Gold-dispensing ATM Debuts

Item from the Associated Press --"Imagine being able to buy some gold just about anywhere. Now a mall in super luxe Boca Raton, Florida, is the first in the U.S. to have a gold dispensing machine." See the video."

Buy gold everywhere? Why? I smell a gold head conspiracy wonk? A get out of the dollar dude, and a trust the gold in your teeth, not the Federal Reserve, clyde.

Gold is a commodity that goes up and down, and could very well bounce up and down on one, between the time one puts his dollars in to the machine to buy the gold and gets the gold out of the machine. I am not one of those trust in gold people.

Yes, I know the dollar is backed by nothing but the good faith and credit of the U.S. Government, and that gold has never, as of yet been completely worthless, where paper currencies have. But, the value / price of gold does bounce up and down, and it might be up today and down tomorrow, or in the next minute.

Randy Quaid and wife, Unreal Life?

Item from the Associated Press -- "It's another missed court date, another arrest warrant for Randy Quaid's wife, Evi."

Good character actor Randy Quaid and his wife are in Canada. Evi Quaid is wanted in Santa Barbara for failure to appear at a probation hearing yesterday. Ms. Quaid is on probation for a misdemeanor defrauding an innkeeper case in Santa Barbara, for skipping out on a hotel bill. The Quaids have refused to show up for any court hearings and have already forfeited $1 million in bail. The couple's legal troubles stem from a criminal charge of felony vandalism, for allegedly causing more than $5,000 damage to the guest house of a home they once owned, and were caught squatting in.

The Quaids are in Canada seeking asylum from a group they have dubbed the "Hollywood star-whackers." Some people think the Quaids are suffering from mental troubles. A few others, of the conspiracy wonks, are incline to think that there may be something to the Quaids theory that secret assassins are killing Hollywood actors and that Randy Quaid's life is in danger in the states

Me? I think the Quaids are prime candidates for a unreality reality show.

The world's most expensive Christmas? Tree?

A Very Pagan Tree

tem from ITN News -- "The luxury Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi displays a tree decorated with $11 million of jewelery." See the video.

Somebody doesn't get it. Just doesn't get what Christmas is supposed to be about.

Okay, so sometime in ancient times, after Christians took over the Roman Empire, the big festival and celebration for the sun god held on December 25th, was taken over by the Christians, and so the day was all so pagan. But for a while now, the 25th of December has been Christ's day.

I'm talking Jesus Christ.

And Jesus wasn't about putting million of dollars worth of jewel on a tree. The old pagan gods could have appreciated the gesture.

Christmas is about Jesus Who is about helping the poor and the needy. That eleven million on that tree could help a whole lot of people in the Third World.

Larry King's Fond Farewell

Larry King has not died. He hasn't even left TV for good. Last night, Thursday, he signed off / ended his regular show on CNN Larry King Live and the media is like holding a wake for a king. Do a Google news search. This morning there were all 1,292 news article about Larry King's last show. Don't get me wrong, I am a Larry King fan and he deserves kudos

From the LA Times -- "Larry King's last Larry King Live show was a nonstop promenade of high-profile names and faces Thursday, including a current and a former president, a gaggle of news anchors and the like and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declaring it "Larry King Day." Tony Bennett serenaded the host with "The Best Is Yet to Come." But the standout, perhaps, was Katie Couric. Who wrote a poem. For Larry."

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow --"Tonight is the end of the Larry King era in American television. Larry King tonight signing off his CNN show that airs in this hour for the last time. After 50,000 interviews, 50 years in the business, 25 years on that specific show on CNN after all of that, Larry King does not have an enemy in the world. He is a giant of this medium and this industry, and all of us here at this other 9:00 p.m. show all of us here at MSNBC wish him all the best. We salute you, sir.

Yeah, Larry King did interviews with everybody without making himself the star of the interview, and without badgering or kissing up to the interviewee. He did straight interviews, asked the questions people wanted asked, not the gotcha questions, just the questions that revealed a little bit more about the interviewee, It takes great skill and wisdom to pull this trick off for twenty five years on live television.

Larry King,  I'm pleased to have watched your work.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Blake Edwards, R.I.P.

Blake Edwards, the director and writer of comic movies, known for his farce, wild comedy and screwball comedies, died last night, Wednesday, in Santa Monica. Mr. Edward made the Pink Panther movies, the great ones with the late Peter Sellers, which are broad farce. Blake Edwards Peter Seller's movies are among my favorites. Two other comic gems are The Great Race and 10. He was 88 years old. The Associated Press reports that his wife of "nearly half a century," Julie Andrews, was at his bed side.

Blake Edwards also made what are now classics movies Victor/Victoria, The Man Who Loved Women, Days of Wine and Roses, Breakfast at Tiffany's. He created the outstanding TV series from the 50s, Peter Gunn, and in the late 40s, the hard-boiled detective radio series Richard Diamond, Private Detective, which became a TV series in the 1950s.

Mr. Edwards provided the world many hours of laughter and entertainment.

Blake Edwards, R.I.P.

Michael Vick wants a new dog?!

Michael Vick wants a new dog? It is not my business to judge anyone, unless, of course, if they're politicians, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Tea Partiers, that lot, then -- Well...

I do believe in redemption, even for politicians.

This is the season of the Christmas holidays. The spirit of Christmas should ring especially strong during these twelve days. That spirit is good will and good cheer, and peace on earth and peace in the hearts of men, for their fellow men and for Heaven's gift to man, the animals.. However, there is a reason why when Mr. Michael Vick announces that he wants a new dog, the dog lovers of the world don't say:yay! Santa doesn't pack one right away on his sleigh And the blogosphere lights up with the cry: Not this year! Not ever! Never! And little old ladies and young kids hug their puppies and dogs.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So you Want to Write a Novel

This video is very funny. It's also very true. It captures most of the assumptions that people who don't know how difficult writing a novel, getting an agent, and finding a publisher, really are. There are an awful lot of myths, and gratuitous assumptions about writing that non-writers (and naive writers) make.

Bacon Love

I am living in a sea of pigs. Literally, I am swimming around in a sea of bacon. Everywhere I look, I see bacon and I fully expect the bacon problem to get worse before it gets better.

 

Kevin Bacon, Bacon soda, Bacon Bras.

 

Bacconaise, bacon-flavored lip balm, and more. I expect to see bacon ornaments hanging from Christmas trees made by bacon-loving elves in stores near me.  I’m expecting the next You-Tube sensation to  be “Bacon Rain”. (Because suddenly bacon is the new chocolate, only it’s not nearly as healthy as chocolate.)

 

Bacon is now selling for approximately a dollar more per pound than it did a year ago and sources like  THIS are blaming “Bacon Love”, which is the seeming frenzy of our nation totally addicted to bacon.  The increased love for bacon also gives new meaning to the term, “What’s shakin’ bacon?” 

Bacon-lovers will probably regret missing New York City’s very own Bacon-palooza, an entire artsy-type festival devoted to bacon, bacon products, bacon art, bacon songs, and bacon dances. While the festival was ostensibly created to raise money for autism, I am sure more than one or two wannabe hipsters attended the event for purposes of being cool. 

 

If there aren’t enough bacon products available for the masses of bacon-lovers out there— now there are several  “Bacon of the Month Club” Christmas gifts available to give to any friends and family members whose heart rates and cholesterol levels can withstand a monthly package of delicious bacon delivered to their doorsteps. (If you’ve had heart problems and get a " gift from someone, just remember to question their motives and assume that it might be wise to share your bacon.)

 

Here are a couple of the options for “Bacon of the Month Clubs”:

 

Pig Next Door: Claims that there bacon is not “highly industrialized” and will therefore not shrink in the pan, which in turn saves you money. 

 

Bacon Freak: Offers a variety of “Bacon of the Month Clubs” that actually consider health restrictions or personal bacon preferences that bacon-lovers might have. (Nitrate-free bacon is one option, also Bacon Freak offers pepper-free bacon for anyone with a strange aversion or inexplicable allergy to pepper.) 

 

If real bacon is not your thing, or your heart can’t take it, do a quick Google or Bing search to find bacon alternatives. And don’t forget to let me know what you find.

 

Image Courtesy of Creative Commons User Alexander Dulaunoy.

Rip Torn Unripped?

Rip Torn is a major American character actor of movies and television, who has stumbled, apparently. Last January, Rip Torn was arrested after he allegedly broke into a Connecticut bank, while drunk and with a loaded gun. Yesterday, after pleading guilty to charges, he was sentenced to a 2 1/2-year suspended sentence and to three years of probation. Mr. Torn is 79.

He is one the best character actors. He was great on The Larry Sanders Show. He was excellent as Richard M. Nixon in the 1979 TV mini-series, Blind Ambition. He was outstanding in a number of movies, including Men in Black

He has a problem with alcohol that seems to lead him into trouble. Yesterday at his sentencing, he released a statement through his attorney. He said that he was thankful no one was injured as a result of the incident at the Connecticut bank, and he was thankful he didn't end up in jail. See the video.

I hope that he gets his alcohol addiction under control. And many folks, who appreciate the skill and the contributions of good character actors, are thankful for his work in television and in the movies.

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