Twas the Day After Christmas...

Happy Birthday, Caroll Spinney!

He brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life. "Sesame Street" was one of my favorite shows growing up.

I think he's one of the few original Muppeteers still with the show. They've brought in more folks through the years as others eased out, but he's still there.

I liked Big Bird OK, but Oscar was my favorite, hands down. He always "told it like it was", and was loved by all in spite of himself. Not everyone can make this claim.

So it's question time for my readers - who's YOUR favorite Muppet? (that is, if you like the Muppets...if you don't, tell me about that too!)


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Well, I'm back in the work world again...it's pretty quiet here, though. If you read yesterday's entry, you'll know that I cleaned the bathroom. D and I helped pick up the "big chunks" in the livingroom while watching "Rome" on HBO On Demand. I'm diggin' that show, but not as much as "Six Feet Under".

Where was I when this show was on? It's so good. Besides having Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") in it, it's just got great writing, good actors, and gallows humor. I've got to find more! Does David get back together with the hot cop? Does Nate marry Brenda? Does Claire stay hooked up with Gabe (the recipient of the disembodied foot)? AAAAGGGHHH! Why do I get attached to shows like this? Sigh...

I watched all 13 episodes of the first season in the span of about 3-4 days. How sad is that? At least I found "Dexter", "Huff" and "Big Love" early enough that I could temper my TV watching, but not this show. I OD'd, gladly, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

You know what's sad, though? I haven't watched network TV in ages...with digital cable, there's so many choices, and "On Demand" just adds fuel to the fire. My network exposure is limited, and so I'm out of touch with what the "Big Four" have to offer. It didn't used to be this way...even when I had free cable in my very first apartment, I still watched network stuff. Not now. I don't want to be a snob and say, "Oh, network TV is so boring..." because I know that there are plenty of shows that have received glowing reviews. I just haven't gotten to them yet.

Maybe there's hope for me? Any thoughts?

OK...another new award!

"The Frivolous Lawsuit" Award is given to special individuals who take advantage of the American legal system for various and sundry STUPID reasons.

Today's recipient: Donald Trump!

Reason: To quote the article:

PALM BEACH, Fla. - Donald Trump is suing this oceanside town for $10 million after being cited for flying an oversized American flag over his Mar-a-Lago Club.

Attorneys for the club filed a complaint Thursday, saying that flying the flag is a constitutionally protected expression of free speech — and that the large flag is a proper match for the size of the real-estate mogul's patriotism.

Town officials said Trump violated zoning codes when the lavish club hoisted a 15-by-25-foot flag atop an 80-foot pole on Oct. 3. The citation was for having a flagpole taller than 42 feet, for not obtaining a building permit and for not getting permission from the landmarks board.

The fine is $250 per day (he missed the November 27 deadline), and apparently he missed a Saturday meeting that would have further clarified what was actually due.

Judge's comments:

As you all know, I am not a fan of The Donald. The official statement from Trump's lawsuit states the following:

"A smaller flag and pole on Mar-A-Lago's property would be lost given its massive size, look silly instead of make a statement, and most importantly would fail to appropriately express the magnitude of Donald J. Trump's and the Club's members' patriotism," the lawsuit says.

But what I want to know is this: Where is it written that Mr. Trump is exempt from obeying laws? They're zoning ordinances - not the most swash-buckling, exciting laws - but they still serve a purpose. What he's doing isn't really patriotic - it's ostentatious. Is a big-a$$ American flag really necessary? I like the US Flag, and I love my country, but part of what patriotism and good citizenship is about is simply following laws. Zoning ordinances count as LAWS, I do believe.

Secondly, if he's being fined $250/day since the end of November, as of today he owes approximately $7250.00. However, he's suing the city of Palm Beach, Florida for $10 million. Why? He can afford the fine. He can afford to get a new flagpole. It's not like he's stuck with the bill and he's a working stiff like you and me...he's Donald Trump, dammit! What kind of pain and suffering could he possibly have because of this situation? If he does have pain and suffering stemming from this, he needs more help than I do.

However, I am looking at this angle - the man must be really hard up for publicity if he wants to sue a city for $10 million. The press must be hard up to actually pay attention to this crap, and I must REALLY be hard up to get annoyed about this.

Oh well...it's all part of the food chain. Just call me "plankton".

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And finally, in honor of James Brown and Eddie Murphy, I present this YouTube selection. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Godfather of Soul - the "hardest working man in show business" meets the Princess of the Comics Page: