Thanks to my awesome husband for finding this… I haven’t had a chance to try it yet but I am about to, so I will post my best score… which will probably be at least twice the score of you “experts” out there! Oh well, they are fun… let’s see how this one compares: https://www.gigarcade.com/full-960-MiniPutt-3.html
…is the title of an AP article I read the other day about the price of celebrity divorces, inspired by, of course, the McCartney-Mills divorce that’s been dominating the headlines lately. I took note of this article because I was surprised that the McCartney-Mills settlement was not in the top 5 most expensive divorce settlements. In fact, the top 5 were surprising to me; just people I would not have guessed that would have had that much money or who would have not been able to protect themselves and their assets any better. Actually, the McCartney-Mills divorce settlement at $48.6 million equaled a little over half of # 5 on the list. Here it is:
1. Michael and Juanita Jordan – possibly more than $150 million settlement pending, 2006.
2. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey – $150 million, 1994.
3. Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving – $100 million, 1989.
4. Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison – $85 million, 2004.
5. Kevin Costner and Cindy Silva – $80 million, 1994.
I wonder what some of these amounts would be if adjusted for inflation also. This article would have been a little more interesting if they had included the wedding date or how long the couple was together before the divorce. I am often amused when I look in the local newspaper and see divorces between couples who were only married a few years, some only a few months! My dear friends are wedding photographers, and they’ve shared at least one story of a couple who was no longer together by the time their wedding photos were ready to be picked up! It’s amusing, yet sad at the same time, especially of course any time there are children involved. I wish people would think a little bit harder about the commitment and sacrifice involved in marriage, and I wish that more people would treat marriage like the institution it was meant to be.
This was a favorite line of one of my past coworkers. Speaking of coworkers, this isn’t a story about students not getting along- it’s about two middle school teachers! Someone tell these two that they’re supposed to be role models! Click link for story.
Teachers Who Got in Fist-Fight Arrested
And just so I don’t have to write another post, there’s a link on that page about a school staff member dying his hair green for St. Pat’s day. The principal apparently wasn’t a fan of the day…
Udpate: News item scrolled off the links. Here it is:
The movie Doomsday is about a virus that wipes out all of Scotland. I’m not really inspired to write much about it because I didn’t like the movie. I can’t even think of anyone I know who would. I wasn’t bored at the theater, but you couldn’t pay me to watch this movie again. First of all, it wasn’t my type of movie. It was sci-fi and took place in the future, which is already 2 strikes against it as far as I’m concerned. And then there was the violence. The never-ending, non-stop, constantly gruesome and always bloody violence. People died in any and every way you can imagine and some hopefully you can’t. I lost count after 5 decapitations, all very graphic, and there were also scenes of people getting squished, burned alive, smashed by cars… like I said, you name a method of torture, it was in this movie. I was not expecting this. I thought the movie was going be more like Outbreak, where people try to combat the virus together – I would classify that as more of a drama from what I can remember. After seeing Doomsday, I even had a dream involving severed limbs last night… thank goodness it wasn’t nearly as graphic or bloody as the movie… I wouldn’t even classify it as a nightmare. And don’t go thinking I’m some kind of weirdo – if you were exposed to almost 2 hrs. of that kind of violence, you would understand why it came across in my sleep! But anyway, Doomsday definitely goes on my Worst Movies I’ve Seen list. So far the list consists of:
2. The Producers (2005)
3. Doomsday
5. Meet the Spartans – I’m actually going to remove this one – it doesn’t really qualify as a movie, plus I didn’t see the whole thing. I KNEW it was going to be horrible, but my husband wanted to try it for some reason… we lasted for about 10 mins, if that.
This list is in no particular order. It’s really difficult to do that because they were all horrible in their own unique ways. I liked the original Producers (1968), but I never even saw the whole remake with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick because I couldn’t get past the first scene, which is rare for me, usually I will stick it out. The Night Listener was horrible because it was predictable and dumb, but I would much rather sit thru that movie again than be subjected to Doomsday and all the violence again… But when I saw each of them for the first time, I was more entertained by Doomsday than by The Night Listener… so it just depends on the movie and what you mean by worst. But they are all worthy of being classified as the worst movies I’ve ever seen, for one reason or another, some more than others.
I was totally surprised that Doomsday ended up being so bad after seeing that movies.com gave it an “A” as a rating! I used to have this theory that I would go opposite whatever the critics said about a movie, and I think I will have to continue that trend. If I remember correctly, Ebert and Roeper gave Devil’s Rejects “2 Thumbs Up”. As I said, movies.com liked Doomsday, but I think the following excerpt of their critic’s review just about says it all – I say, see this movie at your own risk, on a dare, or if for some reason you are getting paid. Otherwise, don’t bother with it, don’t know why we did!
From movies.com:
“Name something you want in an ultraviolent action thriller and this movie delivers it. Impalement, decapitation, decapitated heads being affixed back onto bodies only to then take arrows through the skull and fall off again, motorcycles decorated with human skeletons, cannibalism, exploding bunnies, insane car chases, wacky costumes, incomprehensible editing, an indestructible a hot chick heroine (Rhona Mitra, who looks like what would happen if Kate Beckinsale and Victoria Beckham had a baby that was the Terminator) whose hotness grows in tandem with the number of people she mows down in the name of truth. Does it suck? Sorta. Is that awesome? Absolutely. In terms of sheer excitement, it’s the best movie of 2008.”
NOTE FROM ME – Best movie of 2008? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re only in the 3rd month!
I say Resurrection Day because the word Easter is used in reference to the spring celebration with eggs and easter bunnies. Resurrection Day rather refers to the holiday we Christians celebrate at the same time, the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He was murdered on a cross by a reluctant Pilate at the insistence of the Jewish leaders who were blinded and could not see that He really was the Messiah they were waiting for as He came in humility rather than in power, to teach rather than to conquer. There will come a day of course when He does finally come to destroy the ones who reject him and build a new Heaven and Earth for Him and His people, but for now we wait and celebrate what He has done so far in offering a way out of the darkness we call sin. That He was resurrected shows all that He has victory even over death, what many think of as the final conclusion to ourselves.
First of course we must remember His death- His unfair trial, His suffering, and his being nailed to a cross in the most brutal form of execution know in those days. Good Friday, as it is known except by school districts that now refer to it as a “non-attendance” day, is the day we remember this horrible death. I of course have the bonus of it being a day-without-pay so I can really feel the suffering. 😛 Kidding of course, but it is a serious day. Our church is actually doing something a little bit different this year. We are still called to attend wearing black, but instead of a drama (I was in it 7 out of the last 8 years!) and a message it is apparently an open-ended service where we can come at any time within a 5-hour window. More on this after Friday as I really don’t know anything more about it.
We are preparing for Easter with the choir and it is coming along nicely. Of course tonight we will probably have a train wreck as we’re told to sing from memory- no sheet music for us when we’re up there! Of course the train wreck will be followed by further improvements as we improve in our confidence of the music and, just as important, will actually be looking at the choir director instead of the music! 😀 And once it’s over, a week of (unpaid) rest follows…
To keep up with both blogs, allow me to post some more wonderfully hideous titles and synopses. OR…. lets make it even more fun. I will give a list of titles and synopses. See if you can guess which one contains the actual description.
1. Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me. The story of a young child who falls into a well and finds herself in another world populated by giant red ants.
2. Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid. A large man with a Mohawk haircut escapes from a mental hospital and becomes the friend of two rich kids.
3. Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Hellbound, Flesh-Eating Subhumanoid Zombified Living Dead, Part 3. A horror movie aficinado takes her fascination too far when she unearths the remains of Dr. Frankenstein, Count Dracula, The Mummy, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
There are so many movies out there that no one has ever heard of least of all seen. I am sure that there a entire sites dedicated to the B-movie genre. Just cruising the net i came up with a few dandies which may be worth a peek on 3AM television or in the 50 cent rack at your local video rental shop.
How about “Attack of the Killer Refrigerator?” The refrigerator of fitness guru Richard Simmons is fed up with the Sweatin’ to the Oldies and the lack of good old fashioned junk food. The appliance develops a complex and seeks revenge by tracking down the thousands of people helped by the exercise video series and turns them into zombies.
Another fine title: “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die” is one that I have actually heard of. This masterpiece concerns a doctor whose girlfriend loses her head. The good physician preserves the head and still functioning brain in order to reattach it to a suitable body.
My personal favorite title: “Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed Up Zombies.” This is the epic story of a pig who is jilted by his porcine princess. The porker turns into a zombie and vows revenge.
If you are a fan of cult movies, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, or just plain bad movies that no one in their right mind would ever watch, then I urge you to track them down. Or, they may just pop in in a great game of Balderdash.
Well, once again I was part of a great experience which started off a bit shaky but came off brilliantly. Sometimes I think that is the basis for many wonderful productions. You start off bumpy, have many highs and lows, but in the end (even moments before showtime) it all comes out fine.
Sunday night was to be our final rehearsal for the Requiem concert. However, the conductor was beside himself because there was no organist. The woman who pretty well organized the entire event was in the hospital and not expected to be released for two weeks. In the end, rehearsal was scratched with everyone hoping that our two hour rehearsal prior to concert time would be enough to polish the piece. Not to mention that the small orchestra accompanying the chorus would not be added until this evening.
Yet, everything came together relatively smoothly. The entire chorus was present (Lora must have signed herself out of the hospital as she said she would… but she looked fine). The soprano and baritone soloists were both splendid. The soprano (who is a freshman in high school) sounded positively angelic. No applause between each of the 6 sections of the piece (one small child made a sound in a silent moment). A well deserved standing ovation was received in the end.
Outside the performance space, several people commented that they could pick my voice out several times. Hoping that this was a good thing, I thanked each one. It is not usually a good thing to be heard above everyone else in a chorus. On the contrary, it is preferable for the voices to blend with each other. But who am I to turn down a compliment? Someone must appreciate my voice. Or have heard it enough to recognize it (good or bad? Guess it depends who is singing… me or the visitor from Liswathistan).
I am greatly anticipating our scheduled visit to the Toledo Zoo next week. My daughter needs a specialty dentist in the big city, so we’ve decided to throw some fun in there as well with a trip to the zoo. It will probably be my last one until after I have the baby, unless they have a wagon available for rental that’s big enough for very pregnant me AND the 3 kids. Since it’s only March and I’m not due until July, I think I can still handle the large amount of walking it takes to get around the zoo – we’ll see anyway. I naively thought that pregnancies would get easier with experience, but it seems that I forgot to factor in my increasing age – I am almost 10 years older than I was the first time I was with child – and I feel it!
Toledo Zoo is very large. It’s a very nice zoo, but there is lots of walking. It remains one of my favorite zoos in the country however, and I’ve visited at least 20. Toledo has lots of animals, but they are pretty spread out. Also, because the zoo straddles a major road, you have to trek up and down a ramp and across a long pedestrian bridge; all of which is not so much fun if pregnant or in the heat of the summer. But overall, it is one of my favorite zoos. Even though the gorilla’s indoor exhibit is pretty small, I really enjoy how close you can see them, and they don’t seem unhappy being in a small exhibit… unlike a gorilla at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. He had a really small indoor enclosure, and we witnessed him charge at a little boy – it was very scary and thank goodness that glass was thick! This was years ago, and I think Henry Doorly has since re-built their gorilla exhibit. Another zoo with a lot of walking is the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago, Illinois. Brookfield has lots of walking, but unlike Toledo, the animals are spaced further apart, so much of the walking is without seeing animals. It’s been a few years since I’ve been there, so maybe they’ve changed this, but it’s not one of my favorite zoos, unless we’re talking about sentimental reasons – it was the site of my husband’s and my first “unofficial” date. One zoo that sticks out in my memory as one of my favorites is the Folsom Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, Nebraska. The name is misleading, they had quite an array of animals there; including red pandas, camels, reindeer, leopards, monkeys, a variety of reptiles, seals, sloths, emus that like to be pet, and there are still many more I haven’t named. All in only 19 acres, nestled right in the city. Which sounds large, but once you get in there, it was really the perfect size. Not much walking at all, lots of animals who all had lots of room in their environments, and it was very nicely landscaped with mature trees and such so that you forgot you were in the middle of the city. We used to live close enough to walk there, but the only problem with this great little zoo is that it was only open from April – October. If you are ever in Nebraska, the Folsom Children’s Zoo is a must-see. Being a native Chicagoan, it’s strange that I’ve never visited the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is also in the middle of a city, albeit a much larger one than Lincoln. But I’ve heard good things about it, and maybe one of these days, during one of our bi-yearly visits to the area, we will give Lincoln Park a whirl so I can add it to my zoo resume.
Before our trips to the zoo, I like to visit a really cool website to brush up on my animal facts. It really makes zoo trips more interesting if you know a little more about what you’re looking at. Check out this online database that is maintained by the University of Michigan: https://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html
And finally, if you are still reading this, you must be an animal lover like me. If you also like to read, I highly recommend my favorite book written by my favorite celebrity: Jack Hanna, called “Monkeys on the Interstate”. If you ever watch The Late Show with David Letterman, you know that poor Jack often comes across as a bumbling fool when he’s on the show. He is an animal expert however, and he is much more entertaining to watch than most animal experts. He and Letterman tease each other mercilessly, and there is almost always some sort of animal mishap that occurs when Jack is involved, always with hilarious results. His book is a narrative of the same sort of episodes, all taken from his life as he was growing up and also from when he went on to become the director of the Columbus Zoo. By the way, being an Ohioan, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Columbus Zoo, and I will say that it did not disappoint. If you read Jack’s book, you will read about how he brought the zoo from anonymity (he notes in his book that when he first arrived in Ohio, people would always ask him,”there’s a zoo in Columbus?!?”) to one of the most renowned facilities in the world. There was a lot of trial and error involved in acheiving this, and again, many hilarious hijinks, all of which are detailed in the book – it is really entertaining reading. And it’s not just a clever title – there really were Monkeys on the Interstate, thanks to Jack and one of his hare-brained ideas! Maybe I will take another look at it on the long ride to Toledo next week…
All riiighty then. Tonight, I started a new old job. It seems I was in the right place at the right time last week when I went into my local grocery store to fax my resume to a few possible job locations. It seems that the store was in need of some part time help as most of the school age kids were going to be involved in sports this spring. So, I said until something more lucrative came up, why not.
Old job you ask. Yes, because the grocery earned the nickname “Shaffer Value” after my two older brothers, my mother, my younger sister, and myself worked there at some point. I will not say how long I worked there initially (at least 4 years). The funny thing was, the minute I walked in today, they had already received a phone call for a reference for me. Unfortunately, none of the employees I worked with previously were there to take the call. They gave me a glowing review from personality alone since the person calling did not understand that it has been many years since I graced the store with my services.
Some things had changed while many others seemed to have remained basically the same. The minute I walked into the stockroom, I was totally shocked. Gone were the piles and piles of overstock which had previously been there to be worked and reworked until they could not be worked anymore. There were two small stacks which contained items for all four aisles (yes, a four-aisle grocery). I could have only imagined having such a nice backroom in my day.
The cash register was also much more advanced (from my previous days, anyway). Before, the store only accepted cash, checks, or paper food stamps. Now we take credit (debit, too), food stamps are now done electronically, and WIC is accepted, as well. Plus, they have scanners which we did not have. The store has finally gotten out of the stone age.
One thing did draw me into reality. The stock boy working there who is a senior in high school is someone whom I remember being brought in by his mother when he was a baby. Of course, the lady running the register when I arrived today used to change my diapers so I guess it is all relative. So… until something better comes along….Few may remember the days when it was known as Shaffer Value, but it will do. I know there are people who remember the space being the local movie theatre.