J_Darrowin's Newsroom

Its that time of the year again... It's back to school time for the kiddies!  So, in celebration of this event, I thought I'd show this old Staples commercial.   It may be over 10 years old, but its still a popular favorite.  Most of you should remember this.  Enjoy!

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"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPIIMbG9R4w&hl=en&fs=1a>" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> 

With all the news going on about how city after city is cancelling their fireworks displays, I thought I'd pass on some good news for once. 

Orange City is holding a "fireworks extravaganza" on July 5th.  No, that's not a typo... July 5th.  Don't ask me why its not on the 4th, I don't make the rules.   Just be glad they're doing this on a Saturday.

The event will take place in Valentine Park, which is located at 1595 West French Ave.   This is West of of S. Volusia Ave in Orange City.  Basically, you just travel North past Ohio Ave. until you see French Ave, then take a left.  Then travel straight until you reach Valentine Park.  That is, if I'm reading MapQuest right.   Well, I'm terrible at directions, so you may want to MapQuest it for yourself...

Anyway, the advertisment claims there will be "FREE Childrens Games, Inflatable's and Entertainment as well as a DJ with Contests and Prizes", as well as food vendors.  The event will be from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm. 

Who knows?  Maybe we'll run into each other! 

The "My Fox Orlando" website received "kudos" from radio talk show host Bud Hedinger, host of "Bud Hedinger, Live" this afternoon. 

The praise came during a segment near the beginning of his program, a little after 3:00 pm., while he was discussing the recent mob beating of Lake County Deputy Cliff McMikeenamy, who had responded to a noise complaint caused by a loud party.  

McMikeenamy, after having to chase down and attempt to tase a suspect who had thrown a beer bottle at his cruiser, was quickly set upon and beaten by no less than 12 men, who not only smashed a beer bottle over his head, but also tried to grab his gun and radio.   However,  Deputy McMikeenamy maintained his hold on his weapon.    Two men were arrested.  

Bud Hedinger noted that all of the websites he had checked, ABC and NBC among others, all of them mentioned that the Border Patrol became involved and took the men into custody.  Bud concluded that the men captured were illegal immigrants, something that was not mentioned on the sites.   Annoyed that none of the sites, up to that moment, included the phrases "illegal aliens" or "illegal immigrants", he asked his listeners to update him if a site did so, if possible. 

A caller informed him a few minutes later that the website "My Fox Orlando", on the last sentence, mentioned that the suspects were "illegal immigrants", and that the article was last edited a little after  7:00 am.   

"Kudos, to My Fox Orlando!", Bud praised, for having the guts "to tell it like it is!"

And there you have it, My Fox Orlando.  Just thought you'd want to know.  From the way I heard him praise you, you may have gained another fan!

I looked at this photo, and thought to myself "There's a funny caption for this here".   Problem is, I just can't think of a good one, so I'm leaving this up to you!   Anyone have any ideas?

Santa Claus:

Aka “St. Nick”, aka “Kris Kringle”

Wanted For:

Slave Labor, Cruelty to Animals, Breaking and Entering, Unauthorized Use of Aliases, Unauthorized Use of Public Flight Zones, Tax Evasion, Child Molestation, Spying, Illegal Parking, Smoking in Public Areas, and Mail Fraud.  Further Charges Pending.

Description:

“Santa Claus” is described as a tall, overweight, Caucasian male (possible racist), with a full beard that covers most of his face (possible Islamic Extremist) and typically wears a red suit (possible Communist) with white trim and black belt and boots.  However, he may have lost weight recently in an attempt to disguise his appearance while traveling in England.

He has been known to use racist language directed at female minorities, due to his frequent shouts of “BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP”.  He has also been known to carry a whip.  Do not approach.

If spotted, please contact your local PC Police or ACLU branch. 

We not only thank you for your cooperation… we demand it.

Another Christmas related blog here: Christmas in Kirchenthumbach

Well, sort of.  Have a Merry Christmas… I hope. 

I was browsing the card section at Target a couple of days ago, and I found a few that I thought were pretty funny, at least to me, anyway.  Here's the first one:

Here's the back of it:

Sent this one to my brother.

The second card:

The inside of the card says ".... and her donkey".  Merry Christmas!

To tell you the truth, the idea of these two portraying Joseph and Mary is a tad disturbing...

And finally, the best for last....

The inside reads "Hope all your Christmas wishes come true!"

"Hey, Hillary, go check the number of that train, will ya?"

So,  have you guys seen any good Christmas Cards lately? 

Also, don't forget slgps's "Send a Christmas Card to the ACLU" campaign.  Full details can be found here: "Merry Christmas, ACLU!"

Merry Christmas!

Heather Mills McCartney, the former model who you may remember from her “Dancing with the Stars” appearance, recently painted the rich as “misers and snobs” during an interview last Wednesday, which is strange, considering that she herself is currently seeking millions of dollars herself from her ex-husband, Paul McCartney.   For the complete story, please click on this link:  “McCartney’s Estranged Wife Berates Rich”

 Frankly, I have a hard time believing that this woman can make these comments with a straight face.  She is certainly not doing anything to endear herself to the public.   The English, by and large, can’t stand her.  Paul McCartney’s daughter has even gone so far as to fashion a necklace with a miniature, prosthetic leg as a decoration.  I’ve heard that it’s selling fairly well. 

Here are some things Heather needs to understand about the rich; yes, there are a few “snobs” and “stingy” rich people out there.  These people tend to be the ones who were either born into wealth, or who were just spoiled to begin with.   The rest of the rich, however, tend to be friendlier, politer, and generous.  These people are typically the ones who earned their wealth from the ground up.  These individuals demonstrate that becoming wealthy doesn't always involve cheating others, or just by “knowing the right people”, it’s normally just a matter of hard work, making the right decisions, and investing their funds wisely.  They don't keep their methods secret, and usually don't mind sharing tips with others.

Another thing Heather needs to understand is this; rich people employ poorer people.   That money you work for has to come from somewhere.   

Paul McCartney earned his wealth; Heather Mills is trying to siphon it off of him for her own personal gain.  Who is the real villain here?

Self-claimed next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton, celebrates her birthday today.  She will turn 60 years old.  Sources claim that her husband, former president Bill Clinton, will plan a nice, romantic dinner tonight. 

Then he'll call her and wish her a Happy Birthday!  Badump Bump! 

Sorry, heard that joke on the radio this morning and thought I'd share it. 

Happy Birthday, Shrillary!  =P

I knew it.  I KNEW I should'nt have clicked on that link, but I just had to see.  Now I'm angry beyond words.  Three new people have just made the top of my "s" list:

Brian DePalma, Phil Donahue, and Nick Broomfield. 

What do all these men have in common?  All three of them are producing films that describe our U.S. soldiers as villians in their respective movies. 

Brian DePalma's film, "Redacted", potrays the story of the rape and murder of an Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers, said to be based on actual events.

Phil Donahue's film, "Body of War", tells the story of the life of an injured vet, Thomas Young, who is wheelchair bound and never walk again.  The vet places the blame on President Bush for the Iraq war.

Nick Broomfield's film recalls the story of "the murder of 24 innocent Iraqi civillians in response to a roadside bombing."

"Redacted" is expected to hit theaters this November.   No word yet on when the other two will be released.  I haven't  even seen these films, but this critic gives all three of them "two thumbs down."

Help wipe those smug, self-rightous looks off their faces.  Boycott the films. 

Here is a link to the video featuring the clips and interviews:

http://www.myembarq.com/video/?&vendid=31&vid=11490
5

The name of the video is "Hollywood takes on war in Iraq".  You'll have to watch a commerical before it plays the clip first, though.  Sorry.

.... from Desperate Housewives. 

On the news this morning, representatives from the Philippines stated that they were upset over a line spoken by Terry Hatcher on the recent airing of "Desperate Housewives".  Story follows below, with quotations highlighted...

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'Housewives' Joke Draws Criticism
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 10:25 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A scene in TV's "Desperate Housewives" that used Philippine medical education for a punchline prompted angry calls from viewers, an online petition demanding an apology and criticism from Philippine officials.

In the season premiere that aired Sunday on ABC, Teri Hatcher's character, Susan, goes in for a medical checkup and is shocked when the doctor suggests she may be going through menopause.

"Listen, Susan, I know for a lot of women the word `menopause'" has negative connotations. You hear `aging,' `brittle bones,' `loss of sexual desire,'" the gynecologist tells her.

"OK, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Just to make sure they aren't, like, from some med school in the Philippines?" Susan fires back.

Viewers called the network to complain but the number of callers wasn't available, an ABC spokesman said Wednesday. As of Wednesday evening, more than 30,000 names were attached to an online petition seeking a network apology.

"A statement that devalues Filipinos in healthcare is extremely unfounded, considering the overwhelming presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the medical field," the petition read in part.

The TV episode even became an international incident, with reports on it topping Philippine news shows and drawing newspaper headlines as officials there registered their displeasure. Filipinos could judge the scene for themselves when it was posted on YouTube.

ABC responded with a statement Wednesday.

"The producers of `Desperate Housewives' and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the brief reference in the season premiere. There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines," the statement said.

"As leaders in broadcast diversity, we are committed to presenting sensitive and respectful images of all communities featured in our programs," it concluded.

In Manila, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he was writing the producers of the show to seek an apology and note the country's "vehement protest." Senior cabinet member Eduardo Ermita told reporters that an apology should be sought "on behalf of our Filipino professionals."

Kevin Nadal, 29, a Filipino-American college lecturer who lives in New York, posted the online petition calling ABC to task for the scene.

"I had to rewind it over and over again to make sure I heard it right," Nadal said in an interview Wednesday. He watched the episode online after hearing about it from a friend.

"I was immediately offended and, really, just hurt. These days, people are supposed to be more sensitive or more aware of what's considered appropriate," he said, adding that he was hearing from people worldwide who were distressed by the scene.

He appreciated ABC's apology, he said, but said he also wanted to see the dialogue removed from future airings and DVDs.

ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Co., said Wednesday it was considering editing the episode.

Nadal also suggested that the show's producers and ABC executives could make a more substantial gesture than an apology, through scholarships or donations for Filipino and Filipino-Americans and community groups.

Filipinos and other minorities also should be depicted on TV as "prominent, positive role models," Nadal said.

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Legitimate complaints, or are they just being oversensitive?  Also, should Hatcher's line be removed from any reruns that air?

Well, it is in Big Lots in Orange City, anyway. 

There I was, picking up my lunches for the week.  I turn a corner, and what do I see on display?  Why, it’s the big man himself, Old Saint Nick, dressed in full biker gear, complete with shades, rocking out on his hog to Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild!”  There were also miniature Christmas trees (which were pretty ugly, to be honest), and assorted tree decorations, wreaths and Christmas lights.  Now, I love Christmas decorations, but, come on now, it’s not even October yet! 

Has anyone else noticed any other stores already putting up their Christmas displays?  I swear it’s even earlier than last year.  I think last time they at least waited until October.  I remember a time when the decorations weren’t displayed until a couple of weeks prior to Thanksgiving. 

Maybe I’m just making a bigger deal out of this than I should be.  What about you?  Do you like the decorations being displayed earlier; giving you more time to buy them, or do the early displays make you feel “burned out” on Christmas by the time it finally arrives? 

Well folks, “Hollyweird” is at it again.  In yet another effort to demoralize our soldiers in Iraq, two new films are being released.  Here is the story below:

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2 Venice Films Look at Iraq War Horrors
Saturday, September 1, 2007 8:56 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press Writer

VENICE, Italy (AP) — Two Hollywood films that take up the politics of the Iraq war grew out of the conviction that the American public was not getting the full picture of the violence.

Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis' "In the Valley of Elah," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron, focuses on the psychological scars that haunt returning soldiers and provides a powerful commentary on how society is treating veterans and their families.

Brian De Palma says he wants to stop the war with his film, "Redacted" by exposing a wider audience to images of horror that he says are not being delivered by the mainstream media.

With Vietnam, "we saw pictures of the destruction and the sorrow of the people who were traumatized. We saw the soldiers ... being brought back in body bags. We see none of that in this war," De Palma told a news conference Friday. One of his previous films, "Casualties of War," dealt with the Vietnam war.

The title, "Redacted," is a term meaning edited that is often used when sensitive material is expunged, or blacked out, from a document.

De Palma's film, inspired by material he found on the Internet, is shot on video to present the film as though it were a series of clips that could be downloaded to your computer. Inspired by actual events, the movie tells the fictionalized story of a group of young soldiers who rape a 15-year-old Iraqi girl, kill her family and then shoot her.

De Palma said he wanted to examine how the soldiers had gone so wrong. The movie doesn't present the judicial resolution, but it does show one soldier who came forward being treated with hostility by the military, in contrast to the more comfortable interrogations of the two main perpetrators.

In reality, four soldiers have been convicted in the case that inspired the film and handed sentences of up to 110 years in prison. A fifth man, who left the Army before being charged, faces a federal death penalty trial. The case has received wide media coverage.

The filmmakers had to negotiate a "legal minefield" to present real events as fiction, De Palma said, and the film opens with a disclaimer, which is slowly blacked out. The final scene is a montage of real-life photographs of Iraqi war dead, including maimed and dead women and children, their eyes blacked out on the advice of lawyers because the film used actors and is not a documentary.

"The irony of 'Redacted' is that it was redacted," De Palma said.

While De Palma said he wants the film to help stop the war, Haggis said he tried to keep his own well-known anti-war politics off the screen.

"I felt I owed it to the audience to put that aside, to tell the story ... and let them decide," Haggis told reporters Saturday ahead of his movie's premiere.

Haggis said he also was driven by an absence from the Iraqi war of the sort of images that shocked the public into opposing the Vietnam war.

"I think that when that doesn't happen, it's the responsibility of the artist to ask those questions," said Haggis, who won an Oscar for 2002's "Crash."

In the film, Jones plays Hank Deerfield, the father of a U.S. soldier who disappears just days after returning from a tour in Iraq. A former soldier himself, he drives across the country to find out what happened to his son and learns hard truths about his son's Iraq tour, while challenging some of his own long-held ideals. Charlize Theron plays a New Mexico police detective drawn into the investigation.

Both movies explore how exposure to war — both its horrors and its endless tense hours of patrol and manning roadblocks — desensitizes soldiers to violence, and how that triggers even more tragedy.

Haggis' film takes a very hard look at how society is responding, including in a tight subplot. Early on, the wife of an Iraqi veteran reports to local police her husband's violent drowning of the family's Doberman in the bathtub. Theron's detective refers the woman to the local U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, saying "crimes against dogs are particularly hard to prosecute."

Later, she answers a call where the woman, too, has been drowned in the bathtub.

Inevitably, the film is political, acknowledged Haggis. "All films are political when your country is at war," he said.

"Redacted," which opens in the United States in December, premiered Friday here, and "In the Valley of Elah," making its U.S. opening in coming weeks, premiered Saturday.

I do believe that things are much more violent in Iraq then we generally see in the media.  This is true in all the wars that we have been involved in.  However, there is a reason for removing or editing these images.  People will otherwise begin feeling sympathetic to the enemy; too view the general populace as nothing more than helpless victims.  Folks, the most dangerous thing we can do is to feel sympathy for the opposition.  To do so will seriously weaken our resolve to continue the fight and win.  It may seem inhuman to say so, but it’s also a cold, hard fact.  This is why we were successful against Germany and Japan.  We made no effort to make them appear human.  In fact, we made every effort to demonize them.  We insulted and ridiculed their appearance, we made jokes about them and silly songs, we even created derogatory cartoons about them.  I doubt we would’ve won if we had the same media back then as we do now.  War is about winning, not making friends.  Win the war first, do whatever you have to do to win, *then* make friends.  This is how it was done after WWII, this is how it should be done now. 

Here is a strange story I found on the Embarq news homepage that I thought I'd share.  This is one strange kitty, even stranger than they normally are. 

====================================================
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Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths
Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:43 AM EDT
The Associated Press
By RAY HENRY Associated Press Writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill

She was convinced of Oscar's talent when he made his 13th correct call. While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn't eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

Oscar wouldn't stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor's prediction was roughly 10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient's final two hours, nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced, gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has read Dosa's article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.

If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it's also possible his behavior could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed on a dying person, Dodman said.

Nursing home staffers aren't concerned with explaining Oscar, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to the dying.

Oscar recently received a wall plaque publicly commending his "compassionate hospice care."

———

Science writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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Sorry, I wanted to post a picture of Oscar, but I can't figure out how to do it. :P  There's a nine lives joke in here somewhere, but I wouldn't know how it goes....

Hi guys,

After finally getting my photos developed by CVS (they sure took their time!), and Fox finally finishing screening them for any porn I may have tried to smuggle in, the pictures I took of the Traveling Wall are finally uploaded.  They're not professional, they're not even that great (most of them were taken by a disposable camera from the dollar store =P),  but for any of you who wanted to attend the event during the 4th of July holiday, but were unable to, or if you're just simply curious to see what it looked like, feel free to have a look at them.  I'll leave them up until either this blog gets kicked off the community page, or if it didn't make it to the community page to begin with, about 2 weeks or so.  Then they'll be removed.