic and sweet character. You may remember Shalhoub as the hapless mechanic from the old NBC series Wings.
As with any mystery, you'll find yourself trying to solve the case before Monk, of course. I've only watched a few episodes, but I find it amusing that his superiors at the police department never seem believe any of Monk's theories. They are apparently oblivious that he is always right.
We are late-comers to this show - it's been on the USA Network since 2002, so we're just catching up on DVD (the best way to watch a series, I must say.) Catch new episodes while you can though - it's just been announced that the show's eighth season will be its last. I say "Go."
The series begins with ex-detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) trying to get his job back on the San Francisco police force. After the murder of his wife, Monk suffered a breakdown that led to a five-year suspension from police work. The breakdown also led to his current condition of OCD. This is where the series derives much of it's humor - but not at the expense of people who suffer from the disorder. I can relate to Monk's need to arrange his shirts by color, vacuum his ceiling, or not be able to leave the house until all of his umbrellas are hanging in the same direction. Watching him trying to tidy up a crime scene to avoid a panic attack is hilarious to me.
But the show is not all about Monk's OCD - it's also a clever, very well-acted crime drama. The reason the police put up with Monk's strange habits is that he is very good at what he does. His condition makes him keenly aware of his surroundings and observant of things that are out of place. By solving a case, he has restored order. Tony Shalhoub is outstanding as Monk - he has created a very sympathetic and sweet character. You may remember Shalhoub as the hapless mechanic from the old NBC series Wings.
As with any mystery, you'll find yourself trying to solve the case before Monk, of course. I've only watched a few episodes, but I find it amusing that his superiors at the police department never seem believe any of Monk's theories. They are apparently oblivious that he is always right.
We are late-comers to this show - it's been on the USA Network since 2002, so we're just catching up on DVD (the best way to watch a series, I must say.) Catch new episodes while you can though - it's just been announced that the show's eighth season will be its last. I say "Go."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
California Dreamin'...
It's the time of the year when I start wondering why I live here. It's not that I don't like Pittsburgh, I do (GO STEELERS!). But come January and February, California starts sounding really good. Here is our forecast for the next 3 days. 
I like how the graphic shows sun for Friday. Is that supposed to make me feel better about the single digit high? They're not fooling anyone...
I like how the graphic shows sun for Friday. Is that supposed to make me feel better about the single digit high? They're not fooling anyone...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Birthday Boy...
This weekend marked an important event at our house, Bear's birthday. It may not be his real birthday, but it was the 1 year anniversary of when we adopted him. He got his own birthday cake (for the humans, not him:) and he enjoyed a dinner of real salmon and opened a present as well. He even got the birthday song sung to him before we cut the cake.
Costco cake... the best!
Here is the birthday boy with his dad...
Bear surveys the spread...
Costco cake... the best!HAPPY BIRTHDAY FUZZY BEAR!!!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
New Stuff...
We recently got a couple of fun new items I thought I'd show off... First, a KitchenAid stand mixer bought with the help of Christmas money from friends and relatives. We chose "Almond Creme" (retro!) to match our cabinets.
We also got a new camera over the holidays, so I tried it out on (what else) the cats. Here are a couple cute shots... 
We also got a new camera over the holidays, so I tried it out on (what else) the cats. Here are a couple cute shots...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Christmas in the Northwest...
I'm taking the title of the post today from a song familiar to our friends and family in Seattle. A sampling of the lyrics...
Stretching out in 1st Class...
---
The wind may not blow,
The wind may not blow,
Might not even snow
But there's nothing like Christmas
Right here at home.
May not be white,
Might be a rainy night,
Might be a rainy night,
But there's nothing like sharing
The sounds and the sights
of Christmas in the Northwest
---
Well, it certainly was white this year! For the first time in as long as I can remember, we had snow for Christmas in Seattle. Although we didn't make it out in time for Christmas Eve, we arrived by Christmas afternoon with plenty of daylight to spare. They even said we "had to fly first class" because that was all they had available. How sad for us :) And now for the photos...
Stretching out in 1st Class...
The "Breakfast Quesadilla" we were served on the plane. We joked that if we had paid for the 1st class upgrade, this breakfast would be costing us about $400....
The table set for Christmas dinner at my parents house, with the tree in the background...
I got to visit with Marissa at her baby shower. Her baby is due February 24th.
We also got to visit Uncle Dick up in Mill Creek...
Dad decided to drive us all up to Mt. Rainier National Park...
The Visitor Center at Longmire (check out those icicles)- closed for obvious reasons...
In this shot out the car window, you can see a traffic sign and note the snow is almost to the top of it. Note also the amount of the snow on the trees here, part way up the road to Paradise...
Now look at the trees here, right up near the top of the road to Paradise. They are so snow covered you can hardly see any green.
The snow was up over our heads!
Here we are (Jim, me, Mom & Dad) posing (or huddling rather) in the new Paradise Visitor Center...
The outside of the Visitor Center, with snow drifts nearly up to the 2nd floor...
The conditions were so bad at Paradise that you could not even see the mountain, even though it was huge and right in front of our faces. It was still fun though and the most snow that any of us had ever seen in one place. We grabbed one more photo op before hitting the road...
We returned safely home on Thursday morning and were greeted by Bear and Bailey at the door. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you a Happy 2009!
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