Oh, mornings! Why do you sometimes do this to me? Cold day, frost on the ground, alarm clock set at the wrong time. I think I’ll stop by and have Breakfast at Ginger’s. Ginger takes her breakfast nice and slow… and understands that breakfast can really turn your day around. When you’re having breakfast with her, you can’t help but smile. Here’s to finding fun in your week!
Rally tally. Best sign spotted at the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear”: “3 words that will save the economy: gay bridal registry.” Stephen Colbert estimated the crowd at 6 billion.
Made in China. This week Citizens Against Government Waste released an ad set in 2030 that depicts a Chinese professor lecturing to students on why America collapsed. Several networks, including ABC, have banned the ad. If you want an upset stomach, watch it here.
Heartburn. After a 16-year hiatus (with a brief cameo in 2006) the McDonald’s McRib sandwich officially returned for a month to all 14,000 locations. Did you know there’s an online McRib Locator where people can post sightings of the elusive sandwich and it has its own Facebook page.
Speaking of fast food, a couple in Hong Kong recently got married in a McDonald’s. But Mickey D’s doesn’t have an alcohol license, so no champagne was served. This is almost as good (strange? sad?) as the Wal-Mart wedding that took place a month ago. Wedding portraits, eye exams and lower prices included. Here’s how to plan one.
Here’s a tragic tale. A 10-year-old girl has given birth in Southern Spain. The father of the child is (fortunately?!) also a minor, so Spanish authorities are deciding whether to let her and her family keep the baby. On a programming note, MTV has already sent camera crews to Spain for their new series, My 10 Year Old Mommy.
Sports scoreboard. The Dallas Cowboys lost Sunday to the Jaguars. Vikings head coach Brad Childress has confirmed the team will bid farewell to Randy Moss. In other news, more people watched the Saints-Steelers game Sunday night than the MLB World Series. By the way, did you even know the World Series was on? What a snore.
One more for the road. Did you know more than 2,420,000 people die each year in America. Around 40% of these are sudden. So 2,600 Americans woke up yesterday expecting to live for a long time. And today they keeled over. So, um, live right and enjoy your weekend!
Now, eat your dinner!
Vote for Dave. World Open Swimming Man of the Year!Here’s a shout out to my friend Dave Barra, who has battled back against the odds and is in the running, um, swimming, to become the “World Open Swimming Man of the Year.” Dave, one of the sweetest hearts I know, contributes his success in the water to my friend Dr. Bill Gray (partners at Columbia Presbyterian with Dr. Oz) who helped fix his heart. Dave swim adventures have taken him around the world. This year he has swam 128 miles in marathons and a total of 800 swim miles. Here’s Dave before his last swim. The award is meant to honor the man who embodies great spirit and possesses a sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance. There’s no one more deserving than Dave. Please take a sec and vote for him here.
A cappella is the hot new thing on campus. Thanks in part to Glee interest in harmonizing on campus is a trend and has made certain a cappella singers into campus celebrities. Some of the groups sing the oldies, others have taken to arranging contemporary pop hits. Huffington Post compiled some of their favorites. And here are a few of mine: “Bad Romance” by University of Oregon, “Single Ladies” by Grand Valley State University, “What Goes Around, Comes Around” by University of Michigan, and “Fake Plastic Trees” by University of Virginia.
69 days stuck in a mine and one night on David Letterman has made miner Edison Peña a star. Though he doesn’t speak English, he did manage to sing a bit of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” – including situation-appropriate lyrics: “We’re caught in a trap” and “I can’t walk out.” Peña says he ran up to six miles a day in the mines, and because of all that training, he’ll run in Sunday’s New York City Marathon. This interview is Dave at his best. And makes Dave (and me) want to hug Peña. It’s a must watch!
Fresh, unique and as the DailyWhat says, a “Feast For The Senses.” Do your day a favor and listen to the magic of dice-master Pogo. He slices, dices and creates a menu of visual and auditory deliciousness. His latest, “Wishery,” chops up Disney’s Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs into whimsical delight. I’m a new fan! Check out what he’s done with some of your other childhood favorites.
Katy Perry on the upcoming holiday issue of Harper's Bazaar
Who lets their kid play on train tracks?!
Presenting, Useful Dog Tricks and Jesse, the useful dog. Jesse was trained using “positive reinforcement” and clicker training. His friend, Heather, says he loves learning new things (and getting the tricks for doing them.) When not doing tricks, Jesse chases squeaker balls, digs for lizards, de-fluffs stuffed toys, and swims. Find out more about Clicker Training here. He’s already helped me write a book, but now I can’t wait to teach Westminster to scratch my back.
E.T. phone Denver… Did you know Denver is voting today on the establishment of a commission to deal with extraterrestrials. Yep, here is Initiated Ordinance 300: “Shall the voters for the City and County of Denver adopt an Initiated Ordinance to require the creation of an extraterrestrial affairs commission to help ensure the health, safety, and cultural awareness of Denver residents and visitors in relation to potential encounters or interactions with extraterrestrial intelligent beings or their vehicles, and fund such commission from grants, gifts and donations?”
Would you vote for it?
