Feds Force Sign Upgrade

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration is forcing New York City to change every street sign in the city! The objection, as you can see, is that the current signs use all capital letters. The new signs use upper and lower case letters making them easier to read. The FHA says that these changes will help save lives. (I'm not kidding!) The font style has also changed.

Keep in mind that the "All Capital" format has been used in NYC for more than 100 years! I think the capital letters are easier to read - the letters are bigger! The cost of this change? $110 per sign (parts & labor) for a total of $27.6 million. Work must be completed by 2018.

This Sunday when you visit your local house of worship, please remember to thank God that we have a national government that cares enough about us little people to make sure that we can easily read our street signs! Again, the guys in Washington know so much more than our people in City Hall!

Tony Curtis Dies At 85

Tony Curtis always seemed to be an interesting person to me. He was one-of-a-kind! He always seemed to be "acting." He grew up in the Bronx, poor. He was born, there, to Jewish Hungarian immigrants and was raised in the back of his dad's tailor shop. He later said that when he made his way to Hollywood that he had two things on his mind, "women and money." He acquired a lot of both. He appeared in more than 100 films and was nominated for an academy award for his work in "The Defiant Ones."

Curtis died last night at his home in Las Vegas. It was a heart attack, he was 85.

I have a link to a video tribute, on YouTube, click here.

Tony Curtis will be missed.

Worst Commercial On TV

Ben Livingston's Staples Commercial

Consummer Reports has been running a poll, asking their web site visitors to vote for the worst TV commercial. We have a winner! I was thinking that it might be from Progressive Insurance with Flo, or maybe the McDonalds breakfast commercial, but no, the people have spoken and the distinction goes to STAPLES! The commercial is the "That's A Low Price" ad featuring Ben Livingston, the pride of Marshall, Illinois. I live in Marshall, a metropolis of 3,700 and no, I don't know the guy. You can go to the Consumer Reports site and view the other commercials which are least liked by their visitors.

It just hit me! Wouldn't it be better for Consumer Reports to celebrate the best commercial(s)? This would be exclusive of the Super Bowl, of course. Yeah, the best!

I'm wondering which is more important, knowing the worst of something, or knowing the best of something?

Bianca Beauchamp

Bianca Beauchamp

Well, it's the middle of the week. I thought I'd provide a little diversion with this silly little picture of Bianca Beauchamp. Hopefully this will balance out some of the negatives that we may be facing.

As always, click the picture for a better view...

1957 Woolworth's Menu

Just the other day I was telling one of the kids at work about eating lunch at Woolworth's. Then I open my e-mail account and find a 1957 menu from the Woolworth Lunch counter, sent in by Benny Brown. Click the picture to get a better view. The prices look to be low, but growing up in a large family, eating at Woolworth's was a rare treat!

Since then, prices, taxes and things got crazy, but make no mistake about it, with the "Good Old Days" came problems like the Cold War, Air Raid Drills, Fallout Shelters...

The Good Old Days were good....but not great..just different.

Il Ill, Props Up Kid

Something's happening in North Korea. It's hard to tell exactly, since the flow if information from there is sporadic, at best.

The North Korean Leader, 68 year old Kim Jong Il is believed to be in poor health with kidney problems and diabetes, following his 2008 stroke. That's him, on the right. It is believed that he plans to transfer power to his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, as he (Kim Jong Il) received the favor from his daddy. One problem, Kim Jong Un (left)is 27 and until this week held no known political or military positions. The younger Kim was promoted to the rank of 4 Star General, this week. It's been my experience that officers who receive promotions too quickly, well, usually end up having problems.

Why is all of this a big deal? After all, we don't buy any crude oil from North Korea, do we? The problem is that North Korea has nuclear weapons and they periodically test them. If you live in Japan, you know this.
Picture this: a 27 year old, third generation family, communist dictator of a poor nation with his finger on the trigger of a nuclear arsenal.

Not good.

Archie Comics Goes Political

I'm on Facebook. This morning, a friend of mine posts a nasty opinionated post about his political beliefs and how his thinking is the only sane and rational political view. His rant was hateful, brief and had no substance. I'll have to "hide" his comments - too bad, aside from his politics, I like the guy.

Enter Archie Comics. Didn't comic books used to be for kids? I mean for funsters. I'm not a snob, but nobody at my high school would be caught dead with a comic book! Well, the pictured comic book covers will be featured in the near future, featuring "The Chicago Kid," Barack Obama, and the "Thrilla From Wasilla," Sarah Palin. Interesting, maybe. Entertaining, doubtful. It doesn't matter who prevails, it just seems weird!

I know that elections are important. I have my opinions and you have yours. We may agree, maybe not. Just like Facebook, Archie's Comic Book is not the place for political debate.

George Blanda Dies At 83

Football Hall Of Fame Quarterback and Kicker, George Blanda died today. He was 83. I remember Blanda playing for the Houston Oilers, Chicago bears, briefly for the Colts and finally for the Oakland Raiders. The man was fun to watch. He led the Oilers to two consecutive AFC Championships in the 60's. He scored 2,002 points in his career, a pro football record at the time of his retirement, kicking 335 field goals and 943 extra points, running for nine touchdowns and throwing for 236 more. Blanda retired one month shy of his 49th birthday.

Blanda was one of those guys who was well liked on and off the field. You may want to visit this video on YouTube to see the man in action. He will be missed.

Monday Morning Eye Opener - Kelley Scarlett

Kelley Scarlett

Another week following a brief weekend!

This morning, we feature Kelley Scarlett AKA Pure Kelley.

As always, click the picture to get the full effect...and have a great week!

Debrahlee Lorenzana - Too Hot?

I'm not sure about this one. 33 year old Debrahlee Lorenza was canned from her job at a Manhattan branch of Citibank. She's suing parent company Citigroup, alleging she was fired for being too hot. She alleges that she was getting into trouble over her outfits, and that her superiors, unable to concentrate, ordered her to stop wearing turtlenecks, pencil skirts, three-inch heels or fitted business suits. She says that she doesn't want to be famous. So why is she talking to the media? Maybe she doesn't want fame, just a little attention? Maybe that's why she dresses the way she does. Or maybe that's why she chose to have some enhancement surgery. To her credit, she claims that she's turned down offers for a TV reality show and for a spread in Playboy. Does your boss have the right to tell you how to dress? (Mine does.) On the other hand, are her fellow former male co-workers acting like little boys?

The verdict could be interesting. After a decision is made, either way, I see a book deal, a movie, or at least a reality show...

Wal-Mart Thief Pinched

Crime didn't pay, this week, for a suspected thief at an Alliance, Ohio Wal-Mart. 37 year old James Brienzo is suspected of stealing a large amount of items from the store and sneaking out the side door. Authorities say that he vanished without a trace...well almost. He decided to hide in a garbage truck. One problem, the garbage truck was in operation. After a few minutes, Brienzo felt himself being compacted among 6 to 8 tons of trash! Luckily he had his cell phone with him. He managed to phone a friend and 9-1-1. Authorities say that Brienzo is a lucky man. A few more minutes and he would have been a goner.

As you can see, he was taken to a hospital for treatment...and probably a bath.

NFL Picks - Week 3, 2010

Last week wasn't so hot. I picked 5 correctly and missed on 11. This puts my season running total at 17 and 15.

Here are my picks for week 3:

tennessee at GIANTS
CINCINNATI at carolina
pittsburgh at TAMPA BAY
buffalo at NEW ENGLAND
cleveland at BALTIMORE
san francisco at KANSAS CITY
dallas at HOUSTON
DETROIT at minnesota
atlanta at NEW ORLEANS

WASHINGTON at st. louis
PHILADELPHIA at jacksonville
INDIANAPOLIS at denver
oakland at ARIZONA
SAN DIEGO at seattle

JETS at miami

GREEN BAY at chicago

Eddie Fisher Dies at 82

Just before the tidal wave of Rock & Roll struck, Eddie Fisher was an enormously popular singer. He sold millions of records in the early '50s with 32 hit songs including "Thinking of You," "Any Time," "Oh, My Pa-pa," "I'm Yours," "Wish You Were Here," "Lady of Spain" and "Count Your Blessings."
He liked to marry pretty, high profile women, too. Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens each walked down the aisle with Fisher. His career seemed to end a little sooner than he wanted. I think that part of it was because the music changed. Also, when he left Debbie Reynolds for Liz Taylor, his career took a big hit. Back in those days, nice guys didn't do that kind of stuff! He also claimed that he blew more than $20 million on drugs and gambling.

Word is that Fisher died in California after complications from hip replacement surgery.

Krystal Forscutt - Queen Of The Blog!

Recently, the hit count for this blog has skyrocketed! I noticed two things:
An unusual amount of my recent visitors have been coming from Spain and quite a few from Evansville, Indiana. That's OK, you are all most welcome to take a look.

The second thing that I noticed is that 75% of you are searching for pictures of Krystal Forscutt. Krystal is an international star with her big break coming from Australia's Big Brother TV Show.

In the spirit of giving you what you want, click the following pictures to get the full effect!

Krystal Forscutt

Friday Foto - Kimbyr Leigha

Kimbyr Leigha

This week's Friday Foto features Kimbyr Leigha. She's a native of Ft. Lauderdale and she's a model, actress and singer. She has a nifty web site at www.kimbyrleigha.com.

To get the full effect, click her picture...and have a nice weekend!

Heigl Helps The Dogs

While Lindsay and Paris are in the news, this week, for all the wrong reasons, Katherine Heigl steps up and gives us all a lesson in being a "class act!"
Earlier today, she pledged $1 million to spay and neuter programs in Los Angeles. Each year 500,000 animals without homes are sheltered and euthanized in California, costing the state $250 million. "What's happening is not only inhumane and morally reprehensible, it's economically irresponsible," Heigl said. "Killing is not a solution."

The project is in association with the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, which was named after her brother who was killed in a car accident 24 years ago.

The skeptical among us might dismiss this as a rich actress using somebody else's money to promote herself and her new movie, "Life As We Know It."

Ya know - I think we (the studio or someone)may have stumbled on something here!

Steinbrenner's BIG Monument

The George Steinbrenner monument was unveiled, Monday, at Yankee Stadium's Monument Park. Looking at the thing, its size is the most striking factor. It measures 7 feet wide and 5 feet tall and weighs 760 pounds. It's easily the largest thing in the immediate area. Some say it matches his ego, others say that it matches his personality.

You won't get an argument from me. To compare his accomplishments to that of the honored players in the park is unfair. He played a different game.

Personally I would have preferred to see his monument a little larger than the others. It kinda reminds me of the rich guy's tombstone in the cemetery dwarfing the humble markers of the common folk.

That's OK, like they say, to some people, size is important.

Katy Perry Bounced From Sesame Street

Censorship is alive and well in 2010! Earlier this year, singer Katy Perry taped a clip for the Sesame Street TV show. Apparently producers were fine with it until it appeared on the Internet, on You Tube and all heck broke loose! That's right! Parents complained that Perry, seen here with Elmo, was showing too much skin! The clip will not air. You can, however, still see it on You Tube!

I have a message to the offended parents, please do all you can to avoid tomorrow's Friday Foto. It may scar you for life!

K F See Ads

Kentucky Fried Chicken is losing business. Sales in their U.S. restaurants were down 7% for the 2nd quarter of this year. Outside the U.S., KFC is doing very well! How's this for an interesting advertisement move! Women on college campuses are being paid $500 each to hand out coupons while wearing fitted sweatpants with "Double Down" in large letters across their rear ends. The Double Down is KFC's new bunless sandwich, designed to be popular among men. This makes sense to me, if you want young guys to read your message, put your message where young guys look!

Mexican Coke

I'm not a big soft drink drinker. I used to be, but for no special reason, not anymore. I hear that people prefer Coca Cola, bottled in Mexico to the Coca Cola canned in the USA. Mexican Coke cost more, here, of course. Why do we like Mexican Coke? Part of it is probably the glass bottle. All liquid refreshment should come in glass bottles...especially since we have learned how to recycle.

American Coke is sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup. In Mexico, they use cane sugar. Sometimes simpler is better. Wait a minute, SUGAR? The stuff is poison, right? No, it's not. It's a natural sweetener. Like your mother used to say..."Don't overdo it!"

Lady Gaga OKs Gays In Military

Inever felt comfortable with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It was a cop-out 18 years ago and it's a cop-out now. Lady Gaga spoke out today in favor of permitting gays to openly serve in the military. In the past, she has felt compelled to tell us that she is bi-sexual.
I say, she's right! As a veteran, I know that the military is no "social experiment." Gays should be permitted to serve! In a real combat situation, with real bullets being fired at you, does it matter it the guy who is watching your back is straight or gay? NO! What matters is if he is a trained professional or not!

This is not easy for me to say.......Lady Gaga is right!

In an unrelated matter, this is my 1,301st post. Thank you for reading this! You can check out the other 1,300 articles. The links are in the column to the right.

Monday Morning Eye Opener - Galilea Montijo Torres

Galilea Montijo Torres

Due to the recent (and sudden) rise in readership of this blog, I have decided to give you a little more of what you obviously want. I call it the Monday Morning Eye Opener. We'll start off with Galilea Montijo Torres from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She's a Mexican actress, TV show host and comedian....and a real sharp dresser!
Click the picture to get the full effect and have a great week!

Global Climate Disruption

It has been suggested that we no longer use the term, "GLOBAL WARMING." Instead, we are told to use the more meaningful term, "GLOBAL CLIMATE DISRUPTION." The suggestion was made by White House science advisor John Holdren. He says that the problem is more complicated than a rise in temperature.
I'm not so sure that I like the new term. The word Global is used in the old term and again in the new one. The government should have had a contest to see who could come up with the best replacement word or phrase for the out of favor, "Global Warming." First prize would be an electric car!
How's this for a replacement for Global Warming?
We could call it "Basic Universal Lethal Lateral Shift Hastening International Tragedy"



or BULLSHIT for short.

THE PRICE OF (15 Minutes of) FAME

Pastor Terry Jones

While it's still fresh in your mind, do you remember Pastor Terry Jones? You know, the kook in Florida who SAID he was going to burn the Koran on 9/11?

Well the local law enforcement remembers him! They presented him with a security bill for $180,000! This would be his price for his 15 minutes of fame.

His followers can expect a "second collection" for the next few Sundays...

That Damn Yankees' Cap!

There's something interesting going on and it involves the Yankees baseball cap. Have you noticed that it appears in so many mug shots? Being a Yankees fan since the Dodgers left town in 1959, I can't understand it! Are these losers actual Yankees fans? Have they ever been to "The Stadium?" Do they know anything about baseball?

Probably not.

You see, the gansta rappers wear Yankees hats. The Yankees are the richest team in Major League Baseball. Maybe that's the connection. We all want to look like our personal idols. This makes sense. About as much sense as real estate agents combing their hair like Donald Trump!

Please don't spend too much time thinking about this.

NFL Picks - Week 2, 2010

Last week, our picks went 11 and 5! I'd be happy to repeat. Here are my guesses for week 2:

baltimore at CINCINNATI
TAMPA BAY at carolina
miami at MINNESOTA
pittsburgh at TENNESSEE
philadelphia at DETROIT
buffalo at GREEN BAY
ARIZONA at atlanta
KANSAS CITY at cleveland
chicago at DALLAS

ST. LOUIS at oakland
SEATTLE at denver
NEW ENGLAND at jets
JACKSONVILLE at san diego
HOUSTON at washington

GIANTS at indianapolis

NEW ORLEANS at san francisco

You Might Be A Redneck - Pictures

Jeff Foxworthy made a career on his "You might be a redneck if...." observations. Benny Brown offers some visual suggestions that you might be a redneck if....