It happened again

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Because I do two television reviews on a weekly basis (as their schedule falls), I get tipped every so often as to what is coming up with one of the stars as well as something about to unfold on the show. No quite sure what I'm supposed to do. I keep show details from various sources in mind for my final copy (although I know better than to quote them, the best sites get their facts screwed up). Here's my dilemma: the item I have revealed something about a star of one show. Said star said something incriminating. Now, in other interviews, that subject has been off the table. Do I still post?

Someone rearranged the alphabet and put U and I together

Now here's someone I could be thinking about!

What got me going? This from Dana. As a writer, there are a couple of reference books in my book collection. One is astrology/name defined. According to it, Virgo (me) has a relationship with Capricorn and Taurus. Mark (see above) is Capricorn. Hmmm...

This guy got it right

New York Daily News - Home - Editorials: Throw Roger from the train!

Excuse me, but weren't these people under contract? If there is one thing I've learned, it is to ALWAYS read what one signs. Seems to me the answer is what it's always been: fire those who strike and offer their jobs to people who might appreciate them-say, from homeless shelters.

Here's what's missing

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

With Eric talking about the future and Shoe talking about the past, the time has come for me to talk on the present. And since it's that time of year:
I have the responsibility each year of purchasing several. And in December-two. Why? No husband, kids, pets, or siblings. (take that last with a grain of salt, we've had three exchange students, so in theory I have three sisters). Where I live, I have shops in several directions. Some have even said it is "a touch of Virginia Highlands in Roswell". Well, almost. FYI, this is Georgia I'm referring to. So buying should be simple, no? However, I have a small advantage. Both parents went to big name schools. Except, my dad went to Michigan State. Ever tried to find items of that nature in the South?

More than you ever wanted to know..

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

While meandering around the blogsphere, found this cool meme:
1. My uncle once served in the Navy
2. Never in my life have I been to Chicago
3. When I was five I was not yet in school
4. High school is a distant memory (thank heavens!)
5. My parents are walking distance away
6. I once met a future tv news personality
7. There's this girl I know who got pregnant in high school
8. Once, at a bar I found out just how bad a vodka martini was
9. Last night I strolled about town
10. Next time I go to church if not Sunday, New Year's Eve
11. When I turn my head left, I see the window to outdoors
12. When I turn my head right, I see an open doorway
13. How many days until my birthday? after this month, a little over eight months
14. If I were a character written by Shakespeare, I'd be Portia
15. By this time next year Congress will change
16. A better name for me would be ???
17. I have a hard time understanding other people (I am autistic)
18. If I ever go back to school I will take a paralegal course and study journalism
19. You know I like you if we have a conversation
20. If I ever won an award the first person I'd thank would be the person who gave it to me
21. Take my advice no cell phone chat is important enough to have while driving
22. My ideal breakfast is biscuits Dr. Pepper eggs bacon waffles pancakes with syrup
23. If you visit my hometown you can see what there is to see in a few hours
24. Why won't someone pay me to write
25. If you spend the night at my home bring your laptop
26. I'd stop my wedding if a book deal came through
27. The world could do without Bill O'reilly
28. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than ewwww!
29. Paper clips are more useful than creased corners
30. If I do anything well it is write
31. And by the way your phone is chirping

Tagging (or trying to) Eric Dana Key

Stupid Criminal Alert!

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Now I can get this guy having a hard time paying for electronics at their regular prices. But why in the world would ANYBODY go back to the same store they already "robbed", so to speak?

What happened to Merry Christmas?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

It seems to me that all one has to do is say "Merry Christmas" and if the person spoken to does not celebrate Christmas, says back, "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays". I could be wrong, but I think Kwannzaa and Haunakah both use candles as symbols. Actually, trees are not really part of the true meaning of Christmas, either.

Oops, sppoke too soon

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Went and looked up something in my last piece of transcription and found some forgotten phrases. But complete now. Just have to figure out where to locate my contact, and send all gazillion bits over. Reviews done, but have one to complete and send on- that is a book. Speaking of, need to get the process started on another one..

All Caught Up!

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

With my transcription project, at any rate. All I have to do is send the files to my contact. BL viewers wanted to see more of Mark Valley, they got it! He's coming into his own with another episode focused around him. With the upcoming hiatus until Jan. 06, this next week just may be the holiday show. Michael J. Fox can be seen next month. Baba Wawa of ABC pre-empted a couple of regular episodes with specials, and another one got bumped for something else!

What I've been up to

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Supposed to maintain this thing. So, here goes: have two pieces of transcription to go. In a way, this scares me. Why? Because it reminds me that a door may be soon opened. Been staying on top of my Blogcritics series works. Two tv shows: Boston Legal and CSI:NY. put either into 'search' and ones by NancyGail are mine. Have new one just about ready. Next BL episode next week, look for Mark Valley to make a strong showing- soap work paying off. CD review posted soon, and new book for review en route.

A few Legal Briefs

http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

As a Blogcritics "reporter", I have taken on the task of reviewing Boston Legal and CSI:NY. Notes are carefully taken on each episode to aid in writing. Of course, I also do research by checking what the official website says and finding items from Amazon to fit. When someone makes comments on a reviews, a notifier shows what was written. On this, a commenter mentioned the tone of BL has changed. True. On Live with Regis and Kelly, James Spader made mention of new things being tried. One problem is: too many characters. Executive producers let three depart, and brought in four! Had they waited until the first season shows finished before bringing in Sara, Garrett, and Denise, confusion might have been avoided. And let me repeat myself on one CRUCIAL point: teasers are what make viewers decide if they want to watch the next week. Not only that, but those are scenes which viewers are waiting to see during ANY given episode. So why are teasers lately been so glaringly different from what gets shown on Tuesday night? I can't be the only one noticing.

BL news to report

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Michael J. Fox is coming to Boston Legal in December. He will have a three part arc involving his character in a court case with Denise Bauer as his attorney. Getting big name guest stars for this show is rather simple. Watch for tie ins to his real life.

Does this make sense?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

How long have topics from now made it into television shows? Law and Order stands out in my mind for this. Soap operas have brought various issues to the forefront, such as addictions and breast cancer, AIDS. Yet.. talk about something as important as the Iraq War-people up in arms. How short our memories, how sad a reflection. Boston Legal focused on this very thing last night. Personally, I thought it worked. Yes, David E. Kelley is known for his "out there" storylines. I know better than to think they are the absolute truth. The West Wing is even more topical, yet most know that the characters are fictional, as well as the backstories. Writers adjust for what is happening on their show. Talk about illegal immigration? Of course, but go from the standpoint of someone who employs one as a domestic servant. Add in one male employer who is all too willing to sleep with his maid. And have her readily agree, even though there is a wife and children. This took place on CSI:Miami. Now then, Boston Legal has an African American in its cast. So? Well, everyone else is white. Race relations is going to have to come up sometime. If just one other person was a minority, say Asian or Hispanic, the starkness of reality would be toned back a bit. btw, Brad and Sara work well on the show together.

Many reviews, little time

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Got back from church retreat over weekend and found more than a few things to take care of. Books due at library tomorrow. Working on bio of Douglas Adams, who wrote Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Long and detailed. Had review for edit, and found two to post. Tried being a bit more snarky on Boston Legal review this week. This poor show getting darker and darker. Alan holds his own, but Garrett cares too much. Brad needs someone to care about. (Where do I go to volunteer? ;) ] Shirley needs to be knocked off her high horse. What has gotten neglected? My transcription. Compared to what I started with, pile is LOTS smaller.

What have I gotten myself into?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Series work for Blogcritics-pick couple of shows I watch regularly and write review afterwards. Not problem, right? Uh, it's a little more tricky than that. For one thing, CSI:NY technical; I go online and read recaps for clarity on details. Boston Legal does not have recaps, but they have one thing in common. Neither show does one storyline throughout an episode. That would be entirely too simple. Copious notes, help, though not all make it into written work. Speaking of, Boston Legal writers would have done well to re-examine previews before shooting. In "Finding Nimmo" Lori should have gone to the basement rather than Tara. Alan should have worn blue satin jammies to bed. Go to Blogcritics and lookup BL in search to find what I wrote.

It's been a while

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

since I last posted. If you go to Blogcritics, you can find my 'series' of television shows I am reviewing by each episode. Plop Boston Legal into the search engine, and click the link for NancyGail. Also doing CSI:NY.

Awww!

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

I liked this from Denny. A word to the wise, the comments shift to a political tone. Read them at your discretion.

Mistaken Identity

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Sadie has a post that caught my attention not that long ago. Since the picture included was James Spader, I was compelled to stick in a comment or two. Some poor person asked if he was the husband on Medium. Since I don't watch, I double checked. Nope-that's Jake Weber. But I think I know where the confusion came form. At this year's Emmy Awards, Spader handed the Bestr Actress Emmy to Patricia Arquette, the star of Medium.

How Very Odd

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

You know, I read people's blogs all the time. I have one gal, Kelley, whom I read often. Her sidebar blogroll tips me when others update. Have running list on this blog, no clue as to update notification. But this one, just blocked a comment for "questionable content". W/O of course, highlighting which part it objected to. The CNN? The legislator? NOLA? The suggestion that those who come back to that town should only be allowed to come by agreeing to help rebuild? I don't think it's entirely unreasonable.

The Boston Bombshell

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Bless you Sadie. I've had Buscemi on the brain too long. Sopranos scenarios keep me tossing and turning. Luckily, the new fall season starts soon.

One Nation Under God (or Not)

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

If I read Key's post correctly, she is referring to a federal judge's ruling to declare the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. U.S. Supreme Court ruled otherwise. They threw the first case brought by Michael Nudow out, rightly so. He was protesting his daughter's saying the Pledge when he did not have custody to begin with.. But I digress. "Under God" was added to this historic rendering after the fact. This country is under God whether we openly acknowledge it or not. Try this: if you're not into it, just don't say it.

Detecting 101

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Think I may have found CNN's correspondent Jason Bellini. Check out the Land Rover commercial with the orange SUV. That last breath out looks familiar..

Well said

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Since this comes from a solider in Iraq, will not clean up language. Happen to agree with it. My take: if people had worked to clean up debris two benefits: 1) easier for aid vehicles to get through 2) much needed exercise. Airlifts were hindered in some cases due to too much weight. Basically, fat not hauled aboard. Here's a hint: 200+ lbs (or even close to 200) is a problem.

Drunk woman dies in cemetery accident - Yahoo! News

Drunk woman dies in cemetery accident - Yahoo! News

Knew I should've taken a left turn at Albequerque...

Kathy, you have some explaining to do

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

If what I have been reading online is correct, feds less to blame for Hurricane Katrina than originally thought. Way things work, local officials declare a "state of emergency declaration" then Pres. Whoever declares "state of emergency". Sounds convoluted to me. Anyway, mayor of NOLA was ready to, but Kathleen Blanco asked for 24 hrs. to think about it. Who was dingbat who said okay? Can only wonder how many lives were lost due to that. She also wants control over police rather than federalizing, so she retains firing power. Nagin goofed by not utilizing school buses for evacuation. "Late" response by feds had much to do with logistics. FEMA should remain under Homeland Security, but intact as agency. Before 9/11, weren't they set up to respond to natural disasters? This might have been high when it comes to strength, one level lower than top; but it seems to me four days without food and water is unprofessional. Bush agrees, and I cannot wait to see heads roll. Top of things to do NEEDS to be communication between agencies and central command that works if phones don't. One bright note is pumps sending water out, power coming back on, people still being rescued.

THE 25 Word Challenge

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

You know the drill. 25 word responses ONLY, and no back to back comments from the same person. Feel free, though, to post as often as you like.

She sat at the keyboard, filled with a righterous fury. Not because she lacked her focus. Each word would be devastating. People would quickly take notice.

Thanks for the Memories (not)

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Katrina gone, left death and destruction in her wake. Problem being worked on, but water levels make things nearly impossible. Power still gone, so communciating not working. Even reporters stuck, unable to tell their families they're okay or have smooth sailing once on air. Help coming, albeit slowly. Troops now deployed from other states to help in recovery effort. Navy Cruisers started down to affected areas from Norfolk, Va. (shouldn't they have been first team to arrive? It's not impeded by water) Donations coming in to Red Cross. What confuses me is why in the world nobody figured out how to stop leaks from levees. Correct me if you must, but doesn't building those require you also know how to fix? Trucks which restore power have not come in due to water. On one good note, Slidell LA is seeing waters recede. Come to think of it, Ala. did not have too high levels. And I heard of at least one airport whose runways are closed to public, but emergency teams can come. And I think I also heard Ala. has a main road open. It's just day by day.

Bogged down in Letters

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Picjed up my transcription for today and thought it VERY thick. One look and I realized: not one letter, but 3 or 4 in the same package. No wonder. Gotten through about 2/3, but still a decent bit left to go.

Which Reservoir Dog are You?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Saw this blog's latest post and had to take test myself. Trying to upload results onto here tends to cause problems. However, deleted code leads to seriously smaller post. Which makes getting rid of it MUCH easier.
Anyway: I am Mr. Pink. Steve Buscemi may be a very nice guy, but he makes a career out of playing some nasty characters. No wonder he was chosen for this movie. Face is familiar, even if name may not be. (Ask your kids: Buscemi lent voice to Randall in Monsters Inc.) If you watched last season's Sopranos, Buscemi was Tony Blondetto.
What got me started on this ? Red Eye, new airline psychological thriller. A litttle close to reality. But I digress. Cillian Murphy plays Jackson Ripner, an operative drawn into world of terrorism. Too intense for me to see. Did research. Last time audiences saw him, he portrayed Scarecrow in Batman Begins. Also a butcher in Girl With a Pearl Earring. Found Murphy in full Scarecrow costume. Got it stuck in brain most of weekend. Reservoir Dogs may be a bit graphic, but considering director is Quentin Tarantino....

So Much for Common Sense

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

According to some dimwit at the TSA, they figure relaxing the rules on banned items you can take on a plane might make sense. So what are they planning to allow back? Knifes shorter than 5 in. (thinking pocketknives), razor blades, scissors. However: keep going. Icepicks, bows and arrows, and perhaps even box cutters. Um, I hate to bring this up, but: 9/11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Part of the theory is that with reinforced cockpit doors and passenger participation, chances of something going wrong lessens. It wouldn't help. Think about it. One good poke...

Do you know what time it is?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Those in Congress needto keep their eyes and ears open to see if they will get to serve another term. It's also time for those seeking office to check ensure they can get in. According to WJ Clinton, Hillary is not seeking higher office without completing her Congressional term.
Yeah, right. We'll see about that.
Speaking of news, CNN's Bill Hemmer left sometime back for a stint at FOX according to the ajc. Yet a peek at their website yields no bio. What gives?
Also, Net scuttlebutt mentioned Jason Bellini's bio being gone at CNN site. Peope figured he had either given notice or had been let go. A slim possibility was that his bio was being worked on. Since I am seriously inquisitive, I checked. Sure enough, bio is gone. Now, I've seen his work. Why in the world has no news bureau snatched him up?

Snape must have struck

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

If you notice, a few posts down is rest of my site. Yes, it looks odd. Due to my quiz results, it has completely engulfed my blog rather than sticking to one post. And efforts to delete it are being ignored. EXCUSE ME?! Last time I checked, this is mine to do as I so choose. Push red button, post should go away as requested.
On another note, reading latest Harry Potter book. Not quite finished last night. Could have, but wanted to avoid staying up all night. Of course, if I had known the news would focus on two stories solely, could have stayed in bed for another hour. Ignoring alarm clock bad idea, though. Peter Jennings died yesterday, so attention is being paid. Folks, when you start repeating the same segments, it is time to "put the story" to bed until you can find something else to show viewers.
Shuttle return delayed. Got it, thanks. Same problem as mentioned above.
How do I like HP? (book) It's okay. A little overdone. Forgot what some of references mean from previous novels. Newest movie is out in November, I think. 4? Saw 2 a while back. That had to be four hours long. Turned it on late, so missed opening.

Hot Potato, Hot Potato!

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

http://www.passthepotato.com/potato-2.php?potatoid=050726165234-175143

Oops! Perhaps this will bring up more than the coding. Since I recall more blogs than blog addys: Kelley Key Kimberly Eric Christina are just going to have to be trusted to keep this up.

Ready, your honor

Herald.com | 08/01/2005 | Short hiatus for 'Boston Legal' finally to end

This month brings out repeats until Season 2 returns in the fall. Thought Kerry Washington was a guest star? Anyway, perhaps the ladies will make a guest appearance at some point. What would be interesting NOW imho is to bring in the Practice crew in one form or another. hey, it could happen..

Bedside table Meme

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Found an interesting new meme going around. Kelley has the stage mother of all when it comes to sheer amount of stuff. Christina has the roundup of everyone else. However: here is where I found the first reference.
Wanna know what I've got?
For starters, a table on either side of bed. Looking down from the foot, left has: one lamp, alarm clock, contact case with solution, contact solution, my glasses, various papers, cordless phone, a bible.
On right: another lamp (matching set), a pile of books- 1. an autobio of Lucile Ball 2. autobio from Pres. Carter's chief of staff 2. Book on marital relationships (works for singles too) 3. Guideposts fiction :Grace Chapel Hill (sisters try and reunite two former lovers) and Church Choir-Plots and Pans.
These got buried-Sara Paretsky -Guardian Angel, and book with Lord Bryon playing prominent role in mystery, a writing tablet, advertising circulars, pieces of junk mail, and an O magazine..

Need I say more?

Bus driver scared of making whoopee... - Yahoo! News

Can we say overkill?

Man goes on rampage in tax office - Yahoo! News

Though I might be able to understand his sentiment, I assume he did not pay in cash. Why didn't he just bring a statement from the bank or c copy of the money order with him? Better yet, if he paid by credit, nowadays one can pull up a statement online. YOO HOO-federal offense!!!!!!!!!

Shades of Laura Palmer...

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Egad. Did the reporter who wrote this ever hear of due diligence? Lake Bell aka Sally Heep was gone not that long after the first few episodes. Monica Potter aka Lori Colson might be a fine actress, but that character was like a deer caught in headlights. Rhona Mitra, aka Tara Wilson, needs to come back every so often for a guest appearance. Guess Kerry Washington's character stayed in Texas after the death penalty hearing she tried with Alan Shore. Speaking of, does he have a career of breaking hearts or what? At least enough common sense prevailed to let Shore and Crane stick around. Without them, Boston Legal would not exist.

Boston Legal Homecoming

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

As much as I would like to think my rants over BL's removal from the ABC lineup had something to do with it, I doubt ABC bigwigs are going to bother with my blog. They have finally come to their senses, however, and brought back the show starting August 9th. That should finish the season. New season begins Sept. 20th, two days after the Emmys. Icing on the cake is the nominations of both James Spader and William Shatner.
Added bonus of Heather Locklear on BL as a guest star. Some of you may remember her work on T.J. Hooker. According to Spader, she is "a woman without morals, utterly cold, who is brought up on murder charges." Other than the murder, case of pot calling the kettle black?

London repeats itself and other news

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

By now, you might have heard of the "incidents" in London, two weeks to the day when the version of 9/11 hit. Now, this is nowhere near THAT. Small explosions, bus windows blown out but no one hurt, ONE injury somewhere else, and no rush hour traffic. Kath has some interesting commentary. Scary to think I agree with another blogger, but I do. On second item, at any rate. Yes, there are those who disagree with Blair, and doubly hate the fact Iraq happened. But I also believe Iraq for what is happening in London is a weak excuse. Seems to me enough potential troublemakers exist for them to think for themselves. No, this is not the fault of ALL muslims. Most of them are horrified at the current state of affairs.I t always amazes me what those in news professions consider news. Bush speaks to a group? Live coverage. Forget about reporters whose job it is to cover, then report later. Tell people you have nothing to tell them, so don't ask? Call a press conference. Jackson gets arraigned? Put hours of coverage on when the biggest item is only about ten minutes. Saddam Hussein appears in court? spend hours covering when the few minutes he spoke would suffice.
A couple of tidbits: Nice to see Bill Hemmer back on the air. Note to writers: he was not "dumped", he chose to leave CNN. There's a difference. Not all that fond of FOX, but may have to take a peek. Hemmer's cute-PEOPLE once made him a Sexiest Bachelor. He supposedly makes a mean teriyaki salmon. (not that I know personally)
Some dignbat commenters at Blogcritics named Tucker Carlson a "gay icon". Er, how? The man is married with a passel of offspring. The bow tie works, btw.

Bad Dating Practice

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Poor Phin. ;) My own experience with dating is slim, but I do seem to recall the double date where only two of us were actually a couple. We went to the movies, and I changed seats because my back was hurting. My "date" got mad, and stormed out of the theatre. Guy #2 mentioned it. I refused to go after the one I was paired with, since I refuse to put up with childish behavior.

Christmas Update

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Slow time for news. However, I DID promise updates on my latest project.

I'm doing transcription for group committed to making sure those criminally convicted and should not have been are released. In other words, taking letters, etc. -turning turning them into computer documents. Slow going. Probably 1/3 done. What is taking so long is that each item has to be written up individually. More than one is several pages. Usually, there's a typed page along with the actual item. Not always, but I've learned to go back and look at original before considering things finished. Funny thing-one review book for Blogcritics is someone sent to the death chamber, but it might have been the wrong guy. Technically speaking, a subtext is the Lost Boys of Sudan.

London Maintains its Upper Lip

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

If you look around blogs anytime these last few days, someone somewhere is writing about the bombs which went off in the Tubes and one which detonated on the top level of a double decker bus.
They're working on it. What the people who are behind this fail to realize is that 1) stiff upper lip means not giving in to fear 2) Scotland Yard, considered to be the best in the world when it comes to police work, is in THAT country and 3) due to security cameras just about everywhere, footage is bound to come up of the ones responsible.
Hmm.. let's see, can we say lack of foresight?
As for Al Quieda, jury still out. Have the feeling, though, enough potential terrorists live in London to not need outside help. "Claiming" to be AQ is a far cry from having memebrship. Ever heard of the term wanna be?

Duh!

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Somebody actually said this out loud? Good heavens. For those of you scratching your heads, go find a civics book and look up the three branches of government.

You know, civics and spelling/grammar would not be a bad idea for a graduation requirement..

Christmas in July

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

While going out on an errand, I was delighted to see a package on my porch. Even though I am used to having one appear on a regular basis, this was not your ordinary item.
Part of what I "do" is volunteering with the Georgia Innocence Project. The focus is to free those convicted of a crime not committed. I agreed to do transcription of letters from a former client.
Had to haul in the box first.
According to instructions, press firmly on entire box flap.
Gee, that helped. Flap sank into box without opening.
Time for my long handled knife.
Nope. Scratched surface.
Only after pulling open the flap (was this made with industrial strength crazy glue?) did it work.
Out popped a boatload of paper.
I'll have to keep you updated on progress.

I smell a rat

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

If this is to be believed, something's rotten in the state of Denmark. Don't trust me? Look down at the last half of the post. They hold the piece of paper over your head until you provide the eats. Can we say bribe?
Folks, if you cannot afford to pay for a meal: 1) work overtime for some extra pay 2) go, but eat dinner at home so that dessert is all you purchase 3)stick to the appetizers [done that myself-worse case scenario, I have water and whatever I can grab out of the bread basket]
OR stay away from the restaurant all together.
This does cost something, part of the profits. If you can hold a job, you can pay for your own meal ticket.

Sigh

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

I finally figure out how to get trackbacks on this thing, and Picasa is throwing a fit. Oh well, tomorrow's another day..

Kennedy Rising

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

There is a controversy brewing up about what "causes" autism. Leave it to one of the Kennedys to be smack dab in the middle.
On an interview with Joe Scarborough, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., came on to discuss the idea that thimerasol, a preservative for vaccines, was directly responsible for causing autism in achild who did not previously show any signs.
I've seen the transcript. Joe concluded that it would only be a matter of time before it is proven to have caused autism.
Thank you very much, Mr. Scarborough.
As a parent whose child has Asperger's Syndrome, you should have known better.
Forget the fact that the vaccine prevents children from catching potentially fatal diseases . If you had done some basic homework, you would see that thimerasol has been all but elimnated from the vaccine in question.
Want a "cause"? Okay. Try genetics. If there is one thing I have learned as an adult with AS, it is this: children with AS are fairly likely to have a parent with AS. Not always, but it has shown more often than not to be the case. And boys are diagnosed with AS more than girls.
Oh yeah, you have a daughter. No wonder you are grasping at anything which could turn your daughter away from being autistic. Did you know Bill Gates has AS, or that Steven Spielberg does? If the diagnosis had been around, Michealangelo, Jane Austen, and Albert Einstein would have had AS too.

Tom Cruise is an Idiot

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Hmmm.. that sounds a bit harsh.
Wait a minute. This is MY blog.

Did you see that interview with Matt Lauer the other day? It started off okay, with discussion on Katie Holmes and War of the Worlds. If I were Katie, might tend to think twice before getting married to someone with a fairly sizable age difference. However..
New movie doesn't interest me in the slightest, Cruise or not.
Things turned quite heated, though, when it came to that remark he made about Brooke Shields takin medication for her post partum depression. You see, Cruise is against the use of any type of psychiatry as well as any type of psychiatric medication. I agree that meds are far too easy to prescribe, but...
What Tom refuses to understand is that for some people, meds are actually quite useful. And that his viewpoint for this matter might be open to interpretation. NO, he just thinks anyone who disagrees has no clue as to what they're talking about.

My poor neglected blog

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Due to weather and computer malfunctions (thank you, NetZero), this has not been written on for a bit.

Okay, so Oprah got "turned away" from shopping in Hermes the other day. It reminded me of a store a few blocks away where it is known to be open after hours. Here's the deal: you (customer)provides shoppers, money to spend, and refreshments if desired. We (store) provide staff and a place to shop. The agreement is worked out in advance so proper preparations can be made.
Which begs this question: did Oprah have a deal, or did she just show up and expect that Hermes' staff would be falling at her feet? If the latter was the case, I'm with the salesperson who said no.

How to find Natalee

Why? Because Floppy Ears smells. I mean, really smells! Think about it.

What's my take on Natalee?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

I'm sure Aruba would like nothing more than to find this missing Alabama high schooler and get their country off the national news. Since their experience seems to need some help, allow me to share a few thoughts. You had three guys she was last seen with. Five suspects, but you wisely let two out of custody when you realized they could not have had anythng to do with this . Two of the remaining are brothers. That leaves JORAN, son of a local judge. Known to party, but that is typical for your land. Searching did not work, although Aruba is tiny, size wise. He lied. Whoops. Then, compounded the error by telling anther suspect he lied. Not to mention that one of those two you let go overheard him say it. We call that primary suspect.
It reminds of of a local case involving the founder of Habitat for Humanity. Millard Fillmore was suspected of conduct unbecoming. He tried to hinder the investigation. The board fired him. Rightly so. Followers ticked, but they forgot innocent people move heaven and earth to clear their names. Which means he made himself look guilty. See a pattern?

Final Chapter now available

Autopsy results are in, and no abuse was found. However, what they did discover is interesting. Irreversible brain damage. Sometimes news stories go on for far too long, but this just might stop the coverage of Michael Jackson's ten not guilty verdicts.

Naughty, naughty..

Put Jessica Cutler into Google and you get the usual dearth glut of info. Who is she? she wrote a book about a D.C. intern who publishes her escapades onto a blog and drives people nuts. Why? the details are juicy, and characters are only identified by initials. The real life author was fired for doing exactly that when her boss found out. Being the intrepid detail person I am, I looked over the reproduction of Cutler's blog and noticed a couple of things. First-J. Guessing here, but Julian Epstein comes to mind, the Democratic politico and fmr. congressional aide. There's a rather obvious reference if one cares to look (er, for someone else). Since I doubt highly it's true, will leave any inferences to others.

For Love or Money

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

This is making its way across the Net. A firefighter is about to lose his job over getting married. Now hold on! You didn't think I was going to let this pass without comment, did you? It appears as though he is getting hitched to a department captain's daughter. HIS dept. capt's. Which brings up an issue of nepotism. Basically, not keen on having father in law in charge of son in law. That makes much sense. However, they did try and offer a deal, transferring fireman to another station. But no! Fireman is planning a lawsuit because his family has tradition of being firemen. Forget fact dad now in OHIO. Ever hear of reading before you sign?

Memory Meme

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

There is a new meme making the rounds. The idea is to see a list of literary characters and name the author and work. Oh, without resorting to Google. Kelley got the thing started.
My list came up short, so Google helped me lengthen a bit. Even though I stuck to what I have actually read, this wasn't easy.
1) Nearly Headless Nick 2) Hester Prynne 3)Calvin O'Keefe 4) Mrs. Danvers 5) Ginger Fowler Sibley 6) Loveday Carey lewis 7)Guy Montag 8) Jack Worthing 9) Arthur Dent 10) Denise "Necie' Rose Keheller

Rob got one up on his blog, too. Enjoy!

Oops

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Whatever happened to pre flight inspection?

People are funny

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

There is an interesting discussion going on between bloggers. I got wind of this here. The question is whether or not a flame is up for dating purposes by a friend when you and the former flame are no longer an item. Here's my take on it.
When I was volunteering with a professional theatre company (we paid people), there was an unspoken rule. Those married acted like it. In other words, spouse came up in conversation, with ease. Fondness crept into the voice. Spouse showed on opening night. Generally speaking, I met them. Wedding ring did not work as a clue, because theatre brings out those who could make gold band on left hand, fourth finger mean something else than what most people think. And happily married men did not always wear theirs. Women, however did. Oh, no matter what got said or done, married persons showed in body language "Forget it".
Now, married people are off limits to me. No matter how nice. Depending on who I marry, I have no problem with my husband being around other women. Or looking. Just as long as he goes home with me.

Right up my alley

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Using Picasa to put pics on my posts is fun, even if I'm still getting used to the method involved. However, going to try and refrain for a bit. What I hope is that my posts are being archived and bundled every so often.
Seeing this begging caught my attention. As a writer, blogging is not difficult for me. I think out of all the nonsense out on the Net, there are some out there who are pretty articulate when it comes to speaking their mind. Count me in, Adam. Acidman, cannot wait to hear what you come up with.
Of course, I am shamelessly putting trackbacks in here-hoping to see "Nancy linked with " on front pages. And, sticking my blog site on the sidebar reserved for links ; )

Legally Loquacious

My My My, what have you been up to?

Runaway Bride gets probation

She wanted to plead guilty and get this over with, but nolo contendre? My cousin married a lawyer, so I know that it equals not admitting guilt, but not wholly innocent. What was she thinking?! And paying only part of the town's expenses is tacky. Installments would have made more sense.

Life Coming Full Circle

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

You know, every so often, history has a way of going around and connecting to itself in unexpected ways. I have a list of blogs I read on a regular, if not daily, basis. After perusing Key's post on trying to become a foster parent, I was reminded of Rachel Ewald. A lady from my church, she created a foundation to assist new temporary parents with necessities such as clothes, books, and equipment. If you saw the special on ABC a while back, her story was mentioned as she also takes in foster children while raising teenagers with her husband. This is her drving passion. In GA, CASA creates child advocates out of volunteers. These folks help out in court cases, although not as lawyers. Reading another blog on unsolved crimes made me think of the group Barry Scheck started to help people wrongly convicted. In Points North magazine, there is a group here known as the GIP. Basically, they work on a local level to exonerate prisoners who were found guilty and should not have.

Anything to be seen

I know he wanted publicity, but this?

About time

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Police finally got that Crane Cuckoo down. Did you hear about this? Some nutcase from Fla. is wanted for questioning after a former girlfriend turns up murdered. Suppoedly, he has a sister who lives in Atlanta. He flees the Sunshine State, gets up here, and starting Wed. Afternoon, sits atop a Buckhead construction crane and stays. Police cordon off the area, offer his food and water (doesn't take-but what about his "inner cleansing") and leave the NightClub Town cut off from the typical as well as holiday traffic. Restaurants were de-lighted. Where's Carl Hiassen?

I do solemnly swear

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

never to put Quizilla on this blog a-gain. It throws off my right margin so badly that everything over there is relegated to the bottom. However, (trumpet flourish) I have a links list! For someone has has very limited experience with HTML, this is an accomplishment. Clueless as to what that means? Well, HTML is an acronym for the specialized coding which creates webpages. After much gnashing of teeth in trying to get my links up, could scribble down that exact translation pretty darn close to accurate. Copy and paste works much better.

Runaway Bride runs out of Options

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

D.A. Danny Porter has announced that a Gwinnnett County grand jury has indicted Jennifer Wilbanks, aka the "Runaway Bride", with two counts of criminal misconduct. One is those is a felony charge. She lied to law enforcement saying she had been kidnapped and taken away to another state. She bought a bus ticket several days in advance and called a taxi to take her to the bus station. Not to mention she caused more than a few people to begin a search pattern. This is hardly a surprise. But to offer 13 grand as repayment when the costs involved were at least twice that? That needs the book thrown at her.

Acidman and Key have both previously mentioned this story in their blogs. Can't wait to see what they write this time..

Music, Music, Music

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

The sheer audacity of some people amazes me.
As a longtime standing member of Blogcritics, I am used to getting items in the mail for my personal review. But, usually, there is a system in place.
However, there are companies sending me CD singles, unasked for. NO letter saying "Will you please" and a contact to notify the review is up. What concerns me even more is that these keep coming even though NOT ONE review has ever been posted.
I assume they are watching the site for something.
Here's the list so far: Cassidy B Boy Stance AM to PM, Mario Couldn't Say No, Fantasia Free Yourself, Avril Lavigne Fall to Pieces, Babyface Sorry for the Stupid Things, Foo Fighters Best of You, Boo Say it to My Face, Kenny G I Believe I Can Fly.
Some of these will sell without the help of any Blogcritic. Perhaps (I hope) this post will stop the asking of my help.

No More Desperation until Fall

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Whew! After watching the season finale of Desperate Housewives last night, it dawned on me that if I had just watched episode one and the last fifteen minutes of the finale, that would have sufficed.
Let's see: there was an explanation, a death, a new neighbor, and more questions. Mary Alice killled herself because she had stolen Zach -real name Dana from his drug addicted mother. When Deidre showed up to reclaim Dana, Mary Alice stabbed her. So, to protect her family, she put a gun to her head. Paul nearly got killed by Mike for Diedre's death. A new neighbor, played by Alfre Woodward, and her son moved to Wisteria Lane. I can guess.. son is child molester, or he had an affair with a teacher? Tom quit his job, so Lynette may go back to work. Carlos found out about John and Gabi, via John. Rex died from the heart condition pills George was giving him.
Okay, next season starts with a death and an incriminating note. (Rex thought Bree was trying to kill him). Gee, sounds familiar... The ladies know the truth, or do they?

But I don't wanna wear my seat belt!

WINK-TV Southwest Florida's News Leader

You'd expect that from a two year old. But a teenager? This incident was news for more reasons than misbehavior.
Yes, three people bear parts of blame. Not equally. Leave it to Fla. to give the person with most burden a lesser charge. According to news reports, charges were made before tape "became available". As in, pre lawyers? State's Attorney should reassess, fast.
Bus driver needs to be fired. There is no excuse for what HE did. Those boys, however, need to be hauled into principal's office and told in no uncertain terms that bus is a PRIVILEGE, not a given. And those in authority schoolwise deserve respect. I agree completely with suspension for one who threw punch.
Parents should lay down the law and tell their sons "You disrespected a school official and embarrassed our family. Consequences are going to be more than what the school punished you with". And stick to them.
Oh, not wearing seatbelt? that needs to be an automatic punishment of some sort for ALL students.

Acidman was Fit to be Tied over this and so were his readers.

You know it's a slow news day when..

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

the focus is on stories that did not need focus to begin with. I feel sorry for 24 hour stations- the easiest way for them to have coverage is by rehashing. Worse yet, by repeating segments to fill out an hour. People have been known to call news conferences for pointless speeches.
What is today's theme? Judgeships. Specifically, the fight between Frist and Reid up in Congress. (You'd think they'd be focusing on reelections next year) Took poli sci, so have some concept of how it works. Let's see, Senate has two people from every state represented, so that's 100. D.C. gets one, too. Will they all agree on everything? Of course not. Now then, the judges being talked about are not Supreme-those serve for life until death or retirement. Since neither has occured, assuming the theme is Circuit- um, as in appeals? Try to remember the Terri Schaivo mess. Frist wants an up/down vote, whatever that is. Reid points out, correctly, that a tiny handful have gotten rejected out of everyone "nominated".
Reporters could handle this. Sit, watch, and tell about what happened in there. After all, it's their job. Totally unnecesary live footage.

She's Got It

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Was in Tuesday Morning the other day, looking with my mom for a suitcase to take on her trip. Got to the checkout line and noticed this woman and a young child (spoke coherently, but not in first grade yet). Anyway, while she was trying to pay, he brought up a toy motorcycle and said, "I want you to buy me this". In other words, not in cart to begin with. Uh oh. When she said no, he started screaming. Not crying, not lying on the floor with arms and legs flailing. But screaming, "I don't want to put it back!" and "I want it!" She tried reasoning. He was determined. She stuck to her guns, though. Not sure if she paid for her purchases or not, although I do not seem to recall seeing a bag in her hand as they left. He kept going. She got him to the car, buckled in his car seat, and said "We're going home". That set off a new rage, "But I don't wanna go home!". My respect for her parenting skills went up greatly that day. No spanking (other customers might have been okay with it this time), no yelling. Just removal and carrying through on her words. It wasn't her fault her son was being a whiny selfish brat, but there was a decision to be made. The Brat did not win.

Business Basics

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Say you work in a place where customers have to check out in order to pay for purchases. Envision : you have three customers in line. A is in front of you, preparing to pay. B has a whopping boatload of items. C is waiting for two people in front of him to be done so he can go home.
Do you..
a) tell first customer how good her hair looks so you can chat about stylists
b) glance down at second customer's items and roll your eyes
c) Tell C " I'll be with you in a minute, sir"
Answer:
none of above. Why? First priority is person in front of you. Finish, and one less person to deal with. Worst thing to do: get intoconversation with another employee if there is ANYONE standing there waiting. This last item has happened twice, and it boggles my mind as to why store workers would do this. Those customers bring in business, and their money pays bills.

A memo of May

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

With the advent of May's second weekend close at hand, America has seen the day set for Mothers and the Memory cherished by Mexico. However, it also marks something else. You see, the television season comes to a close this month. What started back in September finishes out the last original episode before going to reruns. WestWing is gone, Lost and Desperate Housewives will soon end, CSI: NY goes out with a bang next week. and Boston Legal exited long ago. (Whatever possesed ABC to rid itself of one of the best written as well as acted shows on television is beyond me. Sigh. It has been renewed, luckily. Even so, Spader's time on death row leaves room for another episode)
That being said, shows who are not affected by the season are also gearing up for Sweeps. When audiences are glued to their sets, so content had better be big. Looking through a couple of websites, saw something that horrified me. Oprah goes on the air tomorrow with "An Oprah intervention". Yikes! Forget the fact that she is not trained to do so. At least Dr. Phil has the background to give advice to his guests. Had a minister at church who did these. Took hours on end to set everything up, then set events into motion. Is this what sensationalism has come to?

Can we say CSI?

USATODAY.com - Illinois father confessed killings, prosecutors say

Cannot say I'm surprised police were suspicious after reading this story. This man should never have allowed anywhere near his kids after the arrest for wife beating. However, that is beside the point right now.
Let's see, an "atypical" response even though he was the one to find the bodies of the girls, one of whom was his daughter. If you mean little emotion, that alone is not enough to consider him a suspect. Police surely saw something else. Perhaps it was his ugly mug?
This well built adult male killed two girls after one sassed him? He NEEDS to be locked away for life.

Does your computer read minds?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Mine seems to. I opened my email today, and saw over 100 emails! That did not worry me much. Usually, I can delete about one third of them without reading. Knew part of the problem was the leftover unread ones from the night before. Working on a limited time schedule, had less than an hour to work on some things. Finished up my review of Ya Yas in Bloom (fun book), and logged on. Over 100 emails! So, thought I should go ahead and delete. The computer refused to acknowledge my superiority over it, and promptly locked up. When I got it back in line, remembered the library books I wanted to renew. So found the site, but the page format had changed. Yikes! Took me far longer than the two minutes it should have. Finally got done, and was able to delete some much needed wasted space in Yahoo.
Today, had to work quickly to rummage through Yahoo since I had a dental appt. later. More than once, lock up. And when you just read one email before the lockup, major problem. Fit seems to have gone now. Whew!

Where does the GA school system get its brains?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Why is it that when something happens in a school system, a close look at the facts show a stupendous lack of common sense? In a town called Dacula (much to my dismay, in GA), a teacher has recently been let go from the position he held for over two decades. Why? Grade fixing. Or rather, not fixing. You see, this teacher has a policy of lowering grades for falling asleep in class or not completing assignments. Clearly spelled out in the syllabus. And ALL students signed and agreed. Well, one day, a student fell asleep. The assignment in was perfect, and then the teacher looked around and saw the note about the student who slept. Grade went down. Perhaps a bit too far, but policy followed. Child complained to parents, then dad went to talk to principal. WHY? After much wrangling, teacher fired. Appeal pending. What makes this news? Simple. The kid was an star athlete. Forget teacher's time of employment, or that the kid broke a rule EVERYONE knew. No, No, cannot get in the way of my child's sports career. Why in the world didn't the parents ask if kid knew rule, and when answer "yes" , say, you broke it, you accept responsibility for the consequences? Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the purpose of school be to get an education?

baltimoresun.com - Dear John get a clue

baltimoresun.com - Dear John

This says it better than I ever could. After seeing that clip of John declaring on FOX news that he made a comittment and he would stand by Jennifer, the first thought most people had was "How sweet!" Right?
Has it occurred to him that his fiancee not only did not have the strength to say "We need to talk" but left him high and dry? The police were getting ready to declare him the prime suspect, even though he passed the lie detector test with flying colors. With the aftermath of Lacey and Lori hacking, I can understand why. He was the last person to see her before she hopped a bus.
Even that, she had planned it well in advance nearly a week before.
To top it off, she LIED to law enforcement, which is considered a felony in some cases. The worst of this mess was that she caused many people to put in more than a few hours looking for her, thinking she actually might have been hurt or worse.
Stay by her if you must. But do NOT get married.

Numbers Game

Prosecutors Cross-Examine Tyco's Ex-CEO - Yahoo! News

Current Salary: way too much money to begin with
Payment to IRS: 25 million dollars
Extravagant Lifestyle: many more dollars
Getting caught with your pants down: priceless

Carl Hiassen calling for Julia Roberts

USATODAY.com - Prosecutor looks into possible charges for runaway bride

Getting cold feet is nothing new. History is rife with stories of people being left at the altar for any number of reasons, whether logical or not. In fact, Sgt. Bilko, starring Steve Martin, has scenes depicting his nearly fatal loss of his long planned nuptials.
What makes this case so odd is that it seems to have long been pre-planned. Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt appears evident with the recounting of the final hours before this story ended. The phone call made to 911, the details clearly given.
Coming home was the most unique. Why the blanket? It's not as if the country did not already knew what Jennifer looked like. Her hair was just a little shorter. If anything, it only drew more attention. With all the manpower spent in the hunt for the truth, she needs to be held accountable for her actions. Paying restitution and many many hours of community service for lying to law enforcement (which is a crime, btw) is the fair and proper action.

More episodes in navel Gazing

USATODAY.com - Science explodes with discovery of why popcorn pops


Too much time on your hands, kiddies?

Congrats!

USATODAY.com - Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles marry

Camilla, honey, about that bird's nest...

And he's up! Maybe

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

After nearly two week, Terri Schiavo passed away. However, even in death, she has managed to once again capture the headlines. Cremation or Burial? PA or FL? Curious minds want to know. Only one person could move Terri off the front page, and he did. The Pope is sick. Now, that is not news, for the Pontiff has not exactly been in the best of health in recent years. However, he does to walk out of sickness's paralyzing grip.
This week is an exception. If you watch the news for any length of time, it almost sounds like bad comedy routine- he's gravely ill; no, he's seriously ill; he's praying with his staff; he's stable; he's listening to Scripture read to him by an aide. I heard all of this in about two hours this morning. Folks, he's either alive or he's not. Could you make up your minds?
On the good side, resting quietly just might turn things around. Exhaustion generally requires rest.
This week,

Whew!

Yahoo! News - Attorneys: Schiavo Legal Fight Nears End

Finally. You have to feel for these parents. Having a severely handicapped child is hardly easy, and they only want to try and give her every opportunity available. However, when that child stays in the same condition for years and years, the kindest thing is to let her go, Courts agreed, although I have to wonder why in the world the attorneys would agree to file appeals that get sent to judges where the motion fell flat. If there was ever any doubt as to her wishes, she said she would not want to live as a vegetable to others besides her husband. After nearly two dozen rulings where just about everyone said the same thing, the fight needs to be over.
No, Jeb Bush does not need to step in. After all, the powers of government were set up so one branch would not infringe on the decisions of other branches. If this were a death row case, it might be different. But keep in mind Terri was not convicted of murder. Don't ask the Fla. governor to break the law just to see your plans accomplished. That's not fair.

Edit? Fuhggeddaboudit

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

With the recent courtroom shootings down here in Georgia, the media has made many a mention. And they should, seeing as how a Superior Court Judge, Rowland Barnes, a court reporter, Julie Ann Brandeau, and an off duty deputy Teasley were killed, another deputy in the hospital. A customs agent was also killed, but the case hs not gone to court yet and whether or not that last death can be linked to the alleged suspect has yet to be determined.
Anyone who knows me well can probably vouch for the fact that I am fairly well knowledgeable when it comes to the news. So, newspaper letters to the editor catch my attention. In last Sunday's Atlanta Journal Constitution, someone wrote about the hostage taken, Ashley Smith, who was held prisoner for seven hours until police could move in and capture Brain Nichols. It was said she did the right thing for going to the media afterwards and "unselfishly" telling her story. Wait a minute. Seems to me people might want to know what happened in the courthouse in the final moments of people's lives. Why in the world does talking about how the arrest took place get called being unselfish?

So much for brains

Yahoo! News - 5-Year-Old Cuffed, Arrested in Florida

I have a problem with this story, and not for the reason you might think. Setting aside the obvious problem of failing to teach a child how to behave in public, the mother's response is totally off base. She claims her child was "set up". Wait a minute! So, if I heard her correctly, here is what the teacher was thinking, "Today I want to make sure my classroom gets into the news. How can I make it happen? I know! I'll play a game with the children, and use candy. When a child acts up, (and I know one will, I've been teaching long enough) I'll take away the candy. With luck, it will be the one kid who gets mad at the slightest provcation. Then, I'll make a phone call, to the cops. And, I'll mention that this child is a potential danger to self and others, so why not use plastic restraints?" Excuse me????!!!!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but F. Lee Bailey would have a field day with this one. Malice of forethought would fall flat as Humpty Dumpty. Remember- All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Finally! Some Common Sense

USATODAY.com - Atlanta rampage suspect makes court appearance

Over the weekend, one of the most talked about crime sprees occurred in Atlanta. For a time, it outweighed the Michael Jackson trial, much to my relief.
Law enforcement is to be commended for their swift action in trying to track Nichols down. Further accolades for not losing their heads whilst getting him captured and arrested. Now then, can someone please explain the failure to cordon off the parking garage where the Honda was found? After all, they were not on the bottom floor. Seems to me that a search might warranted a peek into every nook and cranny. Up here in Roswell, that would be called a brainfart. Worse yet, taking Nichols into a holding cell so he could change clothes was poor planning. Not because women cannot make good cops. But she was a lot smaller, which gave Nichols the advantage, hands down.

Rather Ruckus

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Tonight marks Dan Rather's last night on the air, so to speak. He is steppign down from the anchor chair of CBS Evening News with Bob Schieffer of Meet the Press taking over starting tomorrow. A couple of people have been going on camera with some snide comments. I think Walter, though, has a point. With the Bush document controversy, Rather stayed on perhaps longer than acceptable due to his length of time being a journalist. But why in heaven's name was Cronkite invited aboard to chat about CBS when he is not fond of Rather to begin with? This is hardly a secret, btw. Rather had an ABC offer and mentioned to CBS that he needed a better deal in order not to jump ship. They hopped to. Cronkite was out, although involved down the road in other projects, and Dan stepped up.

Kobe Kerfluffle

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Well, the case that never was turned out to be the case which will never be. Kobe Bryant nd his attorney, Pamela Mackie, settled out of court to whats her name who sued for damages after alleging sexual misconduct. I have a couple of questions: did this girl know Kobe had a wife? If so, she had NO business going to see him in his hotel room. 2) Why didn't Bryant ask her to leave? Better yet, why couldn't he have left the door shut?
The one good thing perhaps about this newest development is that it gave news audiences a break from the Michael jackson trial (my sympathies to those who have to cover THAT spectacle-If Jackson's family had done their job a long time ago, it might not have gotten this far. Michael needs to be treated like the child he so clearly is and be banned from letting children spend the night. Even during the day, he should never be left alone in their company).

Deja Vu all over again

CNN.com - Teen gets 30 years in Zoloft�case - Feb 16, 2005

This reminded me of Andrea Yates. There's a big difference, though, Andrea was sick. Lest one get confused, I'm talking about medical illness, not psychosis. That does not quite fit, IMO. The question used to be "Did the accused know what he/she was doing at the time??" Now, it's "Did the accused know the difference between right and wrong?" In both these cases, the answer is yes. Think about it. Andrea waited until she was alone with her kids (grandma (to kids) was en route, but not there yet). She filled the tub, and systematically drowned each child one by one. She called both her husband and the police, and confessed to the policeman who showed up at her door.
The teenager in the Zoloft murders may have had some bad reaction to medication, but he still made the decision to kill. Birdshot? Well. okay. Here's my question: family members knew he was having med problems, right? He said so: and his aunt testified to that on the witness stand. So why in the world did they not demand the doctor either adjust or eliminate his dosage? Seems as though abdicated responsibility played a role.

No Facts need Apply

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

The other day, I started to look around a few blogs from others who are just as much into this as I am. A couple of posts caught my eye. They were news items, which had made the news precisely for one reason and one reason only. Bloggers were full of themselves. Yes, there were a couple of people who had come crashing down as a result of the blogging outrage and speculation. In one case, that might not have been such a bad thing. What am I blabbing on about, you ask? CNN's Eason resigning after outrage by bloggers over what might have been said during a meal. Never mind that bloggers more than likely took the words out of context. Never mind that they were not there to begin with. NO. They were just happy he had left CNN for good. I read one person's blog saying that CNN had been lying to America ever since they had been on the air. Of course, I'll try not to hold this person's affection for Fox against him. (Bill O'Reilly is hardly "fair and balanced") The fake reporter in the White House briefing room was a foulup of mass proportions. Yes, he worked for a website of "alternative" news. But a simple background check might have solved the entry problem. Not to mention some training in interviewing techniques.

Egads, he's at it again

WSBTV.com - News - Ousted Habitat Leader Says Carter to Intercede in Dispute

Former President Jimmy "Buttinski" Carter has once again decided to step in where his help is not needed. Now hold on, I know some of you are about to say "Now, Nancy, Carter is a good man who has done this country a lot of good." And I'd agree with you, although being President was perhaps not part of the original comment. Like others who lay claim to that title, his works outside office are far more impressive than what happened as a result of his being in office. Have a feeling we made a wise decision not to hand him a second term. But I digress..
As reported a few posts back, the founder of Habitat for Humanity hindered an investigation into whether or not he acted in an inppropriate manner towards a female associated with the group. Think it might have been a staffer, but could have been a volunteer. This led to Fuller's ousting by the board. Good call, if he didn't do anything wrong, why not let an investigation prove it?
Mediation is not the answer here. It is to look into what may or may not have happened, and see what comes up. Fuller should be banned from the premises, IMHO, until such time as further action can be determined.

WJBF NewsCHANNEL 6 | Amazing! 4 Year Old Driver Unhurt

WJBF NewsCHANNEL 6 | Amazing! 4 Year Old Driver Unhurt

Here is the actual story on that kid who got behind the wheel at 4 if you want to read it for yourself.

Calling all cars, Calling all cars

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

A four year old boy is catching the attention of the country, and that's not a good thing. You see, he decided that he wanted to go out to the video game store and see if a certain game had come in. So good, so far? Two points: this was at 1:30 am, and he drove his mother's car. The fact of his being out of the house and away from his parents' sight is outrageous enough. Does the term alarm mean anything to you? How did he manage to drive when he could not reach the pedals, you ask? Coasting. What makes this truly mystifying is the police following him back to his house. Why didn't it occur to the store employees to hold the kid there until his parents/police could arrive? After all, this is a four year old we're talking about.
Oh, his mom went on local television and said the kid misbehaved and had his Playstation taken away, and he found it. So off to the store he went. Uh, Playstation? Seems to me Barney would suffice. Not to mention the only video watching is in say, the den, rather than his room. This is not my son, but stronger discipline is in order.

Hold On, it's a hoax

Rat served in Asian Restaurant Hoax


Okay, nice to know rats are not swimming in my teriyaki. Here's the deal: they cost too much to add them to the meals. At about 50 cents a pound, it drives the cost up. Way up.

Speaking of, have you heard the one about the kidnapped soldier in Iraq? There is a picture going around of a black soldier sitting down with a gun pointed at his head. The military did a head count just in case. Ladies and gentlemen, go clean your spectacles. Not only is the uniform wrong, theman is waaaaay too stiff. It's a toy, a version of a GI Joe. Lots of stuff is floating around out there. use your brain to filter out the junk.

Common Sense Need Apply

WSBTV.com - News - Habitat Members Rallying Around Ousted Founder

Here's what I don't get: So Millard Fuller may not have acted in an inappropriate manner. For all I know, some lady got her bee in a bonnet because she made him dinner and he refused to touch it. But when you deliberately hinder an investigation, it kinda looks suspicious. Wait, let me rephrase that. YOU LOOK GUILTY. Let him go. You can always hire him back if it turns out he didn't do it. And folks, this is supposed to be an organization of ethical practices, right? Get your heads out of the sand.

My Response

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

After President Bush finished his State of the Union speech last night, the Democratic leaders from both the House and Senate had an opportunity to respond. Now, it's my turn.

Security an issue? Fix the biggest flaws. Two words: checked luggage. Two more: port cargo. The same problem for both. No inspection, or very little. TSA does a pretty good job at stopping "weapons" from getting through. Hint: nail clippers and metal nail files will not penetrate the skin if skin is poked.

Social Security not so secure? The snag in your plan is that someone takes money from their guaranteed government "pension" and puts it into the unstable stock market. Whoops.

Military involvement: Elections are taken care of. Train the troops of countries we let democracy reign to handle things themselves, then bring our boys home.

You defined some issues that you are taking a stand on. Open yourself to some new options.

Judges should interpret the law but not legislate from the bench. Have you been in court recently? Opinions are rampant. It would help if you left the Constitution alone. I support the marriage of a man and woman, Mr. President. But I have a problem with amending one of our greatest historical documents so that it will not be amended to reflect changes you might not agree with.

Wacko Jacko wants his day in court

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

The molestation trial of one of the biggest names in pop music started yesterday. At least the jury choosing. Now, here's what gets me: why in the world would Jackson want to be present in court during the weeding? Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely nobody can safely answer "Do you know who Michael Jackson is?" with a NO and get away with it. Even he was not musical, this story has been in the press so often that his face is just a WEE difficult to forget. He actually made a video to ask viewers to give him a fair trial? You've got to be kidding. The only people who can do that are the members of the jury. Something's wrong here, folks. Members of Jackson's own family should have realized a lot sooner that a grown adult should not be left alone with young children and teens. Neverland should have only been available for day trips. If MJ wants to help sick kids, pay their medical bills. Or fly them somewhere for treatment. Bring toys to cheer them up at the hospital.
Yes, I know. Innocent until proven guilty. All I'm saying is that things are not looking good.
At least the media have a bone to gnaw over. And over and over..

Election Ecstasy?

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Elections in Iraq have come to pass. Amazingly, thousands of Iraqi citizens turned out to vote. That people will vote if given the opportunity is nothing new. What makes this event worthy of coverage on the local news (not to mention more than a few hours of cable media) is that the opposition is so intense. People running for office have been killed, as well as those who already had posts. Now then, over here, we step up and vote out those who we believe are not doing a good job in office. Or, keep those in who we actually like. But overseas is a different story. When there is never any elected officials before people turn out and have to vote, some sort of process has to be set up. Whose idea was it to mark people's finger with ink so that they know who voted? Granted, it's not a sticker. But ink did not come off. Oops. Hello, sitting ducks. This is yet another example of military intelligence being the biggest oxymoron ever. Yes, Hussein was a bad leader (the three in power). Yes, the people should decide who they want to follow. But n0w that it has come full circle, we need to start working on a plan to bring the troops home. Oh wait, I forgot. We were naive enough to vote Bush back in.

Alone in The Dark-Starring Christian Slater and Tara Reid

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Mr. Moviefone was on CNN today with his opinion of the latest movie releases. Only two, but they match the dark and dreary weather sweeping across the United States. Neither is one which I would recommend people to go see, but one caught my attention.
Christian Slater stars in Alone in the Dark, also starring Tara Reid. Slater portrays Edward Carnby, who goes on a hunt in search of the person (s) who murdered his best friend. Nothing too surprising there. What makes this worth watching, perhaps, is that Carnby makes his living as an investigator of the paranormal or otherwise bizarre.
No fan of Slater's is going to be shocked by the choice in roles. By reputation (and well deserved, too, I might add), there are a handful of actors who are well adept at playing the roles which require one to be odd or very far removed from the nice guy next door. Can we say Heathers? That was the first time I sat through an entire movie which Slater made. By the time when JD was at his worst, it was to be expected. but we also understood why.
Carnby is haunted by a past encounter with the Queen, and is not too eager to repeat it. Have a feeling that Neil Kaplan, who Slater portrayed in Alias for two episodes, will be morphed into the multifaceted layers of Edward.

Dobson Does it Again

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

Another children's tv character is under attack. And yes, it is from a religious authority figure. Dr. James Dobson has gone after Spongebob Squarepants. Not the character himeself, mind you. But the website. Why? Because it talks about tolerance. Included within the words are 'sexual identity'. Gee, can we say what those words might entail? Now, somewhere there is a law on the books called separation of church and state. Basically, it means government stays out of deciding religious matters. Techinically, it should also mean that religious leaders should stay out of politics. For example, my pastor always reminds his congregation that voting is a privilege in this country, so go vote. For the candidate you think best. No saying who to vote for, but a supporting of the concept. Nothing wrong. Doesn't Dobson have anything else to do? And on a video, kids tv characters sing "We Are Family". So what?

Calling Emily Post

WSBTV.com - News - New Lawsuits Filed Against Atlanta-Based Waffle House

Okay, so some have never learned to treat others with courtesy ,dignity, and respect. Here's a hint: THEY PAY YOUR SALARY WHEN YOU WORK IN THE FOOD SERVICES INDUSTRY. This same chain has been on the news before. For the same problem. If that is not cause for mass firings, not sure what is.

Just in case this is management, corporate officers should step in and review any tapes realting to times names in lawsuit.

Black Eye for the Eye

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

CBS has made headlines again. Not because it won every People's Choice Award this year, but due to the delayed action on the Rathergate scandal. You know, the story on Bush which should have been vetted before it went on the air, but wasn't. Oops. Four producers have been let go. Wait, that's only part of this story. The producer who was directly responsible was fired, as she should have been. Besides, she was also talking with representatives from the Kerry campaign while she was at it. Can we say conspiracy? Three others have been asked to turn in their resignations. Okay, "asked" is probably not the right term here, "ordered" may be better. Dan Rather will step down from the anchor desk later this year. most saw that coming. To give credit where credit is due, Rather has been recognized as the hardworking journalist he is. But he and Andrew Heyward, who should have been disciplined as well for allowing sloppy fact checking to enter into play in the effort to have a "get", are out of the picture. At least for now.

a History Lesson

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

History says that if we do not learn from it the first time, we are doomed to repeat it. I remembered that phrase while watching the public fundraising for tsunami survivors in Southeast Asia. Yes, they need money. And no question, they could use help in rebuilding. One conundrum: how do aid groups get what they need? Answer: the media. One irony: when people donate, it tends not to make news. Except when one happens to be a celebrity to begin with. Why are these large donations splashed across television segments for all to see? I only ask because what seems like a generous outpouring of support is pocket change to donators. Someone who makes several million dollars taking roles in movies has no problem handing over one million to charity. And yet, "Sandra Bullock gives $1, 000,000 to Red Cross!" is newsworthy. What really caught my attention was the live fundraiser airing on several cable stations where celebrities join to ask people to give. Wait a minute. Does 9/11 ring a bell? Someone once astutely pointed out that if those same celebrities had donated out of their own pockets, the telethon would not have been needed. I'm not criticizing the ability of celebrities to bring more attention to a cause than the ordinary citizen; just wondering whether the attention is always warranted.

Water Water Everywhere

'http://notesfromnancy.blogspot.com
Blogarama

and not a drop to drink. The tsunami which passed through much of SouthEast Asia, killing literally thousands of people, has gone. And left way too much damage in its wake. Some of those unaccounted for are still missing. Presumed dead, in some cases. Stateside, California is under a deluge of water. Already, a man made the news for having to be pulled from a river after his two daughters had already been rescued. BMW making for a houseboat, the man was fairly easy to spot. However, insult was added to injury when he lost his pants on the rope haul up to dry land. Bless the news coverage, they blurred the area "down below" after pants hit liquid. Janet Jackson would be so proud. On yet another front, snow has fallen way too fast, creating the need for snow tunnels to be dug so people would have places to walk. Snowshoes, anyone?