It's All About Perspective ...

Often in life, there are different ways to see the same thing depending on your perspective. You know, I see the glass half empty, you see it half full.

We face one of those situations right now in SoCal as we deal with the end of summer. For us, it's a sad time ... the days get shorter, the temperatures get colder, and the women start wearing more clothes. A depressing time. But that's because of our perspective. If we were, say, in the southern hemisphere right now, we'd be thrilled because summer's coming!

Just to remind us all what we'll be missing - but what our southern brethren will be enjoying - we bring you this week's Eye Candy - Aussie model Emily Scott. As you can see, she's clearly ready for summer to arrive - note the expectant look in her eyes. You know - those things in the middle of her face? Just keep looking, you'll find them - no, higher ....

So while we wave goodbye to summer with heavy hearts, remember that it's not really gone - it's just moved down the shoreline a bit.

Posted by MarlinNut @ 06:06 AM PST [link]

Nerds For Sale

Give these guys credit - they may be nerds, but they're thinking nerds ...

Looking to recruit more women, and perhaps date some sorority women, the largest computer club at Washington State University hopes to hold a "nerd auction."

The idea is to trade their computer skills to sorority girls in exchange for a makeover and, possibly, a date.

"You can buy a nerd and he'll fix your computer, help you with stats homework, or if you're really adventurous, take you to dinner!" Ben Ford, president of the Linux Users Group, said on its Web site.

Ford acknowledged that some of the group's 213 registered members may not be ready for the auction block.

"The problem is that we're all still nerds. Let's face it, guys. If anyone's going to bid on us, we'll need some spicing up," he wrote. "And who better to help with that than sorority girls who like nothing better than a makeover?"

I'm thinking our Home Office staff might want to try something similar ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 09:20 PM PST [link]

Think Twice Before You Charter ...

Here's a cautionary tale for all of you thinking you could pay the fuel bill with the occasional charter ...

The 4-man crew of the Miami-based charter boat JOE COOL are missing after agreeing to ferry two guys to Bimini to "meet up with their girlfriends". The two guys, naturally, were rescued after abandoning the boat.

Late Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard spotted the boat floating 160 miles south of Bimini with no one on board, its contents in disarray and one life raft aboard.

"It looks like whoever was on board left in a hurry," Coast Guard Petty Officer James Judge said.

Missing are the boat's captain, Jake Branam; his wife, Kelly; and crew members Scott Campbell and Sammy Cary.

A Coast Guard helicopter spotted the boat's second life raft, containing the two men who had chartered it, about 12 miles north of the empty boat and took them to a Coast Guard cutter, where the FBI questioned them.

Now, you could hold out hope that the crew is in the first life raft, but before you do, consider the following:

- One of the two who chartered the boat is a fugitive from Arkansas, where he's wanted for stealing $92,000 from a Wal-Mart ...

- They paid the $4,000 charter fee from a roll of $20s ...

The sea is a risky enough place as it is. Never let greed allow you to make it even more dangerous ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 07:45 AM PST [link]

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Pesky ...

It's Monday morning, and I know what you're thinking ...

"I gotta get to the MarlinBlog and read about the craziness at the Pesky!

Man, have I got bad news for you ...

Let me start by saying that my father, who leads Team HOOKER, has a half-century of experience on the waters of SoCal. I've learned over the years that if he has an opinion on things regarding the offshore waters, I should listen.

The plan was to attend the Pesky kickoff on Wednesday and do my part by helping to stuff the buckets ... er, traps ... and then be on the boat first thing Friday morning to head offshore. My brother was on business travel and had to fly in Thursday night from Baltimore, so I agreed to head down to the boat with him late Thursday / early Friday after he arrived. Thursday night I took a brisk late-night walk with my friend Anna, then met up with my brother and headed to the boat. We sacked out around 1, confidant that the alarm - or the main engines - would be waking us in just a couple of hours.

Another preface ... we all heard the stories of the big winter storm that was bearing down on SoCal for the last weekend of summer. It was going to be packing lots of rain, thunder, and the possibility of waterspouts. Considering the tourney theme of "Deadliest Catch", it seemed pretty appropriate. But it was worrysome enough that several of the smaller boats had pulled out of the event by the time the Wednesday kickoff arrived. As we arrived at the boat, however, there wasn't even a puff of breeze.

Back to the boat. Friday morning, I awake to full sunlight ... and no engine noise. Hmm ... even in my half-awake state I realize something's wrong. I roll out of the rack to find that we've opted to stay in port for Day One of the tourney, based on the weather reports. Disappointing to be sure, but you don't want to mess with Mother Nature. The decision is made to regroup on Saturday for Day Two - the final fishing day and the banquet.

I head home and was just starting to wonder how I should spend my Friday when I get a call - the weather reports don't look any better and we're going to pass on Day 2 as well.

Noooooo!

The reality of the situation was crashing around me. I've fished every year of the Pesky, and that's a source of pride for me. I also need to cover the event, both for the Fishing News and this very blog entry. Beyond that, there's the enjoyment factor. It's probably an indication of just how pathetic my social life is, but this is one of the few times each year that I actually get out and mingle with people like a normal human being, and now that's not going to happen. Damn ...

Several folks within the fleet graciously offered me a ride for Day 2, were I able to get to Avalon by Saturday morning, but sometimes you have to support the team and team decisions even if you don't like them (see "50 years of experience", above ...). So, instead of pulling on marlin, I spent the weekend sanding door frames - nothing guite like manual labor to work off that frustration ...

At this point, I don't even know who won the event. I know that three or four fish were caught, and that the weather, while rugged, was for the most part survivable. Apparently, the fleet did get their collective asses kicked Friday night in Avalon - an inch of rain caused mudslides in the burn zone above Avalon, and the water dirtied up so much that everyone's bait was killed. But the sun was shining by the time the awards BBQ happened at Descanso Beach - and it never rains at the Marlin Club.

I guess there's always next year ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 09:35 AM PST [link]

Veggie-Style Eye Candy

I'm fishing in the Pesky this weekend, so you get your Eye Candy a day early. I just don't want to hear about you converting to soy burgers by Monday ...

We talked in a recent entry about advertising and the willingness of advertisers to slap their logos on damned near anything. There is, of course, an opposite tact to that method - the totally stripped down ad.

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is a group that will never have me as a member. I don't want to see animals mistreated any more than anyone else, but their extremist views are far too hardcore for me. I do, appreciate their advertisements.

Alicia Silverstone is an actress best known for her role in "Clueless" over a decade ago. She's still at it, although never reaching similar levels. Now she's joined forces with PETA to advertise for something. Not sure what that word is that starts with a "V", but I assume that's what they're hyping ... :-)

Frankly, with ads like this, I'm not sure I even care what the product is ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 07:47 PM PST [link]

Arrrrr ... :-)

We love holidays here at the MB. A chance to mingle with friends, to revel in the holiday spirit ... or to wear a parrot on your shoulder and ogle the women.

That's right - today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Last year, it was easy to get my buccaneer on, as the Pesky had a pirate theme. This year, I'll have to work a little harder. But as I stroll around work with my cutlass, I believe the wenches will get the point ... arr-arr-arr.

No entry about ITLAPD would be complete without my favorite pirate joke:

Pirate Pete walks into a bar with a steering wheel stuck on the end of his dick. The bartender says, "Hey Pirate Pete, did you know you have a steering wheel stuck on the end of your dick?" Pirate Pete says, "Arrrr, it's driving me nuts."

As Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam, and that's all what I yam ... uck-uck-uck-uck-uck" ... :-)

Posted by MarlinNut @ 08:01 AM PST [link]

Is There No Surface That Can't Be Whored Out?

I understand that in our money-conscious, free-enterprise system, advertising drives the revenue streams of much of society - including this website. But sometimes, you gotta wonder if it's all going too far.

I recall a couple of months back looking up at the Metro Green Line trains that pass by my parking lot at work and realizing that the cars were now blanketed with McDonalds ads. I remember earlier this summer attending the AVP Hermosa Open and marvelling that the players - whose uniforms have less surface area than the screen on my laptop - were wearing advertising temporary tattoos (nothing quite as sexy as a woman with an advert for Hilton Garden Inns on her bicep ...). Now, it appears that the media folks have one more surface to cover with advertising - parking lot stall lines:

"It's brilliant!" said Debbie Wideroe, professor of communications at Pepperdine University. "It's clever because you have to cut through the clutter and a parking stripe is a clean slate."

The genius, Wideroe said, is that consumers have become immune to traditional advertising on everything from bus billboards and benches to gas pumps and shopping carts.

"It's capturing your attention in an innovative way," she said. "I think it's really aligned with the target audience."

Wonderful ... and it's gonna get worse:

Glow-in-the-dark tape is in the future, as are tiny embedded computer chips.

"You get out of your car and see the words `Harley-Davidson,' and you hear a motorcycle roar," she said.

Remember "Blade Runner" and how all of Los Angeles was basically one big advertisement? Doesn't sound so far off now, does it ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 07:42 AM PST [link]

I Just Can't Make This Stuff Up ...

Sometimes, I'll stumble across a story so ... compelling ... that I just have to run it in it's entirety ...

Police Question Armless Man In Neighbor's Death

SNELLVILLE, Ga. -- Police questioned an armless man Monday about the death of his neighbor.

Relatives of Charles Keith Teer, 47, claim he died after the armless man head-butted and kicked Teer during a fight.

The two men lived across the street from each other on Pine Street in the Atlanta suburb.

Teer's relatives told police the men were arguing over a woman.

"He's dating my brother's ex-girlfriend," said Teer's sister Lynn Elliot. "My neighbor left my brother for this guy, so it's a verbal argument between them the whole time."

Elliot said the armless man attacked her brother.

"They got into a big confrontation, a verbal confrontation and a fist fight and he came after my brother, he came with full force, and head butted him as hard as he could," said Elliot.

She said Teer collapsed and died a short time after the fight.

"There's an ongoing investigation but he died within five minutes," said Elliot. "They took off running right after he got hit. He (my brother) was still standing when they left, but my daughter was here, and he leaned against the truck and said, 'I'm about to faint,' and he hit the my driveway before anything could be done."

Police questioned the armless neighbor, and will decide by Tuesday afternoon if any charges will be filed, according to Lt. Robert Stevens of the Snellville Police Department.

"I hope the guy pays for what he's done to my brother because my brother had a kind heart," said Elliot.

Even I don't know what to say after that one ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 09:23 AM PST [link]

Send In The Clowns ...

That's right, folks ... OJ Simpson is in the news again, and the media circus is on full alert.

Run, Juice, run ... oh, wait - you can't!

That's right - Orenthal has managed to step on his dick once again. This time, he's sitting in a cell in Vegas without bail - accused of a string of felonies associated with what he's described as a "sting operation" to try and recover sports and other memorabilia he claims was stolen from him. Problem is, there were guns and obscenties - and a tape recorder. Even in Lost Wages, they don't cotton to that sort of behavior.

The facts? Hell, who knows. Apparently, a friend of the Juice who's in the auction business tipped him that some folks were in Vegas claiming to have some former OJ property - memorabilia, scrapbooks and the like - and were going to auction it off. Simpson claims to have pulled together a few golfing buddies to pose as "customers" and arrange a private showing. When the door opens - surprise! Out jumps OJ - and we're not talking about an episode of his pathetic "Punk'd" clone "Juiced". Words were exchanged, guns may have been flashed, and the cops were called. After a couple days of investigation - during which it appeared that OJ was in fact the victim - Simpson was arrested and is staring at robbery, assault, battery and conspiracy charges. If ultimately charged and convicted, he's facing a very long stay in prison.

I'm one of those who will forever believe that Simpson killed his wife and her friend, and that only the incompetance of the LAPD and the District Attorney saved him from the gas chamber. Given that kind of massive lucky break in life, you'd think he'd lay low and try to live out of the public limelight. Not our Orenthal.

So now OJ's facing the music once again, and we'll have to see if he can squirm off the hook this time. This could become the modern-day equivalent of the Feds being unable to get Al Capone for murder, but nailing him for tax evasion - off the street all the same.

And if all else fails, I guess AC can fire up the white Bronco ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 09:20 AM PST [link]

Sports Rant

Forced to spend the weekend on the beach, so I had to watch sports. Oh, woe is me ... ...

- Is there any sight in sports as engrossing as Tiger Woods when he's hitting on all cylinders? Keep all your talk of new swings, new babies, new wives or new challengers. Woods flat kicked the ass of the elite field in this weekend's Tour Championship, and along the way collected the inaugural FedEx Cup. Woods always says that winning takes care of everything, and he was right. By concentrating on winning, rather than getting caught up in the whole "playoff" thing, he not only collected the $10 million annuity that comes with the Cup but also picked up his 4th win in 5 starts, including the final two rounds of the playoff format. Tiger's 8 stroke win wasn't even as close as the score indicated. He waited Sunday until someone got within a couple of strokes and just found another gear. How demoralizing must it be to be one of the 30 best golfers in the world, and know from the outset that you're playing for second every time Woods tees it up?

- How bad must your defense be if you throw for six touchdowns - and still lose? Someone ask the Bengals' Carson Palmer, as that's what happened to him. There was a time when coach Marvin Lewis was considered a defensive specialist, but clearly these folks have no defense at all. When you let a guy who's basically keeping the seat warm for the next guy roll up 51 points on you, you really need to take a closer look. Nearly as embarrased? The New Orleans Ain'ts ... er, Saints, who are clearly unable to match last years emotion or performance.

- The Marlins are going to lead the league in two different categories this season - total home runs hit and total losses. Goes to show you the value of pitching. Makes it all that much harder when I watch Brad Penny and Josh Beckett lead the staffs for LA and Boston, respectively. Oh, well - at least we're not saddled with Carl Pavano ...

- I was raised a USC fan, and when you grow up pulling for the Trojans, you learn to pull against two teams - UCLA and Notre Dame. Saturday was SoCal bliss, as SC blasted Nebraska while ND was being shut out by Michigan and UCLA shellacked by Utah. Utah? The real shock is just how bad the Irish are. Three games in and they haven't scored a single offensive touchdown. Charlie Weis may have been an offensive genius, but so far he's not showing much in the way of leadership. His QBs keep transferring to other schools, which isn't exactly a sign of faith, and if they lose to Michigan State this weekend - a distinct possibility - they could be 0-8 before coming up on a team they can beat. Between the Notre Dame and UCLA beatdowns, a fella could almost feel sorry for them. Almost ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 02:50 PM PST [link]

Totally Random Eye Candy

Sometimes, life and the world around us provides inspiration for our Weekend Eye Candy. Someone's doing something to put themselves in the spotlight, or a particular event is occuring that makes a particular individual the obvious choice to grace this entry.

This isn't one of those times. I just saw this photo of Natalia Oreiro and was intrigued.

From Wikipedia:

Natalia Marisa Oreiro Iglesias Poggio Bourié (born May 19, 1977 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is a popular Latin Grammy-nominated Uruguayan singer and actress that developed most of her career in Argentina.

Caramba! Just try fitting that name in the little space they give you on a birth certificate!

Posted by MarlinNut @ 06:19 AM PST [link]

I Think Jesus Can Probably Defend Himself

We hear a lot of talk about how mature a society we are and see a lot of backslapping over how far we've come, but all it takes is a few words to see just how intolerant we really are.

Let me start by saying I love Kathy Griffin. I disagree with her on just about every possible political position, but I love her comedy - even when she's saying something I don't agree with. Her Bravo series, "My Life On The D-List" won an much-deserved Emmy for "Best Reality Program" last weekend and Kathy was in typical form during her acceptance speech:

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this. He had nothing to do with this," Griffin said. "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now."

Now, as a Christian, I don't agree with her position, but I respect her right to say it. The correct response is to simply shake my head and move on with my life.

Apparently, though, that's not how others see it. Griffin's statement has been compared - most notably by the Catholic League - to the racial statement by Michael Richards and the homophobic statement by Isiah Washington. Frankly, folks, you couldn't be more wrong.

It's one thing to make a statement against a group of people - those people have a right to be agitated. But that's not what Griffin did. She made a statement about a belief of a group of people. Those people might be offended, but they have not been wronged.

Look back at where we were only a few years ago, and look at how we've changed - and not for the better. Can you imagine the original "Saturday Night Live" being tolerated today? How about "All In The Family"? "Soap?" The list goes on and on.

We have become waaaaay too thin-skinned in our society today. We've reached the point where you can't say anything or do anything without fearing reprisals. How long before we can't think anything, as well ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 10:33 AM PST [link]

Kristina Ripatti Update

You'll recall we talked about the paralyzed LAPD officer and Redondo Beach resident back when the folks from 'Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" were building them a new home. The Daily News provides an update that shows how far a determined young woman can come. The upside? She's walking - sort of - and she's pregnant!

Posted by MarlinNut @ 11:25 AM PST [link]

Lighthearted Terrorism

This joke has been bouncing around the blogosphere in different forms for a couple of years now. After getting all serious on you yesterday, I thought we could all use a little smile ...

The Pentagon announced today the formation of a new 500-man elite fighting unit called the United States Redneck Special Forces (USRSF) These boys will be dropped off in Iraq and have been given only the following facts about terrorists:

1. The season opened today.
2. There is no limit.
3. They taste just like chicken.
4. They don't like beer, pickups, country music, or Jesus.
5. They are directly responsible for the death of Dale Earnhardt.

The Pentagon expects the problem in Iraq to be over by Friday.

Applications are available at your local Wal-Mart sporting goods counter ...

Posted by MarlinNut @ 09:12 AM PST [link]

Liberty Versus Security - The Challenge Of Our Generation

You probably remember where you were on 9-11-01 – we all do. But do you remember 9-10-01? Do you remember how your life was on that day? In many ways, that life ended 24 hours later.

In the wake of disasters like 9-11 or Katrina, the government feels obligated to respond. They know that they must react – the people demand that they take some kind of action. But what kind of action should the politicians take – short term responses that placate the masses, or long term plans to prevent future occurrences. Too often, neither answer represents a true solution, and the results are unsatisfactory to all.

After 9-11, the Bush Administration took steps it felt would help make the people safer. The most visible of those was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Safety Agency, resulting in tens of thousands of people working to prevent future terror attacks – but do they really help?

When I fly, I have to make sure I’m wearing clean socks, because I’m going to have to take off my shoes. I have to limit what I pack in my carry-on bag, because there’s a list of things I can’t take with me. The burden - and the inconvenience – is placed on the average flyer. When I fish, I see gunboats patrolling the harbor. If I’m unlucky, I’m chosen for a random inspection – at gunpoint – to insure I don’t have a dirty bomb in the bait tank. The burden – and the inconvenience – is placed on the average fisherman. These steps and so many more like them are seen as “making us safer”, but are they really? Or are they just giving politicians something to point to as action during their next re-election campaign. If a politican proposed steps that might actually make our lives safer, would we even accept the restrictions those steps might require?

The challenge is how to protect the people without unduly impacting their lives. If you live in England or Israel, countries that have felt the sting of homeland violence for decades, the idea of governmental intrusion into lives is second nature. But it’s not so easy here. A friend reminded me last night of the famous quote by Benjamin Franklin:

“Those who would give up ESSENTIAL LIBERTY to purchase a little TEMPORARY SAFETY, deserve neither LIBERTY nor SAFETY.

We are not a people who take kindly to having our government tell us how to run our lives, even if the government believes they are taking actions for our own good. But at the same time, somewhere along the line we forgot that sometimes, bad things happen. That’s the conundrum – we won’t let our government take actions to protect us that interfere with our lives, but if something bad happens we blame our government for having not taken previous actions to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.

It’s easy to say that instead of being reactive, the government should be proactive - hire some bright folks to analyze data and try and figure out where and how the next attack will occur, and develop the correct steps to prevent it. But that presents a problem, too, because we are historically distrustful of our government when it comes to data analysis and investigation. We’re terrified that if they get too much data together, and too much power over that data, we’ll be that much closer to Orwell’s Big Brother scenario.

For a lot of different reasons, I don’t believe we are any safer today than we were on 9-11-01. Our foreign policy choices have isolated us from much of the world, and created a great deal of animosity in the Middle East. Our post 9-11 homeland security activities focus too much on what happened last time, and not enough on what will happen next time. The mistrust of our government bred through decades of disappointment prevents many of the actions that might actually make us safer.

The fact of the matter is that any steps we take now expecting immediate results are exactly the kind of temporary safety Franklin warned of. The only real solutions to our problems will require long term commitment by both the government and the people. We need to re-evaluate our position in the world, and our decisions with regard to other countries. We need to take steps to be better neighbors, and recognize that it will take many, many years to build and repair the relationships that we need to have with other countries. We need to ask ourselves what restrictions - if any - to our lives we are willing to accept in the name of security. Finally, we need to accept that part of the price for liberty is that sometimes, bad things will happen to good people – even someone peacefully strapped into their airline seat.

Posted by MarlinNut @ 10:11 AM PST [link]

Not The Reaction She'd Hoped For

There are few things sadder than watching someone you respect try to carry on a flagging career long after they should have hung it up. The star baseball slugger who can't get around on a decent fastball. The child star whose cuteness just doesn't translate as an adult. The rock singer who won't go on stage without a corset to hold in his gut and can't come close to hitting those high notes that made him famous in the 70's. The sex kitten actress who refuses to admit that people just aren't as interested in seeing her body at 55 as they were at 25. The list goes on.

Last night, we got one more example of someone who should just allow themselves to gracefully fade away - but won't. For months, we've been watching with morbid curiosity the pathetic fall from grace by one-time pop tart Britney Spears; we've documented the high points here in the past. Recently, there's been talk of an attempt to revive the flagging career that would kick off with a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Admittedly, music stars have used the VMAs to successfully advance a career - we still talk about Madonna's performance of "Like A Virgin" at the '84 edition. Execs, sensing a "moment" in the making, even gave her the prized opening slot in the telecast. Good or bad, it was going to be memorable ...

Thud.

I could add some kind of pithy comment here, but I think I'll let CNN.com - not known as a source to unduly berate their subjects - tell the tale:

As in most train wrecks, it was hard to focus on just one thing as the Britney Spears disaster unfolded. There was just so much that went wrong.

Out-of-synch lip-synching. Lethargic movements that seemed choreographed by a dance instructor for a nursing home. The paunch in place of Spears' once-taut belly. At times she just stopped singing altogether, as if even she knew nothing could save her performance.

Ouch.

Look, she has a ton of cash, so we have no reason to feel sorry for her. She could just walk away and spend the rest of her days counting her blessings and raising her kids in luxury.

She won't, of course ... so we'll no doubt have many more moments like this in the future ....

Posted by MarlinNut @ 10:24 AM PST [link]

Early Eye Candy

Through some fluke of nature, I'm fishing two weekends in a row, so I won't be here on Friday to deliver the usual breakfast treat of Eye Candy. Now, I could just leave you to suffer, but what kind of host would I be then? So instead, you get it served up a day early.

This week, we actually have a fishing-related topic - and a hardcore one at that. Meet Candace Meyer, world record-holding offshore fisherman. Among her many accomplishments is catching the all-tackle world record bigeye tuna (370-lbs) in 2003, and the women's 20-lb record blue marlin - a 490-lber - in 2004, both in Ghana. You can tell just from her ... equipment ... that she's a serious fisherman. Surprising to see no Hays' Handle on that rig ...

She might have needed a little help from her plastic surgeon to fill out that bikini, but she'll never need anyone's help to bring in her fish!

Posted by MarlinNut @ 02:58 PM PST [link]

How Dumb Is Dumb?

I don't consider myself to the the smartest man walking the face of the earth (although well-entrenched in the upper half), but even I'm shocked at just how stupid some people can be.

Case in point: Nevada couple Wesley and Jennifer Evans are on their way to prison - 15 years for him and 10 for her - after getting caught in an internet sex slave sting. Turns out the 15-yr-old girl who called herself Suzy that Evans met on a chat board was in fact a Florida Sherriff's investigator. Oops. Evans kept after her until he convinced her to fly to Nevada to meet him. It was at the airport in Las Vegas that Evans - armed with roses, a digital camera, and a keycard to a nearby hotel room - was arrested.

As pathetic as this story is, it gets worse - or better - depending on how you see things. Turns out that Evans and his wife has made a little "welcome to the family" video to help young Suzy adjust to her new surroundings.

The 26-minute-long video shows Jennifer Evans introducing herself and giving a tour of the couple's 4-bedroom trailer home in Pahrump, Nevada, including the introduction of the couple's son, who Evans said was asleep in his room while they were taping the video.

In the video, Jennifer Evans said that she would not mind sharing her husband with the girl, and said that part of the reason was because she worked about 70 hours a week at a local Wal-Mart and was unable to satisfy her husband's "strong sexual appetite."

"I don't want to lose my man. I want to share my man. I'm OK with it. There's enough of Wes to go around, and I need help to make him happy," Evans said to the camera. "He needs more sex than I can give him all by myself."

I don't want any letters from the National Pre-Fabricated Homes Association, but why is it every time there's a story like this, they live in a trailer? Guess that's why they call it "trailer trash".

Posted by MarlinNut @ 02:46 PM PST [link]

Bad News For A Good Man

As I write this, adventurer extraordinaire Steve Fossett is missing after leaving a Nevada airport in a private plane on Monday. Search parties are looking for the presumed wreckage, but as yet have seen no sign of Fossett's plane.

In a world where the term "amazing" is tossed about far too easily, Steve Fossett is a truly amazing person. He holds over 100 world records or firsts in five different sports. His accomplishments are so wide-ranging as to be mind-boggling: first man to circumnavigate the globe in a single handed airplane; first to so the same in a balloon; circumnavigated the world in a yacht; ran the Ironman Triathalon; raced the Iditarod Sled Dog race. His flight was a scouting mission for locations for his latest challenge - breaking the world land speed record in a jet racer.

For all his accomplishments, Fossett doesn't consider himself a daredevil - he works out every detail until he feels it can be reasonably accomplished, then does it. And he's shown an ability to take care of himself - he once had to walk 30 miles for held after an aborted flight.

An amazing man, and a national treasure. Say a prayer.

Posted by MarlinNut @ 12:32 PM PST [link]

Never A Straight Answer, Even In The End

So now Press Secretary Tony Snow is joining the parade of rats leaving the sinking ship ... er, presidential assistants opting to quit the White House early. Tony's gained a certain sympathetic capital because of his upbeat fight against cancer, but he'll never go down as a great PS. It's true that W is said to have enjoyed Snow's battles against the press, but hey - the job isn't to amuse the president but to inform the people. I had my doubts when he first came over from Fox News, and they were never completely put aside.

It's understandable why Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzalez might take off now, but Snow? C'mon - just look at his excuse: at $168,000 a year, he claims he not making enough money to keep the job. OK, I'm sure that cancer treatments are expensive, but you're going to tell me that the White House medical plan doesn't cover them? If it's really just about the money, and Snow wants us to believe that service to America doesn't warrant the pay cut he took when he came to the White House, then just how shallow is the man.

My fear is that the real reason is a recurrence of the cancer. He certainly wouldn't be the first to put up a brave face against impossible odds (see: Peter Jennings), but imagine the impact that could be had if he held his final briefing with Lance Armstrong at his side as he announced the recurrence and his intention to fight to the end. The publicity for the disease - and programs to find a cure - would be incredible.

But instead, it's one more lame excuse from a White House famous for them. The good news is that Snow's assistant, Dana Perino - who took over the task while Snow was out earlier this year for his last round of treatments - will be taking over full time. She seems better suited for the job, and is certainly easy on the eyes - and that can't hurt!!

Posted by MarlinNut @ 10:02 AM PST [link]