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!!!!!!!!

R.I.P. Bill Walsh

Just a quick post to mention Bill Walsh, formerly of the S.F. 49ers, passed away today at age 75. He died after a lengthy battle with Leukemia. I remember watching 49ers games with my Dad when we lived in Sacramento, including the 1984 and 1988 Super Bowls. I remember having such a good time watching these games (even though I was rooting for the Bengals in 1988, lol). Walsh was a brilliant coach and he will be sorely missed in the worlds of Football and Business.

Tammy Faye - May You Be At Peace

Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner: 3/7/42 - 7/20/07

Despite the scandals, 80s jokes and of course, the makeup, Tammy Faye Messner was a person who genuinely loved The Lord and genuinely loved the human race. She put up a valiant fight against cancer for over a decade and never lost her faith or her spirit. If you watch this clip of Tammy Faye that aired on Larry King live 7/19/07, the night before she died, even then she was unshakable in her faith.

I admit, I pretty much thought she was a 80s pop-culture joke and just one of those "televangelists with big hair and too much makeup," but a film and a TV show made me rethink my opinion of her and who she was. One was "The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000)", the other was Sundance Channel's series "One Punk Under God."

I'll let you explore those 2 shows yourself, but to sum them up, both movies showed Tammy Faye outside the syrupy PTL show from the '70s and '80s and explored her upbringing, her marriages and her connection with people of all kinds. "One Punk Under God" is especially moving because not only does it show how much of her love for people and God passed on to her son Jay, but also showed her remarkable courage and faith during her fight with cancer.

Hopefully the (surprisingly) positive and tasteful media coverage of her passing will let others want to see beyond the makeup and into the person.

May you be at peace and with The Lord.

How Long Until This Reaches America?

MSNBC.com Article: U.K. schoolgirl loses ‘virginity ring’ court battle

For as much as I know, it may already be instituted in some schools, but how long will it take for this sort of ban and situation to come to America?

More and more we are becoming like Europe and the U.K...banning certain clothing, jewelry, religious symbols...all because of a fear of either "offending" someone or because we don't want one group to be seen as "better" than another.

In this case, with the "virginity ring," I can see both sides of the issue. Since the ring isn't an officially recognized symbol of the Christian church, I guess the school has a right to ban it. But then again, I can understand the girl's feeling that her expression of faith is being suppressed.

Regardless of one's personal belief as to whether sex before marriage is right or wrong, at least in the United States, the ability to express that belief should be protected.

I just wonder how long it will be until a case like this comes along to again test the boundaries of "freedom of religion" vs. "freedom from religion," a case stemming from something as small and as personal as a ring.

A High-Five Might Get You Five...

MSNBC Link: School Enforces Strict No-Touching Rule

You've got to read this story. Summarizing will not do it justice. This is just friggin' pathetic. Another example of clusterf*ck that is the public school system.

I can understand if a school outlaws public displays of affection or gang-related hand signals, etc...but for crying out loud...you can't pat someone on the back, put an arm around your boyfriend or girlfriend, or even hug a friend?

This quote just floored me:

"You get into shades of gray," Kilmer Principal Deborah Hernandez said. "The kids say, 'If he can high-five, then I can do this.' "

I don't know about any of you...but I never knew that a high-five was the "gateway" touch. My God, if they high-five, next thing you know they'll be prowling the halls just waiting to pinch a butt, squeeze a boob or grab a crotch. Next thing you know, there'll be a scare campaign warning against the heathen dangers of "Fiver Madness."

This all boils down to fear...fear of lawsuits. The school, or most likely the school district, is so afraid that a parent will sue because Johnny touched Susie when he shouldn't have and the school didn't prevent it. Instead of Johnny's parents having taken responsibility in the first place to teach him to treat people with respect, what inappropriate touching is and why it is wrong, they leave it up to the Community Babysitting Service, oops, the Public School System to do it for them. And when it doesn't happen, and Johnny does "the bad touch", they sue, claiming the school should've taught him not to do that.

Parents...be responsible, be accountable...once you decide to have children (planned or unplanned), you are the one to teach them morals, values and what's right and wrong. The schools are SUPPOSED to be institutions of education and learning, NOT a daycare center.

Gym Etiquette

Over the last few weeks, I've been making the most out of my membership to American Family Fitness. The place is great, tons of equipment, nice pool, hot tub and sauna.

The thing that SERIOUSLY ANNOYS ME are some of the other members. Here I am, taking great care in using a towel to wipe down any sweat off the machine when you have other people come in, use the Tricep Extension after they been pouring sweat for an hour on the treadmill. They do their sets and reps then just up and leave. Meanwhile, I'm next in line, left with a nauseated stomach because I realize I'M going to have to clean Steroid Stu or Anorexic Ann's gland secretions.

God knows no one wants to put their hands on grips or sit on a seat that I've left the gift of sweat on, and I would hope people would think the same. Apparently not.

In defense, most of the members do abide by etiquette and do wipe down the machines. It always seems to be the 'roided up men, grunting their alpha-male mating call; the excercise-obsessed eating disorder-rattled chick who's probably more concerned with making it back to her car without fainting than if she's cleaned up her sweat; or the age-advanced members who probably think their sweat glands dried up at the same time their sperm or eggs did, so they don't think about it.

Thank the Lord for the hand sanitizer dispensers, paper towels and spray cleaner all around the gym, otherwise I'd probably end up with rashes and other nasties. Ugh.

A final note: AFF does all it can to enforce wiping down equipment. This is all about common courtesy by the members themselves. So, how about following the Golden Rule? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!"

"Sensational" Sherri Martel Passes at 49

From WWE.com: "Sensational Sherrie Passes Away"

A sad day for the kid in me. I remember Sherri Martel from the days she was a manager for "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair (as Sensuous Sherri), and finally Harlem Heat (as Sister Sherri).

I remember her most fondly as a "heel" with her banshee-like screams from ringside. She paved the way for women wrestlers and managers. There would be no Melina, Queen Sharmell, Victoria or Mickie James without Sherri Martel's wrestling and managing legacy. She will be missed.

South Park in ASL

This is not my usual post...but a dear friend of mine posted this on YouTube. She's not the one in the video, but it is one of her friends. Very funny and creative, and ya know, why should the deaf be deprived of "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut." Bravo.

This Was NOT "Just What I Needed"...

MSNBC.com: Circuit City Cutting Manager, Corporate Jobs

Long story short...I didn't escape this time.

Two cliched quotes sum up my feelings:

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"When one door closes, God opens another" (...and BETTER!)

Fred Phelps and the Inbreds...That Should Be Their Name

This is absolutely disgusting. Those hateful, funeral-protesting, pathetic excuses for people from the Westboro Baptist Church are at it again. This time, they made a music video. They took the classic USA For Africa song "We Are the World," rewrote the lyrics and created "God Hates the World." I won't even call it a parody since it is neither funny nor a respectful homage to the original...it is nothing but a piece of hate propaganda that I truly feel Jesus AND God would find absolutely abhorrent.

Take a look for yourself (courtesy of Live Leak):

"Deliver Us From Evil"

"Deliver Us From Evil." The name says it all.

This was one of the most riveting, yet horrifying documentaries I've ever watched. "Deliver Us From Evil" is partly about the despicable sexual abuse performed on children between the 1970s and the 1990s by Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest. However, the movie is mostly about how the Catholic Church from local bishops all the way to some of the highest ranking, if not THE highest ranking official (The Pope) covered up not only O'Grady's atrocities, but hundreds of other priests' as well.

I went through a range of emotions watching this movie. I felt overwhelming sadness for the victims, hostility and anger toward O'Grady, and even a mixture of hatred and rage toward the heirarchy of the Catholic Church for daring to place the value of "The Church" and the possibility of scandal over healing the physical and emotional anguish of innocent children. It made me sick to think of it, but I couldn't help but wonder if any abuse went on in the Catholic church I attended as a child in a suburb of Sacramento, CA. O'Grady's victims were in Lodi, Stockton, San Ardreas and other areas near Sacramento. I shudder at the thought.

The most heartbreaking part of the documentary was when the parents of Ann Jyono described finding out that their child had been abused by O'Grady. The father just burst into tears of rage, sorrow and guilt all rolled into one. Listening to his anguished voice and watching his face just brought me to tears.

Father Tom Doyle, one of the only officers of the Catholic Church to visibly fight for discovery and exposure of these pedophiliac priests hit the nail on the head with some of his comments. He states that "to be a good Catholic, you were supposed to 'pay, pray and obey'". I kind of remember that as a child. You never questioned, because you were taught that the priest was right and spoke for God and Jesus. Doyle also said that, "the church is not all the heirarchy and the Vatican and all that. The church is right here, in us, in the community." I completely agree.

I am no longer a Catholic, haven't been for some time. I never liked going to mass, and only got as far as First Communion, so technically, I guess I never was a true member. It took 16+ years for me to want to explore religion again, actually, spirituality. I've found a good place within the Unity Church movement. Even though I was never victimized by a priest, I can understand why some people in the documentary either renounced their belief in God or struggled to continue to believe. It would be so hard to want to be involved in an institution where the people you should be able to trust the most, people (men) of God, are the ones who commit some of the most evilest of crimes.

I highly recommend "Deliver Us From Evil." However, if you're anything like me...be prepared to run an exhausting gamut of emotions.