2 TV Shows Stupidly Kill Off Supporting Characters

Recently, two tv shows we watched killed off supporting characters.
GHOST WHISPERER - Melinda (the ghost whisperer) lost her husband, who has been a supporting character for years. The producers have "kept" him in the show by making his ghost enter the body of a newly-almost-deceased man. The man's spirit left his body and went into the light, and Melinda's husband's ghost entered the body right after the other left. I can sense ghosts, and believe me, this is pretty unusual... anyway, we think they ruined the show. We don't care to watch it anymore.
NCIS- This cop drama had an asian agent in it over the last 2 seasons that was killing people (other agents) because her daughter was being held by a psychotic killer. Last night's episode ended with the rescue of her daughter, and the agent's murder.
What do producers have against happy endings?

Lesson of the Day: Treat your dog right... or Else!

This is a story that appears in today's Seattle Times newspaper. I love it! Obviously, this dog was either left outside way too long, not given fresh water several times a day, given treats, or taken on walks. Good for the dog! Nothing says "treat me better" than being shot in the ass by your dog! :) Happy Thanksgiving!

Oregon man shot by dog recovers
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORTLAND -- A man from the Tillamook-area who was accidentally shot over the weekend when his dog jumped into a boat and set off his gun is recovering.
Matthew Marcum was shot with his 12-gauge shotgun Saturday on the Tillamook Bay. His legs and buttocks were injured in the incident and he was taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center in Portland.
His father, Henry Marcum, says the 23-year-old Marcum was about to tie up an 11-foot open aluminum boat, when his 3-year-old Labrador, Drake, jumped into the boat.
Matthew Marcum says his dog, Drake, is a good dog and he isn't upset with him.

Car Trouble!

(This was a picture from the Internet...it's not a young Tom in his first car!) Wintertime usually brings car trouble. Yes, even though it's meteorologically not winter until Dec. 21st, it's felt like January with an Arctic airmass over Maryland. Temperatures have been averaging 15F below normal for about 2 weeks now. So, with the cold comes car problems, and this weekend was no exception for Tom's car.
We think the starter on his car went, so it has been sitting in the driveway since last Thursday. We've found a couple of garages with good reputations, so Tom is calling them today, and we'll use our AAA card to get a tow truck to take it to the shop. I really recommend AAA. I've used them whenever I needed them, and they always come through.
Tom's parents lent us their extra vehicle, so I don't have to drive Tom to the metro at 4:30am anymore (I drove him Thursday and Friday with the doggies to keep me company). So, hopefully, by Thanksgiving, he'll have his car up and running again.

Winter Outlook Announced by NOAA!

In announcing the 2008-2009 U.S. Winter Outlook for meteorological winter from December through February, forecasters at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center are calling for warmer-than-normal temperatures for much of the central part of the nation, and a continuation of drier-than-normal conditions across the Southeast.

REGIONAL OUTLOOKS

Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic: Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation.
Southeast: Increased chance of above normal temperatures in the central and western parts, along with below-normal precipitation.
Central Region: Increased chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures, with above-normal precipitation anticipated in parts of the central Plains.
Western Region: Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures, and an enhanced likelihood of below-normal precipitation across parts of the Southwest.
Hawaii: Above-normal temperatures for eastern Hawaii and below-normal temperatures for western Hawaii. There are equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal precipitation throughout the state.

Happy Birthday Tom!

(Tom blowing out birthday candles as Brooke and Pat look on)
Today is a wonderful day. The love of my life was born on this date (I won't tell you what year), and we're celebrating! Tom and I have been together almost 3 years, and look forward to every day together. We laugh, sing, shop, work in the yard and on the house, play with and walk the dogs, plan things together, and are 100% in love with each other. So, being his birthday - it's a day to celebrate. Tom's really shy and quiet- he's not into parties and big crowds, so pulling a small gathering together (in 2 days) and keeping it quiet, took a lot of effort, but I did it. I had called several friends yesterday that couldn't make it on a moment's notice, but it was hard to find time to make the calls...
Our friend Jeff came up from VA yesterday and helped pull it off. We went shopping, and Jeff treated us to a birthday dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ. We got back to our house with 15 minutes to spare before some friends would arrive. I bought a sheet cake and had it hidden in the garage, and brought out tablecloth, plates, napkins, etc. while Tom was upstairs moments before everyone arrived. Needless to say he was shocked! It was a lot of fun, though. Below are some pictures of the friends that made it, and most were taken from our friend Craig, a master photographer in his own right!
(Dolly and I)

(Jim- a pic from this summer)

(LEFT Jeff and Douglas)

(RIGHT- Craig, our great photog!)

(Tom, with Franklin, Brooke and Pat)

(Erica and Todd - photo from our ghost walk in Oct.)

14 Degrees Below Normal..

It's cold here in Maryland. In fact, very cold for this time of year. Our highs over the last week have been in the upper 30s, which are January/February temperatures. They're 14 degrees Below normal, and like everyone we're feeling it!
This morning, when Tom set out for work at 4:30am his car wouldn't turn over, so the dogs and I got dressed (yes, they put on t-shirts in extreme cold like this morning's 28F) and drove Tom to the metro (subway) in our truck. We'll have to tend to the dead car this weekend.
I walked the dogs this morning for about 20 minutes. They were wearing their "Spiderman" and "FBI" Tee shirts, and I was wrapped in my winter jacket, with scarf, gloves, hat and lots of kleenex. Dry cracked skin on my hands has already reared its ugly head, a month or two ahead of time, so I'm chock full of moisturizer.
As I think about all this, I wonder, how in the world do my friends in Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota do it for a longer winter period? Maybe I'm just getting old! Oh yeah, did I mention another day of snow showers here in Maryland today? Christmas music is now on the radio, and I'm okay with that- given the weather.

Superhero Movie Update: SHAZAM! / The Spirit

Captain Marvel Moves to Warner Bros. Source:Variety November 20, 2008
Variety reports that Get Smart director Peter Segal and his Callahan Filmworks partner Michael Ewing have signed a three-year first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures.
As part of the deal, Warner Bros. has also acquired the John August-scripted Captain Marvel; Segal will direct the DC Comics adaptation. He and Ewing began working on the film two years ago at New Line, but the property has moved over to Warner Bros. The film tells the story of teenaged Billy Batson, who transforms into the superhero when he says the word "Shazam!" (I can't wait!)
The Spirit Coming to Theaters on Christmas Day! Will Eisner's superhero from the 1940s finally comes to life in this action-packed movie. I'm not really familiar with him, (read only one comic from the 1940s), but he looks interesting. In appearance, he looks like the Green Hornet with overcoat, hat and mask. Set in the 1940s (I think) this trailer looks great! http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809838857/video

Click on "Animal Rescue Site" to help give free dog food

Thanks to my friends in MD and FL who sent this: The Animal Rescue Site is having troublegetting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota ofgetting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ (Photo: Hil and Richard's new dog, Amy!)

ANY Help Appreciated for MD Family Who Lost House in Fire

Some friends of my friend Lynn lost EVERYTHING in a fire yesterday. See email below. ynn's son Jeffrey has been in school with their middle child, Kaitlyn, since nursery school. If you want to help, please either send your monetary contributions to me, and make any checks payable to: Brian and Laurie Whiting
You can send a check:
c/o Lynn Chandler
3928 Calawasse Road
Edgewater, Md 21037
IF you have any clothes, (and live between Annapolis and Washington, DC) Lynn will come pick them up. Anything you can do would be so appreciated. This entire family is involved in everything in the community and always have been. They are so generous of their time and now is the time for us to give back to them.

Baltimore/Washington's First Snow of the Season!

It's Tuesday, November 18th, and we're receiving our first snow (at least pretty good on-and-off flurries)! - Thanks to an arctic air mass that's settled over the region, we've got high temps in the upper 30s, with gusty, cold winds!
At 2:20pm EST,it was only 36 Fahrenheit, with a gusty NW wind to 28 mph, and the WIND CHILL is NEAR 25F!!
From the National Weather Service: 1235 PM EST TUE NOV 18 2008 .NOW...
SCATTERED FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. IT WILL BE BLUSTERY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID AND UPPER 30S AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. WIND CHILL VALUES WILL BE IN THE UPPER 20S.

GIFT CARDS: Choose Wisely this Holiday Season!

There are a number of stores that have filed for bankruptcy this year because of the poor economy, and if you have a gift card - Good luck! - Be VERY careful which gift cards you buy over the holidays. I have a SOLUTION: Only Buy Dunkin Donuts Gift Cards! - Rob
Here's the news on some others:
Circuit City said it will continue to honor outstanding gift cards, and will continue to sell them. But Circuit City also announced that it's closing 155 stores, which means some card holders will have a harder time finding a place to redeem them. And if the company's efforts to reorganize fail, the cards could become worthless.
Linens 'n Things filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. Consumers who still have gift cards for the retailer will have a hard time redeeming them: After failing to find a buyer, Linens 'n Things announced that it's liquidating its merchandise and closing its stores.
Bombay Co., which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, didn't fare much better. In August, the retailer won approval from the bankruptcy court to pay off gift card holders 25 cents on the dollar.
Tweeter, a consumer electronics chain that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early November, originally planned to stop accepting gift cards on Nov. 15. After several state attorney generals intervened, the company agreed to accept gift cards through Dec. 31, or until its stores close.
S ome consumers have already been burned. When Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, gift card holders were informed they could no longer use their cards. The company later asked the court to allow it to accept gift cards if holders spent twice the value of the gift card on a single purchase. Consumers Union estimates that unused Sharper Image gift cards totaled $20 million.

Technology Brings Elvis and Martina Together on "Blue Christmas"

I think this is kind of cool - a new CD of musical collaborations with Elvis- but what's most interesting is the VIDEO below. What incredible video editing!!!- rob
A 'Blue Christmas' with Elvis and Martina McBride
By Brian Mansfield, Special for USA TODAY
Elvis and Martina McBride spend a Blue Christmas together.
Martina McBride was just shy of 2 when Elvis Presley filmed his 1968 "comeback" TV special. This year, the country singer steps back in time 40 years to join the King of Rock 'n' Roll in a video for Blue Christmas.
"They took Elvis out of the '68 special and put him on the Idol stage," he says. "We were taking Martina to the '68 special." The posthumous collaboration also appears on Elvis Presley Christmas Duets, a new album that pairs Presley with singers such as Carrie Underwood, Amy Grant and Olivia Newton-John. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-11-14-elvis-mcbride_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip