First Eggos, Now a Pumpkin Pie Shortage?!! Nooooo!!

Rain may put pumpkin pie in peril, Nestle says

I think I might cry! My mom always uses Libby's pumpkin when she makes pumpkin pie.  I might just have a go to the store and get a few of cans for safe keeping.  I must have pumpkin pie at Christmas when I go home!

The First Rule of Fight Club: Prank Buyers of Blu-Ray Edition DVD

New 'Fight Club' Blu-rays Come with a Prank by the Director

Heh, that's pretty funny.  What other movies could you do that with?  Hmm...I'm thinking replace the menus for "Eyes Wide Shut" with oh, something good...hell, replace the movie itself, not the menus.  Better yet, freak the Tween set out when the "Twilight: New Moon" DVD comes out by replacing the menus with "Masterpiece Theatre" or "Matlock".

US Postal Service Plays North Pole Grinch!

Another lovely example of the United Nanny States of America...



Ho Ho No: Postal Service Drops Santa Letters Program

So this 55-year-old effort to bring joy to the hearts of children around the world gets shunted because of one scumbag in Maryland.  I understand the need to protect, but when does it become overkill?  I can't help but feel that what is really behind this is the fear of potential lawsuits...

This MUST be a Sign of the Apocalypse!

Leggo Your Eggo: There's a Waffle Shortage

Dear God, no, not an Eggo shortage!  That's it, the recession has now become unbearable.  Quick! Go buy a freezer and stock up NOW!

Re-Launch of "A Few Degrees Off-Center"

Re-launching the blog. Old posts are archived, but still available. The times they are a-changin' and I would like to document it (at least from my perspective). 

The 2nd Amendment Lives!

Supreme Court Affirms Gun Rights (from Yahoo News)

Victory for those who dare to protect themselves, their families, businesses and property! A rare instance of sanity for the Supreme Court, upholding the right of law-abiding citizens to own and carry firearms. Do I wish people had to protect themselves in such a manner? Absolutely not. However, in this day and age, when the dregs of society will hurt, maim, rape, and kill without so much as a second thought, being able to stand up and defend yourself is essential. This decision will not open up the floodgates for armed anarchy...hell, in many ways we're already there. What it will do, though, is make criminals (or those with the potential to be) pause and think twice about their choices...now that they know the person in that house or on the street might not be as defenseless as they used to be. That's a concept the people in Washington, D.C. haven't known in more than 30 years.

What Would You Do...If You Hit A Parked Car?

Earlier this week I watched a show Primetime: What Would You Do? on ABC. The show tackled the issue of how bystanders or third-parties would react when observing unethical or unjust situations . Among several interesting segments was one about what people would do if they saw someone hit another person's car while parallel parking. The actor or actress playing the driver would ask the people who saw the hit to not say anything, then run their errand and later try to leave without acknowledging the situation. Bystander reactions ranged from ignoring that they saw the incident to some even calling the police when the driver left the scene.

The reason I brought up the segment of this show was not so much about the bystander reactions but more about the driver's. Unfortunately, there are many people nowadays who don't give a second thought to 'tapping' someone's car and then either not say anything or drive away. With that in mind, what I observed this morning, in a perfect world shouldn't have surprised me, but did.

Earlier this morning I was at Panera Bread adding some Splenda to my coffee when a woman approached me and asked "Do you happen to drive a white Jeep?" I replied that I didn't and asked if something was wrong. She stated that she had 'tapped it' while parking and didn't want to leave without saying anything. I was shocked, not that she had hit a car, but that she was actively trying to find the person who owned the car she hit. All I could say was "Wow, that's really good of you." Like I said...I shouldn't have been surprised, but it really is rare to see someone (especially someone who looked to be maybe in her early-20s) take responsibility not because they have to but because they know it is the right thing to do.

I sat back down at my table, which happened to be by a window facing the parking lot, and soon heard an announcement over the PA system asking for the owner of a white Jeep to come to the front counter. Again, a big surprise. About a minute later, I saw the woman and a man (who I assumed to be the Jeep's owner) out in the parking lot looking a the bumper of the Jeep. Very soon after, they both came back into Panera smiling and laughing.

I wonder, if she hadn't persisted in finding the car's owner, would both individuals have been smiling later on? I know if I had been the driver I would have felt insanely guilty and if I was the Jeep's owner, I would've been angry as hell.

Anyway, it's sad to be so surprised by an individual taking responsibility for their actions. But, on the flipside, it's nice to see that on this cold Leap Day morning in a Richmond suburb, honesty and integrity can still make an appearance. Hopefully, it won't be only once every four years.

Don't Forget the Angry White Man...

This is a very interesting opinion piece from the Apen Times Weekly (found via the Boortz website). I've been thinking this for quite a while. The segmenting of society during this election season is worse than ever. But, I think there will be the backlash of the 'Angry White Man'...moreso against Hillary than Obama. Hell, if it helps her NOT get into office, then more power to 'em.

Here's the Article: In election 2008, don’t forget Angry White Man

By the Grace of God, This WON'T Happen Again...

"White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" is an absolute must-see. No matter what your political persuasion, no matter your view on war, this film is an unflinching look at the devastation caused in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the atomic bomb.

You can't help but weep at the footage of the aftermath and the testimonials of those who are still alive today. The most heartwrenching part were past and present footage of the horrifying injuries suffered from both the blast and the post-bomb radioactive fallout.

With the state of the world as it is today, this documentary is a startling reminder of what was and a warning of what could be again, this time to and from a number of countries, not just USA/Japan.

Kane: "The Big Red Libertarian Machine!"

Who knew? Glen Jacobs, AKA the WWE's Kane is a self-described "Big-Time Libertarian."

You can read the article here: "Renowned Wrestler is a "Big-Time Libertarian."

This is great! I've been a Kane fan since I could remember and thought Glen Jacobs did a great job in "See No Evil" (even though it was about as scary as Casper) and in his guest appearance on "Smallville" last season.

Now I have an even better reason to be a fan and cheer him on...he's a supporter of Limited Government, Freedom and LIBERTY!!!!!!!!