And So This Is Christmas

Found these old super-8 video clips, sorry bros... 

Christmas video clips from long ago, the 1950's

More sorry if you play that video with the volume up too loud!  I should have done a do-over back then like 7 years ago when I recorded that Lennon song....  Merry Christmas!

MS 150 City To Shore Bike Ride - October 3, 2009

This was the third time I rode my bike in the MS 150 City to Shore Bike Ride. For me it's actually the MS "75" Miler as I ride ONE way only! DOWNHILL to the ocean! ha... And to clarify, we are talking bicycle, not motorcycle (Funny how many people assume it's motorcycles when I say "bike"!). I guess the NJ River Rambler REALLY should be kayaking down there, hmmm, interesting idea.

There were about 7000 bikes, so it was a sight to see, at the beginning anyway, in Cherry Hill at the Woodcrest Train station lot.  Maybe drivers on our route would say it's not a good sight, cause of the traffic tie-ups. 

I made a map with the exact bike route, shown below, not that you can get lost with all the volunteers and road markings, but just so you know how much farther you need to go to hit those two bridges on the north end of Ocean City, NJ. It was a challenge to make it over both bridges, without stopping, then really all downhill from there! 

This 29th annual event, is the largest two day bike ride on the East Coast and second largest in the country.  About $5,000,000 was raised for the fight against MS (thanks to those of you that helped me raise $350). 

I rode from approximately 7:30am to 3:30pm, so what's that, like 10 mph, counting rest stops?  It's a very well organized event, every mile had a marker, almost every pothole or rough road was spray painted to warn riders, and plenty of food and drink, at the five rest stops.  I did see the same amount of bike crashes as prior years, about 3 to 5, but it was mostly safe for the other 7,000+ of us.  It was fun and I plan on doing it again. 

Top 64 Old TV Shows Bracket

We have a winner in the final match-up of the top 64 "old" TV Shows.  This show beat all competition, including M*A*S*H in the finals (but that was a close 7-5 vote). 

The best show as voted by the participants of the top 64 bracket?!?.... 

THE THREE STOOGES!!  (all six of them!)

You've seen an NCAA Basketball pool? Field of 64 teams? Well, I was talking with some people recently about some of the old TV shows that we watched growing up. I found this website http://www.crazyabouttv.com which brought back a lot of memories, and I put together the field of 64 TV shows Bracket. These were shows that I watched growing up thru the 1970's, so, no Seinfeld, etc...

Going to take one round at a time, by color group on the chart above, in a head-to-head competition. I'll post on here as each round begins and ends (a few days each round). So, let me know which shows you think win each specific "battle" (no going ahead to future rounds!), I'll just post the total vote counts for each match-up. I picked the 64 shows, but the color groupings and match-ups were random. If you click on each show name inside the chart, you should see a page with info about each show, to help you remember! Jump into any round you want, there's no right answers, and no prize. The more the merrier!

Guess The Music Bands - 2

See if you can figure out each of the five images, which music band names do the images represent? Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the answers.


Band #6

Band #7

Band #8

Band #9

Band #10

ANSWERS

Band #6 - Pink Floyd
Band #7 - Duran Duran
Band #8 - The O'Jays
Band #9 - Little Feat
Band #10 - Carol King

Guess the Music Bands

ok, some of these are kinda easy, and others you might say huh?? but I just made these images real fast, so...  See if you can figure out each of the five images, which music bands do the images represent?  Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the answers!


Band #1

Band #2

Band #3

Band #4

Band #5

ANSWERS

Band #1 - Black Eyed Peas
Band #2 - The Doors
Band #3 - Earth, Wind & Fire
Band #4 - Neil Young
Band #5 - Radio Head

dot dot dot for 2009-09-21

The Dallas Cowboys played their first NFL game at the new digs, a one BILLION dollar city, uhmm stadium, that seats 85,000 to 105,000 (comfortably?).  Shame they lost, by the way!  :-)   One minor detail in all the luxury that they overlooked, when the punter kicks the ball, it goes UP, and wassup above the field?  a very LARGE 60 yard long JumboTron screen, and when the ball goes up there, it hits the screen, and will continue to do so unless they plan on lowering the field!  HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS?  :-)

Architect George Kostanza, who was on loan from the Yankees, says there should be no issues with the height of the scoreboard, and that the Cowboys are considering a contest for fans to hit the board during a halftime punt contest on Festivus.




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There was a story in the Courier Post yesterday, that caught my eye "NJ Man Gets Prison Term After 16th DWI Conviction".  The "16th" part actually made me read it.  How are you out and driving after FIFTEEN DWI's??  Then you read on and the guy had 78 license suspensions.  78...  But he's  s-o-r-r-y, more this time then the others, because he had a head-on with another car this time and will now have to spend time IN the slammer, instead of drinking slammers!... and speaking of  s-o-r-r-y...

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You are a jerk, yes you look fat in that dress, wish I had a bazooka to launch at drivers like you, and you talk too much!  oh, excuse me for that outburst, I'm s-o-r-r-y!  There, are we ok again?  :-)  Interesting times of people in the spotlight, speaking their mind without thinking, then being s-o-r-r-y.  There are a lot of stories about what's up with people acting like this, and the examples they set.

But anyone who is a fan of the HBO show True Blood, can tell you exactly what is happening.  MaryAnn put her spell on them, to help gather the non-vampires in town, into a mass sacrifice for her "lord" and husband, the big Ox, as she chases Sookie with lobster claw arms. But wait, that Ox was really shape-shifter Jack, who gores out her heart.  Who didn't see THAT coming! ha  Everyone bounces back to normal and apologizes for their actions, including Joe Wilson, Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Happy endings for everyone...


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Memories of THAT September 11

Today is a rainy 9-11, unlike the clear skies on this date in 2001. I was in Washington, DC that morning, there to attend a class later that week in Arlington, VA. Stayed at the Washington Hilton, the same hotel where Ronald Reagan was shot, situated a few blocks northwest of the White House. Woke up and had the television on, and it looked like they were playing the movie Die Hard, so when I changed the channel and saw that "movie" again, I knew this was real. A plane had crashed by "accident" were some early reports, and you saw the smoke coming from the World Trade Center tower. Then as you're watching this, BAM, another jet hits the other tower. I don't recall exactly when I then heard, "We have reports that the Pentagon has been hit by another jet". But, if the NY incidents made your jaw drop, knowing you were blocks from the White House and Washington was a target really shook you.

Washington was in a lock-down, you couldn't get in or out of the hotel without a few forms of identification. There were military humvees along the roads and hardly a soul was walking around for a day or two. I did end up getting to that class later in the week, which was amazing they still had it, a few miles from the Pentagon, in Arlington.

I saw this video on the Internet a few days after 911, and kept it since then. Hope nobody minds me sharing this here, assuming the link still works!



911 video

I have those memories, but also knowing how the heroes of Flight 93, that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, saved many lives and whatever targets in DC, by their actions, and I thank them!

dot dot dot for 2009-08-22

South African track champion Caster Semenya leaves no doubts about her running ability on the track, winning the 800 meter race at the world championship. But the question is, is she a she, or a he? Amazingly, experts say medical tests are extra-complicated, could well prove inconclusive and so it may be impossible to tell the runner's sex.



No, it's not as simple as seeing if Caster prefers the Lifetime channel to Three Stooges reruns. Maybe an expert in this field should be called in, like Pat from Saturday Night Live...








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Michael Vick is now out of jail for his actions in dog fighting, torture and killing dogs. He was given a "second chance" in the NFL by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Brett Favre was introduced by the Minnesota Vikings head coach/chauffeur Brad Childress, as their new quarterback, giving Favre his 16th "second chance". Good luck Brett, now how long until John Madden must unretire to call Favre's games?!?...









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On a related but sickening note, in this week of "second chances", Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was released by Scotland and returned back to a hero's welcome in Libya. He is being looked at by the Philadelphia Eagles to be a receiver, because "everyone deserves a second chance!" but would just be carried by the Birds on their Taxi Squad aka their BOMB squad...







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This CrankShaft strip was in this week's Sunday comics. Other than Dilbert, I don't know of any good comic strips any more, but THIS one, is it supposed to be funny? or?? what IS that mailbox made of, so CrankShaft won't backup into it? That might be the weirdest ending to a comic I can remember. Someone please 'splain this one to me! or send a better last scene, then whatever is on the mailbox, something like...




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Hurricane Bill is nearing the US after a brush with Bermuda. Ironically, former president Bill Clinton was vacatoning there with wife Hilary Clinton. When asked if she was leaving because of Bill's actions, she blew up at the reporter, asking "You want me to tell you what my husband does and thinks? That was years ago, and I'm here and Monica is, not. Leave me alone!" She then stormed off, like she did last week in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJEMX_iuCXE
But, uhm, Mrs Clinton, uhm, they were asking uhm, about Hurricane Bill...


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The Federally funded "Cash For Clunkers" program comes to an end next Monday night at 8pm. While the sure bet there is that my car will die on TUESDAY, there are bigger troubles in Washington. Obama slammed the "outrageous myths" about health care this week, saying these are all lies produced by conservatives. The next day he introduced the new wheelchair that will start being supplied by Medicaid. "We will cut the cost of wheelchairs in half with the new UniChair". It's not clear at this point if he was serious or just wanted to kick back, have a few beers with Michelle, and watch to see the veins pop in the necks of conservatives on Fox News. Hey, a president needs entertainment too!...






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The six-hour stranding of Continental Express Flight 2816 has grabbed the attention of the Obama administration and Congress. Feds say the Regional carrier, not the crew, was at fault in the plane's tarmac stranding. The president is calling for an immediate merger with Roto-Router for the next airline having a long tarmac delay. In the mean time, all passengers are to find the personal declogger device (PDD) shown here, below their seats. Vice President Joe Biden says he REALLY won't advise his family to fly now, unless Joe the Plumber is on board!...






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Eagles Sign Michael Vick... Wunnerful

Last Thursday night, I was minding my own beeswax, excited to watch the Eagles first pre-season game against the New England Patriots. I'm an Eagles fan over 40 years Some time in the second quarter, their season ended (for me anyway!). They announced the signing of Michael Vick, fresh out of the slammer for his role in personally torturing dogs, staging dog fights, and killing dogs in brutal ways. It's been difficult to listen to any more about this in the days following the big announcement. I can't recall any decision in the Philly sports world that ever split the fans as much as this did. On the side of Vick were first his fellow football buds, all sticking together as boys in the millionaire's club would. That I expected, from the players. But when the owner, GM, coach also came out and made the decision to pick him up, half of the city's collective jaw dropped, and like going to the dentist and having novacaine shots, we drooled and found it hard to speak. That initial shock has worn off, and I for one, am sick of the arguments for why it's a good move.

Let's start with the "Everyone Deserves a Second Chance" line. First off, NO, they do not ALL deserve that. When you intentionally hurt children, handicapped, elderly OR animals, you lost the second chance rights. Not saying he should stay in prison, but he should be able to get a job, along with all other unemployed people, maybe he could work for an animal shelter! But to let him win the lottery, uhmm, I mean give him another $1,000,000 contract, is just wrong. Second chance?? and how will he SHOW he has changed in the animal cruelty area? He WON'T drown\electrocute\hang dogs any more? Oh, how WILL he ever be able to control himself to NOT do those things, that's asking a LOT of him !?! Everyone doesn't deserve the second chance, would a nurse that killed elderly be allowed back in a nursing home? Where are all the "second chancers" for Pete Rose, who only gambled on baseball. Not saying he belongs in baseball as a manager (but yes to the Hall of Fame!), but doesn't he fall into the "everyone" who deserves a second chance?

How about the "I made a mistake"? Yea right, he means the mistake of getting caught. He'd still be harming dogs today if he wasn't caught. I don't buy the "way he was brought up" as it being normal to raise dogs to fight. He wasn't a backwoods bumpkin then, he was a multi-millionaire, and supposedly college-educated, so he damn well knew what he was doing was very wrong and brutal. Stupid too. Makes you wonder who all these high rollers were, that bet on the dogs, maybe other NFL players?!? Someone with a lot of money to bet.

For the people saying "I'm ok with him coming back to the NFL, just not MY team!", that is a bunch of crap. you either agree with him being given a "second chance", or you do NOT agree.

And no, I'm not perfect, but on this issue, maybe I am, as I'd never drown a dog, etc... I'm boycotting the Philadelphia Eagles because they took our team hostage with this bad decision. We'll get the team back one day! Owners, GM's, coaches and dog killers come and go, the fans will always be here when all that changes! Hope Vick gets his personal life in order, but has a lot of ruff days on the field.