Golden Globes of Hollywood

.......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.17.05....
Golden Globe nominees were announced:.

Some of the notable are "Pride and Prejudice" up for "Picture, Musical Or Comedy" (I guess they end up in that category of they can't decide what they were trying to make...but at least if you fail at one, it might still slide into one of the others). "Walk the Line" is in the same category. Johnny and June, or Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Pheonix are nominated as best actor and actress. If they win, the awards banquet will be at Folsom Prison. Laura Linney is also up for her role in "Pride and Prejudice."

Willie Wonka, or at least the one played by Johnny Depp is competing against Joaquin for his role in "Charlie and the Chocolate factory." Nathan Lane is also nominated for his role in "The Producers." Will Farrell stepped out of his little role in "The Elf" (get it, huh?) and is nominated for acting in "The Producers."

In TV, "Commander in Chief" is up for nomination as drama series. Hillary Clinton will enjoy it if this shows wins. Geena Davis is also nominated as best actress in a drama series. Kiefer Sutherland is nominated for his role in "24" and the Golden Globe show may have to be shot in real time. "Desperate Housewives," of course, is nominated. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is also nominated but I don't know how it got under the comedy category. I would have put it under foreign film. Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria, all "Desperate Housewives" compete against each other as best actress, oh yes, and against Mary-Louis Parker for "Weeds." Zach Braff got a nominations for "Scrubs" and Steve Carell for "The Office", and one of the two men, Charlie Sheen for "Two and a Half Men."

Winners will be announced January 16th and hopefully Joan Rivers will be on the red carpet to help keep egos in check.

At What Price Academia?

.......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.16.05.....Missouri State University's board of governors are just a bunch of racists. Or that is the impression one might get after the board passed a proposal to cut men's indoor and outdoor track, men's cross country and men's and women's tennis. This cut will save a projected $350,000 to $500,000 annually. Racist? For that?? The Springfield chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said the civil rights organization opposed the cuts because it would affect minority athletes. "How can you tell students that you are interested in the increase of diversity when you seemingly so eagerly want to eliminate those sports?" the Rev. Larry Maddox (NAACP) told the board.

My question is whatever happened to going to school to learn stuff related to getting a degree and trying to get a good paying job somewhere?? Why were they ever paying that much for these sports anyway? At what cost academia?? I guess that may be a racist question, though.

God's Subpeona

"...the subpeona commands
God to release records and communications about the storm, why He had allowed it...."

......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.15.05.....
A House committee investigating the government's response to Hurricane Katrina issued a subpoena to God, to turn over documents. It stopped short of sending a similar legal demand to Jesus. The subpoena commands God to release records and communications about the storm, and possibly testify about why He allowed it, and whether He had let anyone in the government know about it. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (a Democrat)and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)exchanged barbs with Republicans on the committee about why the city was not ordered evacuated until the storm hit. Basically, the confrontation went like this: Republicans: "yes you did." Blanco/FEMA: "no, I didn't."Republicans: "yes you did." Blanco/FEMA: "no, I didn't." Republicans: "yes you did." Blanco/FEMA: "no, I didn't." Republicans: "yes you did." Blanco/FEMA: "no, I didn't." No one budged.

The House, in it's continuing effort to find people to blame for stuff, says God will clear this all up once and for all or go down trying. A spokesman from the Citizens Against House Committees With Way Too Much Free Time On Their Hands Foundation (CAHCWWTMFTOTHF), said it was "inevitable that they would eventually single out God a culprit. He has a pretty good image and these political committees love to tarnish reputations." Another spokesman from the House Committee said it was hoped that God would not be implicated in something of this magnitude because, "well, frankly, we don't know how we could punish Him." If the House can add the Almighty to it's list of people to blame, one suggestion is that they force Him to watch 72 hours of the House Committee in session, but issues before the Supreme Court on torture may stop that from ever happening.

As of this writing, the House had not yet reached God with the subpeona because no one from congress had ever tried to contact Him before and weren't sure how to do it.

Call Someone Who Cares!

.......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.14.05.....
Want to protest the war? Don't pay all your phone bill! SBC has got to love that piece of information. Actually, the portion to not pay is a small percentage, usually about 3 percent, and it is the federal phone tax. Proceeds from the tax help fund US military ventures. One tax resistance organization that, ironically, calls themselves the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee says they don't know for sure how many are actually withholding, but based on communications they have received....they think about 10,000 nationwide. Did they receive those communications by phone?? The government listens when money is involved. At least they listen if it is their money involved. (If it's yours, they could care less if you were using two tin cans on a string.) The phone companies are writing off the nonpayments to the IRS, and are telling the IRS they will have to collect since it is their tax. But, they are telling their customers that they will have to report them. An IRS spokesman said the IRS is determined to identify all those who evade taxes "based on their opposition to government policies or programs." He said that people could be liable for all past payments, plus interest. I think the IRS isn't getting the message, because clearly if there was interest, the people would be paying.

Silly Love Songs

.......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.13.05..... Paul McCartney and Wings, back in 1976, posed the question "Why do we want to fill the world with silly love songs?" And there's a lot of them with the "operative" word being "silly."

"All I need is there air that I breathe and to love you" says the Hollies song. Unless the "you" was steak and potatoes, that love probably didn't last past suppertime. David Cassidy and the Partridge Family woke up from a dream and thought "I think love you." He "thinks" he does? From what I understand, the girls response was "well, when you know for sure, let me know." Barry White said "You're my first, My last, My Everything" and "Can't Get enough of your Love babe." Those are the kinds of sentiments that restraining orders are made of. Rod Stewart said "You're in my heart, You're in my soul.." Is that healthy? What is the cholesterol count for love and how much can the heart take? And just how does it get into the soul? The Stylistics sang "You're my everything and everything is you." Which may not be flattering. Everything encompasses a lot. Actually it encompasses everything. A big fat pig is part of everything. Make sure you understand the intent of the singer.

The list could actually go on and on because there is so many. But I think the definitive is the Beatles "All You Need is Love" because shortly after they sang it...they broke up.

Tonganoxie, Kansas: Land of....well......ummmm They have a Newspaper!

"...it is only fair
that she give a small percentage tothe person from the IRS...."

.......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.12.05.....If you watched "Survivor: Guatemala" this year you saw 36 people competing for one million dollars, with at least two of them being eliminated each week. Up front on TV, we usually only saw the original 18, but secretly helping each one of them was their own personal helper from the IRS. They knew, that by helping their contestant that they had something to gain. And sure enough, Danni Boatright, from Tonganoxie, Kansas won the million and it is only fair that she give a small percentage to the person from the IRS who secretly helped her. That actually sounds more fair than the real scenario which is that the IRS will probably take about 20 to 25% of her winnings.....and they didn't even have to compete. They just have to hold out their hand and beg. Well, it would probably seem more fair if they did that, also, but instead they send you notices and with little "fine-print" policies about how if you do not pay them what they want you will be penalized. (you know, take your first born and all your cattle)

And 30 year old Danni Boatright put Tonganoxie on the map. Well, it has actually been on the map for over a century, but it might give it fifteen minutes of fame it hasn't had in awhile. It put the word "Tonganoxie" on the front page of today's Kansas City Star. And it even got a more prominent placement on the front of the Tonganoxie paper (The Mirror) then did the snow storm. (I am assuming that the word "Tonganoxie" was already on the fron page of that paper). I don't know her, and to be honest, I did not watch the show, but congratulations to her, a local person from the Kansas City area. {Ed Note: I am glad this little article is over because "Tonganoxie" isn't in spell check].

I Read the News Today! Oh Boy...12.11.05

......[c]2005 by Richard L Zorek......12.11.05.....
Notes I made as I read the Kansas City Star:....If Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut was running for President today I might vote for him. In his comments about the war in Iraq, he said about fellow Democrats "We undermine the president's credibility at our nations' peril." President Bush may have his own issues, but the key words are "our nation's peril..." Well said, Mr Lieberman. I am becoming dis-amused by the armchair generals who are espousing opinions about what is wrong in Iraq and why we shouldn't be there. Unless they had that same opinion and declared it BEFORE we went to war...I am not interested anymore. No one with any sense goes to war and then thinks "whoops, we can't win.....let's go home." I take that back....when I was playing "army" with my 8 year old friends we did that, but we just stomped into the house and bawled a little.............Have the elves been retired? I notice the ad for Nebraska Furniture Mart says "Santa Shops Here!" I presume they have to fall under some "truth in advertising" polices, so Santa must really shop there. I have never seen him there unless he is incognito. It's looking like the Christmas story about the elves is going to change in the future and pretty soon Santa will be getting all his stuff from various stores. Why Kansas City? Must be that Nascar track or something.....There's a 4 page section about the Kansas and Missouri Schools assessment tests reports. I read it, but don't know what I read. Glad I didn't have to take the test if it is as hard to understand as the results. And what do the results mean? Means if you didn't read the question right, you may have embarrassed your whole school district and now the whole state and now God is probably got some words to say to you, buddy......