Friday, October 31, 2008

that was 25 years ago.....

The first album I ever bought with my own money was Dianna Ross Presents The Jackson 5. I listed to that album over and over and over. And over. And then a little more. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael made music like I'd never heard before. Yeah, it was pretty much classic Motown with alot of remakes, but you have to remember something - I was born a poor white child with very little exposure to anything or anyone who wasn't white. It wasn't a choice, that's just what upper east Tennessee was like in the late 60's and early 70's.

Fast forward about 13 years to 1983. (Yes, the album debuted in late '82, but got most of its early play in '83.) Michael has turned into the King of Pop. He's as hot as anyone could be in the music industry. He comes out with Thriller, the greatest selling album of all time with over 100 million sold. (To put this into perspective, the second best selling album of all time is AC/DC's Back in Black at 42 million.) Soon after the album's release, they came out with The Making of Thriller on VHS. I couldn't afford to buy it since I was a poor white college student, but Hill's Department Store played it non-stop in their electronics department. I used to go over there a couple of times a week and watch it. As someone who has never been able to dance, I was amazed by the dancing.

The video itself debuted on MTV (back when they still played music videos) in December of 1983. I read that Michael Jackson fans and impersonators were going to meet at Madame Tussauds wax museum in New York yesterday to try to break the Guinness Book record of most people doing a simultaneous Thriller dance.

I know things are always going to change, but I sure do wish my girls could have seen Michael Jackson when he was normal.....

Thursday, October 30, 2008

thank goodness.....

These are uncertain times. But every now and then I see things that comfort me like my old blue blanket when I was little. This news was so encouraging in light of all the economic turmoil. I just had to share it with everyone:
Exxon Mobil posts biggest US quarterly profit ever

Thursday October 30, 9:00 am ET
By John Porretto, AP Business Writer
Exxon Mobil shatters own record for largest profit from operations by a US corporation
HOUSTON (AP) -- Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, reported income Thursday that shattered its own record for the biggest profit from operations by a U.S. corporation, earning $14.83 billion in the third quarter.

and it's a time-saver for the burglars.....


Daily Telegraph (London) - 9/30/08

Britain's Bristol City Council warned residents in government housing in September to always leave their sheds unlocked. Otherwise, thieves would have to break the doors down to get inside, and taxpayers would be stuck with the repair bills.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

one of those things you probably only see once in life.....


New York Post - 7/29/08

A 38-year-old woman described as "very large," using the "abductor" thigh-tightening machine at the New York Sports Club in Harlem in July, failed to dismount properly, according to a witness, and was "sling-shot" off, across the room, startling other gym users. Paramedics had to use a "Stokes basket" instead of a regular stretcher to carry her out, according to the New York Post.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

yeah, that's where i am.....

I can't remember if it's a bank or an insurance company that has the ad showing people in different phases of their lives. There's a tag line that goes something like, "that's where i am". That ad's been on my mind alot lately. Here's where I am - eating anything and everything, regardless of the time of day, and exercising very little. That all adds up to a gut.

While shaving one day last week, I looked in the mirror and thought the bride had punked me by putting a carnival fun house mirror over the vanity. I did a double-take and realized there was nothing wrong with the mirror, but rather the pear-shaped person staring back at me.

So now I've got to get back to eating better and running. No Saturday morning gourmet pancakes. (Ghiradelli white chocolate and walnut this past Saturday. Almost too rich to eat, but I ate them anyway.) No more ice cream, potato chips, chex mix or graham crackers with peanut butter after dinner. Actually, none of that stuff at all for a while. No more being too tired to run at night.

Remember the movie "Airplane"? Lloyd Bridges' character, Steve McCroskey, had a line that he kept repeating, "Looks like I picked a bad week to quit drinking." Then he'd substitute "smoking", "sniffing glue", and "taking amphetamines" for "drinking" later on in the movie. As the holiday season approaches, with all of the great foods that come along with it, it looks like I picked a bad time to quit eating.....

Monday, October 27, 2008

pumpkin fest '08.....

The bride and I spent some time at Pumpkin Fest on Saturday. There were fewer vendors but just as many people.

Here are some pictures from downtown Franklin.....



































Friday, October 24, 2008

two ways hgtv makes me realize i need a life.....


The bride and I watch HGTV every now and then. I didn't know just how much we watched it until a couple of things happened earlier this week. Here's how HGTV has shown me I need a life:

* A commercial came on this past weekend announcing that House Hunters International was going to be on every night this week at 9:00. People would be shopping for vacation homes in the tropics. I remembered it and said something like, "Oh, put it on HGTV!" around 9:00 the other night.

* You know you watch too much HGTV when you say something like, "Yeah, we've seen this one already. Remember? They're moving from Chicago to Portland." and you end up watching it again.

Yes, I'm boring.....

Thursday, October 23, 2008

bret michaels has some real competition here.....

Atlanta Journal-Constitution - 10/7/08

Atlanta Pentecostal preacher Thomas Weeks told the Journal-Constitution in October that he was "in talks" to create a "Survivor"-type TV reality show in which the twice-divorced evangelist navigates a field of single women and selects a winner. "Holy Hook Up: Who Will Be the Next Mrs. Weeks?" will, he said, be a "very tasteful, five-star presentation."

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

gotta' start working on my list.....

I can't remember who told me this (could have been Chris), but a few years ago when the lottery jackpot got past the $200 million mark, a radio station asked its listeners to call in and tell what they'd do if they won the money. Several said they'd quit their jobs, others said they'd help out family members. One man called and said he'd start working on his list. They inquired "What list is that?" The man replied, "The list of people I'm gonna' tell to kiss my butt!"

Well, looks like I'm going to have to start working on my list. A gentleman from South Africa sent me a lovely email yesterday. This will be the easiest $1,260,000 I've ever made. And don't try calling the number at the end of the email, I already have.....


I am the Payment Verification Committee Claims Manager here in the South Africa, there is an unclaimed fund (US$4.2M) an amount won by an international winner in the Club Lottery international program, after her first correspondence with my office, I have tried to contact her with her provided details to no success for the past months. The fund has been tag to be return to the treasury's account at the end of this year 2008 as unclaimed; I can use my power as the claims Manager to process this fund and have it transfer to you. the deal is this you will be entitled to 30% of the total fund while 70% will be for me I will secure all legal documentations required here in the South Africa to get the fund to you in your country, Please respond on receipt by email or phone call for further information.

Regards,Pumlata Cole ,Tel: +27 74 180 5109

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

something to think about.....

I saw this quote on Scout.com's VolChat this past weekend. There have been plenty of "storms" lately for everyone, so this could be a good motto for us all:

Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

Monday, October 20, 2008

mission accomplished.....


So my only goal was to paint the front door over my 4-day weekend. I actually painted the shutters, too. That's right, going above and beyond. That's what I'm all about.

Thursday was a lazy, rainy day. I spent most of Friday and Saturday outside painting and working in the yard. Here's some other stuff that happened:

  • I witnessed some air mattress surfing by Sara and her friends.
  • I found out that the one thing the bride can't do without in life is some kind of Clinique makeup - not me. I won't lie to you, it hurt. But I'll get over it.
  • The bride and I took Meg to vote Saturday. She was cheered on by the people working the polls when they learned she was a first-time voter.
Time to start a new workweek.....

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

back in a few.....


My workweek ends today. Sometimes three-day weeks have a way of feeling more like five-day weeks. This one has.

I'm taking Thursday and Friday off. My biggest task will be to paint the front door. Nothing more. I'm going to be lazy and not do much of anything for the next few days. Including blogging.

Later.....

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

new investment plan.....

Disclaimer: The OFIT in no way condones drinking in excess to potentailly make money.
If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received a $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg.

Monday, October 13, 2008

heritage days, rogersville.....

We had a great weekend in East Tennessee. It was good to get together with Mom's family on Saturday.

Besides spending time with family, the other highlight of our weekend was watching gas prices fall in Johnson City. When we got there Friday night, unleaded gas was $2.98. We were so excited we filled up as soon as we saw it. The next morning it was down to $2.81. That afternoon it went to $2.75.

Here are a few pictures. The truck is my Uncle Arnold's '53 Chevy he restored himself.....




































Friday, October 10, 2008

good thing they weren't barking spiders.....


Reno Gazette-Journal - 8/18/08

A 17-year-old boy in Reno, Nev., accidentally set his family's house on fire trying to kill spiders.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

it's probably nothing to worry about.....


I'm a bit concerned about the bride. Lately, whenever I'm close to her, she appears to be blurry. She said she's had allergy problems lately. I'll bet that's it.

It can't have anything to do with me or my eyesight.....

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

come in, special agent 0-9-3-1.....

WBIR-TV - 9/17/08

Police in Knoxville, Tenn., arrested Richard Smith, 25, in September after he called 911 from an air duct in the Knoxville Museum of Art, and Smith immediately volunteered that he was "special agent 0-9-3-1" with the "United States Illuminati" and that he had come to retrieve a nuclear warhead from the Soviet Union that was concealed in a blue plastic cow in the basement, according to a report on WBIR-TV. Smith got trapped, he said, after he received a phone call aborting the mission because the cow was actually supposed to be in a museum in Memphis. He said he had entered the Museum of Art by being lowered from a "CH2 Huey" helicopter, but police basically rejected everything Smith said except his name.

Monday, October 06, 2008

2-3 and here come the dawgs.....


Well, UT beat Northern Illinois. Barely. The same kind of offensive effort won't work against Georgia next Saturday. I'm sort of glad I won't be able to watch the game since we'll be at Heritage Days in Rogersville. That doesn't mean I won't keep up with the score, though.

As for Vanderbilt - if they aren't for real, they sure are faking it awfully well. They're so much better coached than UT, that's for sure. I know alot of Auburn fans who are pretty unhappy. Some are so upset that they're saying UT's offense is better than Auburn's. In other words, they're so angry, they're desperate.

The Titans win uglier than any undefeated team in the NFL. But they are undefeated. The defense came through when they needed them. And Collins played mediocre to bad for 3 1/2 quarters, then turned it up a few notches for the win.

Back to the workweek.....

Friday, October 03, 2008

gotta' be a miserable existence.....

I spoke with a friend of mine the other day. He told me about one of his employees who looked at everything in the most cynical way possible. My friend said that he gave this employee some good news last week - he was getting a new office. It was going to require moving his furniture to his new office, but the employee's new office was going to be about 25% bigger and much nicer. The employee's response? Sounded like too much work to him.

At a former job, we used to joke that we could offer to take all of our employees to Hawaii for a week, all expenses paid, and some of them would gripe that it was too windy there. Life's too short. I try to spend as little time as possible with negative people.....

Thursday, October 02, 2008

uh.....

Daily Telegraph - 7/8/08

In July, Abbie Hawkins, 19, a hotel receptionist in Norwich, England, said she found a baby bat nestled inside the padded bra she had been wearing for several hours. "When I was driving to work, I felt a slight vibration but I thought it was just my mobile phone in my jacket pocket," she told the Daily Telegraph. Hawkins had fetched the bra off of a clothesline that morning, where it had been hanging overnight. First reaction: "I thought how mean I was for disturbing it."

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

weird times in tennessee.....


The Middle Tennessee State University football team has more wins than Tennessee.

The Titans are 4-0. Several commentators around the country are picking them to go to the Super Bowl.

Vanderbilt is in the top 20 AND ESPN's Game Day is coming to Nashville this Saturday. AND they're picked to beat Auburn.

OK, I think I've seen it all now.....