Sunday, March 31, 2002

 

"Citing California's huge budget shortfall and its growing number of overweight children, a state lawmaker is proposing a new tax on soda to fight childhood obesity.

Assemblyman John Campbell (R-Irvine) described the soda proposal as the latest attempt to demonize a legal product to justify increasing taxes. Targets of so-called sin taxes have traditionally included tobacco, alcohol and gambling.

"Where will this ever stop?" asked Campbell, a self-described soda abstainer who handles budget matters for his caucus. "Are they going to tax the butter on my carrots because carrots are healthier without butter?

"I think if you ate too much tofu it's probably bad for you, so does that mean we should tax tofu in big jars?" "

I agree with Campbell. This is too ridiculous for words.

posted by Anne 3/31/2002 12:07:00 PM (0) comments

Saturday, March 30, 2002

 

The Queen Mother died today. She was the only member of the royal family I liked.

posted by Anne 3/30/2002 10:17:00 AM (0) comments

 

Here's further proof that not everyone in California is a liberal left-winger. It does, however, have its fair share of wackos. I'm sure every state does.

posted by Anne 3/30/2002 09:37:00 AM (0) comments

 

Am I supposed to feel guilty for laughing at Speedy Gonzalez? It's a cartoon for goodness sakes! What's next? Do they pull The Flinstones because it's an inaccurate representation of the prehistoric era?

posted by Anne 3/30/2002 09:28:00 AM (0) comments

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

 

I remember the beginning of this story very well. It started just as a big story of mine was coming to a close. My story involved the business partner of a former county commissioner proposing a nude bottle club on Main Street. (For those of you who don't know, a bottle club is byob. In Pennsylvania, there's a law that says you can't sell booze if there's nude dancing, etc. But customers can bring their own booze. Also, my hometown is very small. Main Street really is the main street in town. Main Street has only 3 traffic lights, if that tells you anything. Also, the former county commissioner, although he owned the building, said he wasn't involved in the nudie stuff. Whatever. ) The townsfolk were up in arms about this. It got really ugly. But, man, they were fun stories to write! So, as this series of events was coming to a close, down in State College, about 3 hours away, a man was in a bit of hot water for gardening nude in his own yard. You can read the story for the details. But the state Superior Court just overturned the conviction saying, pretty much, he's in his own backyard and he can do what he wants. I love it when the system works the way it's supposed to. What makes me feel even better is that one of the people I voted for, Maureen Lally-Green, is one of the judges who ruled in favor of overturning the conviction.

Oh? How did the nude bottle club on Main Street fiasco end? The city bought the building for $50,000 on the condition that the owners agree to not open any adult entertainment businesses within the city limits. There was a rumor circulating that there never was going to be a club; the owners just wanted to scare the city into buying the building.

posted by Anne 3/27/2002 10:02:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, March 26, 2002

 

As a service to gossip-mongers across the Internet, I pass along this link. Enjoy! I know I did.

posted by Anne 3/26/2002 11:48:00 PM (0) comments

 

There's a man in Denver making money by selling serial killer action figures. Before you say how sick and wrong this is, let me tell you the man does have certain standards. He won't do Osama bin Laden because he has "personal qualms about that." And there's bad news, too. Anyone who just can't go another day without a Charles Manson action figure is out of luck. "Johnson says he receives many requests to make a Charles Manson figure, but cannot make one because Manson has exclusive rights to his image." Damn. Now what do I get Nick for Christmas?

posted by Anne 3/26/2002 10:57:00 AM (0) comments

Monday, March 25, 2002

 

March 25, 2001: A day that will forever be etched in our minds. Why, you ask? It was exactly 365 days ago that Nick and I met in person for the very first time. I honestly don't know what time I arrived at LAX because of flight delays and a general state of panic and jitters, but I do remember the plane taxiing toward the terminal and seeing Nick and his friend inside waiting for me. I was so nervous! But, obviously, everything worked out just fine and it was a perfect week -- except that it had to end. Two months later, I moved here. A little less than two months after that we got married. So far, the story still ends with "happily ever after."

posted by Anne 3/25/2002 12:48:00 AM (0) comments

Sunday, March 24, 2002

 

I haven't seen A Beautiful Mind but, from what I understand, it's about a man who's paranoid schizophrenic but triumphs over it to win the Nobel Prize -- all because of the love of a good woman. Bull!!!! Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know it's a true story, but I don't buy it. What about all the good women living with men with mental illnesses? They see this movie and feel inadequate because they're not good enough? Yeah. Good movie. If it wins I'll be pissed.

posted by Anne 3/24/2002 05:14:00 PM (0) comments

 

Remember when "The Six Million Dollar Man" was so awesome, and something like that could happen only in your wildest imagination? Well, welcome to the 21st century.

posted by Anne 3/24/2002 02:40:00 PM (0) comments

 

Starbucks is suing backwash.com because Backwash linked to them without permission. I could understand if they used content from the Starbucks site without permission. But a link? Yet another reason for me to not like Starbucks.

posted by Anne 3/24/2002 02:34:00 PM (0) comments

 

Yay me! I think this is the best layout I've ever had -- on all the reincarnations of all my blogs. Now I can go eat lunch. Another big yay.

posted by Anne 3/24/2002 12:00:00 PM (0) comments

Wednesday, March 20, 2002

 

Speaking of boobs .... I hope Halle Berry wins. In my opinion, she's got the best rack. Seriously, I didn't see "Monster's Ball," but I like her. I did see "Moulin Rouge." I loved it. I even liked Nicole Kidman in it and I haven't liked her in anything since "To Die For." This is probably going to be one of the most politcally un-correct things I've ever written, but the other reason I hope Halle wins is that the next time a black actress is nominated for lead actress maybe no one will notice and the media can concentrate on the actors' performances instead of their skin color.

posted by Anne 3/20/2002 10:19:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, March 19, 2002

 

This isn't earth-shattering news. In fact, the vast majority of the world will probably never even hear about it. But it's causing quite a stir in my little corner of the Internet, so it's news to me. What is "it?" It's Hoopty's Rack Browser, which is simply small pictures of boobs, tits, breasts, racks or whatever you want to call them linked to people's blogs. Why the big uproar? Beats me. Hoopty asked all his readers -- women and men -- to send in pictures of their racks. Quite a few of us did. We were willing participants. We are not being exploited in any way, shape or form. Hoopty doesn't have some high-tech spy camera pointed to our boobs so he could swipe snapshots to post on his site. Would I have submitted my "rack" to anyone else who asked? Probably not. So why did I send the picture to Hoopty? This post is one reason I felt comfortable doing it. Another reason is what Hoopty says on his "about the rack browser" page. I don't think he'll mind if I quote him. "The point is that these people are beautiful and I wanted to show you that they are much more than what's up front. Yeah, I'm sure you're thinking that I'm going straight for the thrills, but YOU were the one who clicked on them to see where they led. Did you find something interesting? I'd like to know if you did. These people are wonderful. That's why I did it." Believe it or not, some people are looking beyond the boobs and seeing it (them) the way Hoopty intended. They're discovering some amazing, talented, intelligent women. If you're not and you're one of the people criticizing the Rack Browser, shame on you.

posted by Anne 3/19/2002 11:08:00 PM (0) comments

Sunday, March 17, 2002

 

I just wanted to give a great big *smooooooch* to everyone coming here from hoopty's. Enjoy your visit, and come back any time. *s*

posted by Anne 3/17/2002 02:41:00 PM (0) comments

 

I've been mildly obsessed with the Danielle van Dam case lately. I've been reading the forums at the San Diego Times Union Web site and also at Web Sleuth. They're very interesting. The diversity of opinions is amazing. Before I write anymore, I want to make it clear that I do not think either of the van Dam's killed their child. With that said, I do believe they're not being totally honest about what happened the night Danielle disappeared as well as their previous relationship with David Westerfield, the man accused of kidnapping and killing Danielle. I started to write "what bothers me most ..." but there's not just one thing. All of the van Dam's actions from the very beginning have seemed strange to me. I realize people act differently in these situations, but look at Chandra Levy's mother. She's a mess, and rightfully so. Brenda van Dam hired a hairdresser to come to her house the first day she went on television pleading for the return of her child. That just doesn't seem right to me. The van Dam's also hired a public relations firm. Why? I suppose that does answer one question though. I've been wondering why this girl's kidnapping got so much attention but the thousands of other kidnappings every day go unreported in the national media.

posted by Anne 3/17/2002 11:39:00 AM (0) comments

Wednesday, March 13, 2002

 

To protest a high school that calls its sports teams The Reds, a group of American Indian students at the University of Northern Colorado have named their intramural basketball team the Fighting Whities. A few years ago, I would have said "Oh geez, how lame." But after my college went through a little battle about the name of its sports teams -- the Brown Indians -- I'm on the side of the American Indians. (Although I don't particularly like that I have to root for "The Bonnies" now.) At about the same time St. Bonaventure changed the name of its teams, St. John's in NYC changed from the Red Indians (I think) to the Red Storm. I'm wondering, though, when the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, Florida State Seminoles, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Indians are going to change their names.

posted by Anne 3/13/2002 10:11:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

 

Does anyone think it's time for a complete overhaul of the American justice system? What kind of justice is it when OJ can play golf to his heart's content, but a seriously mentally ill woman faces death or life in prison? I'm in no way condoning the heinous crimes Andrea Yates committed, but she's sick. I'm wondering if the verdict would have been the same if men suffered from postpartum depression. But that diagnosis aside, she schizophrenic as well. If she's considered guilty, her doctors and her husband should be as well. They're the people who put those children in jeopardy. They allowed those children to be in the care of a woman who wasn't mentally able to discern right from wrong because of an illness. I hate to keep bringing up stories I wrote for the paper, but a few years ago I did a series on mental illness. It's a scary, scary thing when not treated properly, or ignored (like Rusty Yates did). One of the things that scares me is that it's just as much of an illness as cancer or heart disease, but it's not treated that way in many cases. The one thing the people I talked to wanted me to stress in my stories is "We're not crazy. We're sick."

Before I get off my soapbox, I have a little bit more to say about Rusty Yates. He said he began to see signs of postpartum depressionn and mental illness in his wife after their third child was born. But he got her pregnant two more times?!? If I could, I would file a wrongful death civil suit against him. I hope someone in Andrea's family does that.

posted by Anne 3/12/2002 11:49:00 PM (0) comments

 

I heard on the news that some group (The American Lung Association, I think) is trying to get the motion picture industry to revise its rating system to include warnings about smoking. I've just about had it with anti-smoking people. This is a lame idea that will not work, even if the industry goes along with it. I did a story once on why kids smoke. They smoke because their friends smoke. Why do their friends smoke? It's cool. Why is it cool? They're being rebellious. Joe Camel or the Marlboro Man or some actor in a movie won't sway kids. Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

On a totally different note -- Thank God! I've had way more of her than I can stand. At least now there's an end in sight.

posted by Anne 3/12/2002 01:30:00 PM (0) comments

Monday, March 11, 2002

 

Sometimes it seems as if it happened yesterday. Other times it feels as if it happened six years ago. Other times, it's easy to forget it ever happened at all. Nick made a good point while we were watching the news this morning. He said today shouldn't be a day of mourning and sadness. Of course we should remember the victims, but it should be a day to concentrate on how far we've all come and how much we, and the world, have changed during the last six months.

posted by Anne 3/11/2002 08:25:00 AM (0) comments

Saturday, March 09, 2002

 

I was reviewed, and I have to say I'm happy with it. Thanks Imelda!

posted by Anne 3/09/2002 10:19:00 AM (0) comments

Friday, March 08, 2002

 

This story is so creepy. I can't even begin to comprehend the thought process this woman had. Her attorney says she's not a monster. I beg to differ.

posted by Anne 3/08/2002 07:27:00 AM (0) comments

Thursday, March 07, 2002

 

After losing in Tuesday's primary election (I'm stunned that he got the 37 percent of the vote he got) Gary Condit says that when his term in Washington is over he'll dedicate himself to finding Chandra Levy. Maybe he and O.J. can get together and pool their resources. O.J. is still dedicating his life to finding out who "really" killed Nicole, isn't he? After Gary and O.J. solve those two mysteries, maybe they can move on and discover who really killed JFK.

posted by Anne 3/07/2002 11:28:00 AM (0) comments

Sunday, March 03, 2002

 

March is Newspapers in Education Month. I'm all for that. My teachers, especially at the Catholic high school I attended, used newspaers quite a bit and I think I learned a lot from that type of teaching. This rant isn't about newspapers in education. It's about the person who wrote this editorial. It's non-byline editorial, but I can tell by the writing style who wrote it. He and I used to work at the same newspaper. My beef with his editorial is that he doesn't mention the Internet. I can't say I'm surprised. This is the man who, four years ago, said there was no point in having Internet access in the newsroom. Another reporter and I changed his mind, not by discussing (arguing) the benefits of Internet access, but by showing him the endless stream of information that can be obtained. One story that, we thought, showed him the light was about a train derailment 40 miles from the newspaper office. A young correspondent (stringer) was on the scene, but didn't have time to do much more than describe what was going on. But as soon as she let us know what chemical the train was carrying, I got on the 'net, gathered all the information I could about the chemical and turned her 5-inch story into an 18-inch front page story that carried a banner headline.

But I'm digressing. You'd think that a managing editor for a newspaper, when he's writing about newspapers in education, would at least mention the myriad news sites on the Internet and the almost endless amount of news that's available for students and teachers. The fact that he didn't shows me he'll never change. In this ever-changing world, it's hard to believe a man in his mid-30s can be so computer illiterate. What's frightening is, the man is a managing editor of a newspaper. In a way, he's shaping the way a community thinks. I'd say that I hope the rest of the community is more computer savvy than he is, but I know they're not. Sad. But, that's one of the bazillion reasons I'm not there anymore.

posted by Anne 3/03/2002 11:48:00 AM (0) comments

 

Homophobic? Have I got the place for you. Apparently, there are no gay people in Uganda. Uh huh.

posted by Anne 3/03/2002 10:28:00 AM (0) comments

 

Why am I not surprised that Britney doesn't know who Yoko Ono and Linda McCartney are? I'm surprised she knows who the Beatles are. Then again, the article didn't actually say she does know.

This kid might know. Or his mother might fake the answers on his history of music test for him. Or, he might just run away before he's 10 years-old never to be heard from again. Who knows? Poor kid. Some people just shouldn't be parents.

How many students does it take to change a lightbulb? The University of Chicago knows.

posted by Anne 3/03/2002 10:10:00 AM (0) comments

Saturday, March 02, 2002

 

I've been meaning to post about this for a couple days, but I kept forgetting. She makes some really good points. Rosie O'Donnell did, too, when she finally officially came out Monday. It's not all in the article I just linked to, but I saw on television how angry she is with gay/lesbian groups who say she's not "gay enough." Among other things, they criticized her for saying she likes Tom Cruise. But she said she's going to do her best to ignore them because those people won't be happy until she has sex with Angelina Jolie on television. Ya know, for a while I didn't like Rosie much. I'm starting to like her again.

posted by Anne 3/02/2002 10:46:00 AM (0) comments

 

All I had to do was ask?!?!? Why didn't I think of that? I'm off to write my own letter to Arby's. Wish me luck.

posted by Anne 3/02/2002 10:14:00 AM (0) comments

 

A man has been arrested after entering an Italian church in his underpants and trying to snort cocaine off the altar. Don't worry about him though. Two "Our Fathers" and five "Hail Marys" should make everything okay.

posted by Anne 3/02/2002 10:10:00 AM (0) comments