Well, tonight I'm still trying to get my banking, insurance, and all other responsible arrangements in line…and then I'll spend the evening dusting, cleaning, unloading, arranging, connecting, drilling, hanging, washing, fluffing, and all other action verbs associated with getting a home in order. I'd show you some pictures of what it looks like now…but I'm not going to. I'll wait for the end product…or maybe I'll just make you all come check it out on your own. Give you more of an excuse to come to Denver than to just see me (though that should be enough). So in lieu of that, I will give you some news clips from the past few days.
Cambodian Divorce - A couple in rural Cambodia has terminated their 18-year marriage with a divorce settlement that entailed sawing in two the wooden house they once shared. The husband, 42-year-old Moeun Sarim, has taken away with him all the bits and pieces of his half a house from the divorce with his 35-year-old wife, Vat Navy. "Very strange, but this is what my husband wanted," she said by phone from a village about 62 miles east of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. She said they ended their marriage last month. "He brought his relatives and used saws to cut the house in half," she said, adding that she now owns the other half that is still standing. The house is made from wood with a tile roof and propped up on wooden pillars, a typical style for a Cambodian country home. She said her estranged husband and his relatives, after ripping apart half of the house, carried all the debris to his parents' house nearby. She said the divorce was prompted by her husband's jealousy about her alleged relationship with a policeman in the village (damn cops). She denied having an extramarital affair. "He wanted a divorce, and I said, `Let's divorce,'" she said. The husband could not be reached for comment. Bou Bout, a village chief, said local officials and police were present as witnesses the day the couple split their 20-by-24 1/2 foot house into half (that's 490 square feet…split in half). "Local officials tried three times to get them to mend their differences, but the husband would not budge," Bou Bout said by phone. King Solomon would approve with this ruling. Luckily they didn't have custody of the children to worry about…because that could've been quite messy.
Judge Dread - Asha Mandela has hair that could rival Rapunzel's. The South Florida woman who started growing her hair 20 years ago now has locks longer than she is tall. Mandela has submitted her hair, which measure 8 feet 9 inches long, to the Guinness Book of World Records for the Longest Dreadlocks, the first entry in a new category. It takes one bottle of shampoo and one bottle of conditioner every time she washes her hair and can sometimes take days to fully dry after she washes it. he 46-year-old Mandela says she "used to wash it three times a week. Now I do it once a week. It's very tiring. Sometimes I don't have the energy." I sometimes wonder why people dedicate so much of their time for something so stupid…but then I remember my mom putting all that time in on little ol' me. Now, I'd like to think that I'm a little better than some dreadlocks…but I'm not going in the Guinness Book of World Records. I can't imagine how much all that hair has to weigh. I wonder if she has neck & back problems. Oh well, nice Asha. My gosh, DAYS to dry…and she lives in Florida. That's dedication, Holmes.
Lady in Red - If a woman wants to drive the men wild, she might want to dress in red. Men rated a woman shown in photographs as more sexually attractive if she was wearing red clothing or if she was shown in an image framed by a red border rather than some other color, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. The study led by psychology professor Andrew Elliot of the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, seemed to confirm red as the color of romance -- as so many Valentine's Day card makers and lipstick sellers have believed for years. Although this "red alert" may be a product of human society associating red with love for eons, it also may arise from more primitive biological roots, Elliot said. Noting the genetic similarity of humans to higher primates, he said scientists have shown that certain male primates are especially attracted to females of their species displaying red. For example, female baboons and chimpanzees show red coloring when nearing ovulation, sending a sexual signal that the males apparently find irresistible. "It could be this very deep, biologically based automatic tendency to respond to red as an attraction cue given our evolutionary heritage," Elliot said in a telephone interview…probably using a very husky voice in his best Spanish accent. The researchers noted that the color red did not alter how men rated the women in the photographs in terms of likeability, intelligence or kindness -- only attractiveness. Honestly, I think it works for guys too. I've had more comments wearing my red shirts & ties than any other color. I think it's just powerful & sexy. I don't know, what do you think?
My Kind of Bar - A 24-year-old female bartender in the Mississippi River community of Alton, Illinois was charged with misdemeanor lewd entertainment after apparently working in the buff. Police arrested the woman last Friday at the Pub Room after someone called to complain. Authorities said the woman had managed to put on a shirt before officers arrived. It's not the first time it's happened in that area. Last month in nearby Jersey County, a 33-year-old bartender at The Cabin Incorporated in Delhi was charged with public indecency after sheriff's deputies found her working nude. That county's liquor regulators subsequently suspended the tavern's liquor license for 30 days and fined its owner $500. Maybe if these ladies were just wearing red, they wouldn't have to worry about the law. Then again, if opening those beer bottles was part of the show…(shivers) sorry, I went to a bar once a few years ago…and asked for a Bud light in a bottle or something…and the lady took the bottle and (I assume) used a bottle opener attached to a belt loop or something to pop off the cap…but she took it down below the bar line…placed it between her legs, opened it, and then pulled it back up to present me with the opened bottle and a napkin coaster. I just gave her a look of amazement and said, "Wow, you must do kegels like…every day." She didn't get the joke…which probably means that she's an innocent soul. Anyway, good for her…and shame on this bartender in Alton for her alleged nudity…and the fact that I can't seem to find a picture of her to see if it's worth complaining.
Elvis Update - Elvis Aaron Presley may have left the building several decades ago, but his earning power is far from diminished with Forbes.com ranking him the top-earning dead celebrity for the second year in a row. Presley pulled in $52 million in the past year, helped by increased visitors to his Graceland estate to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death and new ventures like the Elvis Sirius Satellite Radio show. "While things might be topsy-turvy in the financial markets above ground, it's still a bull market in the boneyard," Forbes.com said. Presley earned more between October 2007 and October 2008 than some of the music industry's biggest living pop stars like Justin Timberlake ($44 million) and Madonna ($40 million). Coming in at No. 2 with $33 million in earnings was cartoonist Charles Schulz, who died in 2000 and is best known for his "Peanuts" comic strip, while Australian actor Heath Ledger nabbed third spot. Ledger died from an accidental prescription drug overdose in January and his last film role was as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." The website said, "With the 'The Dark Knight' grossing $991 million in box office revenue worldwide, we estimate his earnings at $20 million." Forbes.com said it spoke to experts and sources inside the dead celebrities' estates and researched gross earnings, before taxes, management fees and other costs, from the period of October 2007 to October 2008 to come up with the rankings. German-born physicist Albert Einstein comes in at No. 4 with $18 million in earnings, mainly from Baby Einstein, the majority Disney owned videos and toys for children, while TV producer Aaron Spelling -- whose shows include "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Charlie's Angels" -- was ranked No. 5 with $15 million in earnings. Rounding out the unlucky top 13 are Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), John Lennon, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, $teve McQueen, Paul Newman (shouldn't count because he was working most of the year…too soon?), James Dean, and Marvin Gaye. The full list can be found at Forbes. One question though, how much did the estate of Jesus make this year?
Also there is an interesting little survey. Which dead celebrity would you want to haunt your house? Okay, so maybe it's only interesting to me…but still it was there. Now, the one that I voted for was obviously number one because…well, there's a lot of guys on the internet…and Marilyn Monroe wouldn't be bad on the eyes as a specter in the bedroom. Hell, maybe she's haunting me now and I'm not just dreaming every so often…but that's neither here nor there. If you've been to my house, you know that she can already be seen all over along with James Dean, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Montana. One thing's for sure, she'd definitely like the view from my apartment. Did I mention that I like my view? Okay, just making sure. Elvis was a close second on the survey so far (because he makes money by shaking his hips and chicks dig that) but I want to know…which celebrity would you want to haunt your house? Not even from this list maybe. Go ahead be original…and I expect some good answers.Anyway, back to cleaning up the homestead and getting it ready for visitors...some day. Also, I just need a place to sit down that isn't a cardboard cube full of clothes and kitchen utensils. Have a great day everybody!!!
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