Happy Birthday Drago!!!

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Well, the Philadelphia Eagles DID win yesterday...and the Dallas Cowboys didn't. Now that the important stuff is out of the way, apparently there's an election tomorrow...and for some reason, I can't seem to get the diddy by...well, an animated Diddy on an episode of South Park out of my head. "Vote or Die!!! What does that even mean?" "What you think it mean...bitch?" Great episode. Go check it out. I think it's Season 7 or 8 or whenever the last election was. Other than that, not really a whole lot to report today. Work was the usual to this point...and I may not get to see the sun now thanks to Daylight Savings time and having a daytime shift now. No biggie, I still got to see the sunrise a little bit. Oh...and today's the 49th birthday of Dolph Lundgren, who's probably most famous for playing Ivan Drago on Rocky IV, the greatest movie ever made...about defeating communism by boxing...and training in the Siberian wilderness. I think I'm gonna go work out a little...and then play Rocky Legends on PS2. Here's some news...

Great Pumpkin Run - Police in nearby Boulder, Colorado (crazy college town) have ticketed about a dozen people running naked on the street while sporting freshly gutted pumpkins on their heads as part of an annual Halloween event. The citations for indecent exposure Friday night came as dozens of other costumed revelers, including a man with a red cape and a sword, chanted to police officers to let go of the streakers and "find real criminals." The event known in Boulder as the Naked Pumpkin Run has been held for 10 years. This year it drew a huge crowd, prompting concern from police. Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner says officers "wanted to do something before (the event) got out of hand." Well, at least I know what I'll be doing NEXT Halloween. I wonder what the fine is for indecent exposure here in Colorado…and if the officers are quicker than they are in Utah. Don't judge me. I also know of at least ONE person that got away this year...thanks Mad Scientist.

Samuel L. Update - Well, the other day I mentioned that Samuel L. Jackson will be playing Sho'Nuff in the remake of "The Last Dragon." Well, it seems that the great Quentin Tarantino typed "Bad Mofo" into the acting database once again…and has Mr. Jackson slated as the Narrator to his (allegedly) forthcoming war movie "Inglorious Bastards" already starring a gamut of Hollywood's finest. This is not Jackson's first narration gig…as I know at least once person has seen "Farce of the Penguins" but I would think that his passionate, infuriated delivery would be more suited to this war movie than that of Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, or even…Tim Curry. Can't wait to see this movie…but apparently I'll have to…because QT only releases a movie about every five years…and Death Proof was just last year. Oh well, at least he knows how to make entertaining movies.

Two Icons Meet - Pope Benedict XVI told a gathering of scientists including the British cosmologist Stephen Hawking on Friday that there was no contradiction between believing in God and empirical science. Benedict, who briefly met the wheelchair-bound physicist at an event hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, described science as the pursuit of knowledge about God's creation. "Galileo saw nature as a book whose author is God." The Catholic Church found the 17th-century astronomer Galileo guilty of heresy for insisting the earth revolved around the sun…and did not rehabilitate him until 1992 (which sounds like he turned him into a zombie…but apparently means they apologized or something). Hawking is a guest at the week-long event, which will explore the theme: "Scientific Insights into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life." In an interview with Reuters last year, Hawking said he was "not religious in the normal sense. I believe the universe is governed by the laws of science. The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws." The Catholic Church teaches "theistic evolution," which accepts evolution as scientific theory. Proponents see no reason why God could not have used an evolutionary process in forming the human species. The Pontiff admired the technology that allows Hawking to speak through a voice synthesizer ("Tehehe, now sing In the Garden of Eden by I. Ron Butterfly."). Hawking is crippled by a muscle disease and has lost the use of his natural voice. I'm sure that you all knew that though…probably thanks to the Simpsons or Family Guy. Hawking, author of the best-selling "A Brief History of Time," will speak about the origin of the universe at the closed-door event (which I assume has a two drink minimum and strippers).

Richard Simmons Surprise - Eleven-year old Mikela Mercier went to a Salvation Army thrift store in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (sounds like a great place to find some cool stuff) and was looking at a Richard Simmons workout tape on sale for less than a buck (not sure why an eleven-year old would do such a thing…but it was either a present or the Media has gotten to her too and convinced her to go on a diet…at eleven. DAMN YOU HANNA MONTANA!!!) Anyway, she found a surprise inside…ten portraits of Benjamin Franklin…or a thousand dollars in US currency. She immediately looked for her mom who was inside the dressing room and told her they needed to turn it in. Store manager Jimmy Thennes put out a news release on the discovery, praising Mikela for her honesty. Her mother, Jodi Mercier, said she is very proud of her daughter who she says knew it belonged to the Salvation Army so the agency can help more people in need. A truly heartwarming tale of honesty and giving to others and…are you kidding me? If you found a thousand bucks lying in an old VHS tape at a thrift store, what would you do? "Oh look, I found…five hundred dollars in an old tape. Here you go Salvation Army! (and here you go $teve's Early Retirement Fund)" Anyway, great girl to part with that money…but she's got a free ride right now. We'll see how honest she is when she grows up and has to sell suntan lotion and sunglasses to tourists to pay her mortgage…then she finds a coupon for $5 in an old Billy Blanks video…and it'll trigger that memory of the day that she gave a grand to the Salvation Army. Evil outlook? Maybe…but I also know that somewhere in the world, Richard Simmons is sitting in his mansion, wearing his usual attire of…well, not enough and googling his name…stumbling across this story and exclaiming, "YAY!!! SOMEBODY FOUND IT!!! MY PLAN FOR WORLD DOMINATION IS READY TO BEGIN…STAGE FOUR!!! YAAAAY!!!"

Well, that'll do it for today, I think. Still going strong with this NaBloPoMo thing...and still no ideas on the Novel...but I am thinking about a NaTataPoMo or National Tata Posting Month to raise Breast Cancer Awareness. Just imagine, posting breasts on your blog once a day (again, business as usual) to help raise money...somehow. At least draw more attention to them...like breasts need more of that. Anyway, who's with me? You have until next October to join the movement...so we'll see what I can do by then. Have a great night everybody!!!