File Under: WTF?

Man sets station on fire over playlist

Volunteer says he was 'very unhappy' about changes to his jazz selections

 

AUSTIN, Texas - A volunteer at a community radio station set fire to the station because he was upset that his song selections for an overnight Internet broadcast were changed, police said.

Paul Webster Feinstein, 24, has been charged with second-degree felony arson for the Jan. 5 fire, which caused $300,000 worth of damage to the studios of 91.7 FM KOOP. He faces from two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

Feinstein told investigators that he was "very unhappy" about the changes to his playlist, said Austin Fire Department Battalion Chief Greg Nye. The songs were intended for an Internet broadcast that occurs when the station is off the air.

"He had a dream of a career in radio and was very disappointed about where it had led him," Nye said.  An attorney for Feinstein could not be reached for comment.

Jazz fan
Station president Andrew Dickens said Feinstein had been in a dispute with another volunteer about what kind of music should be put into a digital library for the Internet program.  Feinstein was a jazz fan and his Internet program was called "Mellow Down Easy," Dickens said.

"We knew there was a disagreement, but I would characterize it as a little clash of personalities over types of music to be played and not a big blowout," Dickens said.

Feinstein, who had volunteered at the station for about a year, quit a week before the fire, saying he was going to do other things, Dickens said.

"He seemed like somebody who was young, enthusiastic, had a life, was a professional and was educated," Dickens said.

Nye said Feinstein acknowledged making a copy of the station key and then waiting for the station to clear out on the night of Jan. 5. Feinstein poured gasoline on the control panels in two studios to start the fire, Nye said.

Gasoline at scene
The fire department's trained dog smelled gasoline at the scene, tipping investigators to the arson, Nye said.  Feinstein had no previous criminal record.

The fire was the third the station has dealt with in the past two years. The first was ruled accidental. The second was caused by a malfunction in a heating and air-conditioning unit of a nearby business and forced the station to move.

This month's fire knocked the station off the air for 19 days. It resumed broadcasting last week in donated space.

"We are kind of worried that people will look at us like a bunch of idiots," Dickens said. "This is really just one of those out-of-the-blue situations. Who the hell would have thought somebody would have snapped?"

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I get a little agitated whenever songs that I can't stand come on the radio, but I've never thought about burning down the radio station.  Whenever I hear "American Pie", "Margaritaville" or anything by Garth Brooks, I change the radio stations so fast that the stereo might short circuit, but I've never wanted to burn down WQMF or WAMZ.   And unlike Mr. Feinstein, I never wanted to be a DJ at a radio station - simply because I would not play music that I didn't like. 

We Dodged Another Bullet

I'm very happy to report that The Compound made it through last night's horrible wind storm unscathed.  The closest thing to damage we had was the metal windmill blowing over and some limbs down in the backyard, but that's about it.  Those just a few miles away in Shively, and farther east in the Highlands and St. Matthews weren't so lucky - they were hit hard.  Trees are down left and right in those areas, and they still don't have any power.  In fact, the car repair shop that is working on the BMW didn't have any power today, so they had to close.  They're located about a mile from work, too.  The power was out in our company last night, and they sent the night shift workers home.  Lucky them.  The power came back on at work at about 6:30 this morning, just in time for day shift to work.  Lucky them.

The massive cold front rolled through our 'hood at about 8:00 and brought with it 50-60 mile an hour winds and a bigtime sudden drop in the temperature.  Last night before the storm it was in the mid 50's; this morning when I got up for work it was 17.  Now that's what I call a cold front.  But other than the wind and some limbs and sticks out in the yard, we were very very lucky here at The Compound.  We must be living right.

I Know You Feel My Pain

It's been awhile since I've had to report any disgusting news like this, but I'm very sad (or should I say "$ad"???) to report that the BMW is in the shop.  I noticed a leak a couple of weeks ago and put it in the shop, but after drying everything off and driving it for an hour, they couldn't find any leaks.  This Saturday morning Dad discovered yet another oil slick on the carport in the same spot as before (by the left front tire).  We weren't sure if it was oil or hydraulic fluid, since every other thing on the BMW takes hydraulic fluid.  But it was a pretty substantial spot.   I was in too good of a pre-birthday celebration mood to deal with it over the weekend, so I just did nothing until we got home from the boat yesterday afternoon when Dad followed me over to the shop and we dropped it off for diagnosis.  But this time I was armed with proof.  Saturday morning while the puddles of fluid were still fresh on the carport floor, I took pictures with the cell phone camera so the shop can get a visual on the leaks.  Please say a prayer that the BMW's hemorrhage repair won't be too co$tly.  I'll keep you posted. 

Glory Of Rome Birthday Trip Review

The 'Rents and I returned home just hours ago after spending an awesome day and a half at our favorite getaway, the Glory Of Rome.  We headed over yesterday at around noon, and just got back a couple of hours ago.  We're worn out, and feel like we've been gone from home for weeks, but we had an awesome time together.  Between Diva Stacy and the 'Rents, I celebrated my birthday in style.  The day started off with Diva Stacy fixing me Eggs Benedict, washed down with Graceland Cellars "All Shook Up" champagne.  Yes, that's Graceland as in Elvis Presley.  From there, the 'Rents and I headed across the bridge to the Glory Of Rome where we spent the night.  My birthday meal at "Legends" was great - my ribeye was cooked exactly medium, like I ordered.  And we managed to win some money last night, too.  We all three had a good night's sleep on the very firm pillow-top mattresses, and had a great breakfast at the Villa Buffet before heading back to the Glory Of Rome to win a little more money. 

Normally, I witness enough bizarre things at the Glory Of Rome to be able to write a "Top Ten Things Seen At The Glory Of Rome."  But this time, I'm deviating.  The most bizarre thing I witnessed during our stay occurred this morning during breakfast at the Villa Buffet.  When we arrived, it wasn't crowded, and the hostess seated us in the "Diamond" section - a section where they normally only sit the "Diamond" Total Rewards Card people, aka the high rollers.  Two World Series Of Poker players, who were Diamond card holders were at the table next to us.  Let me interject that we are lowly "Gold" Total Rewards players.  The Diamond card guy was talking to another Diamond card/poker player at the table next to him, and they were both talking about last night's games.  We the Diamond guy go up to the buffet to get his breakfast, and when he returned, we noticed in one hand he was carrying his plate piled high with biscuits and gravy, and in the other hand he was carrying two little cartons of yogurt. Before sitting down to eat the Diamond guy put the two little yogurts into the pocket of his coat.  Here this big high rolling poker player was snagging two little cartons of yogurt.  The three us sat there at our table with total "WTF?" looks on our faces.  Maybe that's how he can afford to spend so much money in order to be a Diamond card holder.  But it sure was cheesey.

Link Of The Week

I've mentioned this before in TWIT, but it bears repeating - I don't do car trips very well. It's not like I get car sick or anything; I just don't have patience like I used to and when I'm going somewhere I want to be there as fast as I can.  That's why I prefer to fly.  My new flying rule if a destination is over three driving hours away, I'll fly there.  I love flying almost as much as I hate car trips. 

This week, I found a website that will help those of you who love flying as much as I do.  It's called Seat Guru.  You can get info on every airline that flies, and can get detailed info on all of their planes, with special emphasis on seats.  You can see a diagram of the seats on a plane, so you can decide where you want to sit. Check it out at http://www.seatguru.com.

Saturday Joke Time

A woman was having her portrait painted and told the artist, "Paint me with diamond rings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, a ruby broach, and gold Rolex watch."

"But you are not wearing any of those things," the artist said.       

"I know," remarked the woman.  "My husband is having an affair with his secretary.  If I die before he does, I'm sure he will marry her right away, and I want the bitch to go crazy looking for the jewelry."

Flashback Friday

The other morning, we awoke to find about an inch of snow here in the 'Ville.  Personally, I would have rather had at least 3 or 4 inches - enough to use our virgin snow blower - but I love snow and I'll take what I can get.  That morning, our local schools were delayed two hours, while schools in counties farther north and west of us were closed.  During the drive to work that morning, I thought about how it was back in the day when we were jonesing for snow days.

As a kid, we didn't watch the nightly local news like we do today, but we did pay attention to the weather people in the winter time.  Whenever they said the word "snow" we would practically come unglued in hope of enough snow so school would be closed the next day.  Never mind the fact that we would have to make up those days - we just wanted to stay home and be able to play out in the snow.  We would say some heavy- duty prayers for snow before we went to bed, and would hardly sleep during the night due to the anticipation of a big snow.  Snow days ranked right up there just below Christmas break.

During my middle school and junior high school days, I was fortunate to have many, many snow days.  In the winter of 1976, we were out of school for snow over two weeks, and in the late winter of 1978 we had over three weeks of consecutive snow days.  Yep, that's a lot of snow.  During those weeks, we would be glued to the 6:00 news and hold our breath until we heard the newscaster say "No school for Jefferson County tomorrow."  We knew we had been given one more day.  Now, that determination is made the morning. 

I'm proud to say that I know the woman responsible for making that determination.  She's a friend from the VFW, and a Ladies Auxiliary member.  On nights when snow is in the forecast, she is on "alert" and gets up at 3:00 in the morning.  If there is snow, she drives all over the county and then she gives the word on whether or not school will be delayed or closed for the day.  I ask you - is that a cool job or what?  I'm sure she's not real thrilled over getting up at 3:00 in the morning after being out at the VFW the night before, but she does her job well. 

But I digress.  On snow days, things just seemed more fun than on our regularly scheduled holidays.  In our house, I would bundle up and walk down to the Greenwood Market and would get to buy a frozen pizza, a bag of Lays sour cream and onion potato chips, and a 3 Musketeers candy bar.  Once back home, Grandma would doctor up the pizza, adding onion and green pepper, and when the pizza was done, she'd call our neighbor Alice, who would bundle up and walk down through the yards and have pizza with us.  That was our traditional snow day routine.  But those are a thing of the past.  There's no such thing as snow days in the working world.  Even during the foot and a half snow in January 1994, my office was only closed for one day.  It sure would be cool to stay home during a snow day and have a frozen pizza.

Mullet Watch

One would think that mullets would be hibernating right now, like the bears and groundhogs but that just isn't the case; mullets are out and about even in this week's very cold temperatures.  I bet they have to wait until their mullet is totally dry after they take a shower, because if they were to go out in the frigid cold, I'm sure the mullet would freeze and break off.

Our most recent mullet was spotted by faithful reader and new mullet watcher Abi.  She spotted this mullet working at a construction site.  She tried to take a picture of the mullet so we could see if a Maryland mullet was any different than a Kentucky mullet, but she wasn't able to discretely take a picture. 

And I'm happy to report that I spotted my first mullet of the new year.  I spotted it earlier this week at the grocery store.  It was wearing the prerequisite NASCAR jacket and cowboy boots, and the front looked as if it had been freshly trimmed.

Mullet count: 4

Mullett Watch

I'm very happy to report that one of my faithful readers, SH, has spotted our first child mullet of the new year.  It was spotted at a retail establishment (sorry SH but I can't remember if you said you saw it at the mall or the grocery store).  The mullet wearer was a little boy, approximately 9 or 10 years old, and the mullet hung down to the boy's waist a la Billy Ray Cyrus.  SH also reports that the boy's parents had normal hair. 

Mullet count: 2

It Was So Funny, I Forgot To Breathe

During lunchtime today, a co-worker, who we'll refer to as B,  called me from a restaurant where he and two other co-workers were eating lunch.  When I answered the phone, I couldn't hear anything except my friend laughing hysterically.  He managed to gather enough strength to tell me that he said something that was so funny, that it actually made his co-worker, who we'll refer to as D, laugh so hard that he truly stopped breathing and passed out.  Yep, passed out.  Cold.  D turned red, and then blue, and then fell out of his chair onto the floor of the restaurant.  From what I could gather, they were able to revive him fairly quickly, so as to not suffer much brain damage. My friend B said that it reminded him of the videos we've all probably seen of the infamous fainting goats -- a certain breed of goats that, when frightened, will just fall down to the ground.  I apologize now to D for having to suffer the brunt end of all of this, but we have all had quite a laugh today about the fainting goat episode at Howell's Bar and Grill. 

Having said all of that, I have one more question:  just what was so damned funny that it made you actually stop breathing and pass out? Please tell me, because I want to laugh, too. 

We Still Remember You, Dr. King

                    

As much as I love to write, I don't think I can go into detail about my visit to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee where Dr. Matin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.   Today would have been his 79th birthday. 

In the photograph which was taken by yours truly,  you are looking at the Lorraine Motel's front side.  To the right of the wreath and about two feet back is where Dr. King was struck down by James Earl Ray.  If you were there when it happened, the shot would have come over your left shoulder at about "8 o'clock" if you think of the wreath as being at "12 o'clock".

The two panes of glass where the curtains are open on the second floor are hallways inside the building, now the National Civil Rights Museum.  If you were facing out from inside those panes of glass, Dr. King's room would be to your right and Dr. Ralph Abernathy's room to your right.  The rooms, with clear side walls so you can view them, are arranged and furnished as they were that fateful day.

 

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Link Of The Week

The office building where I work only has two floors, and for that we are very thankful - because if we had more floors in the building, that would mean we'd had to wait all the time to catch the elevator.  I don't mind elevators - but from talking to friends and co-workers, I'm in a minority these days.  Apparently people hate to get on or out of an elevator because they don't know the proper protocol.  For instance, when to wait and let others go in front of you, or whether or not you should strike up a conversation while riding in the elevator.  If you're one of these people who are just unsure about elevator protocol, fear no more - I found a site this week that will help you.  Visit http://www.elevatorrules.com and all of your questions about elevator etiquette will be answered.

2 Voices 2 Worlds Concert Review

                  

If I could only use one word to describe last night's "2 Voices 2 Worlds" concert with Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarskon, I would have to use surreal. 

Actually, the entire day yesterday was surreal.  It started Thursday night, when some personal drama went down.  I was nerved up all day long yesterday, and I know you probably won't believe this, but I was so upset and riddled with anxiety that I didn't eat anything all day.  So to be honest, I wasn't even looking forward to last night's concert.  But after putting on my big girl pants last night (thank goodness I took them with me to the concert) I made a phone call just minutes before the concert started and got my big drama sorted out.  So after clearing the air, I was able to go into the concert and actually enjoy it. 

What made the concert surreal to me was the fact that Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson were on stage together the entire time; it wasn't as if Kelly opened for Reba.  They sang on each other's songs - Reba would sing a line or two and then Kelly would sing a line or two, and they even did backup harmony for each other.  It was just bizarre.  Don't get me wrong - it was a hell of a show, but it just wasn't the big Reba production that I'm used to seeing.  As always, the highlight of the entire concert was the final song, my beloved "Fancy" but it just was not the same without Reba in her trademark black coat that she throws off to reveal a red dress.  And I'm not Kelly bashing or anything, but it was just not fittin' for Kelly Clarkson to be singing along on "Fancy" - Reba should have had that song all to herself.  But it was a great show, my seat was excellent, and nobody spilled beer on my coat.  You can't ask for much more than that. 

Flashback Friday

Tonight's the night I've been looking forward to for months - it's the night of the big Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson "2 Worlds 2 Voices" concert.  I'll be glued to my seat on the fourth row and will be having a fit until I get to hear Reba belt out "Fancy."  By the time I change clothes and get a bite to eat, it will be time to head out to pick up my ticket from the will call counter at Freedom Hall and then go on in and wait for the show to start.  This pre-concert activity is a far cry from when I went to concerts back in the day. 

The pre-concert preparations would start the moment that the concert was announced - usually before I had the ticket in my hot little hands.  Logistics were never the main issue - parents or friends' older siblings would take care of that part; the main concern was what to wear.  We'd go through our entire closets to come up with the right outfit to wear.  And in the weeks until the concert, the "right outfit" would change probably a dozen times.  Not today.  You usually have to park at least 7 miles from the concert venue, so for most women, wearing cool but very uncomfortable shoes are out of the question.  More and more you see women wearing comfortable walking shoes.  And gone is the "right outfit" as well.  With rushing around trying to get home from work and cleaned up before going to the concert, we just don't have time these days to dress to impress.  Besides, chances are you'll get beer spilled on your clothes any way, so there's just no need to dress up any more.  For example, tonight I'll be wearing jeans, a nice blouse, and very comfortable shoes.  I'll have just as much fun as the women I'll see all dolled up and stumbling around on their high heels.  Plus I'll be way more comfortable hiking in from the parking lot.  

Inflation Hits Home

For the past few weeks, you can't turn on the TV, open the newspaper or get online without seeing the depressing prophesies about an upcoming recession.  According to the news people, the standard newspaper definition of a recession is a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters. With the increase in the price of oil and the housing market, I'd say we've been in a recession for quite some time now.  Those are good indicators,  but I've got more irreputable proof that we're in recessionary times: the price of World's Finest candy bars has increased by 25%.  Yep, they've gone from a buck to $1.25.  If that's not the sign of a recession, well I don't know what is.

Just yesterday, a co-worker emailed us all and said she had a couple boxes of the always popular World's Finest chocolate bars for sale for her kids' school.  She was brave and informed us of the price increase in the email, mainly so we'd have the right amount of money when we trudged up the two flights of stairs to her cube to buy one.  I'm guessing that the candy bar sales will go all right this year.  We pay over three bucks for a gallon of gas now and don't even flinch, so maybe we'll fork over an extra quarter for a World's Finest. 

I'm Sure I Can't Count That High

I read a very interesting news article last week.  A group of almost one half million hurricane Katrina victims have sued the U.S. government for an astronomical amount of over three quadrillion dollars.  First of all before any of you start Puddin bashing, let me say that however much three quadrillion dollars is, those victims that suffered through the devestation from Katrina should get all of that and then some.  I'm the first to admit that you cannot put a dollar amount on suffering from a loss like that.  The point I want to focus on in TWIT today is the quadrillion dollar issue.  When I was a kid and we'd start talking about big money, we'd often say a "bizillion" or "skillion" dollars.  I wonder if those two denominations are anywhere close to what a quadrillion is. 

I did some quick reseach, and here's what I found out.  A quadrillion has 15 zeros, whereas a million has only six.  The exact dollar amount that the hurricane Katrina victims are suing for is $3,014,170,389,176,410.  Let's spell it out, shall we?  Three quadrillion, fourteen trillion, one hundred seventy billion, three hundred eighty nine million, one hundred seventy six thousand, four hundred and ten.  Whew.  Yep, I'm pretty sure I can't count that high.

Speaking of high, the largest number is a googol, which would have one hundred zeros.  Please don't ask me to write that out exponentially. 

Observations From The Big Store

Last week, my co-worker and our resident #1 mullet spotter JMc emailed me with some very thought provoking observations from a recent trip to Wal-Mart.  After reading them, I felt compelled to share them with the rest of my faithful readers.  Here's JMc's Observations From Wal-Mart:

Have you ever noticed that the first week of the month is NOT the time to go look for work boots?  Apparently this is the only time that people go out and buy them or maybe it actually coincides with a particular donation from our wonderful government.  It also has the same effect on the family-sized bags of frozen burritos and chimichangas, and various south-of-the-border dishes.  Let’s not forget the juice aisle was completely obliterated, but from what I can gather, the work boot-burrito-chimichanga eating persons do no care for the apple juice.

Here's another thing that pisses me off to no end:  people eating fruit by the pound before it is paid for.  That means that they would get the fruit at no cost to them because it has not been weighed and paid for.  I observed this young child around 8 years old eating an apple with his parents or guardians in the beer aisle while they were picking out their brew of choice.  I really do not blame the child as much as I blame the butt holes that are raising him.  If my child tried that he would get a crack across his head and stop eating that apple.  Of course when these people reached the checkout aisle there was no apple or other apples in the cart - not even a core for the checker to scan through.  You’re welcome you little turd for a healthy snack while the rest of the honest people actually PAY for items.

Just venting here, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets spurned by these actions.

Well put, my friend JMc, well put.  The old Winn Dixie stores would piss me off because they baited the deadbeats by having open bins of Brachs candies.  When you'd walk through the store, you'd see the Brachs celophane candy wrappers all over the place.  And you know good and well they didn't pay for them, even though Winn Dixie had a little box marked "5 cents" in hopes that an honest soul would drop a nickel in there for every piece of candy they ate while in the store.  Now that I think about it, I don't remember ever seeing much money in the box.

Let Their Be Light, Sorta

When it comes to transportation, it's a been a frustrating week.  I only had to peel $80 total for both the BMW and the Blazer, but it was frustrating nonetheless.  Let me give you the story on each of them.

First of all, I had major leak issues on the BMW.  Half of the carport floor was covered with fluid that had leaked from the BMW the week after New Years.  I put it in the shop last Monday, and it was ready the next day, and only had to pay $80.  I'm embarrassed to admit that the leak was self-inflicted.  The day before the massive leak, I added a bit too much fluid into the power steering reservoir and it leaked/spewed/poured out onto the floor of the carport and all over the engine and inside the hood.  They dried it off, drove it for over half an hour and then let it sit till the next morning and there were no leaks, thank goodness.  I was happy because I was getting by with spending less than $100 for a repair on the BMW, and was happy because a shiester shop could have really hosed me on something like this.  So all that cost me was some cash and my automotive repair pride. 

The second issue wasn't as easily diagnosed and fixed.  Flashback to last Saturday.  Our old family friend FB, who also happens to be our company President and my department head, volunteered his services to install a new stereo/CD player in the Blazer for me.  After removing the old stereo and checking out a few things, he determined that the right front and left rear speakers were bad.  Fortunately, the new stereo/CD player came with two new speakers.  Unfortuntely, he didn't want to pry the door panels off with a screwdriver and risk breaking the plastic clips that hold it on.  No problem, he thought.  On Monday, he said he'd talk to one of the supervisors out in the factory who happens to do car upholstery on the side, and ask if he'd help us out.  No problem, the guy said.  The next day, he brought his tools, and during afternoon break, he popped the two door panels off.  A couple of hours later when it was time to head home, I went out to the parking lot and much to my surprise, the Blazer wouldn't start because the battery was dead.  WTF was all I could think.  After a couple of co-workers came to my rescue and jumped me, it only took a minute for me to figure out that the interior lights had been on, and that's what caused all the juice to drain. I started to think some more, and reasoned that when the guy took off the door panels, he must have torn a wire or something, or maybe even when the panels were put back on, things would be ok.  In the meanwhile, I had the sense to pop out the fuse so the lights would go out. 

I went up to FB's that night, and he installed the stereo/CD player and the two new speakers, but after fooling with the wiring and checking it over, he couldn't get the interior lights to go back off.  No problem, I thought.  I popped the fuse out again, and said I'd talk to the other guy the next day and ask him to take a look when he put the panels back on and see if he could fix it.  Well, the next two days it was raining so he couldn't check it out until Friday.  In the meanwhile, I was talking to a co-worker about the problem, and he called his dad, who ran the repair shop for a major Dodge dealer here in town.  His dad told him that the problem was most likely in the door handle on the front passenger side.  He said that the wire going to the latch must have been crimped or pulled out during the panel removal.  It made sense to me, but when I told FB and the other guy, they wanted no part of the outsider's diagnosis.  They refused to believe it.  So I called the awesome body shop across the street from work, and talked to one of the owners, and he, too said it was probably the wire connected to the door latch.  So on Friday afternoon, the panel removal guy and a car expert from his department spent an hour after their shift ended trying to figure it out but couldn't get the interior lights to go out.  By this time, I was ready to just get a big flashlight and keep it in the front of the Blazer and say to hell with it. 

Flash forward to this morning.  On morning break, I drove the car across the street to the body shop, and kindly asked the owner if he could take a look at it for me.  He said no problem.  He called half an hour later saying it was fixed.  Yep, just as he said last week, it was the wire connected to the door latch.  So at lunch, I walked back across the street to pick up the Blazer, and I'll have you know those kind people didn't charge me a dime.  So this afternoon, I was able to drive home, and when I got out of the Blazer, I had interior lights that turned off.

I learned a big lesson from the Blazer's interior lighting drama this week.  I had to step back and accept the fact that I was in the same position as the Mad Day Care Lady from back in the fall -- the guy out in the plant was only trying to help me, just like I was only trying to help out the Mad Day Care Lady.  Even though he messed up the wiring and caused the interior lights to stay on, I really couldn't get mad like the lady did toward me and the plumber.  I could have went off on him, but it wouldn't have solved the problem, and it would have only caused hard feelings, and I would have probably lost a friend and an ally.  So I'm glad I kept my cool and didn't choose this issue as a battle.

Link Of The Week

If you're like me and wear contacts or glasses, then you make the requisite yearly trip to the eye doctor.  Once seated in the chair while the doctor looks at your eyes through all of these different machines, you hear the optometrist or ophthalmologist say that familiar phrase probably a dozen times:  Which is better?  This, or this?  

I found a website this week with that same theme - Which is better?  This or that? Except it has nothing to do with letters on an eye chart.  It's a site where people like you and post two pictures and other people like you or me vote for the one we like best (this or that).  Visit http://www.thisonethatone.com and see what I'm talking about.  Most people post pictures of themselves and want us to vote on the picture we like best.  But others post very interesting pictures.  For instance a picture of George Foreman and one of Muhammad Ali with the question "Who would you want to have your back?"  Check it out and post some pics or vote for ones already on there. 

Farewell, Chef Barbie

TWIT is not at all sad to report that Perpetually Pissed Off Chef Barbie has left our local Krogers for greener pastures.  I found out this breaking news this afternoon while doing grocery shopping.  I noticed that Chef Barbie's picture had been replaced by the picture of a new chef in the Gourmet Shoppe.  I asked the new chef if he knew where she went and he said he didn't have a clue; all he knew was that he was the head chef at the Gourmet Shoppe.  Good on ya.

Now, I don't know what surprised me more - the fact that Perpetually Pissed Off Chef Barbie was no longer at my Krogers, or the fact that the Gourmet Shoppe requires multiple chefs.   All I know is that now I can go to the Gourmet Shoppe and get my pimento cheese and spinach artichoke dip without being subjected to Perpetually Pissed Off Chef Barbie's attitude.

Flashback Friday

When I was a kid, it was a big deal when Mom or Dad drove the car up the street to get gas at the filling station.  Yes, I realize that I'm probably one of the few people that still use the term "filling station" but that's what my family called it and it just stuck with me.  But I digress.  Now, when we need gas, we usually stop at the local convenience store on our way to or from work, and more often than not we find ourselves coasting up to the gas pump on fumes.  With gas prices over $3 a gallon here in the 'Ville, I don't know too many people who go to the gas pump and fill 'er up like our folks did back in the day. But back then, the filling station was more than a place to get gas - it was also a full-service repair shop, too. 

My family's filling station of choice was Jarrard's Gulf station just up the street.  Mom or Dad would drive the family Impala up there, and would get the tank filled up, and would get the oil checked and get the windows cleaned while they waited for the gas to finish pumping.  I don't think I ever remember my parents going to the filling station and telling them "Let me get five of regular" like we do today when we don't use our debit card and have to talk to the clerk through the intercom and tell them "Five on pump number six."  They always filled the car up, a practice they still do today. 

In the unlikely event that something broke and the car needed a repair, Dad would take it up to Jarrard's Gulf, too.  There was no dropping it off and picking it up in a day or two;  more often than not, Dad would just wait there and chat with the owner or read a magazine while he waited for the repair work to be done.  Yep, they did it that quick.  And the service was excellent; there was no having to go back a time or two because the shop didn't fix what you told them to fix - they did it right the first time.

As I dealt with a repair issue on my Blazer for almost a week now, I long for the days when we had a full service station in our neighborhood, especially one that was fast, thorough and reasonable.  And one where you could get Wonderful World of Disney place mats when every fill-up. 

Fantasy Football Update

I am very happy to report that your's truly has finished the fantasy football league at work in a very impressive regular season 2nd place.  I say impressive because that's a major improvement over my finish last year.  This year, I ended up 10-4 in regular season play. 

It was a big learning experience this year - mainly because I paid more attention to my players and to the games.  The 'Rents and I watched Sunday Night Football faithfully, and caught a few of the Monday Night Football games, and with each game I watched, I learned a bit more about the NFL. 

I'm sorry that the season will be ending soon; it seems like it just started.  But Draft Day will be here before you know it later on this summer, and we'll start the rivalry all over again.

Parking Lot Watch

It's that time of the year again, faithful readers - the time when my co-workers and I turn our attention to the office parking lot.  Yep, it's time for Parking Lot Watch.  For my new faithful readers, Parking Lot Watch happens at my company every year at this time.  We received our bonuses yesterday, and now we'll be watching the parking lot to see which one of our co-workers comes driving up in a new/used car that they bought with their bonuses. 

Once again, my co-workers need not waste their time to see if I'll be pulling into my usual parking space driving a new car;  I'm going to hold out for at least one more year and pray that the old BMW and Blazer will hang in there for me.   On a related note, I put the BMW in the shop yesterday for a check-up, and it got a clean bill of health.  And I put a new stereo/cd player in the Blazer this week, too, so both vehicles are good to go for the coming year.  We'll see how long that lasts.

Mullet Watch

It's been a few months since we've spotted any mullets;  I'm starting to believe they hibernate in the late fall/early winter.  We ended 2007 with 32 sightings, just shy of our record of 38 in 2006.  Before we go any farther, I'd like to thank all of my faithful readers that are very zealous mullet spotters.  I couldn't do this without you.  Keep your eyes open for any mullets lurking about the stores, restaurants, concert arenas and flea markets; we all know those are places where the mullets frequent.  Let's break our record in 2008.

Our first mullet sighting of 2008 is brought to us by TWIT's Top Mullet Spotter, JMc.  Here's his account:

The mullet faithful apparently have spat upon and shunned the new hair styles of the 21st century.  I spotted this particular mullet in the ACME Boot Outlet on Fern Valley Road in Louisville, KY.  It was on a female host, cut real short in the front (it kinda looked like it was plastered down) and the "flap" was some type of loose perm that hung down to the collar.  There evidently wasn't much partying going on in the back on this one; she was all business in the front, though.

Now that's what I call starting out the year right.

Mullet count: 1

File Under: WTF?

Woman gives birth in pants

Story Updated: Jan 4, 2008 at 4:18 PM CST

HARTFORD, Connecticut, January 04, 2008 (NBC) -- A Connecticut woman and her newborn twins are doing fine despite their unusual birth.

On Wednesday, Larryette Thomas, unexpectedly gave birth with one of the tiny boys inside her pants.  Thomas wasn’t due until February but she says she started to feel contractions around 3 o’clock Wednesday morning.

That’s when her concerned mother called 911 for help. But just as medics arrived one of the children landed in his mother’s pants.  Thomas said, "One pant leg was on and the other wasn’t and he just came right down and firefighters had to cut my pants to take the baby out."

Rescue crews delivered the second child a few minutes later using flashlights since there were no lights in the house.

Mom and newborns Kurt and Kurtis are reportedly doing fine.

Now this is something you sure don't hear of happening every day.  At least when I read this article I didn't want to smack this woman like I want to do when I hear pregnant women (usually young teenage girls) say "I didn't know I was pregnant.  I just went to the bathroom and the baby came out." 

Link Of The Week

Back in the late 70's, a local rock and roll radio station had a recurring feature on their morning show called "Celebrity Death Watch".  Morbid, I know, but it was entertaining and held our interest.  The DJ would mention a celebrity that was either old and/or very ill, and would bet that the celebrity wouldn't be around much longer.  As I said, yes I know it's morbid.  I had an odd fascination about their Celebrity Death Watch, and soon started talking about to friends.  We would often start out talking about a celebrity and would wonder if they were still alive.  Then we would talk about celebrities that were on their last leg, so to speak.  One thing led to another, and friends and co-workers urged me to start my own Celebrity Death Watch list.  Even back then before blogging, I had faithful readers - they would tell me to add someone or to bump someone up to the top of the list when they found out a celebrity was in the hospital.  I still have the list, and my co-workers still watch it closely. 

This week, I found a website that deals with celebrity deaths - it's the Famous Dead Database.  You can check it out at http://www.famousdeaddb.com.  You'll find celebrites and how they died.  For instance, I never knew that Ulyesses Grant and Claude Monet both died of cancer.  So be a little morbid like me and check out the database. 

Crowding The Seasons

This morning while running my Saturday errands, I stopped at our neighbhood drugstore to see what all they had on sale; it's my normal routine.  I checked out the Christmas bargains, but couldn't find anything I absolutely needed, even at 75% off.  I wandered down another aisle, and there it hit me -- Easter candy.  Yep, Easter candy.  We haven't even had Valentine's Day yet, and they already had Easter candy out on the shelves.  Granted, it was only one small aisle shelve, but it was Easter candy nonetheless.  They had the most awesome Reese eggs, three varities of Peeps and Russel Stovers coconut nests. 

You would have thought they would have waited at least until around Valentine's Day before they got the Easter candy out, but no - it's out just a week and a couple of days after Christmas and they already have Easter candy out.  They didn't even have the complete selection of Valentine's Day candy out yet, either - I looked up and down 2 aisles and didn't see any of the conversation hearts.  But by Ned you can get Reese eggs. 

I'm happy to report that I made it out of the drugstore with only one purchase - a pack of Airborne - and I was able to resist the temptation to buy some Reese eggs.  I hope I'm strong enough on my next trip there. 

Flashback Friday

                                                    

For my faithful readers who are my age, give or take a few years, you will have no problem recognizing the item in the picture.  For those faithful readers who are younger, I'm sure you don't have a clue. 

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File Under: WTF?

'Hearty eater' says buffet banned him

Restaurant charged extra for men who made habit of eating costly seafood

The Associated Press

updated 7:20 p.m. ET, Wed., Jan. 2, 2008

HOUMA, La. - A 6-foot-3, 265-pound man says a restaurant overcharged him for his trips to the buffet line, then banned him and a relative because they're hearty eaters. A spokesman for the restaurant denies the claim.

Ricky Labit, a disabled offshore worker, said he had been a regular for eight months at the Manchuria Restaurant in Houma, eating there as often as three times a week.

On his most recent visit, he said, a waitress gave him and his wife's cousin, 44-year-old Michael Borrelli, a bill for $46.40, roughly double the buffet price for two adults.

"She says, 'Y'all fat, and y'all eat too much,'" Labit said.

Labit and Borrelli said they felt discriminated against because of their size. "I was stunned, that somebody would say something like that. I ain't that fat, I only weigh 277," Borrelli said, adding that a waitress told him he looked like he a had a "baby in the belly."

Houma accountant Thomas Campo said the men were charged an extra $10 each on Dec. 21 because they made a habit of dining exclusively on the more expensive seafood dishes, including crab legs and frog legs.

'We don't discriminate'
"We have a lot of big people there," said Campo, who spoke for owner Li Shang, whose English is limited. "We don't discriminate."

Labit denied ever being told he would be asked to pay more than the standard adult price.

The argument grew heated, and police were called.

The police report states, "The incident was settled when the management advised that the bill was a mistake and, to appease Ricky, the meal was complimentary."

Labit said he insisted on paying but was told not to come back. He complained that when seafood on the buffet line runs out, the restaurant only grudgingly cooks more.

Campo said the proprietress tries to reduce waste of quality food, he said.

"Food is for eating, not toys for your child," reads a sign posted on a wall in typewritten text. A handwritten addition reads "Or 20% added."

Now, I've heard people say that they get their money's worth when they go to a buffet, but these two men take that to an entire different level.   I'm the first to say that my family and other dining companions enjoy a good buffet, but I'm also the first to say that we don't take it to extremes like these two guys did.  The most extreme thing that I've done a buffet is whenever we go to the casino boat and have breakfast in the awesome Villa Bufft, I'll have a slice of cheesecake as dessert after I've had my omelet. I don't think that's very extreme at all.   But I don't have 2 or 6 like these guys.  I'll bet they probably bring Ziploc bags in their pockets so they can fill them up and sneak them out. 

Another Myth Busted

                    

A couple of weeks ago, my inbox was bombarded with emails about an apparent "new concept" about the gas tank fill-up holes on our cars.  On the dashboard when the "you need gas" light comes on, the gas pump icon is the indicator as to which side of the car our gas tank is on.  If the pump icon's gas nozzle is on the left side of the pump, then that's supposed to mean your gas tank fill-up hole is on the left side of your car; if the pump icon's gas nozzle is on the right side of the pump, then that's supposed to mean your gas tank fill-up hole is on the right side of your car.  The people that forwarded that email to me were for certain that it was the truth.  I'm here to tell you that it isn't.  Well, on half of my cars it isn't true.

The BMW's little gas pump icon has the nozzle on the right, and true to form my gas tank fill-up hole is on the right.  But on my Blazer, the gas pump icon has the nozzle on the right, yet my gas tank fill-up hole is on the left.  So the supposed email isn't always true.  I didn't check it at Snopes or any of the other legitimate myth buster sites, simply because I didn't care.  But tonight when I drove the Blazer and stopped to fill up with gas, I noticed the little gas pump icon and thought about the email. So once again, TWIT is providing a public service announcement, and reports that that forwarded email ain't necessarily so. 

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Top Ten Coolest Things I Did In 2007

1.  DLV2

2.  Spending my birthday walking on the Grand Canyon with my best friend

3.  Riding in a helicopter

4.  Recording a song in an actual recording studio

5.  Driving to the grocery store to get Mint Moose Tracks ice cream while the civil defense sirens are wailing as tornados are spotted on the ground in Louisville

6.  Purchasing two new handguns

7.  Eating lobster for the first time

8.  Having my parents healthy and happy

9.  Meeting NFL player Samkon Gado

10. Making new friends at church and at the post