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Flashback Friday! Dough Boy and Stones

Hungry for a biscuit? Remember the ones that mom used to make? That savory, luscious smell of fresh baked rolls wafting out from the oven as you waited in hungry anticipation, your mouth watering as you wait. Well folks, 50 years ago today a gastronomical tradition began in many a household. March 18th, 1961 saw the introduction of the Poppin’ Fresh Pillsbury Doughboy, that iconic symbol of biscuitry everywhere. Poke that stomach, hear that giggle, open your mouth and in goes….sorry, I couldn’t find a word to rhyme with biscuit!

Now, while the Dough Boy kept us all in good humor as we ate, the Rolling Stones had something else in mind on March 18th, 1965 as they were fined 5 pounds for public urination. Maybe that’s why Jagger bounces all over the stage when he performs, hmmmmmmmm. Either way, on that day Jagger, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones tried to use the toilet at a gas station in West Ham, England but were turned away. When you gotta go, you gotta go. And went they did. Busted! But really, what’s 5 pounds to relieve your bladder?

So, on this day in history, we got biscuits and we got…well, relief. What do you have? Tell us about it in our forums here!

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Random Thought Thursday: Nuclear Boy, oh boy.

How can your random thoughts not be on Japan right now. We have all seen the devastating images. In all my life, I have never seen anything so profound, so life-shattering. They lost lives, some have lost absolutely everything they had except the clothes on their back, all the while more trouble looms. Where will it end?

[singlepic id=373 w=320 h=240 float=left]The earthquake, then tsunami was mind bending. It looked almost like an ash cloud pouring over the land. Cars on rooftops, houses floating by, everything destroyed in seconds. I grew up in Southern California. Of course I have been through a nice share of earthquakes: San Fernando, Loma Prieta, Whittier, Northridge… I look at the destruction in Japan and count my blessings every day. Are we prepared? Probably not. I serious doubt anyone could be prepared for what happened there. My thoughts and prayers are with them every minute.

[singlepic id=372 w=320 h=240 float=right]The people there are just beautiful, inside and out. There have been no reports of looting, criminal activity… It’s amazing to see. In fact, reporters there are telling us that even those who have lost everything are still offering food to them. Just amazing. If anything, I wish America could learn a lesson or two. There are just so many here that lead their daily lives with blinders on to the world around them. It’s a dog eat dog world here, tunnel vision to selfishness. It can be seen in previous disasters, where the looters come out to take what they can get. It can be seen in daily traffic, everyone in a hurry to get somewhere, as if they are more important, cutting you off, or you them. The latest generation have grown up with this sense of entitlement that isn’t deserved. No, you didn’t deserve ‘Student of the Month’, and no, you shouldn’t have gotten that ‘participation trophy.’ Your opinions are better than mine, your ideas are better than mine, you are first, take take take. No one listens to others’ ideas anymore, if they differ from their own. We keep to our own little world, and in our little world, our mind is open, we are charitable… but that isn’t the case. Our minds are small. We are charitable only in judgement. In disasters like this one, it seems people would take a look at the world around them, and see the human side of things, but as of today, I still don’t see it. We have built this wall around us, blinded to world, but I digress…

I feel a loss of control, nothing I can do to help. You hear about places to donate, then read how you shouldn’t donate… that the money and help isn’t making it to those who need. You can’t go there to help, not with the reactor’s in the state they are in. There is absolutely nothing one can do, but watch the terrible pictures that show up on the news. It’s frightening, sad.

[singlepic id=371 w=320 h=240 float=left]To that end, we are also, supposedly, not hearing the whole story. Information on the state of the Reactors is being withheld from us. You watch the news, and you are being told that this is no big deal, that it won’t affect you. Yet we really have never dealt with this before. We had 2 instances in the past. Just two. Who really knows what this could do to health around the world? Who really knows what this may do to our environment? No one. Scientists are ushered in and out of the news rooms, touting how it’s all ok, how nuclear energy is a good thing, how it won’t hurt us. How can we believe any of that? Because a paid for correspondent, or a paid for commentator (on ALL News networks) tells us so? There is big money in nuclear energy, and those same holding companies own the networks, or pieces of the networks. What to believe?

Well, I guess the only thing any of us can do is just go on living. It will affect us, or it won’t. UK Scientists tracking the radioactive cloud say it should hit Southern California late Friday. They say if it causes any health problems, it will be “extremely minor”. More questions come from that statement don’t they? What can we do to prevent ANY health consequences? When will it be gone? What do they deem as “extremely minor” health problems? Potassium Iodide is disappearing from shelves all over the country. I understand not wanting people to panic, but to what end?

I don’t know. I just don’t know. We seem helpless to help those that need in Japan, helpless to this cloud coming overhead. Helpless to the parade of commentators telling us that radioactive material won’t hurt us, helpless to the scientists telling us our nuclear facilities are safe, all the while telling us some did not pass safety inspections, or sit on fault lines, but have renewed their lease for another 20 years.

So yeah, go on living. I guess that’s all we can do at this time, and try and treat everyone just a little bit better. Let us know your feelings below, and swing by the FORUM where we have been discussing the disaster since it happened.

Here is a new video put out to try and explain the nuclear problems to children in Japan.

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Flashback Friday! The Day The Popsicle Was Split and a Jackass Was Born

It was March 11th, 1986 and I was in the midst of my pre-adolescent Michael Jackson obsession which included but was not limited to a replica of that infamous glove, a 45″ record player with a picture of him on it that I carried everywhere and of course the cherished Thriller album. I grew up with three older siblings, all boys, so I had to grab every luxury I could as fast as I could or it would inevitably end up shredded. I would like to send a belated apology to every Barbie doll I had that my brothers told me were in a car wreck (in that Barbie car of course) and had to have her legs amputated or risk gangrene.

Our household, I’d say, was a typical Midwestern middle class home. We had the Atari (and still do, it works save for one paddle that is broken). We had the Commodore. We had cable television and HBO that we watched Fraggle Rock on. Every week my parents would buy an 8 pack of soda, back when they came in the glass bottles and each one of my siblings and I would get to drink two for the week. Our choice as to when. I’d save mine for Friday and Saturday nights when dad would pop popcorn and we’d sit down together to watch Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Dallas and Falcon Crest. But the coup de gras for me was the popsicles. God I loved popsicles, but not just any popsicle…..it had to be the twinsicle. I’m sure y’all remember those lovely gems, they were two popsicles in one, complete with double sticks. I think the main reason I loved them was because I felt like I was cheating the nutrition gods by getting a double treat. It was golden, a masterpiece of childhood sugar frenzy. But sadly, on this day in history, March 11th, 1968, Popsicle announced it’s plan to end the traditional twin-stick popsicle for a single one. Greedy buzzards, the lot of them! Gone were the days of indulgence and gluttony over this frozen delight. Sad, truly sad.

But never fear, my dear Popsicle lovers, because another great moment occurred on this day in history. It was March 11th, 1971 and a genius made his way into this world…..a genius by the name of Philip John Clapp. Who? Philip John Clapp! Aw, come on, he’s a jackass! Okay, I’ll give you a clue. His friends have done things such as getting their buttcheeks pierced together, stapled notes to their body, made snow cones out of actual snow, peed on them and then ate them……still stumped? Okay, FINE. He co-starred with The Rock in “Walking Tall”. Ding, ding ding, we have a winner! Yes, yes, yes my friends, rejoice for on this day in history the premiere jackass, Johnny Knoxville himself, was born to bless this world with his crazy hijinks.

Born to a Sunday school teacher mom and a tire selling father said to encourage his son’s practical jokes from early on, Johnny Knoxville was known then as “P.J.”. Raised in Knoxville, TN (get it?), one of his earliest pranks was to fake a report card to show all F’s when he actually had earned all A’s, and spread false rumors of his own venereal disease. Lasting less than a month at the Pasadena Academy of Dramatic Arts, he’d moved to Hollywood with dreams of being an actor. He soon began to write for skateboarding magazines like Blunt, Bikini, and Big Brother, where the staff enjoyed a pasttime of creating dangerously stupid stunts- such as Knoxville displaying his willingness to test the dependability of a bulletproof vest by shooting himself with a .38. The editor of this magazine soon convinced Knoxville to videotape these stunts, and released under the name of Big Brother Video Triology it soon became an underground cult hit. Word soon spread and soon Comedy Central and MTV were in an all out bidding war. MTV won out, and Jackass was born.

So, even with the popsicle split, I’m sure “P.J.” and his boys would find a creative way to remedy that travesty…..maybe I should give them a call!

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Random Thought Thursday! American Idol: A River, Rain and Cheese

Ya know… I think I am about to crucify myself here. After reading through our “Live Show” thread in the Forum, where everyone, east coast time, gets together to watch American Idol and cheer, or jeer, the contestants live, it seems I am very alone in my thoughts on this season. So here it goes, my random thoughts, which I think will be very unpopular on the opinion scale, on this years American Idol. I will admit that I have many random thoughts going on today about a few topics… American Idol, Charlie Sheen, politics… Sheen gets enough coverage as it is, politics would just get me in trouble with somebody, so American Idol it is!

I have to say that I am really, REALLY disappointed. I do like Casey Abrams, very talented and he makes me laugh. He shakes things up, makes songs his own, is lovable and down to earth, and isn’t afraid to flaunt his uniqueness. (Like the Bass playing in Hollywood week.) Otherwise, most of the others I seriously thought were horrible last night. That’s right, I said it. The notes were off, it sounded bad. People who I read some liked, I hated! Contestants that I thought I liked, I hated, or thought they were just blah.

I started off my review while watching as: 1. Meh. 2. Decent. 3. Awful. 4. Awful… Then I thought, is it me? Are my TV speakers just not very good? I have never been this pessimistic with this show. So, I called in my husband who has been known to disagree with me on many things, and he had the same opinions, without me saying a word. My teenage son, who usually spends most of his time in his teen cave, even stopped by to ask what horrible thing I was watching. So then I thought, it must be our television, because not one judge said anything about some of them hitting horrible notes, or it being Karaoke. Ok wait, I take that back. They would say things like “It’s a little pitchy in places, but it doesn’t matter, you rock!” Wait, huh? Isn’t that like saying that you weren’t in tune for a lot of that song, but it’s ok cause it doesn’t matter in this “singing” competition! I don’t get it. Unable to compute. No comprende!

Yeah, I miss Simon. Actually, that’s not necessarily true. I would be happy with a judge that just told it like it is. Coddling these contestants will NOT help them get anywhere, so to the judges I say, CUT THAT OUT. Someone needs to be the bad guy here. Please! Anyone! My guess? No one will step up. Randy is the closest to it, but still has to throw in a little coddle. J-Lo and Steven still have their careers to think about, and don’t want to say anything that may make them look bad. It’s too bad, because some realism is what is needed here. A Producer or label is not going to tell them it was “pitchy but doesn’t matter” or “your note was off, but you worked it out.”

My issues with the show however didn’t stop there. I had many, many more problems…

The backgrounds… Really? Put a River behind Scotty when he sings ‘The River’? Put rain and lightening behind Naima singing ‘Umbrella’? Oh wait I get it, she needs an umbrella so it must be raining! Oh I know, to make this even better, pan the camera at the bottom of the stage on the singer standing behind the very creative back drops, so we can see the hands waving in unison! Add the accompanying music to most of the performances last night… VERY Karaoke. I mean, add a keyboard beat to Thia’s ‘Smile’? Come on, you have to admit that was cheese. It’s like listening to these people sing to an upbeat elevator tune. I actually, finally, liked one (Thia) after a few of the more painful performances, and they add electronic beats? Why God of American Idol, why! And Paul! What happened? I liked that guy! Last night he sang, well, worse than me! I should be up there! (Trust me, no… I shouldn’t.)

AND WHERE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS? Some of these people are extremely talented when they have their instruments with them, but totally awkward on that big stage by themselves. We got to see them in Hollywood, are they banned now? Scotty mentioned backstage that he “didn’t have my guitar but” he thought he did well. Sounds to me like he was told no on the guitar. Yeah I know, it’s a “singing” competition, but seriously? I thought we were looking for the artist, and not just a singer. Once crowned “American Idol” will these people never pick up an instrument again? I doubt that. It isn’t “American Singer”, it’s “American Idol”. My guess is some of America’s great idols play instruments. I mean, we know Paul McCartney does, and he is James’ Idol right?

The whole production seems like an amateur competition this year to me, like the return of a higher end ‘Star Search’ if you will. The lighting, the music, the backgrounds, the waving arms, the screams, the arrangements, the judges never saying a bad word about anyone, no matter how they did… It must sound WAY different when there, because through my TV, most of them sounded totally off key. I am disappointed, and getting close to giving up this season to free up time for other shows. Heck knows I have other recorded things on my Tivo that have been neglected for a long, long time.

Yes I know, I am Yakkie Downer, and for that I do apologize, but I know there has to be someone out there that agrees with me! There just has to!

So… have at it folks. Let me know below how much you disagree, or agree (yeah right). Plus, come join us in the FORUM, cause if you haven’t, well, you are missing out!

Oh, and to bring things back up a bit, I will leave you with a random awesome video, instead of another downer thought. Watch it, then let me know if we can be friends again. There is a special guest in there singing, you won’t be disappointed!

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Flashback Friday – “The Adventures of Huck Finn” Published

On this day in history, in 1885, Mark Twain published “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”! Did you know that Mark Twain was a pen name, that his real name was actually Samuel Clemens? Twain saw this book as a sequel to his 1876 novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, but this book also saw a more serious approach as well as it focused on the institution of slavery and other issues of the south at that time.

This wonderful classic of American literature told the tale of Huckleberry Finn and his friend Jim, a runaway slave as they rode a raft down the Mississippi river. If you’ve read the book you know that he ran way because he was about to be sold and separated from his wife and children; Huck went along with him to help him get to Ohio. What I really liked about this book was it’s satirical take on slavery, racism, religion and the overall social attitude of that era. To me Jim was strong, generous and brave as well was wise, whereas the other characters were shown to be violent, stupid and/or selfish. Huck was very naive to me, but the way he ended up questioning society’s attitude in general was just outstanding.

This book has not been without controversy, however, heck a month after it’s publication it was banned by a library in Concord, Massachusetts, saying it’s subject matter was “tawdry” while the narrative voice of Huck was “coarse and ignorant”. Other lemmings, sorry, I mean libraries, followed suit, which followed long after Twain’s death in 1910. In the 1950’s various African American groups protested it, saying it was racist in it’s portrayal of black characters even though others said it displayed a strong criticism of racism and slavery. Even more recently, there have been attempts to edit the book, most notably as of late to remove all reference to the “N” word, replacing it with slave. But I think the best judge  of this book is another literary genius, Ernest Hemingway, who once famously said that this book marked the beginning of American literature. He also said, “There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”

What do you think? Let us know in our forums HERE!

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Flashback Friday! This Day in History

Welcome one and all to another edition of Flashback Friday, this day in history! So, what happened on February 4th?

February 4th was a day of “firsts” for sure. Let’s take a look:

February 4th, 1938, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs was released in the theaters and at that time was the most successful movie in history.

On this day, February 4th, 1959, the Barbie doll was first introduced! She was created by Ruth Handler, one of the founding members of the Mattel Company and was named after her daughter….you guessed it, Barbie. Later on, when the male counterpart to Barbie was introduced, he was named after her son Ken. Does that seem strange to anyone else, considering Barbie and Ken’s illicit history?

The first Winter Olympics in the US was held on this day in history; February 4th, 1932, taking place in Lake Placid, NY.

February 4th, 1957, saw the first day of the sale of the Smith-Corona portable typewriters. The company had been in production for 71 years and produced the first upper and lower case typewriters.

On February 4th, 1974, Patty Hearst was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army, setting off a chain of events leading to that infamous bank robbery with Hearst, then known as Tanya, participating.

On this day, in 1997, a civil jury panel in Santa Monica, California, determined that OJ Simpson was guilty in the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman.

On February 4th, 2004, the state of Massachusetts high court determined it was legal for persons in same sex relationships could be married. Also on this day and year, Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook. Have you seen “The Social Network” yet?

That all happened today, February 4th, in history!

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Random Thought Thursday! Sheen, American Idol and Rehab!

Welcome to yet another edition of random thought Thursday. I come to you live from my office, messy desk and all, and I do in fact have some random thoughts to share. My mind is a befuddlement of wonder I tell you! Funny how you can think of these random things all day long, but you can’t remember an appointment, to take a pill, to make a call… Where are my car keys? Or, maybe it’s just that ol’ age thing kicking in. Can’t be that though, because I would have to admit to being old(er), and that’s not happening now, or even when I’m 103. We’ll just call it “life experience.” Yeah, that has a nice ring.

Alright, back to my random thoughts. My first thought is a shout out, or shout at…

Charlie Sheen.

So his new little “interview” over at E! had me thinking… Let me refresh your memory on what he said to them (or if you haven’t seen it yet):  Commenting on all the rumors floating around, like is his father seeking conservatorship, is his show being cancelled, etc. his answer was “”All crap” (sent to them by text message)

“Believe nothing. I will never speak about any of this as long as I’m alive. You’re all gonna have to keep towing the same redundant line, guessing wrong.”

He follows up with, “BTW, two wars are in an endless state of sorrow. Egypt about burned to the ground, and all you people care about is my bullsh-t….?”

He called it “pathetic” that the media shows any concern about his personal life and how he chooses to spend it. “Shame shame shame,” he said.

Shortly after this “interview” (if you can call a convo via text an interview) his representative Stan Rosenfield issued this statement on behalf of Sheen: “I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people. I want to say thank you to my fellow castmembers, the crew of Two and a Half Men and everyone at CBS and Warner Bros., especially [CBS CEO] Les Moonves and [Warner Bros. TV President] Bruce Rosenblum for their concern and support, and to my fans, your good wishes have touched me very much. Like Errol Flynn, who had to put down his sword on occasion, I just want to say thank you.” A lot different than his text message interview huh?

Well, let me just say a couple of things that came to mind when I read his “interview.” Be careful what you wish for Mr. Sheen. You want the media to not cover you or your personal life? Do you want them to not cover your show either? I mean, how will you be able to afford the “personal life” you choose to partake in if no one feels the need to care about you?

Secondly, about the wars and Egypt. That was a nice touch. Most people out there CAN multitask. We are following everything about the war and Egypt. I mean heck, even you who are supposedly in “home rehab” can do both rehab, text E! and know what’s happening in Egypt right? Maybe people would like something a bit more ‘light’ to turn to when the world is on fire, if only for a moment. You should know what turning to ‘light’ topics are like. I mean, there is a war on, Egypt is burning to the ground, and you are having your playtime with your porn family right? Many of us are fans of yours, and hate what you have decided to do to yourself. But alas, your family and friends should just let you kill yourself and your fans shouldn’t give a crap, because there is a war on. I see.

Speaking of porn family, many of us, myself included, really have no interest in the “Queen of Anal” all over our TVs talking about you. Some family you got there. Oops?

Whether you like it or not, you will be talked about. You are a ‘star’… you chose, in this life, to be in the public eye. Your fans love you and want you to be well. Give in to the love of those who want you well, and reject those that just want to use you for what your worth until you’re gone. Seriously? $30,000 for THAT? That is all.

On to other topics now…

American Idol Apology

Really? Do they not have enough viewers that they need to pull out all the stunts? We still can’t figure what the hey that apology was for. Was it because Steven Tyler had to be bleeped? What did you expect putting a rocker on the panel? Was it because he hinted that one of the young contestants could have been a groupie that he lays? Again, what did you expect putting a rocker on the panel?

For that matter, why wouldn’t you just edit it out of the show? It’s not as if these audition shows are live. Did you get complaints? If so, why wouldn’t there have been a more specific apology, inclusive of what you are apologizing for? Yeah, stunt. All us who watch know it, all those who don’t didn’t really care enough to tune in. Stop that.

Wow… I guess this should have been called ‘Random Yell Thursday”… who knew my thoughts would be so… what’s the word… motherly?

Last Random:

What’s with all the rehab lately? Is rehab the new black? Are drugs and alcohol the new pink? Elton John recommends Billy Joel go to rehab? Even the youngsters are getting into the programs… Demi Lovato, Aaron Carter, and of course, Lindsay Lohan. Is Miley Cyrus next? I guess I just don’t get it. Is it the people they surround themselves with? Is it the pressure of being in the public eye all the time? Is it just straight up depression? Is it lack of self-worth? Is it just spoiled brats not getting what they want? I myself have family with addictions, family members that have gone to rehab. It’s heart breaking to say the least… Here’s hoping that people in general, including celebrities, see the latest trend for how it should be seen… troubling and worthless. I personally thought Lohan had one of the brightest futures ahead of her. She is a beautiful girl and an amazing actress, and yet, she throws it away, and for what? Hold on to what you have, that crap ain’t worth it.

Alright, that’s it for my ranting randoms! What do you think? Do you agree with Sheen that we should just leave him alone? Is rehab the new black? Is all this stuff just a product of our new “entitled” way of life? Do you wish the porn queen would just go away? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Oh and join me, and MANY others at Sober Is Sexy, and “like” them HERE on Facebook! While you’re at it, like us on Facebook too… HERE!

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Flashback Friday: Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes

I was 10 years old and in the fifth grade. We were in our classroom, waiting for the teacher to come in. She did eventually come in, crying; and that’s when a TV was brought into each classroom where we saw the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. It was January 28th, 1986 and sadly, is our topic for today’s Flashback Friday.

The actual explosion occurred 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members aboard. The shuttle virtually disintegrated into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of central Florida at approximately 11:39 a.m. EST. It was later found that an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster failed at liftoff. This failure breached the joint it sealed, which allowed pressurized hot gas from the motor of the solid rocket to get to the outside and infringed on the functioning of other parts. Then there was a structural failure of that external tank which led to the explosion itself. It was later discovered that several crew members actually survived the initial breakup of the shuttle, but did not survive the impact of the crew compartment slamming into the ocean.

This disaster halted the space program for 32 months, and also prompted President Reagan to form what was called the Rogers Commission to investigate the tragedy. This commission later found that key elements of  the decision making process and organizational “culture” that led to the explosion. Apparently NASA managers knew that the solid rocket booster designs had a potentially fatal flaw in the O-rings for at least 9 years prior to the explosion but didn’t address it properly. Another shocking discovery was that crew escape wasn’t possible either, at least during a powered flight. NASA had considered launch escape systems but decided that the shuttle’s expected high reliability didn’t necessitate one.

Many people actually saw the lift-off and tragedy itself due to the inclusion of teacher Christa McAuliffe in the crew, who would’ve been the first teacher in space. The other crew members who lost their lives that day were: Commander Francis (Dick) Scobee, 46,  who was married with two children. Pilot Michael J. Smith, 40, was on what would have been his first space flight. Mission Specialist Judith A. Resnik, 35, had previously become the second American woman in orbit during the maiden Discovery flight. Mission specialist Ronald A. McNair was 35 at the time of his death, and was married with two children. He became the second Black American in space back in 1984 during a previous Challenger mission. Ellison S. Onizuka was the third mission specialist, he was 39 years old, married with two children. Payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis was not an official federal employee, but rather employed by Aircraft Corp.’s Space and Communications Group in Los Angeles, California, who made it possible for him to be on the Challenger flight.

The final crew member on the flight was Sharon Crista McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. She was selected from an applicant pool of around 11,000 education specialists. McAuliffe was 37 at the time of her death, married to her longtime boyfriend Steven. NASA’s intent of having her on board was to have a gifted teaching professional who could communicate with students from space.

Do you remember this event? Tell us about it in our forums here .

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Random Thought Thursday! Here We Go Again…

Well, welcome to another edition of Random Thought Thursday. I will be your host today. Yep, the host I am. I will admit to you now that I *may* have had a bit too much coffee this morning, so I thought well, this would be the perfect time to write this, as my thoughts are bouncing off the walls.

Speaking of walls (actually, this has absolutely nothing to do with a wall), the American Idol Auditions in Milwaukee were last night. Did you watch? I did, course, not at the right time. I had to wait for awhile, let my Tivo pick it up, then watch it before I went to sleep. I’m not really interested in commercials, unless they are funny. Hey, by the way, if you have seen any really weird or funny commercials, submit them to us, or you can post them in our commercial forum HERE. There is one weird one out there now by Cisco, where some kids are on a computer, and this little weird monster shows up… I have yet to figure that commercial out. What were they looking for to begin with? Maybe I just don’t get it. I will put the commercial at the bottom of this post so you can explain it to me. Otherwise, it will end up being one of those things that just goes unexplained in my life, and that’s just not acceptable.

Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yes, walls. Wait, no, American Idol. Yes, American Idol… What was with that toothbrush guy? I’m guessing he was trying to be the next “Pants on the Ground” guy, teaching us a lesson about brushing our teeth. They didn’t give him much time, but who here thinks that we may see him again on the finale? You know, the part where they bring back all the weird ones? I’m guessing we may see the Bieber opera singer as well. Really? Bieber opera? …And for that matter, why is Bieber on absolutely everything these days? Is there no escape? As long as I don’t have to see Kara Dioguardi stripping down to a bikini, well, I will put up with toothbrush guy and Bieber opera. Yes, I will gladly make that trade.

Speaking of trading, actually, no, this has nothing to do with trading… The last guy on Idol last night… Chris Medina… Apparently fans are letting others know what they thought about this story… Some are expressing major support for him, while others are thinking his motives and actions were exploitive, bringing his brain damaged fiance to the auditions. Either way you feel, I will admit that it made me cry. How horrible for the both of them, and what an outstanding man he is. Now I just hope that if he happens to win American Idol this year, that he keeps on with her, and the fame, and groupies don’t get in the way of that.

Speaking of fame getting in the way… what’s with that Glee Producer (Ryan Murphy) telling bands that say no to “F*%k off”? I mean really, can his ego get any bigger? I expect to hear “You will never work in this town again!” come out of his mouth pretty soon. If a band or artist doesn’t want to do it, then they don’t want to! Get over it and move the heck on dude! Bieber will do it. Go ask him. Also, you cannot state that artists or bands who say no to you are ignorant and their careers are over in the same diatribe about Kings of Leon. Their careers, I believe, are far from over. This Producer is also now running his mouth over at Perez Hilton, telling everyone he thinks Kings of Leon are homophobic. Dude, please, get some help! Personally, after seeing how this guy reacts to rejection, and what he does and says about those that say no, I would hope there are a line of artists ready with that same answer soon.

Alright, I’m done. My random thoughts, or at least the ones I can say out loud, are out there for all to see. Here are my favorite random thoughts today from the web:

From Joy @ FB: “let me be patient and let me be kind….”

From Angelique @ FB: “Thong underwear…why???”

Susan @ FB says “Live Laugh & Love Often…”

tatoomom69 @ Twitter: “my feet are starting to look like my mom’s, gross, need to fix that”

From King_Dunn @ Twitter: “what part of the chicken does the chicken nugget come from??”

From murielvega @ Twitter: “My roommate just called me to tell me that she stole a pumpkin for me. Today just went from shitty to really great.”

From Kaseyville @ FB: “I wish I had a different flavored chapstick!”

From Teresa @ FB “Why did I move here?”

From Joanne @ FB: “Look, a CAT!”

Want yours included? Well, too bad, too late. Now you will have to wait another whole week until the Yak asks again for your most random thoughts. You could however post them below… Let’s see just how random your brain is today!

Seriously… did they discover Pokemon really do exist or something? I don’t get it.
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Flashback Friday – On This Day In History – January 21st!!!

Welcome back to “On This Day In History”!!! For today’s treasure trove of notable events, and man, did a lot of things happen on this date in history, we have presidential inaugurations, papal elections and endings and much more! Hey, why not come into our forums here to discuss?!?!

2010 A week after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a 6.1 magnitude aftershock strikes Haiti
2009 Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States
2001 George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd president of the United States
1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Mama and Papas and Eagles
1998 Warner Brothers TV Network begins Tueday night programming
1997 Comet Hale-Bopp crosses Mars’ orbit
1997 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in New Orleans, Louisiana on KKND 106.7 FM
1997 Pakistan defeat West Indies 2-0 to win Australia one-day Series
1996 46th NHL All-Star Game: East beat West 5-4 at Fleet Center Boston
1996 Australia defeat Sri Lanka 2-0 to win World Series Cup
1996 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Michelle Kwan
1996 WPAT FM New York City radio station switches to English-Spanish format
1995 “Love! Valor! Compassion!” opens at Walter Kerr New York City for 276 performances
1995 1994-95 NHL Season begin after a lengthy strike
1995 Russian ruble drops to 3,947 per dollar (record)
1993 Admiral Studeman, serves as acting director of CIA
1993 William J. Clinton inaugurated as 42nd president
1992 Australia beat India 2-0 to win the World Series Cup
1992 Score begins selling international soccer cards
1991 “Black and Blue” closes at Minskoff Theater New York City after 829 performances
1991 “Les Miserables,” opens at Pantages Theatre, LA
1991 “Peter Pan” closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater New York City or 45 performances
1991 “Shogun – The Musical” closes at Marquis Theater New York City after 72 performances
1991 13th UCP Telethon
1991 Buffalo Bills beat Los Angeles Raiders 51-3 for AFC title
1991 Jane Geddes wins LPGA Jamaica Golf Classic
1991 U.S. Patriot missiles begins shooting down Iraqi missiles
1991 Matt Barr’s field goal with no time left gives New York Giant 15-13 Victory over defending champs San Francisco 49ers, for NFC title
1990 47th Golden Globes: Born on 4th of July, Driving Miss Daisy win
1990 U.S. 64th manned space mission STS-32 (Columbia 10) returns from space
1989 Bush inaugurated as 41st president and Quayle becomes 44th vice pres
1989 Wayne Holdsworth takes a wicket 1st ball in 1st-class cricket
1989 Reagan becomes 1st President elected in a “0” year, since 1840, to leave office alive
1988 Andre Hoffman skates world record 1500m (1:52.06)
1988 Arizona committee opens hearing on impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham
1987 Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite taken hostage in Beirut, Lebanon
1987 Rhino Records 1st #1-Billy Vera and Beaters’ “At This Moment”
1986 1st federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
1986 Chunnel announced (railroad tunnel under Canal)
1986 Military coup in Lesotho under general-major Lekhanya and premier Leabua Jonathan
1985 Cold front strikes U.S., at least 40 die (-27 degrees F (-33 degrees C) in Chicago)
1985 Superbowl XIX: San Francisco 49ers beat Miami Dolphins, 38-16 in Stanford Superbowl MVP: Joe Montana, San Francisco, quarterback
1984 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Rosalynn Sumners
1982 7 miners killed in an explosion in Craynor, Kentucky
1982 Honduras constitution goes into effect
1982 Piet Dankert elected chairman of European Parliament
1981 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days are freed
1981 Admiral Stansfield Turner, USN (Ret), ends term as 12th director of CIA
1981 Frank C Carlucci, ends term as deputy director of CIA
1981 Islander Glenn Resch’s 25th and last shut-out opponent-Flames 5-0
1981 Ronald Reagan inaugurated as president
1980 President Jimmy Carter announces U.S. boycott of Olympics in Moscow
1980 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne
1980 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner
1980 Superbowl MVP: Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh, quarterback
1980 Superbowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Los Angeles Rams, 31-19 in Pasadena
1978 Columbia Pictures pays $9.5 million for movie rights to “Annie”
1977 George Bush, ends term as 11th director of CIA
1977 Mr. Knoche, serves as acting director of CIA
1976 29th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 7-5 at Philadelphia
1975 5th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 17-10
1975 Terrence McNally’s “Ritz,” premieres in New York City
1974 4th NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 15-13
1974 7th ABA All-Star Game: East 128 beats West 112 at Virginia
1974 A college basketball game ends 210-67
1974 Essex Comm College beats Englewood Cliffs 210-67 in basketball
1971 Ard Schenk skates world record 1000m (1:18.8)
1971 John Lennon meets Yoko Ono’s parents in Japan
1970 20th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 142-135 at Philadelphia
1970 23rd NHL All-Star Game: East beat West 4-1 at St. Louis
1970 Super Fight, computer mock championship between Ali and Marciano
1969 Richard M. Nixon inaugurated as president
1969 University of Arizona reports 1st optical id of pulsar (in Crab Nebula)
1968 Houston ends UCLA’s 47-game basketball winning streak, 71-69
1968 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming
1968 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Tim Wood
1965 Beatles appear on Shindig (ABC-TV)
1965 Byrds record “Mr Tambourine Man”
1965 JPL proposes modified Apollo flight to fly around Mars and return
1965 Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain
1964 “Meet The Beatles” album released in US
1962 “Kean” closes at Broadway Theater New York City after 92 performances
1961 Arthur M Ramsay becomes archbishop of Canterbury
1961 Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria,” premieres in Boston
1961 Robert Frost recites “Gift Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration
1961 Yugoslav ex-vice-president Milovan Djilas flees
1960 Patrice Lumumba sentenced to 6 months in Belgian Congo
1959 Dmitri Sjostakovitsj’ Moscow-Tsjerjomoesjki, premieres in Moscow
1958 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open
1958 KUED TV channel 7 in Salt Lake City, UT (PBS) begins broadcasting
1957 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open
1957 Gomulka wins Poland’s parliamentary election
1957 Morton Gould’s “Declaration,” premieres in Washington, D.C.
1956 Buddy Holly records “Blue Days Black Night” in Nashville
1955 1st atomic sub, USS Nautilus, launched at Groton Conn
1954 -70 degrees F (-57 degrees C), Rogers Pass, Montana (U.S. 48 state record)
1954 Dmitri Sjostakovitsj’ “Concertino opus 94,” premieres
1953 1st U.S. telecast transmitted to Canada-from Buffalo NY
1953 1st live coast-to-coast inauguration address (Eisenhower)
1952 British army occupies Ismailiya, Suez Canal Zone
1952 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open
1950 “Dance Me a Song” opens at Royale Theater New York City for 35 performances
1950 Suriname becomes independent part in Realm of Netherlands
1949 J Edgar Hoover gives Shirley Temple a tear gas fountain pen
1949 President Truman announces his point 4 program
1947 Brigadier General Edwin K Wright, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
1946 F Gouin follows De Gaulle as temporary leader of French government
1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented 4th term as president
1944 RAF drops 2300 ton bombs on Berlin
1943 Lead, South Dakota, temp is 52 degrees F, while 1.5 miles away Deadwood SD records -16 degrees F
1943 Operation-Weiss: Assault of German, Italian, Bulgarian and Croatian
1942 Japanese air raid on Rabaul New Britain
1942 Japanese invade Burma
1942 Nazi officials hold notorious Wannsee conference in Berlin deciding on “final solution” calling for extermination of Europe’s Jews
1941 Bela Bartok’s 6th string quartet, premieres in New York City
1939 Charles Ives’ 1st Sonate “Concord,” premieres
1939 Hitler proclaims to German parliament to exterminate all European Jews
1937 -45 degrees F (-43 degrees C), Boca, California (state record)
1937 1st Inauguration day on Jan 20th, (held every 4th years there-after)
1936 Edward VIII succeeds British king George V
1934 Japan sends Henry Pu Yi as regent to emperor of Manchuria
1930 1st radio broadcast of “Lone Ranger” (WXYZ-Detroit)
1929 1st feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, “In Old Arizona”
1926 2nd German government of Luther begins
1925 U.S.S.R. and Japan sign treaty of Peking, Seychelles back to U.S.S.R.
1922 Arthur Honegger’s ballet “Skating Rink” premieres, Paris
1921 British submarine K5 leaves with man and mouse
1921 Dagestan ASSR forms in RSFSR
1921 Mountain Autonomous Republic established in RSFSR
1921 Turkey declared in remnants of Ottoman Empire
1920 Dutch 2nd Chamber passes school laws
1910 Ottawa Senators sweep Edmonton in 2 for Stanley Cup (2nd of 1910)
1892 1st basketball game played (Mass)
1887 U.S. Senate approves naval base lease of Pearl Harbor
1883 Billy Barnes takes a hat-trick, England vs. Australia MCG
1879 British troops under Lord Chelmsford set camp at Isandlwana
1872 California Stock Exchange Board organized
1870 “City of Boston” vanishes at sea with all 177 aboard
1870 Hiram R. Revels elected to fill unexpired term of Jefferson Davis
1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before Congress
1868 Florida constitutional convention meets in Tallahassee
1866 Prim’s Insurrection in Spain ends
1860 Dutch troops conquer Watampone in Celebes
1850 Investigator, 1st ship to effect northwest passage, leaves England
1841 China cedes Hong Kong to British
1840 Dumont D’Urville discovers Adelie Land, Antarctica
1840 Dutch King Willem II crowned
1809 1st U.S. geology book published by William Maclure
1807 Napoleon convenes great Sanhedrin, Paris
1801 John Marshall appointed U.S. chief justice
1800 Napoleon I’s sister Carolina marries King Joachim Murat of Naples
1788 Pioneer African Baptist church organizes in Savannah, Ga
1785 Samuel Ellis advertises to sell Oyster Island (Ellis Island), no takers
1783 Hostilities cease in Revolutionary War
1781 1st edition of Pieter It Hoens “Post of Neder-Rhijn” published
1778 1st American military court martial trial begins, Cambridge, Mass
1667 Treaty of Andrussovo-ends 13 year war between Poland and Russia
1648 Cornerstone of Amsterdam townhall laid
1613 Peace of Knarod ends War of Kalmar between Denmark and Sweden
1513 Christian II succeeds Johan I as Danish/Norwegian king
1503 Casa Contratacion (Board of Trade) found (Spain) to deal with American affairs
1356 Scottish king Edward Baliol resigns
1320 Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes king of Poland
1265 1st English Parliament called into session by Earl of Leicester
1045 Giovanni di Sabina elected Pope Sylvester III
250 Saint Fabian ends his reign as Catholic Pope (236-50)