BF 4Ever

My friend, an amazing Peter King impressionist, submitted one of these to me over email. Which is real, which is fake?

1. Went to Game 2 of the NBA Finals last week, followed by dinner with Kevin Millar at Legal Seafoods. Kevin is going to kill me for relaying this to you, but he mentioned he may return to Boston as a free agent following this season....that sound you just heard was Red Sox Nation collectively screaming with joy. Always loved Millar. A true team-first "glue" guy.

2. All you idiots at Fenway who booed David Ortiz (it was scattered, certainly nothing near a majority) the other night should have your human-being licenses revoked. Ortiz is 3-for-43 in one-fourteenth of the season. For everything he's done the past four years, he's a guy you shouldn't boo, even if he finishes the year 3-for-543.

1. Fake

2. Real

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/04/14/draft/3.html

And you know what that means... its time for ESPN to start reminding us that the NFL's opening weekend is only a mere 44 days away. Which subplots will we be seeing this year? Given that there is already a Jeffri Chadiha article, (who is actually a solid ESPN.com columnist and former SI.com columnist), about the most indispensable players for each NFL team, you know there is going to be a lot of completely random articles.

That made me wonder about indispensable members of different organizations. Or specifically, dispensable members of different organizations. Just a few thoughts:

- Shelley Smith & Pedro Gomez, ESPN Field Reporters: She specialized in USC football, he in Barry Bonds. Both are an automatic channel changer. I have a lot more to say but I don't want to go to hell.

- Chris Singleton, Baseball Tonight: A former MLB player who I barely remember. This would be like having Matt Geiger on Inside the NBA or Yancey Thigpen on Inside the NFL.

- That kid with glasses on Step by Step

"Sure it's not easy being a homosexual. Especially in a rough and tough town like Lubbock, Texas. So why is this gay starting pitcher and probable first round pick so revered? Because with those dimples and an ass that could turn Brad Pitt gay, even you would give this guy a blumpkin."

In other words, these columnists are giving you the facts without sugar coating the sting of what's evident in your reality. I like a straight shooter who, although lets you have it with both barrels, somehow seems to have you coming back for more. I've been on a mission in writng my column for women of a certain age. The column 'Women In Transition' have a home at www.alumbo.com. Helping women 50 and over find their passion and purpose in life after divorce, empty nest syndrome, loss. Encouraging women to help themselves 'find themselves' became my mission after living/survivng/learning from my personal experiences.

Sadly, I haven't given as much time to Women In Transition as of late. I have ventured off into other areas of building up my freelance writing business. My focus, however will always be in women interests, as it applies to self-esteem, personal growth, productivity, relationships and rediscovery...Women in midlife are transitioning to living the best years of their lives, in the 2nd half of their lives.  I'd like for my columns to serve as an inspiration to that achievement! I've learned how to keep it real from some of the best in the business; then and now.

clara.

Column by Jim Bishop

This is a long-overdue fanfare for the uncommon people - those who quietly go about their business repairing other peoples' messes, often literally. Yet, their valiant efforts are too seldom recognized and appreciated.

There's no question where to begin - with a group of men who came to the rescue at our home a week ago.

But I'll back up (the phrase is appropriate) several days earlier when Anna and I started hearing a gurgling sound in the bathroom, especially noticeable if the washing machine was running.

When the disturbing noise kept recurring, I gave both toilets a workout with a plunger. The sound stopped. What? Had this mechanically challenged dude actually fixed a problem in our own home? Wife Anna seemed impressed.

The weekend was busy but percolated along pleasantly. That is, until we came home from church Sunday to find both bathtubs with several inches of raw, aromatic sewage that appeared to be slowly rising.

What to do? We were afraid to try flushing the toilets, and we sure weren't going to take a shower. This constituted an "emergency," so, we hesitantly called Ray Good, son of the late Emory Good who was the gentle man we turned to for our plumbing needs for most of the 37 years we've lived at our present address.

The answering machine came on and we left a message in our most plaintive-sounding tone, hoping that Ray wasn't out of town.

The phone rang about a half-hour later; I answered on the first ring. It was an appeal to donate to a charitable cause that isn't even local. I tried to be as polite as possible while declining the opportunity.

After what seemed an eternity, the phone rang again, and it was Ray. I explained our dilemma, apologizing for imposing myself on a Sunday afternoon, then cut to the chase - "HELP!" "I'll be right over," he replied.

A short time later, Ray pulled into our driveway and went right to work. He spent the next two hours using every tool in his arsenal, and eventually succeeding in getting the murky water to subside, but we could sense Ray's frustration at leaving with the problem not fully resolved.

I called the Rockingham County Department of Public Works first thing Monday morning and reported a possible clogged sewer line. The lady who answered was cordial and said she would report it right away.

She obviously did. Anna told me a four-man crew was on the scene by 8:30 a.m. I wasn't there while the men worked but Anna told me later that they labored non-stop all morning to unclog the blockage. They gave the "all clear" signal shortly after noon, packed up their equipment and moved on.

A flick of the Bishop's mantle to Bud Hicks, Mike Cook, Robin Marshall and Boyd Cubbage for their superlative efforts.

Ray's assessment was correct that the problem had to be somewhere in the main sewer line, and it was. Roots from a nearby maple tree were the chief culprit.

What became apparent later was that the slowly-rising corruption in our tubs was compliments of neighbors up the hill. The main line had backed up to the point that the flow was taking a detour into our living space. I don't even want to think of the possible scenario that would have greeted us if we'd been out of town when the problem began.

And, get this: Monday evening, Ray called and asked if full sewer service had been restored. How many trades people would do this? Like father, like son.

I recognize these and other unsung heroes among us who work hard with their hands, usually taken for granted until we really need them - the waste disposal persons who show up faithfully every Thursday; the gang at Dave's Recycling where I regularly drop off newsprint, aluminum and steel cans; Richard (Dickie) Layman and his crew who resuscitate our dead or dying vehicles; Harry Showalter restoring our ancient Maytag clothes dryer; and others.

It often involves dirty work, performed dutifully and efficiently with a sense of pride, but too often without adequate respect and sense of appreciation from us, the beneficiaries.

Please accept this public expression of gratitude for throwing out the lifeline when I'm in up to my neck. For all you do, this salute's for you!

Fly Lady column by Marla Cilley

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I think this little cliché has put us into a state of unhappiness. We are hardly ever satisfied with what we have and where we are in life. I am not saying that we should stop dreaming, because I believe that dreams give us hope. What I do want to do is show you that our dreams need good foundations to grow on, and that we can choose to be happy any place we are.

In 1996, Robert and I married. I set out to make his house my home. I would plan and scheme and come up with ideas to remodel. We would go to dinner and draw plans on a napkin. Then I would look at the cost and beat myself up because I was not much of a housekeeper. I would say that unless I can keep what I have clean, then I didn’t deserve a new home. For some reason, I never blamed the house for being too small.

The walls were closing in on me because we kept going to auctions and buying more stuff and not getting rid of anything. At the auctions, we began to upgrade our furniture. We made some lovely selections that matched our personalities. In 1999, I woke up on New Year’s Day determined to "Get Organized," whatever that meant.

That is when I set out on my journey. It all started with shining our 23-year-old lime-crusted sink. I knew that my all-or-nothing stinkin’ thinkin’ had never got me to the place I wanted to be. So I resolved to be nice to myself, too, not to pile on by doing too much too fast, and develop habits that would stay with me. I had figured out that not establishing habits and taking babysteps was the reason I could not keep house. I wanted to be on automatic pilot, but that took practice. So I put myself in FLYght training school. I didn’t know it at the time, but getting rid of our clutter, clearing out the clutter in my mind and establishing new habits and routines would help me find my life’s purpose.

After nine months of countless 27 Fling Boogies and establishing one new habit a month; our home was staying clean all by itself. I had given birth to a brand-new me. I never dreamed that I could have so much free time. Automatic pilot was giving me the freedom to explore other areas of my life; politics, writing and a remodel.

On July 13, 2000, we started the remodel. I was scared to death that I was going to lose my routines during the process. I had spent 19 months building my routines. My routines were new pathways I had created in my brain. If you don’t use them, you lose them, like muscles. I decided that our bedroom would be my shiny sink with the rest of the house in total chaos. Each morning I would get up and do my routines in our little corner of our chaotic home. Then I would try to stay out of the contractor’s way. Finally at Thanksgiving the remodel was over.

My routines had stayed in place and we had survived a remodel. The best part about the remodel was the dumpster we had in the yard. We discovered many new layers of clutter in our basement. The routines I had established helped me to endure a remodel. I was very happy in the home we had because it was clean and comfortable. The remodel updated our '70s home with green shag carpet and coppertone appliances, built by a bachelor, to one that reflected our tastes not just mine or his.

I am so happy that I got our little home in order before I started our remodel. Those routines and the habit of decluttering were the foundation for making our dreams happen. Without them, I would have lost myself in the chaos. That was the first year of being FlyLady and many of the essays I wrote that year became part my first book which I wrote in July of 2001.

Construct your foundations for your dreams on solid building blocks of Habits, put together with the mortar of decluttering. You will be surprised to find that the sky is the limit! Your clutter is an obstacle to building your dreams; whatever they are. You can’t organize clutter; you can only get rid of it!

For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out Marla Cilley's website and join her free mentoring group at www.FlyLady.net, listen to her www.blogtalkradio.com/flylady show, or read her books, Sink Reflections, published by Bantam, and her New York Times bestselling book, Body Clutter, published by Fireside. Copyright 2008 Marla Cilley. Used by permission in this publication.

Dinner Diva column by Leanne Ely

The heat is on. Summer is bearing down in all her glory. Being outside can be unbearable, even if you’re crazy like me and enjoy creating a garden in this heat. If you feel more like a wilted lily than a perky petunia, it’s time to hose down the kitchen and start assembling dinner, rather than cook it in the oven!

Here are my Top Seven Cool Dinners, mostly made from utilizing leftovers.

1. Nicoise Salad. Drain a can of tuna and toss together with a half a head of chopped Romaine lettuce, hard-boiled egg (also chopped), a tomato cut up, olives (I like pitted Kalamatas, about five, cut in half), previously cooked green beans (I use leftovers from the night before) and a good olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette dressing (make your own, 4:1). Great and satisfying salad!

2. Taco Salad. Take leftover taco meat, a can of black beans (drained), cut some leftover corn on the cob cut off of the cobs, lettuce, grated cheese, some olives, chopped cilantro, avocado, chopped tomato…and whatever else you like, all tossed together with the same above dressing. Put it all together in a bowl, tossed to mix, and serve it up, topping each plate with a handful of smashed tortilla chips. Yum!

3. Chinese Chicken Salad. OK, we’re using leftovers again! This time it is grilled chicken breast, cut into strips. Throw that into a bowl of lettuce (Romaine works great), with slivered almonds, a can of drained mandarin oranges, some chopped cilantro, Chinese noodles (you know you save those from Chinese take outs!) and toss together with a bottled Asian salad dressing…just look at your grocery store’s selection, there’s a bunch to choose from!

4. Shrimp Stirfry. Easy button ... all you have to do is thaw some frozen pre-cooked shrimp. In a wok or large skillet, heat a little oil and sauté some garlic and freshly grated ginger, add snow peas, shredded carrots, chopped bok choy, onion and then add your shrimp. Once its cooked through, top with a little low sodium soy sauce and sesame oil and voila, stirfry fit for a king!

5. Pasta Primavera. OK, go clean out your crisper. Chop up those veggies and start a pot of water for the pasta. In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil, add garlic, onion and whatever veggies you have there. Cook till crisp tender and set aside. When your pasta is drained, add the veggies on top of the pasta, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese — simple!

6. Muffuletta Sandwiches. Take a large loaf of Italian bread, hollow it out (take out its guts) and put some whipped cream cheese on either side (sometimes I will chop olives and add that to the cream cheese before spreading). Now add some lowfat deli meats, some chopped marinated artichoke hearts, some baby spinach or lettuce, tomatoes, basil leaves if you like or whatever combination suits your fancy, cut into pieces for everyone ... boom, dinner’s done!

7. Tomato Basil Pasta. I have a garden with tomatoes bursting at the seams and that amount, plus more in fresh basil. What to do? Make this mouth-watering dish — even if you don’t have the overabundant garden, pick up the basil and tomatoes from a farmer’s market and go make this delicious pasta — start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. Now in a skillet, add a little olive oil, a couple of cloves of garlic all nicely chopped up, a bunch of chopped up tomatoes, tons of fresh basil all chopped up, too…and cook the tomatoes and the basil together, for about 10 minutes or till nicely softened. Drain the pasta, top with this incredibly simple, yet delectable sauce, and add some freshly grated Parmesan. Are you salivating yet?

Dinner can be easy and you can keep your cool if you just keep that oven off! Enjoy!

For more help putting dinner on your table, check out Leanne’s website, www.SavingDinner.com, or her Saving Dinner book series (Ballantine) and her New York Times bestselling book Body Clutter (Fireside). Copyright 2008 Leanne Ely. Used by permission in this publication.

"Yes, that would explain why the price of oral sex, cigars and Hustler magazine skyrocketed during the Clinton years." -- Ann Coulter's brilliant new column:

http://www.anncoulter.org/

PLUS - Ann offers up a right-wing recipe for free-market foodies. (Favourite line: "My diet secret is to read The New York Times every day, without exception. That always burns off lots of calories.")

http://www.favefoods.com/showcolumn.php?id=216

And finally, meant to post this link earlier. It's Ann's new website encouraging conservatives to get tanked up and vote for Bob Dolt, a.k.a. John McCain.

http://getdrunkandvote4mccain.com/

At nine o'clock on Tuesday evening, many Malaysians were infront of their television set watching anxiously for an event that none would imagine would ever happen - a debate between Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Minister of Information on national TV. See the first out eight clips below:

Now i'm sorry but how, in the name of Zeus's butthole, can anyone be interested to watch more political debates after this - assuming there will be more of course. You had one ambitious dude throwing jargons and technicalities that more than half of the viewers at home wouldn't probably comprehend - given the limited time for any detailed explaination, and another silly daft that has a hibiscus for a brain. The debate was so uninspiring that if it was an equivalent of a typhoon, it wouldn't be able to remove the roof.

I was expecting something more TV-worthy. More wit, sarcasm and intelligent anecdotes in the debate. I wanted to see more drama and action. The type that would blow your underwear clean til next week and take the roof of your heads. And because you can't see anything of the sort yesterday, watching political debates in Malaysia again is jolly tricky. 

It takes a lot of practice to watch something like yesterday night. And to be fair, if you concentrate and as attentive as I am, it could at least blow your mind clean in half - just half. But at the end, you'll be aware somehow that it's a big, ugly, cobbled-together con trick with no fun.

Sure, yesterday's debate was monumental and historic. But I'm afraid it failed to win something more important. Heart.

From the great site AwfulAnnouncing comes the post about the Wall Street Journal's Marketwatch critical examination of ESPN"s recent flaps.  As AwfulAnnouncing cited the WSJ:

"It's one thing for a journalist to see a quip fall flat, but it's another when people feel abused. To ESPN's shame, some of its employees have insulted the audience on several occasions with lowbrow or boorish behavior.

(Lists Jacobson, Jemele Hill and Bonnie Bernstein as examples)

John Walsh, executive editor of ESPN, cautioned me to "consider the volume (of content that) our company produces" and said: "I don't think it's a cause for a pattern or trend." ESPN's staff shouldn't try so hard to be controversial. The network would have fewer embarrassments.

"We'd rather the scoreboard says none," Walsh said. "But if the scoreboard says three (examples), we endure." He called them "three separate instances" and added: "Trying to group them together, I think, would not be a wise thing for you."

Then call me unwise, Mr. Walsh. I'm not buying your argument.

In the news business, journalists will chalk up something out of the ordinary as an aberration. But when it happens twice, we wonder if it is a pattern. By the third time, it can reasonably be called a trend.

ESPN rejects the idea that there is a pattern of recklessness in its ranks, but I'm not so sure."

Less funny, but more interesting.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/espn-has-problem/story.aspx?guid=%7B99D65D45-C3F1-4467-ADD4-3FF7A720D2FC%7D

The speaker scores at last week's Ateneo Australs certainly illustrated the absolute opposite - the top 5 best speakers were dominated by women. There were other things too. Naomi Oreb won the best speaker in the grand finals and the championship was won by a team where 2 out 3 were female debaters (Naomi Oreb and Julia Bowes).

Judging from the domination of female speakers at the 2008 Ateneo Australs and previous years, can we any longer perceive debating, at least in Australs anyway, a male dominated sport? Does the domination of female speakers illustrates that AA is a blatant unfairness and inequal treatment which has now flipped the table and made the sad male participants in a disadvantage?  

Plainly, there are bound to be a few drawbacks with the introduction of AA in Australs. And sure enough there are. You may have seen 'The Fly 2' in which a scientist attempts to teleport a dog. In one of the most gruesome scenes I've seen in a film, it arrives at it's destination completely inside out. Well the AA is sort of uglier than that.

Generally, men and women have a very distinct communication orientation or style. This difference can be measured (McCroskey), and in all if not in many instances shown glaring differences which apparently correlates strongly along the line of gender. Studies have shown that women in general are more responsive oriented in comparison to men which are notoriously recognized as assertive communicators.

The crucial question that needs to be addressed first, in order to answer whether is debating still very much a male dominated sport - even with AA, is do female debaters retain their general style of communicating (responsiveness) or are the adopting a style or orientation which is assertive (the male voice)? If female debaters still 'sounds' like a male debater, I don't think AA has yet fulfilled its true feministic goal. Hence, AA should be extended by not just encouraging female debaters but more importantly female adjudicators as well - it is them after all that determines who prevails.

So, why extend AA to encourage the participation of more female judges? Well, typically what happens in a persuasive context, the judge would naturally favour the speech from a speaker that shares the same type of communication orientation, even though the other speakers share same matter.

Having said so, are male debaters in Australs in a disadvantage - with the introduction of AA? Not at all. AA simply gives the female populous in Australasian universities significant opportunities and encouragement to become a debater.

May be they end up conditioned or trained to acquire the communication orientation of a man. Or maybe, just maybe, the female debaters that joins or remain in the debating circle are assertive communicators already. Whatever the consequences or reasons are, AA has done a heck of a good deal to the Australs debating fraternity: something thats not absolutely good, but good enough.

In the campaign so far, John McCain has been clinging to the old economic orthodoxy while Barack Obama has proposed a modestly more active role for government. But the economic assumptions are changing faster than the rhetoric of the campaign. "Reality has broken in," says Frank. And none too soon.

How do we get to this amazing conclusion?  To support such a statement, we would need some sort of analysis of the policies and attitudes of Obama and McCain about their likely economic policies as President. We would also need some sort of very cogent analysis on why these differences represent something truly different and why something truly different is necessary. We don't get that in this article. What we get instead, is a pretty benign claim that lending has been under-regulated, something which everyone agrees about and Dionne points this out, citing multiple sources. Then, Dionne makes the assertion that since lending is under-regulated, therefore all (or if we are being charitable, a preponderance of) public-private relationships since the 1980's have suffered from deregulation. This is an extremely tenuous claim that is simply asserted and supported by a statement from one member of the House of Representatives.  But we're not done, from there, Dionne asserts that somehow it follows that GLOBAL FREE TRADE has also been bad for America due to lack of regulation -also only supported by a quote from the same House Member. Don't get me started on how the title radically over-blows the statements in the editorial, which in and of themselves, outrun the analysis to support them by a country mile.

Why does columns like this upset me? Because there are interested young people, who, like myself at that age, read this stuff and cannot pick out the problems with the argument. These young ones are rewarded for at least reading the Washington Post op-ed section, go join a political party, are patted on the back for being an active citizen, and have no idea that they in fact are laying a very difficult ideological foundation for themselves to escape from and rejoin the ranks of reasonable human beings.  They are taken in by  arguments do not follow one another, appear in the form of assertion, are woefully imprecise to the point of being beyond useless, and pass as journalism that our citizens should take their cues for practicing political judgment from.  

Also a tip, if you are going to write something, make sure you have something worth saying. When you write an article where it seems like you want to get to the conclusion: Obama=awesome and McCain=dinosaur, the you don't really have a great subject to write a five paragraph essay about. First, you are taking your premise as given, and second, you are likely to just sort of say "here's some stuff... therefore I'm right in my opinion."  Write about SOMETHING, think it through, and then come to a conclusion. THEN, go back and rewrite the article so that you can structure to be more about informing the reader about the topic rather than what your first draft is likely to be, which is informing YOURSELF about your conclusion (which no one but yourself cares about).  I'm not trying to imply that EJ Dionne doesn't care about writing, I'm trying to imply that EJ Dionne doesn't care about the economy. He cares about Barack Obama becoming President. The very structure of his essay lays out his priorities in way that is substantially more clear than his structured(or should I say "structured?") arguments about "Capitalism's reality check."

Fly Lady column by Marla Cilley

What is hope anyway? What happens when we don’t have hope in our lives? Today I read my morning meditation, and there was a reference to hope. That once the hope is realized; it is not hope anymore.

Without hope we find ourselves in a sad way. My birthday is Jan. 11, and 111 is a special number to me. One day I decided to look up those numbers. I have been trying to put this together for weeks now, and today it all came clear in one of my favorite Bible verses. Hebrews 11:1. Here is what I found. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We all need something to hope for; this is our dreams. We have the ability to make our dreams come true. My friend Rita Davenport taught me about hope; what good are low hopes! We need to Dream Big and visualize those dreams in our mind's eye! I like to keep my dreams in front of face. I use my computer to do this. I put pictures of my dreams as my computer screensaver. This way when I walk away from my computer and come back to it; I see those dreams, and my hope is energized.

I don’t allow any negativity to slip in and beat me up. I deserve to have my dreams come true! My hope keeps those dreams alive. Without hope, we lose our will to go from one day to the next. Hope and faith are connected. Hope is the dream, and faith is the affirmation that those dreams will happen. We see it, we feel it, and we can experience it in our imaginations, and before we know it, those dreams become a reality!

We have to watch our perfectionism in this process. We want what we want, and we want it now! Anything worth having is worth working for, and we have to learn to take babysteps to get to where we want to be. Where do you want to be? Do you know or have you stuffed those dreams into a deep hole?

Then we have our perfectionism to causes us to give up when things are not happening fast enough. This is when we just throw in the towel because our dreams seem too out of reach. As Rita and Ryan Shupe would say, "What good are low hopes? Dream Big!"

Everyone asks, Why do we have to shine our sinks to get started? It is really quite simple; that shiny sink is a ray of hope for you! Something small that can grow into your dream! Right now we struggle with just trying to find our keys. As the clutter and chaos disappear one babystep at a time, we give ourselves the freedom to Dream Big. I never knew that I could be an author or anything other than someone who was beaten down by life. With each new habit I acquired, I found a little bit more of me! I didn’t set out to be the FlyLady. I just wanted to be nice to myself. That became the fuel for my routines.

In the beginning, all I knew was there had to be something more than just surviving, and that God had something for me to do. Each new habit, along with every item I got rid of, uncovered my purpose in the deep hole. It wasn’t long until I could feel hope blossom inside of me.

That hope is still there today! Where is your hope? I have faith that my dreams will come true. It only takes a little mustard seed of faith to see those dreams become a reality.

I want you to hear one of our songs that is available on our FLY CD. The song was written by Amy Lacey and I made a music video of it for our website. Go to the Getting Started section on our homepage. You will see a sink full of dirty dishes. Turn your volume up and get out your hanky.

Here is a direct link. http://www.flylady.net/pages/get_started_1.asp.

For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out Marla Cilley's website and join her free mentoring group at www.FlyLady.net, listen to her www.blogtalkradio.com/flylady show, or read her books, Sink Reflections, published by Bantam, and her New York Times bestselling book, Body Clutter, published by Fireside. Copyright 2008 Marla Cilley. Used by permission in this publication.

Column by Jim Bishop

Right in the middle of a crazy afternoon in the office, the phone rang (again), and I was tempted to let it go to voicemail. But, I answered, and was glad I did.

"Hi, Jim, this is Harvey . . . Harvey Holiday."

Was I hearing things? No, it was indeed Harvey ("feelin' good, like a rockin' jock should") Holiday on the line from WOGL, 98.1 FM, Philadelphia.

Harvey is one of those legendary radio personalities who have enlivened the greater Delaware Valley airwaves for more than three decades. He holds down the Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. shift on WOGL, playing the station's regular format of '60s and '70s hits. But from 9 p.m. to midnight Sundays, he's really in his element with the "Streetcorner Sunday" show, spotlighting the doo-wop and rhythm and blues artists and vocal groups that he and I grew up with but are rarely, if ever, heard on commercial radio anymore.

The unexpected call likely was spurred by a number of e-mails I sent Harvey while listening to his Sunday evening show on my home computer (www.wogl.com). I'd recently sent him a CD copy of my "Friday Night Jukebox" '50s music program that I host each week on WEMC, 91.7 FM radio. Harvey thanked me for the copy, and we had a brief, amiable conversation on what we both feel is some of the best but endangered music ever produced in the 1950s-early '60s era.

This wasn't my first unanticipated communiqué along this line. Last summer, an e-mail arrived from Deed Eddy. At first reading, I wasn't completely sure who this was. A reply confirmed that she's the spouse of Duane Eddy, my instrumental hero, who played the melody on the bass string of his Gretsch electric guitar to give us that distinctive "twangy" sound on numerous hits in the late '50s into the early '60s.

Deed thanked me for the "kind words" in a column about Duane's music and noted that 2008 would mark the 50th anniversary of Duane's signature song, "Rebel Rouser." I've used the tune as the opening theme on the "Friday Night Jukebox" show from its beginning in February 2000.

The "Jukebox" is now a "worldwide ministry," as WEMC radio is now on-line at www.wemcradio.org. The show can be heard practically anywhere there's computer access. A playlist of the songs being spun on any given show - about 21 tunes can usually be squeezed in; songs of the 1950s averaged two minutes in length - can be accessed at the same web site.

The colorful Wurlitzer jukebox isn't the only local source for singular sounds not likely to be heard elsewhere.

The "Warped Records Show," a two-hour wacky tour-de-force on WSVA, 550 on the AM dial, features artists and songs that were part of the "normal" air fare on radio stations years ago - artists like Spike Jones and the City Slickers, Stan Freberg, Allan Sherman and Dickie Goodman, as well as the "golden tonsil" renderings of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Telly Savalas, among others - but today defy program formats and listener demographics.

I don't think the station knows what to make of the enthusiastic listener response to this monthly manic quasi-melodic ménage a trois that started in December 1999 with a one-time (I thought) unwrapping of warped Christmas songs from my music library. Things took off from there and soon became a monthly addition to host Jim Britt's "Midday" show. I know of no other commercial station in the country with anything comparable in its program lineup (probably for good reason).

This month's offering, coming up 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, July 17, is our annual salute to warped summertime (summer better than others) - and there's lots of 'em out there, i.e., "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter from Camp)," Allan Sherman; "The Battle of Kookamonga," Homer & Jethro; "Mr. Jaws," Dickie Goodman; "Surfin' USSR," Ray Stevens . . . get the idea?

And, like the "Jukebox," listener requests are welcomed, either by calling WSVA or by e-mailing me. And I hear from folks out there in radioland - including persons whom I'd least expect to tune in regularly.

Whether it's the weekly '50s music show or the monthly paean to looney tunes and merrie melodies of yore, I often ask myself why I do it, and the answer seems to comes back, "Because you want to and because it helps keep you connected with your past. It keeps the kid in you alive and kicking. Besides, if you don't do it, who will?"

And I listen to that quiet but persuasive voice and reply, "Oh, baby, that's-a what I like!"

Dinner Diva column by Leanne Ely

Natural disaster can strike at anytime. Hurricanes, floods and other emergencies put people in distress and need. Having a plan can help eliminate some of that, especially if you’ve got the food and water part covered.

No electricity means no cooking on the stovetop, unless you have a gas range. Having a propane gas grill outside can help fill that void — mine even has a couple of burners on it. Stash an extra can of propane in the garage and you’re set for a little while anyway. Camping stoves work, too.

Here’s my emergency pantry for my own household ...

Water. 1 gallon per day per person in your household for drinking and hygiene purposes.

Nuts. A terrific snack that will offer a good mixture of protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Dried Fruits. Another healthy, nutrient dense food for quick energy.

Canned Stuff. I have all kinds of beans -- black, pinto, garbanzo, white beans and baked beans, too. Canned tuna, salmon, chicken and beef stew. Canned fruits, veggies (tomatoes and corn only; my crew can’t stand anything else canned).

An Extra Can Opener. You just never know! Should your can opener mysteriously walk off, having a back up is important!

Granola Bars/Meal Replacement Bars. Good, concentrated nutrients.

Dried Milk. No explanation necessary.

Dry Cereals. Just add milk (the reconstituted dry kind).

Beef Jerky. A favorite of my teenagers, it’s also an emergency pantry staple.

Remember to rotate your food and keep the oldest in front to be used first. If you see something ready to expire, use it up in a non-emergency situation and remember to add that item to the shopping list. This way, you’ll always have fresh supplies. That goes for the water, too.

I also have chlorine bleach, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, first aid kit, extra toiletries, a fire extinguisher and a radio all in my laundry room cupboards, just in case they’re needed.

Last year, we created an emergency menu to help people stock their pantries with food they could make into meals. Here is a recipe from our first 911 Emergency Menu with emergency cooking notes, as well as the normal cooking method.

Linguini with Clam Sauce
Serve 4-6
- 8 ounces linguini, uncooked
- 2-3 (6-ounce) cans minced clams, undrained (I like a lot of clams, some like less)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can low sodium chicken broth** (or use equivalent chicken bouillon)
- 2-3 tablespoons butter** (or 2-3 tablespoons olive oil)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 small onion, chopped (equals about 1 cup)** (optional in an emergency)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- Dash of Tabasco sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped** (or use 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice** (optional in an emergency or used bottled)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- CONDIMENT: Grated Parmesan cheese** (optional, or use canned Parmesan)

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. While pasta is cooking, drain the juice from the canned clams into 2 cup measure then add enough chicken broth to make 2 cups liquid.** (or use ALL chicken broth).

In skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and pressed garlic. Stir in flour. Cook on low for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir in chicken broth, thyme and Tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in clams, parsley and lemon juice and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot linguini and top each portion with as much cheese to your liking.

For more help putting dinner on your table, check out Leanne’s website, www.SavingDinner.com, or her Saving Dinner book series (Ballantine) and her New York Times bestselling book Body Clutter (Fireside). Copyright 2008 Leanne Ely. Used by permission in this publication.

Winning at Working column by Nan Russell

"I don't know," the Gen-Y acquaintance mused. "I'm thinking about grad school, but it's more work than I thought to prepare for the GREs. Then if I do all that and don't get into the program I want, it's a waste of time. Plus, did you know it could cost more than $40,000 to get a masters degree? I don't want that kind of debt, especially since I'll never make it up in a starting salary."

By the end of answering my question about his post gap-year plans, this young man described several options he was pondering for his future. But woven into threads of indecision and idealism, I recognized limiting beliefs punctuating his words. It's "too hard." It'll take "too long." It costs "too much." I also recognized he hadn't yet discovered who he was doing the work for.

He's right. Getting the work you want, creating your future, developing your skills can be hard, take time, and cost money. But this isn't a generational issue; it's a life-potential issue. We can hold these self-limiting beliefs whether we're Gen-Y, Gen-X, Boomers or Traditionalists.

When we think we work for other people instead of working for ourselves, we're less likely to make the investments in self-development, put in the time and determination, or make the trade-offs necessary to achieve the goals we desire.

When we think we work for "the boss" we're less likely to push ourselves, take on the challenging project, volunteer for extra assignments, or offer the best of who we are to our work, whatever that work may be.

When we work for other people, we're less likely to use our unique gifts to make a difference in our work group, community, or world. And we're less likely to have the internal drive and passion to sustain us through those workplace potholes.

Working for yourself is not about being an entrepreneur, owning your own business, or being self-employed. It's a vision, not a vocation.

You can give away the power over your future to bosses or other influencers in your life, or you can keep that power to fuel your dreams. As Nashua Cavalier put it, "Man's biggest mistake is to believe that he's working for someone else." When you believe you are, that's when work becomes work.

People who are winning at working work for the right person - the one looking back in mirror. That differentiation changes everything. It's easier to know what jobs to seek, skills to enhance, and opportunities to seize. It's easier to know when you should change paths, companies or bosses. And it's easier to weather workplace stresses when you're the one holding the compass for your life.

People who are winning at working accept the accountability for inventing their future, realizing it's not the boss or the work or the company politics that stand in the way of their success. These can be obstacles to maneuver certainly, but the real obstacles are self-inflicted: fear, limiting beliefs, victim-thinking or misplaced perspectives. These are what hold your life-potential in check.

Want to be winning at working? Start working for the right person.

Author of Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way (Capital Books; January 2008), and host of "Work Matters with Nan Russell" weekly on www.webtalkradio.net. Nan Russell has spent over 20 years in management, most recently with QVC as a vice president. Sign up to receive Nan's "Winning at Working" tips and insights at http://www.nanrussell.com.

Elton Brand, the #1 Pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, has opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. With career averages of 20.3 PPG and 10.3 RPG, he could seemingly sign for an insane amount of money. None of that however stopped Bill Plaschke, PTI regular and owl look-alike (nobody is perfect), from posting the following clip on YouTube clip, courtesy of AwfulAnnouncing. They describe it as:

"(C)lose to the oddest Youtube video I've ever seen and in a medium that has Kige Ramsey you know that's saying a lot."

It reminds me of the sadness of Woody's World...

http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/07/bill-plaschke-pleads-elton-brand-to.html

]]> http://thefairpole.wordpress.com/?p=92 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:36:39 +0000 GuyswithaDream http://thefairpole.wordpress.com/?p=92 Let’s play a game. Match the uninteresting/unbearable/I-would-not-read-that-even-if -someone-stuck-a -gun-to-my-head ESPN.com article to the writer (answers after the picture):

1. Mark McGwire left a lot unsaid when he left baseball. If he wants back in, he needs to speak up.

2. I want to believe in Dara Torres' feat. But after years of being conned, we're conditioned to question such results.

3. While Michelle Wie flounders, fellow young golfers like Cheyenne Woods are flourishing. There's a lesson there.

4. Jaromir Jagr chose Russia over the NHL. How much longer will it be before we learn the fates of fellow stalwarts Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin?

A. Jemele Hill

B. Gene Wojciechowski

C. Terry Frei

D. Pat Forde

1. B

2. C

3. A

4. D

In this small town, football isn't just everything, its the only thing. So why are they trying to take it away? Two words: rickshaw rape.

http://sports.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=rick_reilly&rT=sports

"D. Was able to wrestle the remote control out of Mary Beth's hands for a couple hours on Sunday afternoon and watched Tiger work some of his patented magic on the back nine. What more is there to say about this kid? He is an absolute warrior in the mold of a Brady, a Strahan or a Bob Sanders. Gutsy stuff."

Pat Forde: I would like to discuss how Big Brown's owner is coping with his horse's disappointing performance in the Belmont Stakes.

Jason Sobel: NO! Lets discuss whether or not Tiger Woods at 50% health is still better than every other player on tour. What about at 25%?

Gene Wojciechowski: All due respect, guys, but I prefer to look to the future. Lets discuss the shrewd moves Larry Bird made on draft night, and how the Pacers are positioned to make a big splash in the coveted free agent class of 2010.

"Scoop" Jackson: I prefer to discuss other things. Bigger things. Higher things. Like, for example, how the act of labeling certain players as having "character issues" or being "head cases" is really a form of veiled racism.

Feel free to respond and continue the dialogue.

A couple of things I like about "Woody's World":

- Watching any selected clip will depress the hell out of you

- It's proof that there is a downside to the interne

http://www.denverpost.com/woodysworld

Column by Jim Bishop

VIRGINIA BEACH - Whether to the mountains, the beach or another destination of choice, it's just good to get away, rest a spell and catch up with yourself (and with others important to you).

That's exactly what my wife and I were able to do last week - t'was grand, but over too quickly.

We'd earlier decided to forgo our annual pilgrimage to Ocean City, N.J., this summer, owing to (pun intended) obscene gas prices and ever-accelerating charge on the rental unit where we stayed in proximity to the beach.

We opted, instead, for three days and two nights in Virginia Beach. The oceanfront hotel we ended up in, about 13 blocks north of the place we've usually stayed, proved more to our liking than expected. This was a quieter part of town, with less traffic and fewer people, both on the sidewalks and on the beach. Perfect.

The weather is often a major player in a beach junket. We were fortunate to enter a "window of opportunity" with pleasant conditions to begin and end our excursion, a brief thunderstorm injected in the middle. Sunshine on my shoulder makes me/us happy.

Checking in, we noticed that our room was designated "handicapped access." We weren't sure why we were given this room, but perhaps the reservation person thought we needed the special features, given that Anna asked for a senior-citizen discount, which indeed we qualify for.

For ourselves, we ask (aloud), what could be finer than sitting on our little balcony overlooking the ocean, the surf providing background sound effects as the morning sun glistened over calm water, nibbling on a Danish and sipping coffee, enjoying each other's company without just an occasional hint of conversation - all the time knowing that we're not in a hurry to be somewhere else. Almost heaven.

On Monday, we were enjoying the hotel's outdoor pool when a man approached us and asked, "Aren't you on the faculty at EMU?" He introduced himself as the father of Brad Parkes, standout player for the Royals' men's basketball team and a member of the class of 2008. The entire family, from Winchester, was staying at this same hotel for the week. Brad came over later, and we had a long, engaging visit. He was soon moving to Charlottesville to begin a position with an insurance company there. It's a small world.

I am impressed with apparent efforts to make the beachfront area inviting for temporary residents like us. The "boardwalk" is concrete, not the wooden structure we're used to at our Ocean City, N.J., haunt, but it's well-maintained. A separate path runs parallel for the many bikers. Personnel are out early on the beach with their equipment, raking and smoothing the white sand for another day of hard use.

Both nights we were there, local bands gave free concerts at a beachfront pavilion. Many people sat or stood and clapped along, while others, like us, got up and boogied like no one was watching. Tutti-frutti, all-rootie!

Wouldn't you know it - a sunny, clear and pleasant temperature day greets us when it's time to check out and head back to the Valley.

As we motor northward on I-64, top down on the Miata, the importance of the occasional getaway, to step back and view things from a distance, to move into the deceleration lane, hits home. Even more importantly, this is what creates memories to last a lifetime. Those day-long or week-long simple but fun excursions, many to the Jersey Shore, are what I remember most fondly from growing-up years in my family of origin.

The main drawback to being gone - voicemail messages awaiting at home and at work, mail to open (mostly bills), back newspapers and several screens of e-mail to read and respond to, grass that needs mowing, a whiny feline and screeching parakeet scolding us for abandoning them, outdoor plants needing watering, running to the grocery for milk and orange juice.

I ask for no pity party. Yea, verily, it was good to be gone, even better to be back home.

Fly Lady column by Marla Cilley

As part of my morning routine, I clean my bathroom. Now, this is not the crisis cleaning, because company is coming, and you have not touched the bathroom in months. This is a daily maintenance that keeps it company-ready all the time! I know many of you don't think that this needs to be done, but I assure you that you deserve to clean and fresh-smelling bathroom all the time, too.

It doesn't take much time to do this, either. This is why I called it a swish and a swipe. Doesn't that sound like a lick and a promise! Quick and easy! Here is how it works, and once you establish this habit, your bathroom will never look and smell dirty again.

To accomplish this, you need a couple of things to keep in your bathroom. I have my favorite window cleaner in each bathroom just for this purpose, along with a roll of paper towels or old wash cloths. You can use whatever you like, just so you don't have to leave the room to swish and swipe. You will have no excuse to get sidetracked if you will do this.

Here is the swipe part. I take the window cleaner and a rag and wipe off the mirror and then the counter, faucets and sink. Bam, it is just that fast. Now, I do this as I am getting dressed and I put my things away. Do you hear me! Put your stuff away as you use them; this keeps your counter clear and easy to wipe down. Then I take that same paper towel or rag and head toward the toilet. I keep a toilet-bowl brush beside each toilet in our home. They are kept in a crock (one like you put kitchen utensils in or an old vase).

I use old shampoo that I don’t like (not bathroom caustic cleaner). Soap is soap as far as I am concerned. They are even making some great new toilet-bowl brushes that are kept in cylinders that have lids. Now, don't do this if you have little children or pets that will get into this. Each time take the brush and let the excess cleaner drip off; if it is thick, you may have to water down the solution a bit so it will drain well. Then take the toilet bowl brush and swish it around in the toilet. Even if you don't use any soap; you will keep stuff from growing in there. Then wipe off the back of the toilet with the used paper towel or rag, then the seat, the rim and lastly the sides and floor. If you have little boys you know how they miss. Then toss the rag in the laundry or the paper towel in the trash.  When you do this once a day you will find that your toilet is always fresh as a daisy.

There you have it, swish and swipe! This takes all of about one minute from start to finish, but you have to have everything in the bathroom, so you have no excuses to not do this. If you have more than one bathroom, then make sure you are drinking your water and use a different bathroom each time during the day so you can swish and swipe on the go. You deserve to have a pleasant bathroom.

For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out Marla Cilley's website and join her free mentoring group at www.FlyLady.net, listen to her www.blogtalkradio.com/flylady  show, or read her books, Sink Reflections, published by Bantam, and her New York Times bestselling book, Body Clutter, published by Fireside. Copyright 2008 Marla Cilley. Used by permission in this publication.