Friday, January 29, 2010

Man-kiss ad isn't gay-OK with CBS

Man-kiss ad isn't gay-OK with CBS - NYPOST.com


CBS wants to keep one team from scoring on Super Bowl Sunday. Click the news link above for the latest.

Super Bowl XLIV is next Sunday, a week from Sunday. A lot of people watch, frankly just to watch the commercials. This year there are some controversies. Tim Tebow's anti-abortion ad, and now there's another one that people will be talking about. It's an ad for a gay dating site called ManCrunch. On the heels of the network's decision that advocacy ads are acceptable, ManCrunch said CBS has not rejected it's ad, which it's still considering (yeah right). Watch the ad and see if there is anything to worry about.




But CBS does plan to air this controversial anti-abortion ad:

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Think before you speak. Don't say "That's So Gay."

Think before you speak. Don't say "That's So Gay."


This campaign has been going on for over a year now. You may have seen some of the PSA's on television during the last year. I can't tell if the campaign is working, so I'm doing my part to keep it out there.



Please take a few moments and check out the web link above, It is quite extensive and has many personal stories, PSA's and resources for parents and educators. The twitter counter above is just one of many counters and website banners that are available to share.



After reading one of my newly found favorite blogs "living my life, whatever" (check it out, it's on my blog roll too), I was really impressed with his 'I want to be gay again" blog post on Tuesday.

One thing that really stuck out to me was reading that he did not really understand what it means, when people say "that's so gay!" It is not a very nice thing to say, and unfortunately our teenagers are using this phrase a lot. Hopefully they will some day think before they speak, especially if they see some of the PSA's, which are showing on channels like MTV and VH1. Hopefully sometime in the future, we will never hear this insulting remark.

Have you heard somebody say "that's so gay,' and if so how did you react? What will you say if someone says that to you or someone around you? COMMENTS PLEASE! Thanks in advance. ~ John

Stumble Upon Toolbar

R.I.P. Ugly Betty

ABC cancels 'Ugly Betty' - chicagotribune.com

The news ain't pretty. Sadly, ABC confirms that "Ugly Betty" is canceled...
(Click the Shared Link Above for News Story).

Posted using ShareThis

(photo from Creative Commons)

I hate it, when one of my favorite shows gets cancelled. I will sure miss you, Betty, and of course your wacky family and your friends at Mode. I hope to see a lot of the talented cast in some upcoming new shows!

~ John

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, January 18, 2010

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. on this national holiday

President Obama should watch this and listen carefully as it still applies today! What he said was profound and is certainly still relevant today. Social justice cannot exist parallel to violence.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 -- April 4, 1968), was one of the main leaders of the American civil rights movement. A Baptist minister by training, King became a civil rights activist early in his career, leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helping to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, raising public consciousness of the civil rights movement and establishing King as one of the greatest orators in American history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.

Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King Day was established as a national holiday (which is TODAY) in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal,



As you can see in this short video (less than three minutes), we still have not learned from our mistakes and are still a nation at war--then it was Vietnam and now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This video was made during the Bush years (2007) and shows a flash of him, but you could easily take Bush out and insert Obama. He not only continues the wars, but sends more of our brave men and women in his latest "surge." It's high time Obama end these wars as he was promised during the campaign, which no doubt got him elected.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, January 8, 2010

Happy Birthday, Elvis

Wow, Elvis would have been 75 today! Since it's his birthday, I thought I would share a couple of my photos of his birth place in Tupelo, Mississippi. There are plenty of better photos than mine of the birth place all over the Internet. Keep in mind that mine are thirty years old! So much has changed there since my visit in February of 1980. It does not look anything like this anymore. Now it is beautifully landscaped and has a museum, gift shop, etc. and of course a website--where you can find out everything about it and even take a virtual tour of how it looks today.


I graduated high school not far from this town. Our Vocational-Tech FBLA club officers had attended a district meeting near Tupelo and stopped to visit Elvis's birth place on the way back home. I only lived in Mississippi a year, and I talked the instructor in to stopping for the tour. Everyone else had already been there, but they were happy to show it off to me. So here's how it looked back then.


This is the front entrance as seen from the street back then. As you can see, there was nothing fancy about this little house! That's three of my friends on the porch, and I took the photo.


Here's a group photo of us (the Vocational-Tech school's FBLA officers) gathered around the sign. Yes, that is me on the left with my white belt on! We had a great time that day!

And here's one of my favorite Elvis songs (An American Trilogy) complete with slide show and also an extra song! Elvis has so many great songs. This is just two of them.



And of course some news from today:

Hundreds of Elvis Presley fans braved frigid, snowy weather to celebrate the late rock'n'roll legend's 75th birthday on Friday at his Graceland shrine in Memphis...
Elvis Presley Feted in Memphis on 75th Birthday - ABC News

Stumble Upon Toolbar

John, where have you been?


I've been here, but I am down to one computer at the moment. I usually do most of my blogging activities (blog posts, reading other blogs, commenting, etc) on a notebook computer. Unfortunately that notebook computer stopped working. It would not get power, but it is being repaired. I still don't have it back, and I sure do miss it!


That just leaves me with my old desktop pc, which is a little sluggish. I use it mostly for scanning photos and playing games. The pc is in a corner computer armoire in my living room. I just feel trapped in a corner, when using it very much. It's a pain, and feels too much like work too, having to sit in an office chair! As soon as I get the notebook back, I will be blogging more and visiting and commenting on other blogs.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, January 4, 2010

World's tallest skyscraper unveiled & renamed

Dubai has unveiled the world's tallest skyscraper in an extravagant multimedia and fireworks display. The 828-meter tall building was renamed Burj Khalifa on Monday, after the UAE president. (APNewsVideo)





* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Watch the amazing fireworks show from Dubai as ruler Sheikh Mohammed unveils the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai. (itn)

This is a beautiful video that also includes a dancing water show--very similar to Bellagio's in Las Vegas. If you don't have the time or patience to watch a twelve minute video, then jump to nine minutes in to it for the spectacular fireworks display.
~ John

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, January 1, 2010

New ways to become a criminal in 2010

New ways to become a criminal in 2010 (cbsnews.com)


(photo from CreativeCommons)

Laws Going Into Effect This New Year Cover Smoking, Texting While Driving, Trans Fats and Tanning Beds for Teens!

Check this one out: California becomes the first state to ban restaurants, bakeries and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats. The law affects oil, shortening and margarine used in spreads or for frying.

Must read news...click link for the entire news article.


Happy New Year!
How do you like the government all up in your business?!
~ John

Stumble Upon Toolbar

New Illinois laws for 2010

New Illinois laws for 2010 include no texting while driving - chicagotribune.com

Nearly 300 new laws taking effect with the new year, ranging from ethics reforms in the wake of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ouster to how credit card companies can market on college campuses...

"A state law that takes effect today also bans checking e-mail, updating Facebook and Web surfing while driving, though using your phone's GPS is still OK."

(click the shared link for the news article).
Posted using ShareThis

WHAT? Why is using your little phone's GPS still OK? Oh, and here's a doozy: A related new law makes it illegal for drivers to use cell phones in school or construction zones, unless they are are the hands-free variety. (State Journal-Register)

Wouldn't it have been better to just completely ban the use of cell phones while driving? What do you think?

~ John

More News Links:

New Illinois laws to take effect today (stltoday.com)
Hundreds of new laws take effect Friday (sj-r.com)

New texting-while-driving laws take effect today

Cops say they're taking it seriously (southtownstar.com)

Details on the new laws are available at http://ilga.gov.

Stumble Upon Toolbar
Blog Widget by LinkWithin

Flag Counter (Since July 6, 2009)

free counters